Ensemble 1700 

​Ensemble 1700 was founded by Dorothee Oberlinger in Cologne in 2002. Based in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, the top-tier specialist ensemble has become an essential fixture in European baroque music and historical opera productions under her leadership. Alongside its core roster, the ensemble regularly collaborates with renowned guest artists, including Andreas Scholl, Núria Rial, Dorothee Mields, and Reinhard Goebel. Its recordings have won major honors such as the Echo Klassik, the Diapason d’Or, and the Opus Klassik award. The ensemble’s 2022 Christmas album Pastorale was hailed as one of the finest classical Christmas albums in many years. Ensemble 1700 regularly performs at major European venues and festivals, including the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Philharmonie in Cologne, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, and the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris.

 

In 2016, the ensemble debuted with its first opera production, Handel’s Lucio Cornelio Silla. Since then, it has staged many acclaimed historical opera productions at prestigious venues such as the Göttingen International Handel Festival, the Innsbruck Festival of Early Music, and the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth. Its recording of Polifemo by Bononcini won the Diapason d’Or and the Opus Klassik award, while I portentosi effetti della madre Natura by Scarlatti was named Opus Klassik Opera Recording of the Year in 2024. The staged production of Il giardino d’amore by Scarlatti was funded by the German federal program Neustart Kultur in 2022. From 2024 to 2026, the ensemble’s opera projects were supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany.