The English Concert

The internationally acclaimed English Concert began a five-year residency with Garsington Opera in 2020. They made their Garsington debut in 2019, performing Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 under conductor Laurence Cummings.

The English Concert is an outstanding orchestra: exceptional in the world-renowned quality, ambition and variety of its live and recorded output; unique in the zeal of its players for working and performing together; unwavering in its desire to connect with its audience throughout the world.

Under the artistic direction of Harry Bicket and principal guest Kristian Bezuidenhout, The English Concert has earned a reputation for combining urgency, passion and fire with precision, delicacy and beauty. One cornerstone of the orchestra’s annual cycle is its international Handel Opera tour. Blossoming from an ongoing relationship with Carnegie Hall, the itinerary takes in many of the world’s great halls and the roster continues to grow.

In 2023 the orchestra launched Handel for All, a landmark project to film and make freely available all of Handel’s works.