Tempesta di Mare
Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra & Chamber Players

Tempesta di Mare performs baroque music on baroque instruments with what the Philadelphia City Paper describes as “zest and virtuosity that transcends style and instrumentation.” Led by Artistic Co-Directors Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone with concertmaster Emlyn Ngai, Tempesta’s repertoire ranges from staged opera with full orchestra to chamber music. The group performs all orchestral repertoire without a conductor, as was the practice when this music was new. Tempesta di Mare is named for baroque master Antonio Vivaldi’s concerto meaning “storm at sea,” a title reflecting music’s power to evoke drama.

Hailed by the Philadelphia Inquirer for its “off-the-grid chic factor,” Tempesta’s Greater Philadelphia Concert Series has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence since its launch in 2002, with press endorsements from Philadelphia to Paris. Dedicated to a sense of discovery, Tempesta has brought exciting performances of numerous modern premieres to the area, alongside beloved classics. Tempesta di Mare—the only permanent baroque ensemble in Pennsylvania that consistently performs orchestral repertoire with truly orchestral forces—is one of just four baroque orchestras nationwide to receive the National Endowment for the Arts Artistic Excellence Award in 2007 and in 2008.

Tempesta di Mare records for the prestigious British label Chandos. Our latest CD, Fasch Orchestral Music (2008), an all-premieres disc recorded live on our Greater Philadelphia Concert Series, has garnered enthusiastic reviews at home and abroad. Goldberg magazine (Spain) gave the disc its top, 5-star rating, while Fanfare (US) described the performances as “fresh, vibrant and spontaneous, representing the perfect marriage between musical instinct and meticulous scholarship.” London’s Sunday Times named our second Chandos release, Flaming Rose, Handel's German Arias with soprano Julianne Baird, (2007) “Classical CD of the Week.” Our 2004 Chandos debut is the acclaimed world-premiere recording of the complete lute concerti of Silvius Leopold Weiss.

Tempesta has toured from Oregon to Prague. The 2008-2009 season includes our New York City debut at the Frick Galleries’ concert series. National broadcasts of performances include Performance Today, Sunday Baroque and Harmonia. Concerts are carried locally on WHYY-91FM's Showcase, and video of recent performances can be seen on WYBE Public Television. WHYY-TV12 has produced three documentaries about the group and in 2008 will feature our complete March 2008 production, No Strings Attached: Love and Death with Music and Puppets.

Tempesta di Mare is represented by MCM Artists.
For booking information, contact Thomas P. Gallant at MCM.