London Early Opera (LEO) is a British period-instrument

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, ...

consisting of specialist

baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

instrumentalists, singers, researchers, historians and

musicologists Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...

. LEO was founded in 2008 by artistic director

Bridget Cunningham Bridget Cunningham is a British-Irish harpsichordist, conductor and Musicology, musicologist specialising in music of the Baroque music, Baroque period. Cunningham is Artistic Director of British period orchestra and research group London Early Op ...

as a research-led group. The orchestra is based in London and the south-east of England and became a UK Charity in 2011 (charity no 1143989).

Research and education

London Early Opera undertakes

musicological Musicology is the academic, research-based study of music, as opposed to musical composition or performance. Musicology research combines and intersects with many fields, including psychology, sociology, acoustics, neurology, natural sciences, f ...

research into baroque music and historical performance practice, working with historians, scholars and editors including Bridget Cunningham David E. Coke,

Lars Tharp Lars Broholm Tharp (born 27 March 1954, Copenhagen, Denmark)THARP, Lars Broholm
, ''< ...

and Michael Talbot. The orchestra performs and records well-known baroque music as well as newly discovered historical works to preserve musical heritage. The group also creates new scholarly editions of previously lost musical works, specialising in the music of

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

Johann Adolf Hasse Johann Adolph Hasse (baptised 25 March 1699 – 16 December 1783) was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a co ...

and their contemporaries. In 2021 the group edited and recorded their reconstruction of Handel’s ''Caio Fabbricio'' HWV A⁹ and have also edited a selection of Handel’s music originally performed in

Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...

, London, Germany, Italy. LEO also operates an educational scheme and chamber ensemble, The Handelians, which focuses on the development and education of singers and musicians, and nurtures them in the baroque style.

Performing

LEO has performed at venues including Coram’s Fields; the

Foundling Museum The Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square, London, tells the story of the Foundling Hospital, Britain's first home for children at risk of abandonment. The museum houses the nationally important Foundling Hospital Collection as well as the Geral ...

; St James’s Church, Piccadilly; St George’s Church, Hanover Square; the Handel Hendrix Museum; St. Peter’s Church, Vauxhall;

Grosvenor Chapel Grosvenor Chapel is an Anglican church in what is now the City of Westminster, in England, built in the 1730s. It inspired many churches in New England. It is situated on South Audley Street in Mayfair. History The foundation stone of the Grosve ...

; and a 400th Anniversary Concert of the Monteverdi Vespers at

Southwark Cathedral Southwark Cathedral ( ), formally the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, is a Church of England cathedral in Southwark, London, near the south bank of the River Thames and close to London Bridge. It is the mother c ...

. The orchestra has performed at the

London Handel Festival The London Handel Festival is an annual music festival centred on the compositions of George Frideric Handel which was founded in 1978. The festival also features other composers, but its main purpose is to showcase a range of Handel's work. It in ...

and also tours outside of the UK. In 2017 LEO performed Handel’s ''

Water Music The ''Water Music'' (German: ''Wassermusik'') is a collection of orchestral movements, often published as three Suite (music), suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717, in response to George I of Great Britain, ...

'' and a new world-premiere performance of ''River'' written by a previous winner of BBC Young Composer of the Year,

Grace-Evangeline Mason Grace-Evangeline Mason (born October 1994) is a British composer of contemporary classical music. Early life and education Mason studied composition at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, under Professor Emily Howard and Professo ...

. This was commissioned by the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and performed live by London Early Opera for

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

on the Eras`mus Boat on the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, s ...

celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Handel's ''Water Music''. In 2022 LEO launched their recording of Handel’s ' with a world premiere first performance in modern times at St George’s Church, Hanover Square, edited and directed by Bridget Cunningham. LEO have also given several performances on

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

Recordings

In 2015, LEO began a series of recording projects with

Signum Records Signum Records, also known as Signum Classics, is a classical musical record label in the UK founded in 1997. The label began with a project to make the first recording of the complete works of Thomas Tallis. The artists for the Tallis recordi ...

, capturing world premiere recordings exploring Handel’s life, influences and experiences. The series includes the albums ''Caio Fabbricio'', ''Handel in Italy,'' ''Handel in Ireland'', ''Handel at Vauxhall'' ''and'' ''Handel’s Eight Great Harpsichord Suites''. ''Handel’s Queens'' was shortlisted for a 2020 Gramophone Award nomination.

References

External links

*
London Early Opera archives

Interview
with

, ''Final Note Magazine''
Thoroughly Good podcast interview
with Bridget Cunningham by Jon Jacob, discussing London Handel Festival performances {{Authority control Baroque music groups London orchestras Musical groups established in 2008 Early music orchestras