About Musica Gloria

Musica Gloria is a young, sparkling vocal and instrumental baroque ensemble, led by Beniamino Paganini (traverso, baroque keyboards, maestro al cembalo & musicologist) and Nele Vertommen (baroque oboe, recorder & artistic research). The ensemble aims to bring early music to listeners in an affectful, lively, colourful and historically informed way, on (copies of) historical instruments. Musica Gloria’s repertoire ranges from early to late baroque and from the most famous to unjustly unknown works. Bringing captivating, balanced and well-founded programs is a must for the ensemble. Depending on the programme and project, Musica Gloria concists of 2 to about 40 young, enthusiastic soloists. Musica Gloria consciously chooses an approach based on respect and responsibility for the music, the musicians, all involved and the environment.

Musica Gloria attracts an enthusiastic audience and plays some thirty concerts a year, including regularly in front of full houses at national and international venues such as AMUZ (BE), BachFest Leipzig (DE), BOZAR (BE), 30CC (BE), Concertgebouw Brugge (BE), De Bijloke (BE), Internationale Telemann-Gesellschaft Magdeburg (DE), Klara (BE), Les Festivals de Wallonie (BE), MA Festival (BE), Mubafa (BE), Musica Antica (NL), Trigonale Festival (AT) and Viaggio in Italia (IT). There is no question of sitting still with the ensemble; in addition to performing these concerts, the ensemble has already realized many video recordings on YouTube and 4 CDs: Corelli & Handel: Encounters in Rome (2023), The Bachs & The Flute (2022), Fasch’s Oboe (2022) and a CD with a selection of our YouTube recordings (2021). These recordings have been listened to worldwide and received positively by numerous listeners, radio stations, TV stations and reviewers (including 5 Diapasons, 10/10 in Listen, Disque du jour at Radio France).

Musica Gloria can count on the support of enthusiastic volunteers, (sustainable) sponsors, crowdfunders, fans and of the Flemish government, cities of Bruges, Knokke and Leuven, and Tax Shelter. The ensemble warmly thanks all involved!

How in began…

They conquered the hearts of young and old with atmospheric baroque Christmas concerts based on old carols. After being selected for the fringe concerts of the MA Festival in Bruges and the Early Music Festival in Utrecht in 2014, it further evolved into a professional ensemble with a solid foundation thanks to several projects with diverse line-ups: from traverso with strings and basso continuo to orchestral line-ups and from programs in duo line-ups to singing with instrumental ensemble. In 2020, among other things, the publication of several recordings – both self-published and with Klara and AMUZ – provided a boost.