Dunedin Consort

Dunedin Consort

Dunedin Consort is Scotland's leading baroque ensemble based in Edinburgh, Scotland, recognised for its vivid and insightful performances and recordings. Formed in 1995 and named after Din Eidyn, the ancient Brittonic Celtic name of Edinburgh Castle, Dunedin Consort’s ambition is to make early music newly relevant to the present day. Performing on period instruments, with choruses often numbering just one to a part, the group presents concerts that are both intimate and invigorating, often aiming to recreate the music as it was originally intended. Under the direction of John Butt, this has seen the ensemble earn two coveted Gramophone Awards – for the 2007 recording of Handel’s Messiah and the 2014 recording of Mozart’s Requiem – and a Grammy nomination. In 2018 it was shortlisted for a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in the Ensemble category. Dunedin Consort performs regularly at major festivals and venues across the UK, giving its BBC Proms debut in 2017 with a performance of Bach’s John Passion. In the same year, Dunedin Consort announced its first residency at London’s Wigmore Hall, complementing its regular series of events in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth. In Scotland, Dunedin Consort has appeared at the Edinburgh International, Lammermuir and East Neuk Festivals, while also touring widely to the most prestigious international festivals and venues throughout Europe and beyond. It broadcasts frequently on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and BBC Scotland, and its growing discography on Linn Records includes Handel’s Acis and Galatea and Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, both nominated for Gramophone Awards. Other Bach recordings include Mass in B minor, Violin Concertos, Magnificat, Christmas Oratorio, Matthew Passion and John Passion, which was nominated for a Recording of the Year award in both Gramophone and BBC Music Magazine. In its Handel series, Dunedin Consort has recorded Messiah in its original Dublin version, Esther (Handel’s first oratorio in English), the Ode for St Cecilia’s Day, and Samson in its first version of 1743. In 2017 Dunedin Consort released its recording of Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine 1610 to wide critical acclaim. While Dunedin Consort is committed to performing repertoire from the baroque and early classical periods, and researching specific historical performance projects, the ensemble has also commissioned and premiered new works by composers including Sally Beamish, Harvey Brough, Corrina Hewat, Peter Nelson, William Sweeney, and Errollyn Wallen. The group was founded by Susan Hamilton and Ben Parry. In 2003, the group chose John Butt as its conductor. Under Butt’s musical direction, it has become known as one of the leading exponents of early music in the UK. Butt shared the title of co-artistic director of the Dunedin Consort until August 2012, when his title was changed to music director.

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