Cappella Mediterranea was founded in 2005 by the Swiss-Argentinian conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón, originally with the aim of preserving Latin Baroque music. Ten years later, the ensemble’s repertoire had expanded: with more than 50 concerts per year, it now focuses on madrigals, polyphonic motets, and opera. Within just a few years, the ensemble gained recognition through the rediscovery of previously unpublished works such as Michelangelo Falvetti’s Il Diluvio Universale and Nabucco, as well as innovative interpretations of well-known works like Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo and Bach’s Mass in B Minor.
During its residency at the Opéra de Dijon between 2018 and 2020, the ensemble brought to life several rediscoveries, including Draghi’s El Prometeo, Sacrati’s La finta pazza (2019), and Rossi’s Il palazzo incantato (2020). It also participated in the triumphant production of Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes at the Opéra Bastille, which was named Best Production of the Year 2019 by Forum Opéra and The New York Times.
In 2022, Cappella Mediterranea made headlines with two successful opera productions: Lully’s Atys in Geneva and Versailles, and Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, which was subsequently revived in Versailles, Valence, and Toulon. In 2024, the ensemble performed its first Mozart opera, Idomeneo, at the Grand Théâtre de Genève, before presenting a reinterpretation of Bach’s St. John Passion in Salzburg and Dijon, choreographed by Sasha Waltz.
Cappella Mediterranea’s discography includes over 30 critically acclaimed recordings. Recent releases include L’Orfeo (Alpha Classics, 2021), La finta pazza (Château de Versailles Spectacles, 2022), Amore Siciliano (Alpha), Atys, and Philippe d’Orléans’ La Jérusalem délivrée (Château de Versailles Spectacles).
Cappella Mediterranea is supported by the Ministry of Culture – DRAC Auvergne Rhône Alpes, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region, the City of Geneva, a Swiss family foundation, a Geneva private foundation, Brigitte Lescure, and by its Circle of Friends and its Circle of Entrepreneurs with Diot-Siac, Chatillon Architects, Synapsys and 400 Partners.
Aline Foriel-Destezet is the main sponsor of Cappella Mediterranea.
Cappella Mediterranea is a member of the Fevis (Fédération des Ensembles Vocaux et Instrumentaux Spécialisés) and CNM (Centre national de la musique).
