The ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro was founded in 2012. It is characterized by an authentic, dynamic interpretation of operas and instrumental works from the Baroque and Classical period. The musicians are all well-known specialists and are among the best in the field of historical performance practice. The ensemble worked with conductors such as Riccardo Minasi, Maxim Emelyanychev, Stefano Montanari, George Petrou, Enrico Onofri and Francesco Corti. Concert master Zefira Valova leads the orchestra in various projects. Since 2016 Maxim Emelyanychev has been its chief conductor, and since 2019 Francesco Corti is principal guest conductor.
Il Pomo d’Oro is a regular guest in prestigious concert halls and festivals all over Europe. The ensemble’s discography includes opera recordings such aus Handel’s Agrippina, Serse, Tamerlano, Partenope and Ottone, Vinci’s Catone in Utica, and Stradella’s La Doriclea. It features recitals with the countertenors Jakub Józef Orliński, Franco Fagioli, Max Emanuel Cencic and Xavier Sabata, with mezzosopranos Ann Hallenberg and Joyce DiDonato and with sopranos Lisette Oropesa, Emöke Barath and Francesca Aspromonte.
In 2022 seven new albums have been published: Handel’s Apollo e Dafne with Kathryn Lewek and John Chest, Mandolin on Stage with Raffaele La Ragione, the new recital with Joyce DiDonato, Eden, Bach Harpsichord Concertos vol III with Francesco Corti, Violin Concertos by Benda, Graun, Saint-Georges and Sirmen with Zefira Valova, Roma Travestita with Bruno de Sá, and Handel’s Theodora with Lisette Oropesa, Joyce DiDonato, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Michael Spyres and John Chest.
A solo-recital with American tenor Michael Spyres, Contra-Tenor, (May 2023, Erato) continues Il Pomo d’Oro’s series of recordings with outstanding singers. In 2022 Il Pomo d’Oro started a long-term recording project of Mozart-Symphonies and selected solo-concerts with Maxim Emelyanychev conducting.
The albums Anima Sacra with Jakub Józef Orliński and Voglio Cantar with soprano Emöke Barath received the prestigious Opus Klassik award, and the recording of Serse was awarded the Italian Abbiato del Disco.
Il Pomo d’Oro is official ambassador of El Sistema Greece, a humanitarian project to provide free musical education to children in Greek refugee camps.
