Skip to content
HGO logo white
  • La Cenerentola
  • About HGO
  • Support HGO
  • Archive
  • Audition
  • HGOAntiqua
Menu
  • La Cenerentola
  • About HGO
  • Support HGO
  • Archive
  • Audition
  • HGOAntiqua
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
HGO logo white
  • La Cenerentola
  • About HGO
  • Support HGO
  • Archive
  • Audition
  • HGOAntiqua
Menu
  • La Cenerentola
  • About HGO
  • Support HGO
  • Archive
  • Audition
  • HGOAntiqua
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
  • What’s On
  • Support HGO
  • Become a Friend
  • Friends of HGO
  • About HGO
  • Archive
  • Press
  • Advertising
  • Auditions
  • Success Stories
  • News
  • Contact us
  • MAILING LIST SIGN UP
  • HGOAntiqua Orchestra
Menu
  • What’s On
  • Support HGO
  • Become a Friend
  • Friends of HGO
  • About HGO
  • Archive
  • Press
  • Advertising
  • Auditions
  • Success Stories
  • News
  • Contact us
  • MAILING LIST SIGN UP
  • HGOAntiqua Orchestra

HGOAntiqua Orchestra

ABOUT HGOAntiqua 

SUPPORTING YOUNG INSTRUMENTALISTS

HGO seeks to ensure that the musical experiences of all its productions match, as far as is possible, the intentions of their composers. So for our productions of pre-classical works we have sought over recent years to use period instruments for our accompanying orchestras and ensembles, under the name ‘HGOAntiqua’. This means that not only can we advance young singers, but also support young instrumentalists specializing in period instruments, and enable both singers and instrumentalists to experience together the pre-classical sound world of opera, with its use of continuo, different-timbred instruments and pre 19th-century pitch, with A=415 Hz. We are amongst the few UK opera companies that offer such opportunities.

Lidarti’s ‘Ester’ (2022): Andrew Griffiths conducts HGOAntiqua, with the Londinium Chorus

To date HGOAntiqua  has featured in our productions of Handel’s  ‘Partenope’ (2019, Jacksons Lane Theatre), Cavalli’s ‘L’Egisto’ (2021, The Cockpit Theatre) and Blow’s ‘Venus and Adonis’ and Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’ (2022, The Cockpit Theatre). We also featured HGOAntiqua for our performance (the first in the UK) of Cristiano Lidarti’s 1774 Hebrew oratorio, ‘Ester’ (March 2022).

HGOAntiqua accompanied our 2023 production of Handel’s ‘Agrippina’ at Jacksons Lane Theatre, to enthusiastic reviews –  “an excellent band of period instruments” (Seen and Heard International ); “the orchestra at every point verged on stupendous” (Classical Music Daily). 

Most recently they backed our 2024 ‘Fairy Queen’ of Purcell – “HGOAntiqua Orchestra – Seb Gillot directing them from the harpsichord – sounded marvellous” (Plays To See), “a real understanding of the techniques appropriate to Purcell’s music” (Andrew Benson-Wilson), “magically supported by HGOAntiqua Orchestra” (Ham & High).

Agrippina (2023)

Rehearsing for Agrippina (2023): Thomas Payne conducts

HGOAntiqua directed by Seb Gillot, ‘Venus and Adonis’, June 2022

 

Cavalli’s ‘L’Egisto’ (2019): director Marcio da Silva

HGO logo white
  • About HGO
  • Friends of HGO
  • Success Stories
  • Become a Friend
  • Support HGO
  • Safeguarding Policy
  • Press
  • Advertising
  • News
  • Auditions
  • Archive
  • Contact us
  • MAILING LIST SIGN UP
Facebook X-twitter Instagram Youtube
  • Privacy Policy
  • All contents © HGO Trust Ltd., 2024
  • Production photography by Laurent Compagnon unless otherwise stated
  • HGO website UX & brand design by Tamsin Ogilvie Design
  • Website by Kate Fordy Designs