Stile Antico

Known for its conductorless performances, the vocal ensemble Stile Antico concentrates on repertoire spanning the medieval era through the early Baroque. The ensemble maintains an active international touring schedule and has issued recordings on prominent labels, beginning with Harmonia Mundi and, in more recent years, Decca.

The name Stile Antico recalls the term used in the early Baroque to describe Renaissance polyphony; the group itself originated in Oxford, England, during 2001, when its twelve founding members were largely still students. Twelve core singers remain central to the ensemble, though it occasionally augments its forces for larger works. Early appearances centered on events at Oxford University, yet wider recognition arrived in 2005 after the group captured the audience prize at the Early Music Network Young Artist Competition during the York Early Music Festival. Harmonia Mundi executive Robina Young, serving on the jury, subsequently offered the ensemble a recording contract. Its first release, Music for Compline, reached stores in 2007, earning a Diapason d'Or in France together with a Grammy nomination in the United States. Further debuts followed in 2010 at Germany's Schleswig-Holstein Festival and the BBC Proms.

Now London-based, Stile Antico has established itself as a sought-after concert attraction throughout Britain and farther afield. Its first appearance at Wigmore Hall occurred in 2011, and the ensemble has returned there regularly since. Additional performances have taken place at such distinguished locations as the BBC Proms, Buckingham Palace, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus. Festival engagements have included regular appearances at the Antwerp, Bruges, and York Early Music Festivals. Continuing its association with Harmonia Mundi, the group earned widespread praise and numerous honors, among them three Grammy nominations and a live presentation at the 60th Grammy Awards ceremony held at Madison Square Garden in 2018, an occasion widely regarded as the first time an early-music ensemble performed at that venue. In 2021 the ensemble transferred to the Decca label for The Golden Renaissance: Josquin des Prez. A second installment in the Golden Renaissance series, centered on William Byrd, followed in 2023.