Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense
Poland’s first early music ensemble, founded in 1957 on the initiative of Stefan Sutkowski. From the beginning, the orchestra’s aim was to popularise newly discovered valuable Polish early music. In 1961, the musicians became the founding members of the Warsaw Chamber Opera.
The ensemble has honed its skills with leading European specialists in historically informed performance practices, and has also participated in international concert and recording projects, collaborating with outstanding artists such as Benjamin Bayl, Paul Esswood, José Maria Florêncio, Paul Goodwin, Friedrich Haider, Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen-Pilch, Wieland Kuijken, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Marek Toporowski, Paul McCreesh and Dirk Vermeulen.
MACV’s repertoire ranges from early Baroque to Romantic works, including operas by Claudio Monteverdi, John Blow, Henry Purcell, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Jean-Philippe Rameau, all stage works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (rarely seen in the repertoire of period instruments orchestras), as well as music by Stanisław Moniuszko, Gioachino Rossini and other Romantic composers.
As of 2019, the ensemble is collaborating with jazz masters, including Krzysztof Herdzin, Leszek Możdżer and Marcin Masecki. The Jazz with MACV project combines early music sounds with modern arrangements. The orchestra regularly performs at prestigious festivals around the world. Among its recent successes are a tour of Japan (2019) and performances at Vienna’s Musikverein (2022–2024), where it presented symphonies by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, as well as Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion.
The ensemble’s discography includes operas, works by Polish Baroque composers, and contemporary music projects, such as Leszek Możdżer’s bestselling album Composites, which has been recognised with Grand Prix Jazz Melomani award, among others. MACV constantly combines tradition with modernity, winning the hearts of music lovers and critics alike.
[2025]