One of the most exciting new groups to emerge in the early music world, the Toronto-based Aradia Ensemble specialises in presenting an eclectic blend of orchestral, operatic and chamber music played on original instruments. The group records for Naxos, for whom it has made more than twenty recordings. With its Artistic Director is Kevin Mallon the ensemble has toured internationally and has a busy local concert season at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto. They have made two music videos, one film soundtrack, have collaborated with Isadora Duncan Dancers and Baroque dancers, have co-produced opera and worked with Balinese Gamelan.

While focusing heavily on the repertoire of seventeenth-century France and England, Aradia also performs works by the Italian and German masters of the baroque, as well as contemporary pieces commissioned by the group.

In July 2000 Aradia was the featured ensemble in residence at the New Zealand Chamber Music Festival and in July 2003 performed at Musica nel Chiostro in Tuscany. According to Robert Graves, Aradia is the Estruscan name for the goddess Artemis, twin sister of Apollo. She was sent by the gods to teach mankind to order the music of the natural world into song.

For more information, please visit www.aradia.ca/