Founded in Geneva in 1986, Daedalus Ensemble originally brought together artists from the Centre de Musique Ancienne of Geneva (CH) and the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (CH). The two first years were dedicated to research activity: the following programs were the concrete results of this period dedicated to study: the outset of the ensemble in Bruges during the prestigious Festival des Flandres, and in Milan during Musica e Poesia in San Maurizio. The success of Bruges led to two essential collaborations for the Ensemble: the first one with Accent, the label with which Daedalus recorded ten CDs, and RTB 3, the cultural broadcast channel of the Belgian radio, coproducer of four of those.

 

Il Cantar moderno, first CD of the Ensemble has been received with enthusiasm by the critics (Diapason d'Or – Coup de Cœur). The collaborations with the festivals and radios, occasional partners of the records production of Daedalus have increased: Anvers in 1993 and 1996; Beaune en 1994; Radio Suisse Romande–Espace 2 in 1995; Fontevraud in 1997 and 1998. The specialized media acclaimed the originality of this production: Canzoni villanesche alla napolitana won the 10 of Répertoire; The Two Souls of Salomon is celebrated in Le Monde as one of the ten best records of 1998, “a CD off the beaten track. The music is deeply moving, the voices’ texture is absolutely awesome. And an ineffable poetic mood reigns over the record”; Saturne et la Polyphonie as “one of the best records of the profane polyphony in the history of recording” (award CD Compact/Espagne and Goldberg), Johannes Prioris and Delizie Napolitane have obtain the award CD Compact/Espagne and Oracula got the Choc de l’année of the Monde de la Musique and the Coup de Coeur of the Académie Charles Gros.

 

Universities have open their doors to Daedalus and an intense network of exchanges have resulted in some of the most interesting projects of the Ensemble: "Le Génie Impatient – figures musicales de la mélancolie", in collaboration with the University and the City of Geneva (1997); "Saturno y la Polifonia" with the Catholic University of Buenos Aires (1998); "Musa Latina" with the University of Innsbruck (1999) and Geneva (2007) ; "Oracula Sibyllina" with the University of Nantes in 2002.

 

The opportunities to get on the stage are numerous. In 1994, Daedalus realized the integral representation of La Purpura de la Rosa (Lima, 1701), by Tomás Torrejon y Velasco, first South-American opera, in collaboration with the Teatro Lirico della Città di Messina and the Teatro Comunale of Bologna. For Bologna 2000, European Capital of Culture, the Ensemble staged L’Aurora Ingannata by G. Giacobbi. In August 2001, he presented in Geneva, during the Festival Amadeus La Favola di Orlando, music by J. Berchem based on the Orlando Furioso by Ariosto.

 

Daedalus Ensemble benefits from the counseling of Brenno Boccadoro, professor of musicology of the University of Geneva and Christine Jeanneret, Postdoc Researcher at Yale University.

 

 

In 2003, 2008 and 2009 Daedalus was Ensemble in residence at the summer festival Estivoce, in Pigna, Corsica.
In 2009 RF was artistic director of "La Collina dei Poeti" in Naples, and in both 2009 and 2010
directed the music festival Muse Salentine in Specchia.
In 2011 RF was guest artist of the Art History Festival in Fontainebleau and the music festival
of Haut Jura, France.
In 2012 Daedalus was ensemble in residence at the Laus Polyphonie Festival in Antwerp, Belgium.
In 2014 Daedalus will again be in residence in Pigna to mount "Let us Dance!", a new show of/about dance,
which will be premiered in Pigna, and which recounts the joys and sorrows of Terpsichore, the muse of dance.
Daedalus invites you to discover this rarely heard story.

 

2016: Ensemble Daedalus celebrates its 30th anniversary!

We wanted to make a new CD to mark the event. We recorded it with « L’Autre Monde, Jean-Paul Combet's new label. With the support of the Bach Festival of Arques la Bataille, the program « A la Moresca » saw the light of day, a sparkling, joyous and amusing program. For the occasion, our old friend Marco Beasley, who neds no introduction from me, joined us. The CD will come out in the spring of 2016.