Cape Town Baroque Orchestra

The Cape Town Baroque Orchestra (CTB) is the leading South African baroque ensemble playing on period instruments. It was founded by violinist Quentin Crida in July 2004 as Camerata Tinta Barocca. As of July 2021, the ensemble has adopted the name Cape Town Baroque Orchestra, carrying it into a new age of growth and artistic excellence. Members include some of South Africa’s finest musicians who embrace a historically informed performance approach. Mostly playing music from the 18^th century, CTB has worked with international leaders in their respective fields, such as baroque violinists Antoinette Lohmann and Pauline Nobes; soprano Stefanie True; countertenors Lawrence Zazzo, Christopher Ainslie and Clint van der Linde; male soprano Philipp Mathmann; recorder players Stefan Temmingh, Erik Bosgraaf and Anna Fusek; baroque oboist and recorder player Carin van Heerden; traverso player Matthias Maute; and mandolin player Alon Sariel.

Apart from CTB’s annual concert series in St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Cape Town, the ensemble regularly accompanies opera and oratorio performances, performs in festivals throughout South Africa and has an active outreach and education programme. CTB’s concerts have been broadcast on Fine Music Radio and kykNET, and have received critical acclaim in the Cape Times and Die Burger.

Since 2011 CTB has gradually moved towards playing on period instruments. Currently, CTB is the only period ensemble in South Africa that regularly plays in orchestral format, performing all its annual concerts on period-appropriate instruments. CTB, in collaboration with the Cape Consort, gave the first South African period performance of Handel’s Messiah in 2013. During November 2016 CTB played for Cape Town Opera’s first production with a period instrument orchestra, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, directed by Jaco Bouwer and conducted by Erik Dippenaar. In 2017 CTB launched the annual Cape Town Baroque Festival. CTB’s Handel at Home concert programme was awarded a Woordtrofee in 2022, as well as a kykNET Fiësta award in 2023.

Members of the Cape Town Baroque Orchestra made their Canadian debut as part of the Montreal Baroque Festival in June 2024.

Dr Erik Dippenaar was appointed as Artistic Director of CTB in 2015.