Royal College of Music, BBC Radio 3 and the National Centre for Early Music announce Ensemble Augelletti as the New Generation Baroque Ensemble for 2023-25

Monday 26 June 2023

Starting in October 2023, Ensemble Augelletti will build on their success through a development programme of residencies at the RCM and NCEM and a regular presence on BBC Radio 3.

The Royal College of Music (RCM), BBC Radio 3 and the National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) have announced Ensemble Augelletti as the New Generation Baroque Ensemble from October 2023 for two years.

Launched in 2021 with five-piece Ensemble Molière as the first ever recipient, the New Generation Baroque Ensemble scheme aims to showcase and nurture exceptional UK-based groups working in the Baroque music sphere, as they take the first steps in their careers. It supports them to reach the next level of professionalism and artistry over a two-year period, using the range of expertise, performance and recording opportunities available through each of the partner organisations. A new group will join the programme in 2025, thus helping to encourage UK Baroque ensembles of the future, supporting artists at a critical stage in their careers. 

Founded in 2019, five-piece Ensemble Augelletti (Ellen Bundy - violin, Toby Carr - lutes, Carina Drury - cello, Olwen Foulkes - recorders, and Benedict Williams - keyboards) has performed at several UK Arts Festivals, such as London, Brighton, and York Early Music Festivals. They were finalists of the York International Young Artists Competition in 2022 and winners of the Festival Barocco Alessandro Stradella Young Artist Competition in Italy in 2019. Their debut CD of trio sonatas entitled The library of a Prussian Princess was released on Barn Cottage Records in February 2022. 

The group was chosen to become the second ever New Generation Baroque Ensemble through a non-competitive process. They can now build on their early success through a development programme of residencies at the RCM and NCEM and a regular presence on BBC Radio 3.

BBC Radio 3’s Early Music Show (also on BBC Sounds) featured Ensemble Augelletti on Sunday 25 June (2pm) in the first of a series of regular updates and performances with the group.

Professor Ashley Solomon, Chair and Head of Historical Performance, Royal College of Music, says ‘I am excited to welcome Ensemble Augelletti as the next ensemble to be part of this wonderful scheme in partnership with the NCEM and BBC Radio 3. Nurturing and inspiring the new generation of historical performers is part of our ethos at RCM and we look forward to working with and mentoring the players in this exceptional ensemble.’

Sam Jackson, Controller, BBC Radio 3, says ‘It is a privilege for Radio 3 to partner with the Royal College of Music and the National Centre for Early Music in forming this exciting relationship with Ensemble Augelletti. We are delighted to welcome the group to Radio 3’s New Generation family of young talent, following in the footsteps of Ensemble Molière; I look forward to witnessing their development over the next two years, and to the performances they will create for us all to enjoy – both live in concert and on BBC Radio 3.’

Dr Delma Tomlin, MBE, NCEM Director, says ‘We’re delighted to be working with Ensemble Augelletti, the second ensemble to be part of this fabulous venture. We’re so pleased to be continuing this amazing journey with our partners the Royal College of Music and BBC Radio 3 and we are sure that this very talented ensemble of instrumentalists will make the most of this wonderful opportunity.’

Ensemble Augelletti says ‘We are delighted to become the next New Generation Baroque Ensemble and very excited to have this wonderful opportunity to work in collaboration with RCM, NCEM and BBC Radio 3. The live concerts, broadcasts, and other experiences offered by the scheme will be invaluable in helping Ensemble Augelletti form the next chapter of our journey, and we are so thankful to the NGBE team for their support.’

Find out more about the New Generation Baroque Ensemble scheme. 

Find out more about the Historical Performance Faculty at the RCM.