Ensemble Oni Wytars
Biography Ensemble Oni Wytars
Ensemble Oni Wytars
Ensemble ONI WYTARS has been founded in 1983 to give a new and impulsive expression to Early Music. The focal point of Oni Wytars´ work has always been to explore and unite the many traditions that have influenced and enriched European medieval musical culture, especially the relationship between art music and popular music in the commuting area of mediterranean culture.
After working for years with the rich repertoire of the Italian "trecento", the pilgrim songs from 13th and 14th century Spanish and Catalan manuscripts, medieval Troubadour and Trouvère melodies, the Ensemble finally took one step further to explore the immense heritage of Renaissance and early Baroque music. To Oni Wytars it seems natural to research within todays Italian, Spanish and French Folk-traditions whose roots we can find undoubtedly in the music of the 15th and 16th century. The result is a mediterranean sound-cosmos made out of rhythms, melodies and improvisations, pre-medieval hymns to the sun and 14th century Tarantellas, monidic medieval songs and abounding poliphonic Villanelle from the Early Baroque, performed on instruments that have outlasted millenia.
The heart of Ensemble Oni Wytars are Marco Ambrosini, Katharina Dustmann, Peter Rabanser, Belinda Sykes, Michael Posch and Riccardo Delfino. Regular guests are: Carlo Rizzo (tamburello, riqq, frame drums), Ian Harrison (cornetto, shawm, bagpipes), Pascale Van Coppenolle (organ), Meike Herzig (recorders), Su Ehlers (soprano), Jule Bauer (voice, nyckelharpa), Ross Daly & Kelly Thoma (Cretan lyra, tarhu), Luigi Lai (launeddas), Jeremy Avis (voice), Uschi Laar (harp), Thomas Wimmer (vielle, viola da gamba, Llaud), Karsten Wolfewicz (narration), Gabriella Aiello (voice), Giovanna Pessi (harp), Claudia Pasetto (viola da gamba), Efrén López (oud, citola), Michael Behringer (organ).
For his concerts and CD projects Ensemble Oni Wytars invites reknown musicians of both Early and Folk music. Collaborating with outstanding masters such as Sardinian "launeddas" player Luigi Lai, the Crete-based duo Ross Daly & Kelly Thoma (Cretan lyra, tarhu), the tamburello virtuoso Carlo Rizzo, Michael Behringer (organ, harpichord) and Ian Harrison (cornetto, shawm, bagpipes) the last two albums "Mediterraneum" (SONY/DHM 2011) und "La Follia - the Triumph of Folly" (SONY/DHM 2013) have been realised.
Ensemble Oni Wytars has perormed (a.o.) at the following venues / concert halls / festivals:
Styriarte Festwochen d. Alten Musik, Graz (A), Festwochen d. Alten Musik, Innsbruck (A), Festwoche der Alten Musik, Krieglach (A), KunstHalleKrems (A), Brucknerhaus Linz (A), Hamburger Musikfest (D), Alte Oper Frankfurt/M (D), Int. Festwoche d. Alten Musik Bad Wimpfen (D), Int. Tage der Alten Musik Brandenburg (D), Montalbâne Festival, Freyburg/Unstrut (D), Festival Europäische Kirchenmusik, Schwäbisch Gmünd (D), Festival de musique ancienne de Sillery/ (CAN), Rencontre int. des Luthiers et Maîtres Sonneurs / St.-Chartier (F), Castel dei mondi, Andria, (I), Teatro Chiabrera, Savona (I), Teatro Carlo Felice, Genova (I), Festival Alia musica, Fidenza (I), Terra dels trobadors, Castelló d`Empuries (E), Vredenburg Utrecht (NL), Galway Early Music Festival (IRL), Kyburgiade Winterthur (CH), Festival Lenzburgiade (CH), Voix et route romane (F), Espazos sonoros, Santiago de Compostela (E), Ductac Theatre, Dubai (UAE), Fíra de la Mediterrania, Manresa (E), Tage Alter Musik Herne (D), MusikTriennale Köln (D), Philharmonie Köln (D), Wittenberger Renaissance Musikfestival (D).
In summer 2007 the german "WDR" - television has followed us for about a month in several concerts and has produced a one - hour feature called: "Oni Wytars - musikalische Wanderer zwischen Orient und Okzident", that has been broadcasted all over German TV-channels.
