Ensemble Festa Rustica

Founded by Giorgio Matteoli in 1994, Ensemble Festa Rustica is an Italian Baroque ensemble whose flexible instrumentation ranges from a trio-sonata group to a chamber orchestra. It has performed extensively in Italy and abroad, including France, Spain, Japan, Romania, Albania and Monaco.

Its world-premiere recording of Francesco Mancini’s concertos for recorder and strings, released by Musicaimmagine Records (MR 1004), received favourable reviews in the Italian and international press and was included in Fanfare magazine’s 1995 Want List. The ensemble has subsequently researched, recorded and performed little-known seventeenth- and eighteenth-century music on period instruments throughout Italy and Europe, with particular attention to unpublished repertoire and music from Naples.

Among its orchestral projects is the rediscovery of Francesco Antonio Vallotti’s Lamentazioni per gli uffici delle Tenebre, music for Holy Week scored for solo voices, obbligato cello and orchestra. This recording was produced and distributed by the Italian music magazine Amadeus. Other recordings have appeared on Agorà, Musicaimmagine, ASV Gaudeamus and Da Vinci Classics.