Les Ambassadeurs

Jean Rondeau

was born in 1991. He has an ever-growing passion for baroque music since he started playing the harpsichord at the age of 6. He studied with Blandine Verlet for 10 years and he discovered the art of basso continuo at very early age. Later he started playing the piano and besides romantic repertoire he gives special attention to jazz, improvisation and composition. His teacher in this field is Frédéric Michel.

At the moment he is in the last year of his studies with Olivier Baumont, Blandine Rannou and Kenneth Weiss in the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He took part in master-classes with Christophe Rousset in Firenza and Sienna, Italy in 2008 and 2011.

He was awarded the First Prize of harpsichord at the Conservatory of Paris and of basso continuo at the Conservatory of Boulogne-Billancourt, as well as diplomas in counterpoint and composition.

Jean Rondeau teaches harpsichord and piano, and shares his time between Baroque, Classical and Jazz music, as well as philosophy and psychology.

Vega Montero

was born in Salamanca, Spain where she began her double bass studies. She moved to The Netherlands to specialize in violone and baroque double bass with Margaret Urquhart at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In 2006 she obtained her diploma in Early Music, and in 2007 she obtained her modern double bass at Conservatory of Amsterdam with Peter Stotijn.

She was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Spain. In 2007 she took part in the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment’s experience scheme and in 2008 and 2009 she was a member of European Union Baroque Orchestra. She has performed professionally with groups including the New Dutch Academy, L’Orfeo Barockorchester Linz, Al Ayre Espańol, Harmony of Nations, Orquesta Barroca de Granada, Academia 1750, Orquesta Barroca de Salamanca and Los Musicos de Su Alteza, touring Europe and playing in the festivals of Utrecht, Ansbach and Brussels, among others.

Anna Nowak

was born in 1984. Her interest in historically informed performance appeared while she was still studying modern violin in the Academy of Music in Wroclaw, Poland. Soon she became regular member of Arte dei Suonatori – one of the most prominent Polish baroque groups and had opportunities to work as well with the Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra, Harmonologia, Holland Baroque Society and others.

While participating in these projects, she met and learned from such musicians as Sirkka-Liisa Kaakinen, Martin Gester, Alexis Kossenko, Daniel Sepec, Paul McCreesh, Jaap ter Linden. As a member of European Union Baroque Orchestra in 2008 she performed numerous concerts led by Lars Ulrik Mortensten, Enrico Onofri and Chiara Banchini.

In 2010 she joined Ensemble Diderot and performed many well received concerts in Germany and England. As a chamber musician she appeared both as a violin and viola player. Currently she is studying baroque violin with Rachel Podger at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in Cardiff.

Ivan Iliev

was born in Pernik, Bulgaria, and studied violin at the National Academy of Music in Sofia with Prof. Verka Stefanova and Prof. Jossif Radionov. Further studies led him to the Hochschule für Musik – Trossingen, Germany with Anton Steck, and the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where he is currently studying with Lucy van Dael. Ivan has participated in masterclasses with, among others, members of the Amadeus, Smetana and Bartok quartets.

He is a member of the early music consort Concerto Antico, and with them performed at theFestival de Musica Antiga in Barcelona in 2007 and 2008, as well as at the Fabulous Fringeseries of the Oude Muziek Festival in Utrecht, 2008 & 2009, Sofia Baroque Arts Festival, Sofia Music Weeks and March Music Days in Russe. Since 2008 he has been working extensively with Erik Bosgraaf and Ensemble Cordevento and realized a CD with them for Brilliant Classics.

In 2008 and 2009 he has been a member of the European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO), working under the direction of Roy Goodman, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Enrico Onofri, Petra Mullejans, Chiara Banchini and Edward Higginbottom.

Barbara Altobello

graduated “summa cum laude” in Brescia (Italy) in 2003 under the guidance of M° I. Bogna. She studied with P. Vernikov and I. Volochine at “Accademia Musicale S. Cecilia” in Portogruaro (Venice) from 2000 to 2004 and attended, among others masterclasses, “Corso di Perfezionamento per Professori d’Orchestra” of the “Teatro alla Scala” Academy, in Milan. Then in 2004-2005 Barbara studied baroque violin with E. Wallfisch and R. Beesley at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In February 2008 she graduated in baroque violin under the guidance of Stefano Montanari at the Verona Conservatory. Barbara has performed in the main concert halls and festivals all around Europe with a variety of period instrument ensembles, including Brixia Musicalis, Ensemble Zefiro, Accademia Montis Regalis, La Risonanza, Il Complesso Barocco, New Dutch Academy, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Divino Sospiro, Arion Consort & Choir, Pietà dei Turchini, Europa Galante, Festspiel-Orchester Göttingen and EUBO, as well as in over 25 CD and DVD recordings.