»And then something magical happens«

»We are very free«, says Thomas Dunford about his Ensemble Jupiter: »In fact, we’re as spontaneous as a jazz band.« If you’ve ever seen this amazing early music ensemble in action, you’ll know he’s not exaggerating. As they improvise together, the musicians exude a sense of joy, the like of which you normally associate with smoky jazz clubs. It’s not for nothing that the leader Thomas Dunford is known as the »Eric Clapton of the lute«. All first-class instrumentalists, the Ensemble Jupiter artists bring the music to life again. »Freedom and space then emerge for direct expression in a way I have never experienced elsewhere«, explains the soprano Lea Desandre. The young singer with the crystal-clear voice has had close links to the ensemble since it was founded in 2018.

In October 2021, they all performed together in the Laeiszhalle with their aria project »Amazone« – a great chance to get to know this jazz band of early music a little better.