The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE) is a British period instrument orchestra. The OAE is a resident orchestra of the Southbank Centre, London, and associate orchestra at Glyndebourne Festival Opera. The leadership is rotated between four musicians, Alison Bury, Matthew Truscott, Kati Debretzeni and Margaret Faultless.
A group of period instrumentalist players formed the OAE as a self-governing ensemble in 1986, and took its name from the historical period in the late 18th century where the core of its repertoire is based. The OAE does not have a principal conductor, but chooses conductors as "Principal Artists" for collaboration. The current Principal Artists are Sir Simon Rattle, Vladimir Jurowski and Iván Fischer. Emeritus Conductors are Frans Brüggen, Sir Charles Mackerras and Sir Roger Norrington. Other conductors to have worked with the OAE at its invitation include Philippe Herreweghe, Gustav Leonhardt, Mark Elder, René Jacobs, Harry Bicket, Christopher Hogwood, Marin Alsop, Sigiswald Kuijken, Ivor Bolton, Monica Huggett, and Bruno Weil.
The OAE's season at the Southbank Centre includes concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Royal Festival Hall. In May 2006, the OAE started a series of informal late night concerts called "The Night Shift", which has been nominated for a Royal Philharmonic Society award for audience development. The OAE recently won the 2007 RPS Ensemble award "for its stunning delivery of a breadth of repertoire, indefatigable advocacy of the interpretation of music played on original instruments and pioneering work in education and through a range of media – not to mention the artistry of its individual members in making each listening experience uniquely creative, engaging and thrilling."
In July 2008 the OAE moved its official base to Kings Place in London, while continuing its South Bank season and residency.
The OAE celebrated the 21st anniversary of its founding with a concert at the Royal Festival Hall on 30 June 2007, conducted by Norrington, Elder, Mackerras and Jurowski respectively.
The OAE has toured many countries, including South America and the US in 2002, and toured South East Asia for the first time in autumn 2003. The Orchestra's discography covers over fifty recordings in music from Henry Purcell to Verdi working with guest artists including Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, Andreas Scholl, Ian Bostridge, Elizabeth Wallfisch, Emanuel Ax, Thomas Hampson, Cecilia Bartoli, Gerald Finley, Bob van Asperen, Anner Bylsma, Viktoria Mullova, and Michael Chance.
The OAE does much work with schools, especially in the London area, and is very active in performing concerts for local schools, leading projects with young people and teaching children to play musical instruments.
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