Founded in 1992 by Brazilian singer Luiz Alves da Silva and Swiss violinist Mathias Weibel, the TURICUM Ensemble is dedicated to historically informed performance on period instruments. Ranging from 5 to 30 musicians, the sound of the ensemble modulates while remaining recognizable. The ensemble distinguishes itself by the freshness of its interpretations, but also by its programming; unusual works are juxtaposed in ways that illuminate their interrelatioships.
Emphasis is placed on music from the 18th to the early 19th centuries from the Iberian Peninsula and South America, with a particular preference for Brazilian composers such as José Mauricio Nunes Garcia, Manuel de Oliveira , Marcos Portugal, and Antonio dos Santos Cunha. Naturally, the music of Italy and German-speaking countries is also represented.
In the TURICUM Ensemble’s concerts, it is not ununsual to experience classical music, folk songs and literature in the course of a single event. In this context the Swiss writer Hugo Lötscher (a renowned specialist on Brazil and Portugal) has collaborated with the Ensemble.
In addition to frequent appearances in Zurich, the TURICUM Ensemble has performed in several international festivals, including: Schlosskonzerte Thun, Festival für Musik Sakrale Schwäbisch Gmünd, Friedenauer Kammerkonzert Berlin, Musica Antiqua Wien Musikverein, Les Chemins du Baroque (Sarrebourg and Paris), Yverdon Expo02, The Year of Brazil in France (Paris, Nîmes and Alençon), Festival de Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia), Festival de Inverno de Ouro Preto (Brazil), Música nas Igrejas (Rio de Janeiro), and Kammermusikverein (Ettelbruck and Luxemburg).
