ABOUT US
Founded in 2020 in Brussels, The WIG Society Chamber Music Ensemble is formed by pioneering musicians from across Europe, with the united endeavour to unearth, rediscover, and give life to lesser-known chamber and orchestral works from the age of enlightenment into the romanticism, alongside performing works by famous composers such as Mozart and Haydn.
The ensemble performs using period instruments, and looks deeply into historical performance practice to shed light on rhetoric, humour, wit, emotion, and philosophy through the art and science of sound. Instead of establishing new norms and rules, The WIG Society wishes to revive the freshness of arrangements and liberty in choices made back in the late 18th century, in the attempt to achieve a different sort of 'authenticity' for early music which does not lie entirely in its 'letter' but, as they imagine, much more in its 'spirit.'
The musicians have all come from an array of backgrounds, and have all trained at the finest Conservatoires in Europe and the UK, and share a diverse and professional careers as solo, chamber, and orchestral members with other prestigious ensembles, including The Academy of Ancient Music, Vox Luminis, Il Gardellino, Les Muffatti, Coro & Orchestra Ghislieri and many others. Amongst the various projects of this newly born ensemble, The WIG Society collaborates with the renowned Belgian choreographer Thierry Smits and his company Studio Thor in a production entitled ‘Summertime’. Due to the success of such performances, 'Summertime' was rescheduled in both 2022 and 2024. The Ensemble has also won a residency in Ten Weyngaert Social Cultural Center, Brussels for the month of July 2021.
In November 2021, The WIG Society has been selected as rising ensemble amongst more than 40 different European early music groups to join EEEmerging+, the prestigious program that supports and promotes young emerging ensembles in the European early music scene. To finesse their season of projects, the ensemble has recorded their debut album ‘Galant Night Feverl’ in October 2022 in Pavia thanks to the support of Ghislieri College. Their CD will be launched in May 2024 under the prestigious Belgian producer Outhere Music and the Italian label Arcana.