Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra

Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra
Orchestra
Short nameTempesta di Mare
Founded1996 (1996)
LocationPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
ConcertmasterEmlyn Ngai
Websitetempestadimare.org
Logo of Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra

The Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Founded in 1996 by Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone, and re-established in 2006 as an exclusively baroque orchestra. It specializes exclusively in Baroque music, and the orchestra only has Baroque instruments.[1]

The Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra Tempesta di Mare has received international acclaim. It has been featured in several BBC broadcasts.[2][3] Its recordings have also received excellent reviews from BBC Music Magazine.[4] The orchestra has a recording agreement with the British record label Chandos Records.[5]

The orchestra directors are Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone, and the concertmaster is Emlyn Ngai. Juan Gallastegui is the executive director.[6]

History

The orchestra was founded in 1996 by musicians Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone, as co-founders and currently co-directors of the orchestra. In 2006 the orchestra was re-founded as an orchestra exclusively dedicated to European baroque music.[1] Tempesta di Mare specializes exclusively in Baroque music, and the orchestra only has Baroque instruments. The ensemble performs baroque repertoire ranging from staged opera to chamber music.[7][8] The orchestra was named in honor of the flute concerto La tempesta di mare by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi.[9]

In 2017 backed by consecutive grants from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, the orchestra executes the Reclaiming Telemann initiative, a multidisciplinary exploration designed to re-contextualize Georg Philipp Telemann's contributions to orchestral music. In 2021, co-director Gwyn Roberts receives the national Thomas Binkley Award from Early Music America for excellence in early music leadership.[10]

In 2023 the Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra Tempesta di Mare traveled to Germany to open the 17th International Fasch Festival in Zerbst. In recognition of the ensemble's role in the rediscovery and promotion of Johann Friedrich Fasch's work, Tempesta di Mare was awarded the city's Fasch Prize at the event. It was the first time that the award was awarded to a non-European ensemble.[4]

In 2026, on the occasion of the 250th Anniversary of the independence of the United States,[11] as a baroque orchestra, Tempesta di Mare was the orchestra in charge of performing the Soundtrack of Independence at the national anniversary event throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.[12][13][14][15]

Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra Tempesta di Mare live performances have been broadcast nationally on programmes such as NPR Performance Today, SymphonyCast or Sunday Baroque. Live concert recordings are distributed worldwide via the European Broadcasting Union.[1]

The orchestra has collaborated and recorded with acclaimed and award-winning artists such as ensembles like the multiple Grammy-winning The Crossing chamber choir, orchestral instrumentalists such as Grammy-winning violinist Mandy Wolman or opera singers such as Grammy-winning tenor James Reese, soprano Rebecca Myers, Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano Maren Montalbano, baritone Randall Scarlata or mezzo-soprano Meg Bragle.[16][17]

The orchestra has a recording agreement with the British record label Chandos Records, being the only American baroque music group to record for the British label.[5]

Tempesta di Mare supporters include the Pew Charitable Trusts, William Penn Foundation, Presser Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts.[1]

The orchestra directors are Gwyn Roberts and Richard Stone, and the concertmaster is Emlyn Ngai. The current executive director of the orchestra is Juan Gallastegui since 2026,[18][19][20][21] taking over from Ulrike Shapiro who was in charge of the executive direction for more than twenty years, until her appointment as director of Concerto Köln.[21][22][23]

Executive director

Recordings

Awards

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 User, CiviCRM Mail (2022-01-06). "Tempesta di Mare Continues Its Anniversary Season With Top Picks of 20 Years of Discovery » Early Music America". Early Music America. Retrieved 2026-06-13. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ↑ "BBC Radio 3 - The Early Music Show, Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra Tempesta di Mare". BBC. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  3. ↑ "BBC Radio 3 - Early Music Late, Tempesta di Mare". BBC. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  4. 1 2 3 Mare, Tempesta di (2023-03-07). "Tempesta di Mare to present THE FASCH FILES » Early Music America". Early Music America. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  5. 1 2 RECORDS, CHANDOS. "Tempesta di Mare Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra". Chandos Records. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  6. ↑ "Leadership | Tempesta di Mare". tempestadimare.org. 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  7. ↑ "Tempesta di Mare – Philadelphia Baroque Orchestra | The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage". www.pewcenterarts.org. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  8. ↑ "Philadelphia's Tempesta di Mare honors the musical genius of 18th-century orphans". WHYY. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  9. ↑ Lewis, Susan (2012-05-16). "Tempesta di Mare: The Philadelphia-Based Baroque Orchestra". WRTI. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  10. ↑ "EMA Announces Gwyn Roberts as Recipient of 2021 Thomas Binkley Award » Early Music America". Early Music America. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  11. ↑ Baroque, Total (2026-05-07). "250th Anniversary of the United States: Tributes from the World of Early Music". Total Baroque Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  12. ↑ Rabinowitz, Chloe (2026-04-24). "Tempesta di Mare to Present SOUNDTRACK OF INDEPENDENCE for America's 250th Anniversary". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  13. ↑ "Philadelphia gave America its first oratorio in 1781. It got buried in poop". WHYY. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  14. ↑ "Soundtrack of Independence: Frank's Bugle » Early Music America". Early Music America. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  15. ↑ Bragle, Meg (2026-05-03). "Musicians' Choice at the Kimmel, & Tempesta di Mare's 'Soundtrack'". WRTI. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  16. ↑ "MusicalAmerica - Mar. 30, 31: Grammy-Winning Choir The Crossing Performs World Premiere of Thomas Lloyd's In the Light". www.musicalamerica.com. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  17. ↑ "Performers | Tempesta di Mare". tempestadimare.org. 2025-06-10. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  18. 1 2 Wild, Stephi (2026-05-12). "Tempesta di Mare Appoints Juan Gallastegui as New Managing Director". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  19. 1 2 Salazar, David (2026-05-13). "Tempesta di Mare Appoints New Managing Director". OperaWire. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  20. ↑ Review, South Philly (2026-05-16). "Tempesta di Mare appoints new managing director". Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  21. 1 2 3 America, Early Music (2026-05-12). "Tempesta Di Mare Announces Administrative Leadership Transition » Early Music America". Early Music America. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  22. 1 2 Baroque, Total (2026-05-11). "Ulrike Shapiro new Managing Director of Concerto Köln". Total Baroque Magazine. Retrieved 2026-06-13.
  23. ↑ HEUTE, MUSIK (2026-05-11). "Neue Geschäftsführerin für Concerto Köln". MUSIK HEUTE (in German). Retrieved 2026-06-13.
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