Ensemble Peregrina, founded in 1997 researches and performs sacred and secular music from twelfth to fourteenth century Europe. The ensemble’s main interest lies in the early polyphonies and monophonic repertories of the Notre Dame school and Aquitanian nova cantica; the aim always being to look for a creative “counterpoint” to the mainstream in the less known peripheral sources. The ensemble’s programmes are characterised by a careful choice of themes and pieces, always paying close attention to their textual and musical interrelationships.
Peregrina’s interpretation and style is informed by the original source materials and treatises, as well as the latest musicological and historical research. The ensemble strives to approach a performance transmitted in the sources as closely as possible without having to renounce a well-balanced and beautiful vocal performance.
The ensemble’s continuing partnership with the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, where its members met and studied, led to CDs recordings Mel et lac (SCB Edition/Raumklang/DRS2 2005) and Filia praeclara (SCB/Divox 2008) which have received critical acclaim in the press including twice Goldberg 5 (Spain), 4 Diapason (France), Selection Musicora (Apr 2006),CD of the month (Muzyka 21, Poland), Supersonic Pizzicato (Luxembourg). Filia praeclara has also been awarded the prestigious ECHO-KLASSIK 2009 for the best a capella recording of the year.
Peregrina has also been invited to lecture on the music of 12thcentury Aquitaine at the SCB and has twice performed in the prestigious concert series “Freunde Alter Musik” in Basel. The ensemble has also performed at numerous other festivals in Switzerland (such as Lucerne Festival), Poland, Germany, Spain, Estonia and Czech Republic. Its concerts have been braodcasted by radio stations like Swiss radio DRS 2, BBC 3 Bayerischer Rundfunk, Deutschlandfunk, SWR2, Polskie Radio 2 (PL) and Klaasika Radio (Estonia).
The name “peregrina”, the wanderer, alludes to the transmission of music and ideas throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, but also reflects the personal journeys of the singers themselves. The ensemble members (coming from Poland, Switzerland and the United States) together achieve a dynamic balance through their differing origins, and they unite to emulate the interaction and convergence of the cultures and histories of the music they perform.

Diploma in Piano (Szczecin Conserv., 1992), Masters Degree in Musicology (Poznan University, 1999). Post-graduate studies in Medieval/Renaissance voice at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (1997-2001) with R. Levitt, K. Dineen, E. Tubb and D. Vellard as well as the medieval harp with H. Rosenzweig. Singing courses with with E. Kirkby (Dartington) and B. Thornton (Cologne), private sudies with A. Boothroyd (London) and S. Haselhoff (Basel). In years 2001-2003 post-graduate studies of Musicology (W. Arlt) and Norse Philology at the University Basle. Performs regularly in Europe working with diverse groups such as her own Basle ensemble Peregrina, Ferrara Ensemble, ensemble Perlaro, ensemble Slowo as well as Arte dei Suonatori (Poland). In the saison 2003/2004 Agnieszka Budzinska has made her successful scenic debut at the Basle Theatre in a double role of Amor/Valletto in the Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea" (musical dir. Konrad Junghänel with La Cetra).

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After completing her musical studies in Hawaii and Indiana (Bloomington), American soprano Kelly Landerkin came to Switzerland as a Fulbright scholar to continue her training in early music. At the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis she specialized in medieval and Renaissance performance, and later received her pedagogical diploma at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Zurich. As a soloist as well as in ensembles, Kelly specializes in early and contemporary music, and has appeared at festivals in Berlin, Zurich, Stockholm and the Lucerne Festival. Unter the direction of Jonathan Nott she sang Berio’s Sinfonia, and premiered Beat Furrer’s Invocation at the Schauspielhaus Zürich. Recently she has been experimenting with new forms of the classical recital. Her CD’s with ensembles such as Les Flamboyants, Pro Arte Singers as well as ensemble Peregrina have been critically acclaimed by the magazines Fonoforum, Diapason and Goldberg. Kelly Landerkin teaches voice at the Musikschule und Konservatorium Winterthur and at the Hochschule der Künste in Zurich as well as Gregorian chant classes at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.

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a Swiss-Italian singer and musicologist. Graduated from University of Basle (W. Arlt, J. Willimann) with thesis on 15th century Italian music. Voice studies with R. Levitt and K. Dineen at SCB, privately with Stefan Haselhoff. Appeared in various important concert series like FAMB 2004 & 2006 with Teatro Antico and Peregrina as well as in theatre productions of SCB (F. Lampe’s “The Dragon of Wantley” at the Theater Basel 2004) or performances and recordings of Coro della Radio Svizzera Italiana (D. Fasolis). Founding member of ensemble Perlaro specializing in Italian music of 14th and 15th centuries (Festival Cantar di Pietre Lugano 2005).

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Hanna Järveläinen begann ihr Musikstudium mit Musiktheorie und Komposition an der Sibelius-Akademie in Helsinki, Finnland. Sie promovierte in Akustik (Doktorarbeit: Perception of Attributes in Real and Synthetic String Instrument Sounds) und arbeitete im Laboratory of Acoustics and Audio Signal Processing an der Helsinki University of Technology Danach studierte sie an der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis Barockgesang bei E. Tubb und G. Türk sowie Ensemblegesang im Master-Programm für Advanced Vocal Ensemble Studies (AVES) unter der Leitung von A. Rooley. Sie beschäftigt sich mit der Aufführung von Musik des Barock, der Renaissance und des Mittelalters und arbeitet mit Ensembles etwa The Harp Consort (A. Lawrence-King), La Morra, ensemble Peregrina und dem neugegründeten Apollo's Noyse.

Marc Lewon (D) studierte zunächst Musik­wissen­schaft und Altgermanistik an der Universität Heidelberg mit abschließendem Magister­grad cum laude. Anschließend ab­solvierte er ein Diplom-Aufbaustudium (mit Auszeichnung) an der Mittelalter­ab­teilung der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis bei C. Young (Laute), R. Cook (Vielle) und K. Dineen (Gesang). 2001 schuf er das Projektensemble Leones und ist Mitinitiator des 2004 gegründeten Konzertensembles Dulce Melos. Konzerte mit verschiedenen Ensembles für frühe Musik (u.a. Perlaro, Les Flamboyants, ordo virtutum, Clemencic Consort), zahl­reiche CD-Veröffentlichungen, Rundfunk- und Fernsehauftritte. Arbeit mit bedeutenden Solisten aus dem Bereich Alter Musik, darunter A. Scholl, C. Young und B. Bagby.
Neben seiner musikalischen Praxis die wissenschaftliche Arbeit im Bereich Mediävistik, Artikelveröffentlichungen und musikalische Editionen sowie Lehr­tätig­keiten u. a. an der Schola Cantorum Basiliensis und der Musikhochschule Leipzig weitere Arbeitsschwerpunkte. Marc Lewon ist Leiter der Fortbildung zur Musik des Mittelalters auf Burg Fürsteneck, "Frühe Musik der Hohen Stände", und der jähr­lichen Reihe "Resonanzen des Mittelalters". Z.Zt. arbeitet er parallel an einem Doctor of Philosophy in Music an der Universität von Oxford (England) unter Prof. Reinhard Strohm.
www.lewon.de     www.leones.de

After studies in violin and composition at the Conservatoire National de Région in Rueil-Malmaison, Baptiste Romain went on to specialize in Medieval and Renaissance music, studying medieval fiddle, ancient bagpipes, and voice. After working with Marco Horvat at the Centre de Musique Médiévale in Paris, he moved to Switzerland where he studied with Randall Cook, Dominique Vellard and Crawford Young at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, as well as pursuing chamber music studies with Pierre Hamon at the Conservatoire National Supérieur in Lyon. During his period at the Schola Cantorum, he explored the techniques and repertoires of the renaissance violin, and completed his Soloist Diploma in March 2008. Influenced by jazz and traditional music, he constantly searches for new ideas pertaining to the historically informed performance of early music, and is passionate about improvisation, vocal accompaniment, and the instrumental repertory. Baptiste Romain performs in several ensembles, including ensemble Peregrina (Agnieszka Budzinska-Bennett), Leones (Marc Lewon), Gilles Binchois (Dominique Vellard), per-sonat (Sabine Lutzenberger), Vox Suavis (Ana Arnaz), Tetraktys (Kees Boeke), Les Jardins de Courtoisie (Anne Delafosse-Quentin).

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