Actéon baroque concert by Scherzi Musicali

Actéon, having surprised Diane while she was bathing, is turned into a stag and devoured by his own dogs: a touching libretto served up by a music that's at the very heart of the matter. The bucolic atmosphere of Actéon is set by Charpentier's emblematic Sonate à huit, featuring some of his courtly arias.

Scherzi Musicali

For over fifteen years, Scherzi Musicali has been a leading ensemble in the world of early music, renowned for its work on the 17th and 18th centuries. The ensemble brings together 3 to 40 musicians around Nicolas Achten, and performs throughout Europe in the most prestigious concert halls and festivals.

Scherzi Musicali's discography includes 13 albums, 11 of which are world premieres, featuring works by Caccini, Mazzocchi, Bertali, Sances, Scarlatti, Colonna, Fiocco from Brussels and Hamal from Liège. These recordings have been unanimously acclaimed by audiences and the international press alike (Diapason d'or, Diapason découverte, Choc de Classica, Joker de Crescendo, La Clef de ResMusica, Prelude Classics Award, Muse d'Or, Ring de Classique Info, "Outstanding" in the International Record Review, Prix Cæcilia...).


Nicolas Achten - baritone, lute, harpsichord, early harp, artistic direction

A baritone, harpsichordist, lutenist, harpist and ensemble leader, Nicolas Achten made a name for himself in the world of early music at a very early age: winner of the VIIème Concours International de Chant baroque de Chimay in 2006, he was voted "Classical Artist of the Year 2009" at the Octaves de la Musique and awarded the "Prix du jeune musicien de l'année 2009" by the Union de la presse musicale belge.

Nicolas Achten studied singing, lute, harpsichord, early harp and conducting at the Royal Conservatories of Brussels and The Hague; he completed his training at various masterclasses, notably at the Académie baroque d'Ambronay and the Centre de la Voix de Royaumont.

Since 2004, he has been invited by prestigious early music ensembles, including l'Arpeggiata, la Fenice, La Petite Bande, Ausonia, les Agrémens, Akadêmia, Les Talens Lyriques, Il Fondamento, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Il Seminario Musicale, le Poème Harmonique, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Ensemble Phoenix Munich.

Today, he is one of the few classical singers to be self-accompanied, reviving an historic practice. In fact, it was because he was keen to deepen this approach and put his research into practice that he founded the ensemble Scherzi Musicali.

On the side, Nicolas Achten also explores atypical encounters, in a duo with folk accordionist Didier Laloy, or in a trio with jazz saxophonist Manu Hermia or pop/rock singer Kris Dane.

Nicolas Achten is professor of early music singing and lute, and teaches temperament and chords at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels.