Concerto Copenhagen: A house of music

In the heart of Vienna, on Michaelerplatz, lies Grosses Michaelerhaus, which has an unparalleled musical history of its residents.

In 1750, the young Joseph Haydn moved into a modest attic. At that time, he was a student of the older composer Nicola Porpora, who was also his neighbour. The famous librettist Pietro Metastasio also lived in the house and contributed to the artistic community. On the third floor lived the Martines family, whose daughter Marianna, who would later become a prominent composer and pianist, received piano lessons from both the young resident Haydn and his teacher Porpora, and later played four-hand piano with Haydn's good friend W. A. Mozart.

The household was so close-knit, in fact, that Metastasio, who had no children of his own, bequeathed a staggering 20,000 florins, his harpsichord, and his entire personal music library to Marianna to support her career as a composer. With the money in her pocket, she chose to forgo marriage and instead devoted herself entirely to her career.

Conductor Giuseppe Bonno had also lived in the building, and opera composer Johann Adolf Hasse was just one of the countless guests who contributed to the house's vibrant, artistic life. This concert brings the sounds of this remarkable house to life, where generations of music and poetry lived under one roof, and a new musical spirit began to take shape.

After the concert, you can join the artists from the stage for a long-table dinner in the Salon. Reserve a seat at the table when you buy your ticket.

Concerto Copenhagen – ensemble for timeless music

For more than 30 years, Concerto Copenhagen has explored and performed the music of the Baroque, Viennese Classicism and early Romantic periods with historical awareness and artistic uncompromisingness. Today, the orchestra stands as an international beacon in its field. Musical director Lars Ulrik Mortensen and Concerto Copenhagen unite artistic authenticity and innovation, and through original interpretations give the music new life and relevance for a modern audience.

Concerto Copenhagen's musicians belong to the international elite of baroque musicians, and the orchestra has been on an exciting artistic and musical journey since its first concerts in 1991 – appreciated and praised by audiences and critics worldwide. With a repertoire that combines well-known European music with lesser-known works of Scandinavian origin as well as new music, the orchestra marked its 30th anniversary in 2021, and was subsequently named Danish Radio's P2 Artist of the Year 2022.