Founded in Rome in 2005 by Andrea De Carlo, Ensemble Mare Nostrum has quickly established itself as one of the most distinctive and original voices in the European early music scene. The ensemble’s interpretative approach is grounded in a deep exploration of the relationship between music, language, gesture, and affect — a research that restores to Baroque music its full theatrical, physical, and emotional dimension.
The group’s recording debut in 2008, with J. S. Bach’s Orgelbüchlein arranged for viol consort and voice (Diapason Découverte), immediately revealed an unmistakable artistic identity. It was followed by Le Concert des Violes (Ricercar, 2010 5 Diapasons and Coup de Cœur of the Académie Charles Cros) and Nueva España (Alpha, 2012), dedicated to Spanish and Mexican music between the Renaissance and the Baroque.
Since 2012, Ensemble Mare Nostrum has focused its artistic activity on the Roman repertoire of the seventeenth century, collaborating with major international artists and institutions. This work led to projects such as Il Concerto delle Viole Barberini (Ricercar, with Vox Luminis) and Occhi belli, occhi neri (Arcana), featuring newly discovered cantatas by Marco Marazzoli.
In 2013, the ensemble launched The Stradella Project, the first complete recording series devoted to the works of Alessandro Stradella. Released by Arcana–Outhere, the collection has been acclaimed worldwide and has opened a new perspective on one of the most inventive and theatrical composers of the Roman Baroque. Among its releases: La forza delle stelle (2013), S. Giovanni Crisostomo (2014), S. Editta (2016), S. Pelagia (2017), Il Trespolo tutore (2020), Amare e Fingere (2022), and Un angelo del Paradiso (2024), dedicated to the castrato Marcantonio Orrigoni and distinguished with a Nomination at the 2025 Gramophone Classical Music Awards, as well as Gramophone Editor’s Choice, Fono Forum CD of the Month, and Forum Opera SWAG.
Praised for its vocal elegance, theatrical energy, and refined sound research, Ensemble Mare Nostrum has performed at major international venues and festivals across Europe and the Americas, including Tage Alter Musik Herne, De Bijloke (Ghent), Festival Cervantino (Mexico), Maison de Radio France (Paris), Stockholm Early Music Festival, Ravenna Festival & Monteverdi Festival Cremona (Italy), Izmir Festival (Turkey), Royal Palace of Warsaw.
The ensemble is currently in residence at the Alessandro Stradella Baroque Festival in Viterbo, continuing its exploration of seventeenth-century Italian music and its mission to bring forgotten masterpieces to life.
