The ensemble Ordo Virtutum for medieval music founded in 1989 by the musicologist Stefan Morent is devoted entirely to the reconstruction and interpretation of the vocal and instrumental music of the Middle Ages. It combines the passion for performance with the most recent musicological studies in an attempt to reconstruct the musical world of medieval Europe.

In recent times the ensemble worked and performed in close collaboration with renowned experts of medieval performance practice as Andrea von Ramm, Sterling Jones, Anne Azema, Jill Feldman and others.

The repertory performed is mainly placed in the field of Gregorian Chant, Middle High German recitation, story telling, chants of Hildegard von Bingen, medieval drama and instrumental music. The chief concern is to unite professional performance with a new and lively approach to the medieval repertory.                    
The ensemble presented its results in the last years at concerts and festivals all over Europe, especially its work in the field of medieval drama, the last productions being full-staged versions of the Play of the wise and foolish virgins, the famous Carmina Burana and the Ordo Virtutum of Hildegard von Bingen which was also recorded on CD.

Projects followed with a program devoted to Planctus - Music of the Death, the scenic performance of the Wolfenbuetteler Marienklage and the Roman de Fauvel.

The ensemble's new project for the 2002/2003 season, Children of Abraham, presenting a fully staged selection of the famous Cantigas de Santa Maria as well as of Hebrew and Arabic poetry of Medieval Spain, had successful performances.

The program Codex Calixtinus - Music for St. James the Apostle was presented in 2003 and a program devoted to the famous monk and composer Herman the Cripple of Reichenau Monastery had its premiere in May 2004 with a performance on the Isle of Reichenau/Lake Constance, celebrating the genius of this composer, who died 950 years ago (Read a review of "Hermann the Cripple - The miracle of his century" here!).

The new programm Vox barbarica? appeared within the festival Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz in September 2004, giving musical insight into the "wars" between Roman and Frankish singers in the 9th century. Listen to audio clips in the audio-section.

The ensemble's 2001 US-tour with performances of Hildegard von Bingen's Ordo Virtutum at Los Angeles and San Diego and the ensemble's first concert at Madrid/Spain in December 2002 were highly praised.

The year 2005 saw performances within the Radovljica-Festival/Slovenia and the presentation of a new program devoted to the School of Notre Dame at Speyer Cathedral/Germany.

In 2006 we will present Mors et Amor, the Notre Dame program and a new very special program around the musical culture of the Isle of Reichenau.

2007 will see our new program Elizabeth 2007 performed among other places at the most prestigous Wartburg at Eisenach!

In September 2007 we will present the first edition of the "Academy for Medieval Music" held at the State Academy of Ochsenhausen and led by Benjamin Bagby, Susanne Ansorg and Stefan Morent. Please find further details here.

Please visit our Tour schedule for further details!

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