Jupiter Ensemble; Lea Desandre, mezzo
Jupiter Ensemble, led by lutenist Thomas Dunford, joins Franco-Italian mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre for a Baroque program centered on 18th-century depictions of Amazons, the mythical warrior women. Through music portraying power, conflict, and intense emotion, the artists explore dramatic stories from the early chamber-music and operatic repertoire.
Founded in 2018, Jupiter Ensemble brings together a generation of highly accomplished musicians whose performances emphasize freedom, energy, attentive listening, improvisation, and virtuosity. Desandre, recognized for her stage artistry and musicality, has appeared at major venues and festivals worldwide and is a frequent collaborator with the ensemble.
When: Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Pre-Concert Talk: Christine Anderson leads a talk on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in Hamilton Garden.
Program: Works by Provenzale, Cavalli, Viviani, Schürmann, Pallavicino, Marais, Destouches, Vivaldi, and De Bottis.
Performers: Jupiter Ensemble, under the artistic direction of lutenist Thomas Dunford, with Lea Desandre, mezzo-soprano.
Run time: Approximately 75 minutes without intermission.
Jupiter Ensemble: Founded by Thomas Dunford and a group of young musicians including Lea Desandre, Jean Rondeau, Douglas Balliett, Bruno Philippe, Sophie Gent, Thibaut Garcia, and Peter Whelan, the ensemble performs repertoire ranging from Vivaldi, Handel, Destouches, Couperin, and Mancini to original works by Dunford and Balliett. Its recordings include a Vivaldi-focused first album, Desandre’s *Amazone*, and *Eternal Heaven*, a 2022 Handel recording with countertenor Iestyn Davies. The group has performed at venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, the Philharmonie de Paris, Carnegie Hall, the Köln Philharmonic, the Rouen Opera, and the Festival de Pâques d’Aix-en-Provence.
Lea Desandre: The Franco-Italian mezzo-soprano was named Female Singer of the Year by Opus Klassik in 2022 and received the Prix de la Critique in 2024. Her repertoire includes roles such as Cherubino in Mozart’s *The Marriage of Figaro*, Rosina in Rossini’s *The Barber of Seville*, Dido in Purcell’s *Dido and Aeneas*, Idamante in Mozart’s *Idomeneo*, Ariodante in Handel’s opera, and the title role in Charpentier’s *Médée*. She has performed at the Paris Opera, Salzburg Festival, Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and Walt Disney Concert Hall, among many other venues. Desandre trained in Venice with Sara Mingardo, participated in William Christie’s Le Jardin des Voix, and studied classical dance for 12 years.
Venue: Perelman Theater, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia.
Tickets: Price not available.
Accessibility and seating: For questions about seating or accessibility, call the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society Box Office at (215) 569-8080.
Ages: No age restriction is stated.