The Ars Cantus ensemble was formed in 2000 as a vocal ensemble associated with the Wrocław Chamber Choir, functioning under the artistic direction of Tomasz Dobrzański.
Ars Cantus performs music from the early Middle Ages, (Medieval songs from the manuscripts of Carmina Burana and liturgical plays of Ludi Sancti Nicolai) to the early Baroque era (“Salmone Rossi - court and synagogal music”).
A significant part of the Ars Cantus repertoire consists of historical music of Lower Silesia dating back to the XIV century, often presenting listeners for the first time in centuries (“Uczta na Ratuszu” - compositions from Wrocław and Lower Silesia’s printed musical collections from the XVI and XVII centuries, “Serena mente jubilo” - compositions from the XIV and XV century manuscripts from Wrocław, Żagań and Zielona Góra).
The Ars Cantus ensemble has performed at the Festival of Flanders in Alden Biesen in Belgium, at concerts of the International Academy of Early Music in Wilanów, at the Festival “Pieśń Naszych Korzeni” in Jarosław, at Festivals of the Polish Society of Early Music at the Royal Castle in Warsaw and Cracow, at the festival Musica Memorabilis in Poznań, at the International Festival “Maj z Muzyką Dawną” and the Forum Musicum in Wrocław, at the Festival delle Nazioni in Italy, at concerns in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Austria and Sicily.
In December 2004, one of Ars Cantus’ concerts was transmitted from Studio S1 to various countries of the European Broadcasting Union.
In 2001, Ars Cantus was honoured with the Zofia Rayzacherowa award at the XI Festival of Early Music at the Royal Castle in Warsaw for performing Medieval songs from the “Carmina Burana” collection and for “the greatest artistic individuality in the field of early music.”
The ensemble also received the Wrocław Music Award for preparing the CD “Musica Rediviva from Wrocław’s printed musical collections of the XVI and XVII centuries.”
In 2011, Ars Cantus received the Adam Jarzębski Award for “the best performers at the XX Festival of Early Music at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.”
Tomasz Dobrzański graduated from the Wrocław Musical Academy in the clarinet class lead by Professor Mieczysław Stachura. He studied the recorder with Gabriel Garrido at the Centre for Early Music at the Concersatoire Populaire in Geneva and with Michel Piquet in Basel (Schola Cantorum Basiliensis), where he also studied the classical clarinet under the direction of Pierre-André Taillarda. He also plays on Renaissance string instruments, the one handed flute, mandore and citole. He is the artistic director of the Ars Cantus ensemble of Wrocław, which performs music of Middle Ages, Renaissance and early Baroque periods. In cooperation with the ensemble, he has prepared numerous CD recordings, including unknown music of Wrocław and Silesia. He leads a recorder class at the Wrocław Academy of Music and at the National Musical School of the Second Level in Wrocław. He works with several musical groups and conducts courses in interpreting early music. He is the artistic director of Wrocław’s festival Forum Musicum. He also copies and reconstructs early musical instruments.
Ars Cantus performs music from the early Middle Ages, (Medieval songs from the manuscripts of Carmina Burana and liturgical plays of Ludi Sancti Nicolai) to the early Baroque era (“Salmone Rossi - court and synagogal music”).
A significant part of the Ars Cantus repertoire consists of historical music of Lower Silesia dating back to the XIV century, often presenting listeners for the first time in centuries (“Uczta na Ratuszu” - compositions from Wrocław and Lower Silesia’s printed musical collections from the XVI and XVII centuries, “Serena mente jubilo” - compositions from the XIV and XV century manuscripts from Wrocław, Żagań and Zielona Góra).
The Ars Cantus ensemble has performed at the Festival of Flanders in Alden Biesen in Belgium, at concerts of the International Academy of Early Music in Wilanów, at the Festival “Pieśń Naszych Korzeni” in Jarosław, at Festivals of the Polish Society of Early Music at the Royal Castle in Warsaw and Cracow, at the festival Musica Memorabilis in Poznań, at the International Festival “Maj z Muzyką Dawną” and the Forum Musicum in Wrocław, at the Festival delle Nazioni in Italy, at concerns in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France, Austria and Sicily.
In December 2004, one of Ars Cantus’ concerts was transmitted from Studio S1 to various countries of the European Broadcasting Union.
In 2001, Ars Cantus was honoured with the Zofia Rayzacherowa award at the XI Festival of Early Music at the Royal Castle in Warsaw for performing Medieval songs from the “Carmina Burana” collection and for “the greatest artistic individuality in the field of early music.”
The ensemble also received the Wrocław Music Award for preparing the CD “Musica Rediviva from Wrocław’s printed musical collections of the XVI and XVII centuries.”
In 2011, Ars Cantus received the Adam Jarzębski Award for “the best performers at the XX Festival of Early Music at the Royal Castle in Warsaw.”
Tomasz Dobrzański graduated from the Wrocław Musical Academy in the clarinet class lead by Professor Mieczysław Stachura. He studied the recorder with Gabriel Garrido at the Centre for Early Music at the Concersatoire Populaire in Geneva and with Michel Piquet in Basel (Schola Cantorum Basiliensis), where he also studied the classical clarinet under the direction of Pierre-André Taillarda. He also plays on Renaissance string instruments, the one handed flute, mandore and citole. He is the artistic director of the Ars Cantus ensemble of Wrocław, which performs music of Middle Ages, Renaissance and early Baroque periods. In cooperation with the ensemble, he has prepared numerous CD recordings, including unknown music of Wrocław and Silesia. He leads a recorder class at the Wrocław Academy of Music and at the National Musical School of the Second Level in Wrocław. He works with several musical groups and conducts courses in interpreting early music. He is the artistic director of Wrocław’s festival Forum Musicum. He also copies and reconstructs early musical instruments.