Hespèrion XXI

Founded in Basel in 1974 by Jordi Savall together with Montserrat Figueras, Lorenzo Alpert and Hopkinson Smith, Hespèrion XXI continues under the new name adopted in 2000 the work carried out for more than twenty‑five years by Hespèrion XX. Around a core of musicians specialising in early repertoires, Hespèrion XXI explores Renaissance and Baroque music, as well as learned and popular traditions linked to the Mediterranean, the Iberian Peninsula, the Ottoman world and Sephardic culture. Hespèrion XXI’s style is based on the study of historical sources, the use of period instruments and a flexible approach to ornamentation and improvisation. The ensemble operates as a variable‑geometry formation, from small consorts to larger forces depending on the programme, and performs at early‑music festivals, on international stages and in cross‑disciplinary projects devoted to cultural exchanges between East and West. Hespèrion XXI’s trajectory remains closely tied to that of Jordi Savall and to the Alia Vox catalogue, with an extensive discography covering Spanish, French and Italian repertoires as well as the musical traditions of the Mediterranean basin.