In 2001 Sabina Colonna Preti founded the viola da gamba consort La Chimera, which took a different and enriched direction after meeting Eduardo Egüez. While retaining its characteristic sound as a viol ensemble, La Chimera has become a variable-geometry ensemble made up of artists of international renown, focusing on the creation of original projects with a particular interest in the links between the ancient and modern worlds.
Over the last few years, the company has produced a number of projects: ‘Buenos Aires Madrigal’ (seventeenth-century Italian madrigals and Argentinian tangos), which was recorded on CD with great acclaim in Europe (2002). ‘Tonos y Tonadas’, which combined musical and literary elements from the Spanish Baroque with contemporary Latin American folklore (2006). ‘La Voce di Orfeo’, focused on the celebrated tenor Francesco Rasi, to whom Monteverdi entrusted the role of Orpheus, a recording that has won numerous awards (2009). ‘Odisea Negra’, which blends the music of African griots, ancient music from Cuba and Peru, and contemporary folklore from Central America (2010). In 2014, the ‘Misa de Indios – Misa Criolla’ program marked the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the famous mass by the Argentinian Ramírez, presented alongside works from the South American colonial baroque and compositions by Eduardo Egüez, recorded by the French label La Música, this project has met huge public success since its creation, with over a hundred concerts given in France and Europe and 10,000 CDs sold. The ‘Gracias a la Vida’ project (2018), named after the famous song by Chilean composer Violeta Parra, explores the baroque music of the Jesuit missions in relation to South American folklore. The South American baroque repertoire proper is also strongly represented by La Chimera, with programs such as ‘Splendeurs mexicaines’, which premiered at the Festival de la Chaise Dieu in 2018 to rapturous public acclaim. Released in 2020, the recording ‘Fuga y Misterio’, mirrors the art of counterpoint in Johann Sebastian Bach and Astor Piazzolla, with the virtuoso Italian percussionist Simone Rubino. The following recording ‘Lachrimae & Songs’ (2021) features a selection of works by the great English musician John Dowland, including the famous Lachrimae cycle and some of his most famous songs, performed by tenor Zachary Wilder. The latest album, ‘Iguazú’, presents an exciting fusion of ancient and traditional music from Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
Unsurprisingly, the originality of these projects and their impeccable, fervent musical execution have earned La Chimera performances in such prestigious venues as the Auditorium de Radio France, the Salle Gaveau, the Théâtre de la Ville and the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris, the Arsenal in Metz, the Salle Flagey in Brussels, the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao, the Teatro Ponchielli in Cremona, and the Concertgebouw in Bruges, the Muziekgebouw in Eindhoven, the Recital Hall in Sydney, the Scènes Nationales in Brest, Narbonne, Albi, Cherbourg, Odyssud in Blagnac, as well as the Festivals of Ansbach, Namur, La Chaise Dieu, Lourdes, Noirlac and Fontevraud, the Via Aeterna Festival du Mont Saint Michel, Semana Santa in Bilbao, Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci, Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Oude Muziek Utrecht, Rheingau Musik Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, among others.