La Chapelle Royale

Baroque Ensemble Specializing in French Sacred Music

La Chapelle Royale is a renowned French ensemble specializing in Baroque music, founded in 1977 by the conductor Philippe Herreweghe. The ensemble is named after the famous chapel of the French kings at Versailles. La Chapelle Royale has been instrumental in the revival and performance of Baroque music on period instruments, adhering to historically informed performance practices. They have gained international acclaim for their interpretations of works by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Marc-Antoine Charpentier, and Jean-Baptiste Lully. The ensemble often collaborates with Collegium Vocale Gent, also founded by Herreweghe, and has recorded extensively, contributing significantly to the discography of 17th- and 18th-century European sacred music. Their performances are characterized by a blend of scholarly research and expressive musicality, aiming to recreate the soundscape of the era in which the music was originally composed and performed.