The Camerata Ama Deus is our chamber orchestra – our newest addition, established in 2007. “Camerata” is an Italian word for “room” or “chamber,” and signifies an orchestra that is much smaller than the 90+/- musician symphony orchestras which began to develop in the mid-1800s. A chamber orchestra is the appropriate type of ensemble to perform the instrumental music of the Baroque and Classical periods (ca. 1650 to 1790). The name is also derived from the venues in which so much of this music was first presented…in the sitting rooms of aristocratic manors and palaces.

Camerata Ama Deus is comprised of fifteen to twenty-five professional orchestral musicians who perform on authentic period instruments...both actual ancient instruments and others which are recreations of originals preserved in museums. The brilliant soloists featured throughout each concert are drawn from the orchestra, each of whom is a knowledgeable expert in the performance practice style of the period. Camerata’s repertoire draws upon the deep well spring of energetic and sublime works from the pens of both famed composers (such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Telemann, Corelli, Haydn and Mozart), and inspired artists of equally glorious music but lesser name recognition today (among them Albinoni, Marcello and Pachelbel).

An engaging facet of each Camerata Ama Deus concert is the interaction of the audience, the conductor and the orchestra members. Maestro Radu introduces each work on the program with unscripted commentaries that set the composer and the musical piece in their historic, social and musical contexts. And members of the orchestra take turns describing for the audience their unique period instruments.