The idea of establishing a Baroque music ensemble at the LNOBT arose when Sesto Quatrini became the theatre's Artistic Director of Opera. In cooperation with the Museum of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, an ensemble was established, which brought together artists of the theatre's symphony orchestra interested in baroque music and the traditions of playing old music, and who had previously performed actively as members of various chamber ensembles or as soloists.
The creative partnership between LNOBT and the Museum of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania is not accidental and has a clear historical basis. At the residence of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in the 4th and 5th decades of the 17th century, the first operas (dramma per musica) were staged in Lithuania - earlier than in such metropolises as Paris or London. Although the scores of the operas have not survived, it is believed that the music for them was composed by the famous Italian composer Marco Scacchi, the maestro di cappella of the King of Poland and the Grand Duke of Lithuania Władysław Vasa. In 2022, at the concert of the festival organized by the Palace Museum named after him, Capella Concertante Vilnense made its debut.
The ensemble was named Cappella Concertante Vilnense. The word Cappella is often used to refer to musical ensembles belonging to a particular place. Concertante emphasizes that each member of the ensemble can appear as a soloist, which is extremely important in Baroque music. And Vilnense, of course, is the ancient Latinized name of the city.
