The chamber orchestra Les Violons du Roy takes its name from the renowned string orchestra of the court of the French kings. The group, which has a core membership of 15 players, was brought together in 1984 by founding conductor Bernard Labadie and continues to specialize in the vast repertoire of music for chamber orchestra under music director Jonathan Cohen. Using copies of period bows on modern instruments, the ensemble plays works from the Baroque and Classical period with an approach strongly influenced by current research into the performance practices of the 17th and 18th centuries. The orchestra also regularly delves into the repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Les Violons du Roy is at the heart of the music scene in Quebec City and a regular feature on the Montreal cultural calendar. It is known throughout North America thanks to the many broadcasts of its concerts and recordings on CBC, Radio-Canada, and NPR. The ensemble makes regular visits to New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and has performed in South Korea, China, and dozens of times in Europe at such legendary venues as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and Philharmonie Berlin.

Les Violons du Roy’s discography boasts 36 titles, including three Juno Award–winning albums and one Félix Award winner. Twelve recordings have appeared on the Dorian label, and 11 on ATMA. The ensemble has also released four albums on Virgin Classics, now Erato/Warner Classics, with soloists Vivica Genaux, Truls Mørk, and Alexandre Tharaud. It has also made recordings with Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Naïve), Marc-André Hamelin (Hyperion), Valérie Milot (Analekta), Anthony Roth Costanzo (Decca Gold), Charles Richard-Hamelin (Analekta), and Diane Dufresne.

Jonathan Cohen has forged a remarkable career as a conductor, cellist, and keyboardist. Well known for his passion and commitment to chamber music, Mr. Cohen is equally at home in such diverse genres as Baroque opera and the classical symphonic repertoire. He is artistic director of Arcangelo, music director of Les Violons du Roy, artistic director of Tetbury Festival, and artistic partner of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. In the 2023–2024 season, he became the artistic director of the Handel+Haydn Society.

The 2022–2023 season saw Mr. Cohen return to the US to conduct the Handel+Haydn Society and The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and his projects with Les Violons du Roy include Handel’s Alcina and programs with Carolyn Sampson and Philippe Jaroussky. He will conduct Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, and Orquesta Barroca de Sevilla, as well as projects with Arcangelo including Handel’s Theodora.

Mr. Cohen founded Arcangelo in 2010, which strives to perform highest-quality, bespoke projects. He has toured with the group to exceptional halls and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Philharmonie Berlin, Kölner Philharmonie, Musikverein Wien, Carnegie Hall, and the Salzburg Festival. Arcangelo made its Proms debut at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in 2016 and returned to the Proms in 2018 for Theodora and 2021 for the St. Matthew Passion.

Arcangelo is busy and much in demand in the recording studio, partnering with fine soloists such as Iestyn Davies (its album Arias for Guadagni won the recital category at the 2012 Gramophone Awards and its recording of Bach cantatas was voted best Baroque vocal recording at the 2017 Gramophone Awards), Anna Prohaska, and Christopher Purves for Hyperion Records. Its recording CPE Bach Cello Concertos with Nicolas Altstaedt won a BBC Music Magazine Award in 2017, and its Buxtehude Trio Sonatas, Op.1 for Alpha Classics was nominated for Best Chamber Music / Small Ensemble Performance at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Arcangelo’s recent recordings include Handel’s Brockes-Passion; Buxtehude Trio Sonatas, Op. 2; and an additional disc of Bach cantatas with Iestyn Davies.

Miloš is one of the world’s most celebrated classical guitarists. His career began its meteoric rise in 2011, with the release of his international best-selling Deutsche Grammophon debut album Mediterraneo. Since then, he has earned legions of fans, awards, and acclaim around the world through his extensive touring, six chart-topping recordings, and television appearances.

Now exclusive to Sony Classical, Miloš is committed to expanding the repertoire of the classical guitar. His new album, simply entitled Baroque, came out in October 2023 and presents a carefully curated selection of Baroque works specially transcribed and arranged for the guitar, and includes both solo works and those in collaboration with Jonathan Cohen and Arcangelo. Equally passionate about new music, Miloš’s The Moon and the Forest features two world-premiere concertos by Howard Shore and Joby Talbot.

Miloš has appeared as a soloist with some of the world’s greatest orchestras: London Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and NHK Symphony Orchestra. His first sold-out solo recital in the round of Royal Albert Hall was lauded by the critics and caused a worldwide sensation. He returned to the hall in June 2022 to a full-capacity audience. In 2016, BBC Music Magazine included Miloš in its list of Six of the Best Classical Guitarists of the past century.

A passionate advocate for music education, Miloš is an active patron of numerous charities supporting young musicians in the UK and abroad. Aspiring guitarists can learn from him through Schott Music’s Play Guitar with Miloš series. He recently launched the Miloš Karadaglić Foundation, based in Porto Montenegro. This philanthropic organization aims to act as a regional hub of influence by empowering artistic excellence through an array of educational opportunities, partnerships, and close mentorship.