The English Concert is Europe's leading period music ensemble. The group performs under the leadership of renowned violinist Andrew Manze, a virtuosic performer who the Boston Globe calls “The first superstar of the baroque violin since the baroque era itself.” Founded by harpsichordist and conductor Trevor Pinnock in 1973, The English Concert made a name for itself by choosing to specialize in performing Baroque music on actual period instruments. One of the first ensembles to specialize in historical performance, Pinnock explained the decision by saying, "The answer is simple – we wanted to use the most suitable tools for the job. These instruments were good enough for Bach – surely they're good enough for us."

The English Concert has a reputation for stylish, lively, and high-quality music-making. Its sound is light, bright, and clear. Its strings usually employ no vibrato, and its winds have a woody, attractive tone that blends well with strings and with the fortepiano. The ensemble has released over 70 albums, many of which have won top recording awards such as the Grand Prix du Disque and Grammophon Awards. After 30 years at the helm, Trevor Pinnock passed the baton to renowned violin soloist, orchestral director, and chamber musician, Andrew Manze.

Manze specialises in violin repertoire from 1610 to 1830. As a conductor, he is in increasing demand by a variety of ensembles, including “modern” instrument orchestras. His education began at Cambridge, where he studied Classics. He then moved on to music studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. After a period as concertmaster of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, he was appointed associate director of the London-based Baroque group Academy of Ancient Music in 1996, where he stayed until he became director of The English Concert in 2003.

As a chamber musician, he was a member of the celebrated trio Romanesca. Andrew Manze has played in over 30 different countries in Europe, the United States, and the Middle and Far East. Manze is an exclusive recording artist with Harmonia Mundi USA and was HM's Artist of the Year in 1998. He won Gramophone, Edison, and Cannes Classical awards for his recording with Romanesca of Biber's violin sonatas. His playing of Vivaldi's newly discovered "Manchester" sonatas won the Premio Internazionale del Disco Vivaldi Antica Italiana. His album Phantasticus won the Cannes Classical Award and a Diapason D'Or. The later award was also given to his recording of Schmelzer's violin sonatas.