Founded in 1987 by Jos van Immerseel as a musical Petri dish to cultivate the results of his research into music of the baroque era, Anima Eterna Brugge evolved from a compact string ensemble to the full-bred symphonic orchestra that it is today, exploring repertoire from Bach, Mozart and Beethoven to Strauss, Debussy and Gershwin. The consequent use of period instruments, the permanent direction by its inspirator van Immerseel, a project-based setup and respect for the composer’s intentions, are at the core of this orchestra’s vision. Soloists either stem from Anima’s own ranks, or are ‘friends of the family’ - Claire Chevallier (piano), Midori Seiler (violin), Sergei Istomin (violoncello), Lisa Shklyaver (clarinet) and Thomas Bauer (baritone), to name but a few. With its partners Opéra de Dijon, Concertgebouw Brugge and Beethovenfest Bonn, AEB continues along the lines of an exceptional trajectory that by now stretches over a quarter of a century. During this time, the orchestra has produced an impressive range of recordings, since 2002 constituting the Zig-Zag Territoires (Outhere) series Collection Anima Eterna. Upcoming release in 2014 is the long-anticipated live-recording of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. Anima’s curiosity and the public’s amazement haven’t faded over the years: the orchestra still vouches for innovation without provocation, and keeps on getting its drive from musicological research and analysis, a logical and natural approach, and tons of musical passion and pleasure. Period orchestra 'Anima Eterna Brugge' was founded by Jos van Immerseel in 1987 and is based in Bruges. Depending on the repertoire (which ranges from Monteverdi to Gershwin), it numbers from 7 to 80 musicians. www.animaeterna.be