Ensemble Caprice Biographies

Montreal Season 2008-2009 | Montreal Recorder Festival |

Ensemble Caprice: Musicians' Biographies

Matthias Maute
Recorder, baroque flute and composer

Matthias Maute Flute

Matthias Maute has achieved an international reputation as one of the finest recorder and baroque flute players of his generation and as a composer. In 1990, he won First Prize in the soloist category at the prestigious Early Music Competition in Bruges, Belgium. Mr. Maute is also esteemed for his artistic direction of Ensemble Caprice, for whom he produces ingenious and fascinating programs. The ensemble has appeared at several major venues in Europe, North America, Taiwan and Israel. In addition to his work with Ensemble Caprice, Mr. Maute is invited to appear as a soloist at important festivals in Europe and the United States, as well as with the baroque ensemble Rebel. In 2003 and 2005, he was the featured recorder virtuoso at the Boston Early Music Festival and he will make his debut at New York City’s Lincoln Center in December 2008. His compositions hold an important place in the world of contemporary recorder music and are published by Breitkopf & Härtel, Amadeus, Moeck and Carus. Mr. Maute has made twenty recordings on the Analekta, Vanguard Classics, Bella Musica, Dorian, Bridge and Atma Classique labels. He is a professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Sophie Larivière Recorder, baroque flute

Sophie Larivière has been a member of Ensemble Caprice since 1997 and is the Artistic Co-Director. In this capacity, she helps to enrich the creative direction of the ensemble in its quest for musical discoveries that blend virtuosity with expressivity. With Ensemble Caprice, Ms. Larivière has appeared in numerous concerts, in particular in Israel (Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Arts Festival), Europe (Vienna, Berlin, and Stuttgart), the United States (Chicago, Los Angeles and the Boston Early Music Festival) and Canada (Edmonton, Grande Prairie and a Debut Atlantic tour). A facile and eloquent performer, Ms. Larivière is invited regularly to appear with such early music ensembles as the Arion Ensemble, the Opéra de Montréal, Le Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, La Nouvele Sinfonie, the Theatre of Early Music, Rebel (New York), Les Violons du Roy (Quebec), the New York Collegium Musicum and Le Concert Spirituel (Paris). Ms. Larivière has made recordings on the Analekta, Virgin Classics, Atma Classique, Antes Edition and Interdisc labels.

Sophie Lariviere

Susie Napper Viola da gamba and violoncello

Susie Napper was awarded Quebec’s “Personality of the Year” Prix Opus in 2002. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Montreal Baroque Festival. Having grown up in an artistic milieu in London, she then studied at the Juilliard School in New York and later at the Paris Conservatory. Since then, Ms. Napper has appeared with several internationally-known early music ensembles, such as the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Stradivaria in France, the Studio de musique ancienne de Montréal, the Trinity Consort of Portland, Tafelmusik, Ensemble Caprice and the viola da gamba duo Les Voix Humaines. Her concert tours have taken her as far afield as China, Japan, New Zealand, India, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Ms. Napper’s recordings, which include most of the known repertoire for two viols, can be heard on the Harmonia Mundi, EMI, Erato, ADDA, CBC Records, Naxos, Analekta and most notably on the Atma Classique labels.

Erin Helyard harpsichord

Erin Helyard graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with first class honors and completed his Masters at the Schulich School of Music at McGill University in Montreal. Earlier in his career, Mr. Helyard was co-conductor of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and assistant music director for the 2001 Sydney Festival. He is also a founder and co-artistic director of Pinchgut Opera and a founding member of the Orchestra of the Antipodes. Since moving to Montreal in 2004, Mr. Helyard has become an active member of Quebec's early music community and has appeared with Les Violons du Roy, Daniel Taylor's Theatre of Early Music, the Arion Ensemble, at the Montreal Baroque Festival and with Ensemble Caprice. Mr. Helyard has recorded for the BIS, ABC Classics, Artworks and Analekta labels.