Forma Antiqva

The instrumental and vocal ensemble Forma Antiqva is the joint artistic project of the brothers Aarón, Daniel, and Pablo Zapico. Founded in Langreo, Asturias, over two decades ago, it is considered one of the most important and influential classical music groups in Spain.

With a variable formation, ranging from the trio formed by the Zapico brothers themselves as soloists, to the Baroque orchestra, always surrounded by musicians with a highly reputable career, they approach originally and daringly most of the repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries: from Iberian dance music to the great choral works of the late Baroque, including the operatic genre and the recovery of the heritage of authors such as Baset, Literes or Blas de Laserna.

They are often invited to important venues like the Teatro Real, Teatro de la Zarzuela and Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Teatro de la Maestranza in Seville, Teatro Campoamor in Oviedo, Palacio de Festivales in Santander or the Teatro Arriaga in Bilbao, among many other locations, where they present daring programs, always valued for their cohesion and the quality of their projects.

They have been ambassadors for Spanish heritage at the Rudolfinum in Prague, at the Expo 2020 in Dubai and at the Sharjah International Book Fair 2021 (United Arab Emirates), of Bach’s work in the Eisenach festival, and for Händel’s music in his festival in Halle; they are frequently invited to the most renowned European festivals and are active performers and teachers in most Latin American countries. Forma Antiqva is regularly booked for events in remote locations such as New York, Canberra, Tokyo, Singapore or Shanghai.

Always at the cutting edge, Forma Antiqva’s activity is in constant contact with the creative projects that surround them, facing stimulating challenges that erase the traditional performance borders and the boundaries with the audience. They have inaugurated the Jazzaldia Festival in La Concha beach in San Sebastián, have performed live music in screenings of historical movies, and have paid homage to Martin Scorsese with music from the Italian seicento in the Princesa de Asturias Foundation, among many other initiatives.

Since 2009, they have been exclusive artists for the cult German label Winter & Winter, and their records are influenced by the eclecticism and open-mindedness of Stefan Winter’s label. Thus, the canonic rigor of the projects dedicated to Steffani or Händel exists side-by-side with the Concerto Zapico programs and the pursuit of their own sound, the premiere of Vicente Baset’s heritage, the music composed by Ernst Reijseger for themselves or the collaborations with artists such as Uri Caine, Theo Bleckmann and Fumio Yasuda. Their thought out and selective discography received the unanimous applause of specialized critics, and they have been nominated several times for the International Classical Music Awards.

The creativity, audacity and quality of their proposals, as well as the innovative nature of all their projects, has received frequent recognition from the press, radio and television, musician and festival associations, and cultural foundations throughout the country.

In constant development and active in numerous areas, among which teaching, music dissemination or the commitment to the evolution of the field, the Zapico brothers are currently working on the rediscovery of the singer La Caramba, the Lázaro project with music from the Oviedo cathedral archive, and Farándula castiza, a journey to Madrid’s instrumental music gatherings in the mid-18th century that, recently, has received the recognition and quality seal of the Spanish Classical Music Festivals Association.