Ascona Choral Academy

Formerly a member of the renowned vocal group The King’s Singers, in 2001 Nigel founded Tenebrae, a virtuoso choir that combines the passion of a cathedral choir with the precision of a chamber ensemble. Under his direction, Tenebrae has collaborated with internationally renowned orchestras and instrumentalists, and today enjoys a reputation as one of the best vocal groups in the world. Nigel has conducted the choir in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and festivals, including the BBC Proms, Wigmore Hall, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Rheingau Musik Festival, and the Sydney Festival.
To date, Nigel has conducted most of the major British orchestras, including the Academy of Ancient Music, the Aurora Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Britten Sinfonia, the English Concert, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Other orchestral recordings include Mozart’s Requiem with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. In addition, Nigel has appeared as guest conductor with the BBC Singers, the MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig and the Danish National Vocal Ensemble.
Nigel has extensive recording experience and has conducted for many of the world’s leading labels, including Decca Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, LSO Live and Signum. He has also contributed to a number of high-profile film scores. In 2018 he received a Grammy nomination in the ‘Best Choral Performance’ category for Tenebrae’s album featuring songs from the British Isles, *Music of the Spheres*. As a Gramophone Award-winning producer, Nigel collaborates with many of Britain’s leading professional choirs and vocal groups, including Alamire, Ex Cathedra, Gallicantus, and The King’s Singers.

Anna Semple is a singer and composer based in London. After earning a master’s degree in composition from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2021, she works freelance as a solo, ensemble and studio singer. In addition, she works as a Teacher-Singer at the Pimlico Musical Foundation, where she also teaches violin and music theory.

Olivia is an award-winning conductor and singer based in London. She earned a master’s degree in choral conducting from the Royal Academy of Music with honors and, in addition to the “DipRam” for excellence in the final recital, also received the Sir Thomas Armstrong Choral Leadership Prize. Subsequently, she was appointed a Fellow of the Academy, where she conducted a series of concerts featuring works by female composers of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

For 15 years, Johnny has been one of the world’s most sought-after choristers. As bass and creative director of the Grammy-winning vocal ensemble The King’s Singers, he has given more than 1,400 concerts in more than 60 countries. He has performed on nearly every major stage in the world, including New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

Ivo Antognini earned his piano diploma in Lucerne in 1985, having studied initially with Roberto Braccini and later with Nora Doallo at the school that later became the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana. A self-taught composer, he loved composing and improvising on the piano since childhood. From 1990 to 1991 he studied at the Swiss Jazz School in Bern, a formative period that led to the release of three CDs as a composer and performer. Between 1990 and 2004 he collaborated with several Swiss filmmakers, composing several soundtracks.