Due to its great variety of musical colours and the broad spectrum of its repertoire, La Tabatière likes to describe itself as a "petit orchestre historique".

Founded in 2020 as a trio with an artistic focus on the style and playing practice of classical music, La Tabatière now consists of different constellations of instrumentalists who specialise in historical performance practice. This allows the ensemble to expand its repertoire, create more colourful concert programmes and perform music from the Baroque to the early Romantic period.

Their passion for so-called historical performance practice unites the musicians in researching the most authentic way of playing for each period - on the appropriate historical instruments, of course. They never forget to inspire the audience with their commitment, enthusiasm and virtuosity at every performance. With this motivation, the ensemble made it to the final of the CIMA competition in France in June 2021 and was later named the new Rheinsberg Court Orchestra 2021/22 by the Music Academy in Rheinsberg.

The ensemble performed at the Händel Haus in Halle (broadcasted by Radio SWR2), at the Telemann Magdeburg Festival, for the Telemann Gesellschaft in Frankfurt with Proff. Michael Schneider, for the Tübinger Kammermusikfreunde Festival, for Argiano baroque Festival, at the Rheinsberg Castle.


La Tabatière present their concerts with humour and esprit and bring the historical and stylistic context to life in an anecdotal and entertaining way. The name of the ensemble also has its origins in an anecdote: in a conversation with the composer Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf in 1786, the Habsburg Emperor Joseph II compared "Mozart's composition with a golden tabatière made in Paris and Haydn's composition with one made in London". La Tabatière thus sees itself as a precious casket full of stimulating (musical) delights.

Artistic direction: Lorenzo Gabriele and Rebecca Raimondi