For connoisseurs and lovers of vocal and instrumental sacred Baroque music
Copyright Lowie De Leeuw
ABOUT ENSEMBLE GLORIOSUS
Evocative Baroque Music with Heart, Soul, and Depth
Ensemble Gloriosus brings Baroque music vividly to life with pure, emotional expression - both vocal and instrumental.
What makes the ensemble truly unique is its combination of artistic excellence, rhetorical clarity,
and a tangible sense of connection between musicians, audience, and repertoire.
Based in Ghent, with the historic Church of Our Lady Presentation in the picturesque Klein Begijnhof (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) as its artistic home since 2022, the ensemble offers profound musical experiences shaped by sound, context, and inspiration.
The seed for the ensemble was planted in September 2021, during the performance of a wedding celebration. What began as a one-time collaboration between professionally trained singers and instrumentalists became a moment of renewed artistic ambition.
The intense connection on stage resonated strongly with the audience and led almost immediately to an international invitation for concerts in Montréal.
For artistic director Patrick Debrabandere, it reignited a long-cherished mission: making music in connectedness - where tradition and innovation enrich each other—carried by craftsmanship, rhetorical precision, and artistic depth.
Since 2022, Ensemble Gloriosus has presented original, thematically focused programs that are both distinctive and historically grounded. Each project places the relationship between text, sound, and meaning at its core. Whether exploring forgotten gems by Flemish Baroque composers, double-choir masterpieces from the 16th century, or monumental works by Telemann, Händel, or Zelenka, the ensemble’s concerts are always intellectually rich, rhetorically charged, and musically compelling.
In 2025, their first recording was released by the renowned German label CPO, featuring works by Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer. The recording received critical acclaim: “Mit dieser Aufnahme positioniert sich das Ensemble Gloriosus klar als ein wichtiger Akteur unter den europäischen Alte-Musik-Ensembles.” (“With this recording, Ensemble Gloriosus clearly positions itself as a major player among Europe’s early music ensembles.”)
This recognition further fuels the ensemble’s ambition to grow, with new productions and a second CD already in preparation - this time dedicated to the visionary music of Jan Dismas Zelenka, subject to financial feasibility.
This season, the ensemble presents Zelenka’s expressive Magnificat, the rhythmically brilliant Dixit Dominus, and the rarely performed five-part Te Deum—monumental works that testify to Zelenka’s virtuosity and to Ensemble Gloriosus’ artistic power to bring such music to life with rhetorical precision and deep expression.
Through partnerships with CPO and Classica Stingray, the ensemble reaches an international audience. Highlights from past concerts can be rewatched on Ensemble Gloriosus’ YouTube channel. Supporters can also help further the ensemble’s mission through donations via the King Baudouin Foundation. Contributions are tax-deductible and help preserve and share valuable musical heritage for future generations.
Ensemble Gloriosus warmly invites you to listen, discover, and be moved.
ABOUT PATRICK DEBRABANDERE, INSPIRER OF GLORIOSUS
Patrick Debrabandere has breathed music since his childhood. He took piano and organ lessons at the Music Academy of Community Education in Ghent and gained his first choral experience at the Schola Cantorum of St Bavo's Cathedral.
He later went on to study at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven, where in 1999, he obtained the Master of Music diploma, music pedagogy qualification and in 2001, the choral conducting qualification with Erik van Nevel.
His predilection for choral music led to the foundation of the Ensemble Soratea in 1993. With this, Patrick focused on lesser-known music, to which he gave a new and fresh interpretation and which was translated into a number of CD recordings. This is an approach that would become the common thread throughout his career.
Patrick is a tenor and studied singing with Jan Caals. Until 2009 he was a vocal soloist with the ensemble Currende and the Currende Consort. From the outset, his preference was for baroque music, and with his rhetorical narrative power, he always brought an expressive interpretation of the repertoire, such as the St John and St Matthew Passion by JS Bach.
Because he believes strongly in direct communication between making and receiving sound, he looked for a space to experience chamber music to the fullest extent. With the project Kunststudio Living Art, which saw the light of day in March 2016, he brings musicians and the public closer together. It is the ideal meeting point for small-scale, intimate concerts that are also distributed on social media and via Stingray BRAVA-TV. Patrick Debrabandere's most recent initiative, the founding of his baroque ensemble Gloriosus in 2022, also has its home in the inviting setting of the City of Ghent.
Finally, Patrick regularly cooperates as guest conductor with various ensembles. He is also involved in quality guidance for choirs through the Flemish Federation for Young Choirs (Koor en Stem - Ghent). He is known for his enthusiastic working atmosphere and a stylish, refreshing interpretation with attention to a balanced balance among the performers. He teaches at the Academy for Music, Word and Dance of the Community Education in Ghent, where his passion for choral singing resulted in the founding of the concert choir Vox Mago.
REVIEWS
"Meticulous in preparation and flawless in execution, Ensemble Gloriosus delivers deeply moving performances — from moments of breathtaking intimacy to vibrant, electrifying energy. A true asset to any festival or concert stage, this ensemble fully embodies the spirit of its name."
Frank De Wolf, Artistic Director – La Joyeuse Entrée Festival, Montréal
"Magnificent vocal work with orchestration that elevates the virtuosity of each performer toward the Great Art so intrinsic to the baroque — and so demanding..! Thank you all for this unique moment!"
Concertgoer, August 14, 2022, Montréal
"Patrick Debrabandere visibly immerses himself in the music. From a place of deep feeling and expression, he 'sculpts' the orchestra and choir into shape.
His inspiration resonates through the entire ensemble, and even though he always faces away from the audience, his facial expression and presence are tangibly felt throughout the performance."
Netherlands, Johan L. Rodenhuis, conductor and vocal coach
'Your new ensemble sounds very good and the sacred music of Fischer is interesting indeed.'
Germany, Burkhard Schmilgun, CPO, Director A & R (www.cpo.de)
Baroque Marathon with Gloriosus
"The music came to life intertextually, allowing the voices to shine all the more effectively […] The audience was thoroughly indulged […] Truly worthwhile — we drew great satisfaction from this musically triumphant baroque experience, so close to home."
Following the concert on 7 October 2023, Kerk & Leven, Bart Alexander
Spare Means – Great Impact
Why does the music world still largely overlook the work of Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer? There are very few recordings of his music available. […] The 17 pieces are beautiful examples of the significance music can have […] and the powerful effect it can achieve. The ensemble Gloriosus, founded in 2022 under the direction of Patrick Debrabandere, can already be counted among the outstanding early music ensembles. Everything here is — in the truest sense — uniquely composed, performed, and recorded. Very impressive.”
July 2025, following the CD release, JPC
The Quiet Power of Fischer: a Subtle Gem in Baroque Music
With dedication, sensitivity, and musical empathy, Ensemble Gloriosus brings Fischer’s vocal oeuvre to life — not as a casual baroque reinterpretation, but as a spiritually grounded and stylistically refined journey through a rarely illuminated sound world.
August 2025 — Summarised from Cultuurpakt.be — Read the full article here
Become a personal supporter of the projects of Ensemble Gloriosus
and receive a tax deductible certificate starting from 40 euros
thanks to the fund of the King Baudouin Foundation.
You not only help us realize original projects, you also let others have fun or get acquainted with unknown gems and enjoy your personal tax benefit!
If you want to support from abroad, please contact us before making a transfer
to receive the correct certificates.
We are more than grateful for your support!
The King Baudouin Foundation provides tax certificates to generous donors.
