INSTRUMENTA MUSICA specializes in historical performances, by cultivating the use of original instruments and historically accurate copies. It is primarily dedicated to the performance of German and Italian music from the Late Renaissance and Early Baroque periods. Researching and rediscovering Early music is of particular interest to the ensemble. This includes searching for distinctive pieces of music, some of which are still undiscovered and awaiting resurrection from various archieves. Extending their search also to the instruments, the variety of which remains undeveloped to date and they have a way of creating music which is geared towards conserving original sources. Their approach to this concept isn't meant for "music to be from a museum". On the contrary, Instrumenta Musica attempts to make the beauty and emotional wealth of Early music, from a bygone era, easily accessible in the most authentic way. Instrumenta Musica's performances attest to the timeliness of this period of music, reviving it for today and for times to come. In 2004, Instrumenta Musica was founded by students of the Early Music Department at the Music University of Trossingen. Since the beginning, they've preformed with the initial members and in various constellations, under the direction of Ercole Nisini and have collaborated with well known vocal ensembles.
The ensemble is closely connected with Frauenkirche in Dresden, where they have played on a regular basis since 2006, together with the Chamber Choir of the Church, under the church's cantor Mattias Grünert.
In 2008 the ensemble released its first CD O Vos Amici Mei Carissimi: Motets, Canzononas and Sonatas by Venetian Masters from the time of Monteverdi. They've worked with singers such as Constanze Backes, Gerlinde Saemann, Hermann Oswald and Markus Flaig, for the lable RAMÉE, Outhere Music.
Instrumenta Musica performs their own productions or partners with such ensembles as The Dresdner Kammerchor, Ensemble Officium or Bodecker & Neander from The Berlin Mime Theater. They've appeared in venues and festivals as Dresden's Frauenkirche, Summer Concerts in Brandenburg, Ancient Music Days in Regensburg, Summer Concerts on Skalholt Island, Heinrich Schütz Music Festival, WDR Radio Concerts, Fortepianarum Katowicz in Poland, Michaelstein Music Courses, Evening Baroque Concerts in Varazdin, Croatia and Whitsunday Concerts in Batzdorf. Nine CDs have been produced for the labels RAMEE, Querstand, Christophorus, Carus and SONY.
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Ercole Nisini knows no boundaries in his world of music. His fascination with music from the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical eras, the theater and performing from original, historical sources, continually inspires his passion to create musical concepts for concerts to entice today's audiences. These projects are a natural outgrowth of his ensemble Instrumenta Musica, a 'Renaissance Orchestra' with outstanding, creative musicians, sensitive artists as well as actors and vocal ensembles. His personal skills extend from his tenor and bass sackbuts, arrangements and the director's podium. Since 2007, Ercole Nisini has specialized in performing with historical instruments, which have resulted in concerts, CDs, and radio broadcasts, with historically knowledgeable ensembles such as La Petite Bande, Orchestre des Champs Elysées, Hannoversche Hofkapelle, L'Arpa Festante, L'Orfeo Barockorchester, Cappella Leopoldina Graz, Capriccio Stravagente, Musica Fiata, Capella de la Torre, Musica Antiqua Austria, Marini Consort Innsbruck, Weser Renaissance Bremen, Cappella Sagittariana, United Continuo Ensemble and II Girardino Armonico, all give validity to his activities. Since 2014, Ercole has performed his own music with his ensemble, inspired by dances and ostinatos from the sixteenth century. In his latest project, Orazio Vecchi's Commedia Harmonica, LiAmfiparnasso, he combined late sixteenth century madrigals, with the pantomime artistry of the Bodecker & Neander troupe with Vecchi's actual music. Additional music was chosen to attract audiences to the eternal passions of Comedia dell'arte, while it retains its sixteenth century spirit.
As a soloist leader with Instrumenta Musica, Ercole Nisini can be seen and heard in Dresden's Frauenkirche, Summer Concerts in Brandenburg, Ancient Music Days in Regensburg, Summer Concerts on Skalholt Island, Heinrich Schütz Music Festival, WDR Radio Concerts, Fortepianarum Katowicz in Poland, Michaelstein Music Courses, Evening Baroque Concerts in Varazdin, Croatia and Whitsunday Concerts in Batzdorf. Nine CDs have been produced for the labels RAMEE, Querstand, Christophorus, Carus and SONY. Ercole teaches private students in workshops and masterclasses like Flötenhof Ebenhofen, Klosterstiftung Michaelstein, Zagreb Musik Academy, Deutsche Posaunensymposium and Sackbut & Friends. In 2014 he was invited to organize the Summer Academy Michaelstein, with his concept of a Renaissance Orchestra, based on the instruments described by Michael Praetorius (Syntagma Musicum II 1609).
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"....Instrumenta Musica: Ercole Nisinis Originalklangenensemble traf, vom silbrigen Geigenton bis zu den schwellenden Rufen der Zinken und Posaunen, das Monteverdi'sche traumwandlerisch sicher“ SÄCHSISCHE ZEITUNG MARIENVESPER in der FRAUENKIRCHE
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…mit ihrem heruntergedimmten Sound dem feinen Einklang zwischen Menschen- und Instrumentenstimmen, dem nie auftrumpfenden Blech und der interpretatorischen Sanftmut, die alle der fast 40 Nummern durchzieht. [...] So klangschön und milde abschattiert hat man Regionalpatriotismus lange nicht erlebt…. BERLINER TAGESSPIEGEL ÜBER INSTRUMENTA MUSICAS CD„IN DULCI JUBILO“
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„Instrumenta Musica, mêlant des musiciens de diverses origines, a noué des liens privilégiés avec la Frauenkirche de Dresde et s'est spécialisé dans les maîtres allemands et italiens du baroque naissant. La jeune formation restitue au mieux la vitalité rythmique et les expressions vivement contrastées de ces compositions inventives, osant même de subtils amusements, comme l'esquisse d'une prémonition du „style bratsch“ dans la radieuse Canzon decima quinta de Picchi. Un enregistrement convaincant par un ensemble dont il faudra considérer avec intérêt l’évolution.“ 5 DIAPASON CD„O Vos amici mei Carissimi“