The ensemble
The ensemble
“Café Zimmermann are on their best form here.“
Mark Seow in Gramophone, 23/01/2026
“A most welcome album of Vivaldi rarities, a veritable fireworks display of superlatives, freshly recorded and performed with sonic delight and remarkable sensuality by all involved, and what’s more, with exemplary technical virtuosity! This is how the recording year 2026 should begin.“
Dr Ingobert Waltenberger in Online Merker, 03/01/2026
“Vivaldi's art is always based on truth rather than artifice. Here, it finds an interpretation of extraordinary richness in the singing of Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian [...] and in the performances of the concerto soloists (such as the stunning flutist Karel Valter). As for Pablo Valetti, it is no exaggeration to say that he embraces Vivaldi's music in both a physical and spiritual sense.“
Pierre Gervasoni in Le Monde, 19/01/2026
“Café Zimmermann's impeccable line is never at fault.“
Roger-Claude Travers in Diapason, January 2026
“Café Zimmermann [...] has established itself as one of Europe's most influential ensembles in the field of historically informed performance. Under the direction of Céline Frisch & Pablo Valetti, the group stands out for the beauty of its timbres and the flexibility of its interpretations, qualities that have been widely praised by critics and which have marked its recordings devoted to Bach.“
Mundo Clásico, 15/12/25
“The Café Zimmermann Baroque ensemble is renowned for the liveliness of its playing, the beauty of its tones, and the generous and sunny character of its interpretations, both in concert and on record.“
Radio France, December 2025
“This remarkably consistent program was performed by a range of talented and committed artists. Karel Valter on the traverso dazzled with the perfect intonation of his instrument and the wonderful beauty of its sound.“
Pierre Benviste in BaroquiadeS, 13/03/2025
“We love Café Zimmermann, a baroque ensemble of the highest quality that has produced some splendid recordings in recent years, notably devoted to Bach, Vivaldi, and Avison.“
Concertonet, 01/03/2025
“With a program entirely devoted to Venetian composer Antonio Vivaldi, the excellent Café Zimmermann ensemble [...] unearthed some previously unreleased works from secret archives [...]. The program showcased not only the voice of countertenor Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, but also the velvety tones of Karel Valter's flute.“
Ruggero Meli in Baroque News, 01/02/2025
“Chamber music stretches toward the heights of virtuosity, while the dialogue becomes superhuman, an artificial paradise unique to the material sublimated by the art of instrument making.“
Florence Lethurgez in Classykeo, 09/12/2024
“The encores were eagerly awaited; we really didn't want the evening to end!“
Pétra Wauters in Wukali, 07/12/2024
“Incisive and virtuosic throughout, Café Zimmermann organizes a discourse of stark contrasts, like a theater arranged around the keyboard(s) in concertos.“
Gérard Belvire in Classica, October 2024
“We've known since the complete recording for Alpha in the early 2000s: the Brandenburg Concertos fit Café Zimmermann like a glove.“
Diapason, July 2024