The Ensemble Madrigal is one of the oldest and most respected early music orchestras in Russia. Established in 1965 by the composer and harpsichord player André Volkonsky, Madrigal was specializing in Western European music of the pre-Bach era. Eventually, the ensemble started performing a broader range of composers up to IX–XII centuries, as well as Byzantine, South Slavic, and Russian music. After Volkonsky emigrated in 1972, the ensemble was directed by Lydia Davydova (1972-1983; 1992-2008) and Oleg Yanchenko (1983-1992). Madrigal gave over 2500 concerts in USSR, Russia and all over the world, and recorded 21 albums. Best presses from the Thousand Years of Music series, released by Melodiya from 1966 to the late 1980s, are highly valued by record collectors in Russia.

In 2008, the ensemble was reorganized with a new line-up. Most original members continued performing under the Madrigal name as well, conducted by Lydia Davydova until she passed away in 2011. New Madrigal is directed by lute player Alexander Suetin. The group presented over 20 original programs and recorded their first CD LLibre Vermell de Montserrat in 2013.

New Madrigal (since 2008)

Александр Суетин Alexander Suetin – director
Anatoly Grindenko – viola da gamba, rebec
Dmitry Bulkin – baroque trombone
Tatiana Lubavskaya – flutes
Katerina Anokhina – cymbals
Kadyr Saidharun – percussion
Anna Toncheva – vihuela, gothic harp, arpa doppia, dulcimer, psalterium, crumhorn

Vocalists:
Anastasia Melnik – soprano
Elizaveta Svetozarova – soprano
Yulia Makaryantz – mezzo-soprano
Aleksey Sulimov – tenor
Oleg Bankovsky – bass