Elysium Ensemble

Greg Dikmans founded the Elysium Ensemble in 1985 to bring together musicians with an affinity for the music of the Baroque and Classical periods.

Critics praise the ensemble for its elegant performances, fine musicianship and insightful interpretation of music from the 17th and 18th centuries.

‘Elysium’ is a place or state of perfect happiness. The musicians aim to achieve such a state through the mastery of period instruments and a deep understanding of the various historical musical styles and performance practices. Their performances display the freshness and spontaneity they bring to their collaboration through discussion, rehearsal, experimentation and research.

The ensemble has a flexible format, featuring leading period instrument specialists from Australasia, and performs a wide range of chamber music and orchestral works.

From 1989 to 2002, the ensemble held an annual concert series in Melbourne, earning a reputation as one of Australia’s finest chamber ensembles.

The ensemble has performed widely in Australia, including concerts for organisations like Musica Viva and the Victorian Arts Centre, educational institutions such as Melbourne, Monash, La Trobe, and Deakin Universities, and major music festivals.

Besides their CDs, the Elysium Ensemble has made numerous live broadcasts and concert recordings for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and public FM radio stations.

Elysium’s standing as one of Australia’s top chamber ensembles and its significant role in Australia’s Early Music Revival has been acknowledged in The Oxford Companion to Australian Music (Melbourne: OUP, 1997).