Obligato is a dynamic period instrument ensemble featuring an international roster of world-class musicians, celebrated for their captivating and finely detailed interpretations of Baroque music, with a particular focus on the works of Bach and Handel. Formed by alumni of the Royal Academy of Music, each member of Obligato has an impressive career performing with leading period ensembles, including the English Baroque Soloists, Academy of Ancient Music, The English Concert, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique.

Each musician is also an accomplished soloist, performing on prestigious stages worldwide, such as Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall, and the Royal Albert Hall, which adds to the ensemble’s unique energy and distinctiveness. Their debut album, Sweet Stillness, released to critical acclaim, explores Handel’s Nine German Arias with soprano Mary Bevan. Led by violinist Davina Clarke, the album spotlights the intricate interplay of vocal and instrumental lines, bringing out the expressive potential of obligato style in Handel’s arias.

In their latest project, The Art of Obligato, Davina Clarke and Obligato delve into the relationship between violin and voice in selected Bach cantata arias. This album features Clarke alongside tenor Nick Pritchard and countertenor Hugh Cutting. Clarke has curated a collection of arias that highlight Bach’s expressive depth and the powerful musical dialogues between obligato violin and voice.