The ensemble Jupiter was formed in 2018 on the intitiative of Thomas Dunford out of his encounters and friendship with fellow musicians: with Lea Desandre, Jean Rondeau, Douglas Balliet, Bruno Philippe, Thibaut Garcia, Peter Whelan and others, young artists with excellent musical training joined forces to devote themselves to a diverse repertoire with energy and passion. The assembled soloists presented their first joint album in 2019, performing excerpts from operas and instrumental concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Success soon followed, the album received several awards and the ensemble continued their work: 2021 saw the release of of »Amazone«, Lea Desandre’s first recital with arias from French and Italian operas from the 17th and 18th centuries, 2022 saw the release of »Eternal Heaven« with Lea Desandre and Iestyn Davies, dedicated to Handel’s English oratorios and in 2025 »Songs of Passion« will be released, with music by John Dowland and Henry Purcell. From prestigious French classical music prizes to the Opus Klassik, Gramophone Editor’s choice, ffff Telerama, Radio 3 Record of the Year and others, an impressive number of awards testify to their extraordinary success with press and audiences alike.

In the 2023/2024 season, the Jupiter Ensemble worked on a new programme entitled »Chasing Rainbows«, directed by Sophie Daneman and produced in collaboration with costume designer Hubert Barrère. It was performed at the Opéra-Comique and the Maison de la Radio in Paris, the Berlin Philharmonie, the Opéra de Rouen, the Cité Bleue in Geneva, the Festival de Rougemont, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, the Salzburg Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and is being revived in 2025 and 2026. In the 2024/2025 season, Jupiter will be touring France and other European countries with a number of programmes, including a new songwriting project that will premiere at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées with tenor Laurence Kilsby. The programme combines works by John Dowland, Henry Purcell, the Beatles and original compositions by Thomas Dunford.

The Ensemble Jupiter is supported by the Fondation Orange, Cartier, the Centre National de la Musique (CNM), ADAMI and SPEDIDAM. Jupiter is a resident ensemble at the Fondation Singer-Polignac and a member of FÉVIS and PROFEDIM.