Five of Europe's leading string players have come together to form Spunicunifait, a group dedicated to the study and performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's six string quintets. In their quest to delve deep into this repertoire, which is usually performed by a string quartet plus an additional viola, the five musicians combine historically informed performance on period instruments with the utmost dedication to Mozart. Overcome at times by his genius, they have named themselves after a word invented by Mozart (the meaning of which remains a mystery) as a reminder that this towering giant of classical music was also a very playful man. Spunicunifait combines extensive chamber music and orchestral experience. The string players have worked with ensembles such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Spira mirabilis and Aurora Orchestra. And although all five enjoy a rich and varied musical life, the members of Spunicunifait have decided to prioritise Mozart's repertoire for a while in order to reinstate the string quintets among the greatest masterpieces of chamber music as an endless source of inspiration for both dialogue and performance.

Lorenza Borrani

As conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and founding member of Spira mirabilis, the Florentine musician Lorenza Borrani performs as conductor, soloist and chamber musician in the most important venues and concerts throughout Europe and around the world. She performs with ensembles such as the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the European Union Youth Orchestra, the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonie du Radio France and the Orchestra della Toscana. As a soloist, she has worked with conductors such as Yuri Harohnovich, Gyorgy Gyorivany Rath, Emmanuel Krevine, Claudio Abbado, Trevor Pinnock, Yannik Nezet Seguin and Bernard Haitink and has performed at numerous international chamber music festivals. Lorenza Borrani teaches violin and chamber music at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole and is a visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Maia Cabeza

The Canadian-American violinist Maia Cabeza has carved out a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestra leader. She was recently appointed conductor of the Aurora Orchestra and is a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. She has performed as a soloist with various orchestras, including the Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, the St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Radio Orchestra. She studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia from 2006 to 2012 and then moved to the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin. She was also a member of the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker from 2012 to 2014. She first attracted international attention in 2013 when she won first prize at the Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition.

Simone von Rahden

Born in Karlsruhe, Simone von Rahden studied viola with Wolfram Christ at the Freiburg University of Music and then continued her studies with Tabea Zimmermann at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin, where she now teaches. The winner of numerous international competitions, she performs in many European countries as well as in Japan and the USA, working with artists such as Sir András Schiff, Martin Helmchen, Alexander Lonquich, Ilya Gringolts, Wolfram Christ, Tabea Zimmermann and Antoine Tamestit. As a solo violist, she has played in the orchestra of the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona as well as with the Kammerakademie Potsdam, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Arcangelo Ensemble London and the Dresden Festival Orchestra. She is currently a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and the ensemble Spira mirabilis.

Max Mandel

Born in Canada, violist Max Mandel has carved out a varied and successful career as a chamber musician, soloist and orchestral musician between New York and London. In addition to his involvement with Spunicunifait, he is principal violist of the Orchestra of The Age of Enlightenment and a member of the FLUX Quartet. He has had guest appearances with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Academy of Ancient Music and the Handel & Haydn Society. His most recent recordings include Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with violinist Aisslinn Nosky and the Handel & Haydn Society Orchestra on Coro Records.

Luise Buchberger

Luise Buchberger is principal cellist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, with whom she performs in the world's leading concert halls. She studied modern cello with Clemens Hagen at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg and with Thomas Grossenbacher at the Zurich University of the Arts. She completed her studies with a concert exam in baroque cello with Kristin von Goltz at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in her home town of Frankfurt am Main. Today, Luise Buchberger is in equal demand as a chamber musician, soloist and continuo cellist on both modern and historical instruments. She is a regular guest solo cellist with ensembles such as Arcangelo, the English Baroque Soloists, the Oslo Philharmonic, the Camerata Salzburg, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Academy of Ancient Music. She has been a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe since 2009.