Festina Lente, founded and directed by Michele Gasbarro, works in the field of Italian ancient music, especially Renaissance and Baroque music. Its primary intention is to get back precious unpublished works of the Italian school of the16th and 17th centuries, and present them to the audience. In the last few years the attention was addressed to the plurichoral production written for the celebrations of the catholic Church, founded in the archives of the great Cathedrals. The “perspective” sense of the Renaissance polyphony is increased by multiple organs and glorified by the constant movement of the ensembles during the performances. In a research that aims for historical strictness, the compositions are presented in a liturgical and musical reconstruction, according to the solemnity of the roman rituals of the 17th century, in an inseparable relation between music, action and word, in full compliance with the baroque exhibition.
The many concerts and first executions work alongside with an intense discographic activity. There is first the publication of a Sienese mass for double choir by F. Bianciardi for the Nuova Fonit Cetra, and the recording of a mass for double choir “Ave Regina” by T. L. da Victoria which has received the “Goldberg” from the namesake international periodical of ancient music and has also gained the “Choc” and the “Five Diapason” from the prestigious French magazines Le Monde de la Musique and Diapason, and last the ensemble has recorded the mass for Christmas Evening by A. Scarlatti a 9 voices, two violins and basso continuo for Stradivarius. In the future, the ensemble will publish a cd dedicated to the 27 Responsorial by Felice Anerio and the mass for three choirs by Ruggero Giovannelli, recorded during the festival “Inedita” in December 2012 and financed with a Special Project of the Ministry of Cultural Activities.

Festina Lente is manager, since 2004, of the Roma Festival Barocco.