Musica Transalpina is a professional vocal & period instrument ensemble dedicated to the research & performance of baroque sacred music.
Our commitment to the highest standards of
Musical Research
We exhaustively source obscure compositions from hard-to-access archives across the globe and are often the first to bring these forgotten masterpieces to the United States. We utilize a rigorous academic approach in transcribing the original manuscripts to make proprietary musical editions for modern performances.
The library at Kremsmünster Abbey, whence a large amount of our repertoire is sourced.
The archiepiscopal archive at Kremsier Palace, which preserves a wealth of otherwise lost music from the Habsburg court chapel.
Our uncompromising dedication to
Artistic Excellence
Our elite musicians incorporate the most recent scholarship in their fields to offer world-class performances of historic musical literature seldom heard in America. We specialize in large-scale choral works from the Counterreformation period: truly some of the most opulent music ever written, but tragically under-performed.
Upcoming Performances
Past Performances
Palestrina crosses the Alps
Italia und Germaina by Friedrich Overbech, symbolizing the 19th-century German fascination with all things Italian and –– by extension –– Catholic.ConcertSunday September 14, 2025 at 2 P. M. Santa Monica Bay Woman's Club1210 Fourth StreetSanta Monica, CA 90401The Year...
Our Lady’s Dowry: Marian Music from Tudor England
A rich artistic culture flourished in Mediæval England, which was marked by an intense piety that belied the political instability of the age. English music was renowned on the Continent for its refinement & characteristic 'sweetness'. Lady Margaret Beaufort –...
Musical Patronage at Imperial Abbeys
The music archive at Kremsmünster Abbey, one of the most valuable collections of baroque sacred music in the world.Musica Transalpina is thrilled to present a program of sacred music from monastic sources on Saturday July 12 in Pasadena and Sunday July 13 in Newport...
Palestrina Forever: Celebrating 500 Years of Timeless Music
Join us on Sunday June 15, 2025 as we explore the timelessness of Palestrina’s music and how it inspired countless generations of composers ever since!
Eternal Majesty: Requiem for an Empress
Musica Transalpina is proud to present the first known American performance of Emperor Leopold's Missa pro defunctis, which he composed for the death of the Empress Margaret Theresa in 1673. The marriage between the Infanta Margaret Theresa and Holy Roman Emperor...
A Mass for Peace
In a rapidly modernizing world marked by conflict, Jacobus de Kerle masterfully weaves the ethereal votive antiphon Da pacem, Domine into a magnificent cantus firmus mass as a cry for peace. Possibly written as a commemoration of the epic sea victory at Lepanto in...