Lionel Meunier

Lionel Meunier’s wide-ranging discography—which includes pieces by composers as diverse as Buxtehude, Bach, Scheidt and Domenico Scarlatti—is prized for a fastidiousness combined with spontaneity, and an empathy and integrity that speak directly to the heart. There was nothing initially inevitable about the path that led the French-born, Belgium-based music director to found Vox Luminis. Born in 1981, Meunier first graduated as a recorder player before pursuing vocal studies at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague—going on to hone his early music credentials in performances with the likes of Philippe Herreweghe, Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman and Rinaldo Alessandrini. Since the ensemble’s formation in 2004, he’s juggled a career as both its artistic director and a bass soloist. Vox Luminis’ award-winning disc of Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien proved a landmark moment, leading to collaborations with ensembles such as B’Rock Orchestra, L’Achéron and Freiburger Barockorchester, and residencies including the Aldeburgh Festival and the Utrecht Early Music Festival.