Skip Sempé, virtouso harpsichordist and founder of Capriccio Stravagante, is at the forefront of today’s musical personalities in Renaissance and Baroque repertoire. He has created a depth of interpretive wisdom representing an accomplishment unique in diversity and richness, through an authoratitive knowledge of performance tradition both historical and in the twentieth century.

As a solo performer, Sempé has focused on developing a superb sense of idiomatic harpsichord touch and a finely tuned ear for achieving variation in the instrument’s sonority. He is known particularly for his interpretations of the French harpsichordists, for his adventurous and ground-breaking Bach and Scarlatti, and for the earlier keyboard repertoire of Byrd and his contemporaries. Skip Sempé combines the rare synthesis of uncompromising musical moderator and admired virtuoso performer.

His elegant mastery of basso continuo accompaniment has created a new and dynamic departure in the field of virtuoso vocal and instrumental teamwork. The magical effect of supple and sonorous accompaniment created by Skip Sempé and the basso continuo group of Capriccio Stravagante led to the formation of the Capriccio Stravagante Renaissance Orchestra and Capriccio Stravagante Opera.