The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields and the music by Handel, intrinsically tied to each other with the revival of “ancient music”. Founded in 1959 by Neville Marriner and a group of London musicians, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields has long been one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras. Since then its repertoire has expanded from the baroque to the 20th century, and with a discography of over 500 recordings the ensemble stands preeminent amongst the chamber orchestras of the world. Iona Brown, after studying in Rome, Brussels and Vienna, and with Henryk Szeryngin Paris, pursued a successful career as a solo violinist before becoming artistic director of the ASMF in 1974. Her long-lasting collaboration with Neville Marriner had a decisive influence on the artistic profile of the chamber orchestra. She died of cancer in 2004.