Collegium Aureum was a chamber orchestra founded in Cologne, Germany, in 1962, which later focused on historically informed performance.
Collegium Aureum was initiated by the label Deutsche Harmonia Mundi as a group of instrumental soloists dedicated to the recording of early music[1] to up to the 18th century in what was then called "gerechtes Klangbild“ (fair sound image), later called Historische Aufführungspraxis (historically informed performance).
The violinist Franzjosef Maier [de] was concert master,[1] other members included the harpsichordists Bob van Asperen and Gustav Leonhardt, flutists Hans-Martin Linde and Barthold Kuijken, oboist Helmut Hucke, violinist Reinhard Goebel, violist Franz Beyer and timpanist Wolfgang Preissler [de].
The group toured in England, France, Japan, Latin America, Northern Africa, the Netherlands, the USSR and the Near East.
[1] Their 1971 recording of Bach's Christmas Oratorio with the Tölzer Knabenchor, conducted by Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, was described as a vigorous exploration of the Nativity, with a "gratifying eloquence throughout".