The courts of Mannheim and Esterházy possessed the best orchestras and instrumental soloists that were available at the end of the 18th century. Paris, however, with its various concert societies and large orchestras had become an important venue for such artists and especially for musicians who belonged to the new style.

Haydn’s symphonies and concertos by virtuosi such as Lebrun also enjoyed considerable success there; what is more, it was in Paris that the works performed here first appeared in print.

Les Agrémens aim at quality in their membership and work, with the participation of top-class instrumentalists from the main European baroque orchestras. By bringing in young Belgian musicians, they also seek to develop the careers of a new generation of artists, by encouraging them to practise early music on period instruments and giving them new opportunities in this field.