Ensemble Ursa Major is dedicated to the exploration, performance, and study of music composed before 1600. Founded in 2022 by Leah Weitzner, Ellis Reyes Montes, and Namgon Lee, while pursuing graduate studies in musicology and historical performance at McGill University, the ensemble brings together scholarly precision and artistic imagination in its approach to medieval music.
With a wide array of interests and skills, Ensemble Ursa Major shares their passion for medieval music with audiences through fresh, cultivated, and inspired performances. To deliver the beauty of music before 1600, the ensemble focuses on implying creative interpretation by experimenting with various historical techniques while discovering music by lesser-known composers or codices.
Respected professionals, including Esteban La Rotta, Rebecca Bain, and Ensemble Diabolus in Musica and La fonte musica guided their formation. Ensemble Ursa Major will be a featured ensemble in Early Music America's 2026 Emerging Artists Showcase, has been a featured ensemble in Les Reverdies de Montreal’s Journées Médiévales 2023, and was recipient of the 2024 Early Music America’s Encouragement Award.
