Ver Sacrum
A movement of young artists searching for new paths in collective music making
About us
VER SACRUM was founded in 2025, toward the end of the studies of its founders, Albert Steinberger and Stefano Boccacci, at Yale University, when they became aware of the unique international and cultural crossroads they were about to leave behind. The ensemble brings together young musicians with the aim of exploring new approaches to music-making, building international and intercultural bridges, and creating distinctive chamber music experiences through instrumental excellence.
The name refers to the journal VER SACRUM of the Vienna Secession, with which Arnold Schoenberg was closely associated through his “Society for Private Musical Performances.” The journal, in turn, takes its name from the ancient Italic tradition of Ver Sacrum (“Sacred Spring”), in which, during times of scarcity, young people born afterward were sent out to establish new communities.
This image reflects the spirit of the ensemble: artists from different countries come together to explore new musical paths and create shared creative spaces.
The ensemble presents original thematic programs and a diverse repertoire that transcends periods and styles, combining tradition with new perspectives. The 2025/26 season is centered around the theme “Myth and Tradition.”
Meet our founders
Albert Steinberger,
Artistic & Programming Director
Canadian-German violinist Albert
Steinberger grew up between Germany,
Taiwan, the United States, Japan, Norway,
and Canada. His early musical upbringing
in the Trondheim Cathedral Boys’ Choir
and later studies with Peter Rainer and
Julia Fischer shaped his artistic
development.
He holds Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the Munich University of Music and Theater and a Master of Musical Arts from the Yale School of Music, where he studied with Augustin Hadelich.
Albert has performed widely with leading chamber musicians throughout Europe and currently works as an Artist in Residence at Musikk i Nordland (Narvik, Norway).
Stefano Boccacci
Artistic & Programming Director
Colombian-Italian conductor Stefano
Boccacci is active across symphonic,
operatic, ballet, and contemporary
repertoire. He has worked with ensembles
such as the BBC National Orchestra of
Wales, Welsh National Opera Orchestra,
and the Lithuanian State Symphony
Orchestra, and has assisted conductors
including Carlo Rizzi and Mark Wigglesworth.
He served as Assistant Conductor of the Yale Philharmonia (2023–2025) and has been appointed Leverhulme Conducting Fellow (2025–2027) in partnership with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He also teaches conducting and works as a language coach in five languages.
