Oboist and conductor Paul Dombrecht is an authority in the field of period instruments and the interpretation of music from the 18th and early 19th century. In 1989 he founded the orchestra Il Fondamento in order to implement his views on historically informed performance practice.

The ensemble focused on the late baroque, classical and early romantic period styles. Besides, Paul Dombrecht is also the inspired artistic director of the ensemble Octophoros, playing a wind instruments repertoire from the same period. As an opera conductor, with Il Fondamento or with other (sometimes modern) orchestras, he presents operas of G.F. Händel, W.A. Mozart, T. Traetta and C.W. von Gluck. His most successful recordings include CD’s with works of J.F. Fasch – earning him a Diapason d’Or and several other awards - , Christmas cantatas of G.P. Telemann, and the complete orchestral and vocal-instrumental oeuvre of J.C. de Arriaga.