Ensemble Fantasticus is a Dutch ensemble that for more than 10 years has specialised in the so-called stylus fantasticus, a style of music that makes extensive use of free ‘improvisational’ elements. Ensemble Fantasticus consists of Robert Smith (viola da gamba), violinist Rie Kimura and harpsichordist Pieter Jan Belder. 

Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) was an organist in Lübeck. As a composer, Buxtehude's style was closely aligned with the Stylus Fantasticus. Both the young Bach and the young Handel visited Buxtehude in Lübeck and studied his work. At the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries, Buxtehude published his sonatas for violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord. Remarkable is Buxtehude's passion for experimentation. Ensemble Fantasticus recently recorded the complete chamber music oeuvre for the Brilliant Classics label.