The Ainur are currently one of the most important musical entities in the global Tolkien-inspired music scene. Their albums focus on musical adaptations of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Their discography includes five albums to date: From Ancient Times (2006), a symbolic journey through The Silmarillion; Children of Húrin (2007), inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's novel of the same name; Lay of Leithian (2009), entirely dedicated to the Master's beloved tale of Beren and Lúthien; The Lost Tales (2013), an acoustic album that revisits the adventures of Eriol in The Lost Tales; and War of the Jewels (2021), inspired by the 11th volume of The History of Middle-Earth and the creation of the Silmarils and the wars that followed. The band also has two DVDs: one included in the special edition of Children of Húrin and another completely live titled Progressive Rock Night, directed by Federico Alotto, a well-known filmmaker from Turin. Their early works were produced by Beppe Crovella and Electromantic Music within the Italian prog catalog; the latest album and subsequent musical journey are managed by Rockshots Records.

In addition to their albums, the Ainur also compose and produce occasional singles inspired by the works of the Oxford Professor. In late 2014, they released their first single There and Back Again, the only work by the band that pays tribute to the timeless classic The Hobbit; in 2018, they released Fall of Gondolin, a preview of one of the most significant tales in the entire Tolkien cosmology; in 2020, inspired by the global pandemic, they released Shadow from the East, based on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings; and in 2023, they released Forging of the Rings, a track created to honor the formation of the Rings of Power, which also inspired the Amazon series.

The Ainur always use an orchestral style of composition, blending classical instruments with modern electric ones, approaching various genres and sounds to recreate J.R.R. Tolkien's complex mythological and cosmological universe. In addition to their core lineup of 12 members, they have been joined by several guest musicians over time, including the I Musici di San Grato orchestra conducted by Edoardo Narbona, Alessandro Cammilli from the Teatro Regio of Turin, Alan Brunetta, Ferdinando Catalano, and in their latest album, Ted Nasmith, Roberto Tiranti, and Derek Sherinian.

They prefer to define their work as a Concept Work, a series of concept albums that together form a single grand conceptual piece dedicated to The Silmarillion. The band participates annually in major fantasy events in Italy and Europe, maintaining a stable presence in both the Italian progressive scene and the wider fantasy genre.

The members of the Ainur are:

• Luca Catalano: Composition, Guitars, Vocals
• Marco Catalano: Composition, Drums, Percussion, Vocals
• Alex Armuschio: Composition, Keyboards, Vocals
• Massimiliano Clara: Vocals
• Roberta Malerba: Vocals
• Elena Richetta: Vocals
• Giuseppe Ferrante: Bass
• Luca Marangoni: Violin
• Carlo Perillo: Viola
• Daniela Lo Russo: Cello
• Chiara Marangoni: French Horn, Vocals
• Cristiano Blasi: Flutes

The lyrics of the Ainur are written by:

• Wilma Collo
• Elena Richetta
• Marco Catalano
• Roberta Malerba