EarlyMusicNews.Org

“London Early Opera  is a new baroque ensemble whose members are leading exponents of early music and consist of a flexible number of singers, soloists and instrumentalists. The aim is to showcase treasures of the baroque era using a fine balance of instrumentalists and singers, which can be tailored to suit a particular space or venue. LEO links dramatic music and singing with narration and art history to create magical performances.  
 
The group is directed by harpsichordist, conductor and early music specialist Bridget Cunningham and has performed to acclaim at Southwark Cathedral and in a programme for Advent at St Martin-in-the-Fields. Their recent 'Handel in Italy' concert at St James' Church, Piccadilly was met with great success. …”

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Sep 07, 2011 | Hits: 478

"The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment is a world renowned orchestra which plays on original instruments to bring out the very best of classical music as it was intended to be heard.

Its players lead the Orchestra themselves with a commitment, enjoyment and energy which translates directly into the quality, vitality and dynamism of each performance.

The Orchestra has chosen to have no permanent music director; this flexibility allows it to work with some of the world's greatest conductors and soloists across a wide range of music.

The Orchestra's uniquely versatile and pioneering spirit of music making encourages a warmth and involvement which makes every performance an edge-of-the-seat experience for performers and audiences alike. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 17, 2008 | Hits: 422

"The Bach Players is a collective of like-minded musicians who are drawn together by their passion for the music of J.S. Bach: our enduring inspiration and the apotheosis of the Baroque. We play on original instruments and all vocal music is sung in its original language. We play without a conductor, and with forces that are as small as possible (mostly single strings and single voices). A genuine spirit of enquiry and reassessment pervades all aspects of our performance. Founded in 1996, we established a series of programmes of Bach cantatas in St John’s Wood Parish Church in London. There we began to introduce some of these lesser-known works to a wider audience. As a result of this we have been invited to play all over Britain and have built up a faithful following. In 1999 we were invited to perform the St John Passion for the opening of the Berliner Bachtage. We have recently started to make programmes in which Bach is linked to other composers. " View website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 09, 2008 | Hits: 494

"The English Concert is among the finest chamber orchestras in the world, with a reputation for outstanding interpretations of Baroque and Classical music in the concert hall and on CD.

Each season we present a prestigious series of concerts in London, at Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall, appearing also at major London festivals, including the BBC Proms, the Spitafields Festival and the Lufthansa Festival of Baroque Music. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 392

"The Welsh Baroque Orchestra (director, Andrew Wilson-Dickson) was formed in 1992 as a development of the amateur period group 'The Eighteenth-Century Singers and Players', which met for weekend courses in baroque playing, often under the guidance of Catherine Mackintosh. Since the early 90s, the Welsh Baroque Orchestra has given professional concerts from St David's in West Wales to Llandaf Cathedral to Bristol, making its first recording in 2000. In June 2003 it was relaunched to critical acclaim and, thanks to a grant from the Welsh Assembly Government, pursues a more intensive musical life across Wales and beyond. See our current concert plans.

The Welsh Baroque Orchestra is flexible, its size varying to fit the variety of earlier repertoire which is its speciality. From a few strings and continuo (harpsichord or organ and/or theorbo), the group can grow to 30 players, with wind and brass as needed. Its musical aim is vivid and exciting music-making through historical awareness, using period instruments alongside the stylistic techniques that go with them. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 430

“The American Bach Soloists touch musical audiences through live performances, recordings, and educational programs that emphasize the engaging repertoire and historically accurate performance practices of the Baroque, Classical, and Early Romantic periods with a special focus on the works of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Named "the best American specialists in early music" by The Washington Post, the American Bach Soloists ("ABS") were founded in 1989 with the mission of introducing contemporary audiences to the cantatas of Johann Sebastian Bach through historically informed performances. Under the leadership of Co-founder and Music Director Jeffrey Thomas, the ensemble has achieved its vision of assembling the world's finest vocalists and period-instrument performers to bring this brilliant music to life.

Critical acclaim has been extensive. The San Francisco Chronicle recently extolled the ensemble's "Divinely inspired singing," and has called ABS' performances "a model of what the early music movement can offer at its best: a thoughtful, passionate rendition of great music, attuned to both the stylistic characteristics of the past and to the artistic requirements of our own time." The Wall Street Journal named ABS "a flawless ensemble…a level of musical finesse one rarely encounters," and San Francisco Classical Voice declared: "There is nothing routine or settled about their work. Jeffrey Thomas is still pushing the musical Baroque envelope." 

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 03, 2010 | Hits: 273

"The ACO membership is comprised of people interested in rediscovering the music of the Classical period in its original glory: performed with stylistic integrity on original instruments, in intimate settings, and accompanied by explanations which help participants visualize a time and place when the music was first performed. The settings are carefully chosen for their acoustic qualities and their appropriateness for the music. Venues have included intimate halls, museums and private residences where supporters gather to enjoy the music, experience the surroundings, and get to know one another over light refreshments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 310

"AROW was founded in 2000 and comprises dedicated, enthusiastic musicians who live throughout Northern California. AROW musicians play the entire recorder family, from sopranino to contrabass. Monthly rehearsals are held on Saturdays in the fall, winter & early spring months. The American Recorder Orchestra of the West has a reputation for embarking on explorations and programs of music that one would not expect recorders to dare to play. In recent years AROW has performed German, French, English, Medieval, and Eastern European programs which have included both the formal and the folk sides of national musical traditions. AROW has played music that ranges through the history of Western Music. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 02, 2008 | Hits: 363

"Taking its name from the classical god of music and the sun, Apollo's Fire is dedicated to the performance of 17th and 18th century music on the period instruments for which it was written. The ensemble unites a select pool of renowned early music specialists from throughout North America and Europe."

Added on: Apr 10, 2007 | Hits: 542

"In the fall of 1997, a group of Atlanta musicians met to organize the first permanent period instrument orchestra in the Southeast--the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. The ABO gave its premiere concert in January 1998, and since then the ABO has grown to be one of the best orchestras of its type in North America ... " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 03, 2008 | Hits: 698

"The Bach Sinfonia is a Maryland-based non-profit organization that is dedicated to excellence in performance and public education regarding eighteenth-century music. Currently in its thirteenth season, Sinfonia presents a series of unique educational concerts, open dress rehearsals, and listening lectures regarding music from the eighteenth century. Sinfonia strives to create programs that differ from the standard classical music concert by providing performances that are not just listening entertainments but also learning experiences.

Each historically-informed performance is programmed on a theme chosen by artistic director and musicologist Daniel Abraham to inform the listener about the genres, sociology, and performance practices of the eighteenth century. Played by early music specialists, the programs are interspersed with musical and historical discussions aimed to help further audience appreciation and understanding of the music. The Washington Post and various area news organizations have recognized Sinfonia's continuing excellence in performance and education.

As part of our mission, Sinfonia also conducts research into music and performance techniques of the eighteenth-century. Throughout our past seasons, we have presented a number of significant modern-premieres and programs including: the first hearing in North America of Handel's Gloria (rediscovered in 2002), the modern premiere of Marie Emannuel Bayon-Louis' comic opera Fleur d'Épine, and the first complete performance in North America of Johann Sebastian Bach's Alles mit Gott und nichts mit ohn' ihn, BWV 1127 (rediscovered June 2005) in concert at the 2005 National Meeting of the American Musicological Society (AMS). The major work heard on the AMS program, Handel's Alexander's Feast, along with a recording of BWV 1127, was released internationally on Dorian Records in the fall of 2006. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 455

" ... The musicians of Baroque Band are looking forward to launching this new orchestra and offering an exciting new addition to Chicago’s rich cultural landscape. ..."

Added on: Apr 15, 2007 | Hits: 515

"Baroque Etcetera is an instrumental and vocal group that strives for historically-informed performance practice. We play at baroque pitch (A=415) on historical wind instruments, including flute, recorder, oboe and bassoon, and our string players use gut strings, baroque bows and baroque bowing techniques. But we've been known to slip in some Mozart and Shannon under the umbrella of "etcetera"! " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 02, 2008 | Hits: 771

“The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey (BONJ), founded by Conductor/Music Director Robert W. Butts in 1996, originally specialized in the music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries: the Baroque and Classical eras. The Orchestra now performs a wide variety of symphonic, chamber and operatic classical music from all periods.

Initially performing at the historic Darress Theatre in Boonton, the Orchestra became the ensemble in residence at Grace Episcopal Church in Madison in 2002.  In 2008, the BONJ moved to a beautiful new auditorium for its larger concerts- Dolan Hall in the Annunciation Center at the College of St. Elizabeth's, in Convent Station.

As part of its mission, the Orchestra inaugurated in March, 2003 its free annual Family Concert, produced to encourage young people and families to enjoy the orchestra concert experience.  To encourage the development and recognition of classical music students, the BONJ sponsors the Pearl and Julius Young Rising Starts Music Competition.  Winners of the competition, and other young musicians, are given the opportunity to play with the Baroque Orchestra.

In August of 2006, BONJ offered its first Summer Festival of Baroque Music at Grace Church in Madison. The Festival, which has become an annual event, offers a great variety of musical and related performances in the space of a week.“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 04, 2011 | Hits: 315

"Three-time Grammy Nominee Boston Baroque—the first permanent Baroque orchestra established in North America—is now widely regarded as this country's leading period-instrument orchestra and chorus. The ensemble's performances and recordings of the Baroque and Classical repertoire have been acclaimed from Boston to London, from New York to Vienna to Sao Paulo for their freshness, virtuosity, and exuberant appeal.

Founded in 1973 by Martin Pearlman, Boston Baroque presents an annual subscription concert series in Greater Boston and reaches an international audience with its critically acclaimed recording series on Telarc. Boston Baroque made its European debut in April 2003, performing Handel's Messiah to sold-out houses and standing ovations in Krakow and Warsaw, Poland. The ensemble celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2003–2004 with a tour of the Monteverdi Vespers to major American music centers, including the Tanglewood and Ravinia Festivals and its West Coast debut in Los Angeles's Disney Hall. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 391

"The Boston Camerata preserves and reawakens human memory as expressed through the art of music. It accomplishes this mission through live, historically informed, professional performances of European and American music of the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras; through study and research into musical sources of the past; through sound recordings and media projects; and through community outreach and musical education.

Founded in 1954, The Boston Camerata was associated until 1974 with the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Since 1968, Joel Cohen has directed the ensemble's teaching, research, recording and concert activities. Camerata began touring overseas in 1974, and has maintained an international presence ever since. In recent seasons, Camerata has been heard in Canada, England, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Singapore, and Israel.. In the United States, Camerata has participated in recent early music festivals at Berkeley and San Antonio, as well as in most of the biennial Boston Early Music Festivals from 1981 to 1993. The ensemble has maintained an extensive touring schedule across the entire United States. Camerata's second, third and fourth invitations to the renowned Tanglewood Festival came in 1992, 1994 and 1995, respectively. Camerata undertook its first Japanese tour in 1995; it gave its first Scandinavian performances in 1996. The group's first invitation to participate in the Kalamazoo Medieval Institute came in 1997. A widely praised national tour of Cantigas in 2000 marked Camerata’s first collaboration with the Sharq Arabic Music Ensemble; the two groups most recently appeared together in Paris in April, 2007. Camerata celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2005 with festive productions in Boston (Boston Early Music Festival) and Paris (Théatre de la Ville). At the latter appearance, director Joel Cohen was decorated by the French government. " See website for more details. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 18, 2008 | Hits: 415

"The Clarion Music Society is a period-instrument orchestra committed to performing lost or neglected works from the 18th and 19th centuries in addition to well-known masterworks from these periods that are rarely heard on authentic instruments.

What Sets Clarion Apart from Other Orchestras?

The Clarion Music Society is unique among American orchestras in three fundamental areas:

Rediscovery and Performance of Lost Masterworks – Clarion performs 18th and 19th-century works that have been lost or that are rarely heard by American audiences, works rediscovered through the most intensive and discerning musicological research.

Breadth of Repertoire – Unlike most other American period-instrument orchestras, Clarion includes in its repertoire music from not only the Baroque, but also the Classical and Romantic periods. Clarion performs these works on period instruments and following the performance practice of the time.

International Artists – Clarion frequently features international soloists of the highest caliber, particularly young artists who have not yet had the chance to perform in New York. " Visit website for more details. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 623

“Crescendo's mission: 

To bring an innovative approach to rarely heard choral and instrumental music, sacred and secular, performed by amateurs and processionals with the Crescendo Period Instrument Orchestra; and to provide workshops and master classes in the musical arts - both in northwestern Connecticut and nearby New York and Massachusetts.“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 02, 2012 | Hits: 164

"To advance our community’s appreciation for music from the Middle Ages through the 18th century by providing performances, support, and education."

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 26, 2008 | Hits: 495

"EARLY MUSIC NEW YORK - FREDERICK RENZ, DIRECTOR (EMNY) reaps international acclaim for vibrant and provocative performances of historically informed repertoire from the Middle Ages through the Classical eras. In New York City, EMNY can be heard/seen in an annual subscription series "In-Residence" at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, St. James Church (presented by the Early Music Foundation). In addition, EMNY is frequently invited to perform for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Hayden Planetarium, Columbia University, the Bronx Botanical Gardens, the Century Club, as well as other select New York City venues. ... "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 432

“Declared “unquestionably in the top-tier of Renaissance vocal ensembles in the Northeast” by Boston Musical Intelligencer and hailed for its “stunningly unified ensemble sound” by The Carlisle Mosquito, Exsultemus [ek-sul-TAY-mus] was founded in 2003 to explore remarkable but seldom-performed Renaissance and Baroque vocal works, taking advantage of the multitude of fine soloists in the Boston area and making use of the most recent research into historically-informed performance. Exsultemus has performed more than three dozen original programs, from liturgical reconstructions of Renaissance Vespers services to Telemann’s St. John Passion of 1737. Taking its name from the Latin for “let us rejoice,” Exsultemus is modeled after small estate and chapel choirs with musicians performing one on a part and without conductor, working rather as a chamber ensemble than a traditional choir and offering audiences vibrant and engaging performances.

Since its founding by soprano and Andover native Shannon Canavin, Exsultemus has presented an annual concert series at the First Lutheran Church of Boston, where it is Ensemble-in-Residence, and in various locations throughout Greater Boston, as well as appearances in Germany and Belgium. Exsultemus dedicates an annual concert to music of the Iberian Peninsula and the New World that include free community outreach concerts. Their 2011 collaboration with Newton Baroque to present Georg Philipp Telemann’s 1726 liturgical cantata cycle Harmonischer Gottesdienst was hailed by the Boston Globe as “especially welcome” and heralded by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as “an intimate and joyful musical experience.” Exsultemus has appeared with Connecticut Early Music Festival, Society for Historically Informed Performance, Clark Art Institute, WHRB, WGBH, and WCRB, and was featured on audio tours at the Wadsworth Atheneum (Worcester, MA) and the Folger Shakespeare Library (Washington, DC).”

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 29, 2012 | Hits: 136

"After an enthusiastically received inaugural season, The Grand Tour Orchestra continues its exploration of the Musical Enlightenment (ca. 1750-1800). The variety of music in this period is astonishing and abounds with both well-known and neglected masterpieces. Using the instruments and performance practices befitting the era, the ensemble brings the full range of late-18th century musical art into a more clear and exciting focus.

The musicians of the Grand Tour Orchestra come from both the period-instrument and modern instrument scenes and fill the ranks of such renowned ensembles as The Orchestra of St. Luke's, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, The New York Collegium, the Four Nations Ensemble and the Mark Morris Dance Group Ensemble. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 394

Visit website for more information (ed.)

Tags: IndyBaroque Music, Inc.; Ensemble Voltaire; 

Added on: Mar 29, 2012 | Hits: 120

“Now completing its 11th season, Mercury has inspired and exhilarated listeners in Houston and beyond. Mercury reaches over 20,000 audience members every year with its signature sound, passion for music, as well as its charm and dynamism. Mercury presents more than
50 concerts every season, including a world class series of performances at the Wortham Center, community concerts around the greater Houston area, and tours both domestically and internationally. Last season, Mercury made its European debut with five critically acclaimed performances of Lully's opera Armide in Paris. In addition to the orchestra's prolific performances, Mercury is devoted to educating Houston's future musicians. Most recently, Mercury established a groundbreaking partnership with YES Prep Public Schools, where Mercury musicians teach private lessons, chamber music and orchestra classes to the students of the West Campus. Mercury's educational outreach programs have touched the lives of more than 10,000 children in the past 5 years alone.”

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 29, 2012 | Hits: 101

“Sixty of the Chicago area’s finest professional musicians make up the chorus and orchestra of Music of the Baroque. Many have played and sung for years with the ensemble. Most members of the orchestra also perform with other leading groups, including the Chicago Symphony and Lyric Opera. Chorus members have active operatic, teaching and recital careers and several perform regularly as soloists with Music of the Baroque. The opportunity to perform early repertoire at a very high artistic level with fellow fine musicians keeps ensemble members coming back concert after concert.“

 Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 19, 2012 | Hits: 161