EarlyMusicNews.Org

"Hannelore Devaere studied historical harp at the Akademie für alte Musik, Bremen, with Andrew Lawrence-King. Her main focus is on music of Spain and Italy from the Renaissance and Baroque periods . As a soloist she can be heard in many recordings and is often featured on national radio. As a continuo player, she records regularly with many national and international ensembles, including Zefiro Torna, Romanesque, Elyma and Al Ayre Espanol. Hannelore is also a musicologist specialized in 16th- and 17th-century iconography and organology; as such, she has worked for the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels. She is a very active lecturer at symposia and music festivals, and is a published scholar.

Hannelore teaches the harp, continuo, improvisation and primary-source reading at the music schools of Tielt, Knokke and Woluwé (Brussels). She is often invited to give masterclasses in Belgium (Festival Van Vlaanderen) and abroad.

Hannelore was the first harpist on record to perform on the ice cap in the Antarctica and has a landing spot under her own name. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 15, 2008 | Hits: 1070

"Ronn graduated with honors from Shenandoah Conservatory and continued studies at Peabody Conservatory before turning his full attention and energy to the lute in 1978. The following year, Ronn performed his first solo recitals on the lute and became a member of the Baltimore Consort. Since that time, he has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe with the Baltimore Consort and as a soloist. Ronn was a faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory from 1984 to 1995, teaching lute and lute-related subjects. In 1996, he was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music from Shenandoah Conservatory for his achievements in bringing the lute and its music to the world. Ronn has numerous recordings on the Dorian label including solo recordings, lute song recordings with Julianne Baird, soprano and Frederick Urrey, tenor, over ten CDs with the Baltimore Consort and ballad recordings with Custer LaRue and members of the Baltimore Consort. Recently, Ronn has been engaged in composing new music for the lute, building on the tradition of the lutenist/composers of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This new music is the focus of his new solo CD, Indigo Road. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 11, 2009 | Hits: 842

"Ibrahim (Ibi) Aziz was born in Malaysia and began music lessons when he was eight. In 1999 he went to Trinity College of Music London to study the viola da gamba under Alison Crum. During his studies he was also privately taught by Sarah Cunningham, and attended various master classes in the UK and Europe given by Jordi Savall and Wieland Kuijken. He is the recipient of many awards and prizes: while at Trinity he became the first winner of their Early Music Prize, and was the first person in the college’s history to win its prestigious Gold Medal on a period instrument over all other mainstream instrumentalists. Mr Aziz now divides his time performing and teaching. He plays with a number of period groups and ensembles in the UK and abroad, most notably Sestina Consort, Charivari Agreable and The Maresienne Consort, with whom he has recorded for Signum Classics. He is a member of the internationally acclaimed Rose Consort Consort of Viols. As a young player he recently helped found ‘Chelys’, a young professional viol consort based in the UK. Mr Aziz is the viol tutor at Morley College, London, and regularly teaches at The Dartington International Summer School, The Benslow Early Music Courses, The Ascot (and Irish) Early Music Courses, among others. Recent engagements include appearances in concerts at the City of London Festival, The York Early Music Festival, Italy, Ireland and on BBC Radio 3's In Tune with Sean Rafferty. Forthcoming events include performances in Switzerland, at the Brighton Festival, Greenwich International Early Music Festival, The Snape Maltings concert hall in Aldeburgh, and a broadcast on the Early Music Show on BBC Radio 3 with The Rose Consort of Viols. Mr. Aziz plays a seven-string bass viola da gamba by Jane Julier after Nicholas Bertrand, and a treble viola da gamba by Kazuya Sato. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 795

"The Belgian Lute Academy is an association formed to promote contacts between people interested in lute activities taking place in Belgium. "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 794

“Having initially studied classical guitar at Napier University, Gordon Ferries went on to study at the RSAMD where he specialised in lute and early guitar music. He has now established himself as one of the UK's leading exponents of the baroque guitar. Gordon has worked for both television and radio: arranging and performing music for Radio 4; featuring on 'Scotland's Music' with Concerto Caledonia, and for BBC 2 television. He has performed in venues and festivals across the UK both as a soloist and in ensemble and has appeared with The Scottish Ensemble, The Scottish Early Music Consort and the Edinburgh Quartet, amongst others. Gordon directs his own group, Symphonie des Plaisir.

Gordon has been awarded two grants from the Scottish Arts Council towards study at the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, reasearching the baroque guitar; the fruits of which appear on his recordings. He lectures in lute and guitar at Napier University in Edinburgh, and is involved in teaching young people in many musical styles.“

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Added on: Jul 24, 2009 | Hits: 712

"Born in Melbourne, Australia, Rosemary Hodgson has lived and worked abroad, performing in Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany and Venezuela.

Since her return to Australia in 2000, Rosemary has been in constant demand. Her recent engagements include Richard Mill's opera Batavia with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, Monteverdi Vespers in the Melbourne Early Music Festival, Monteverdi Madrigals with e21, Backgammon Baroque Tasmanian tour, Bach St John's Passion with the Australian Baroque Ensemble, Vivaldi Vespers with The Choir of Newman College and guest soloist in the Palestrina Project's Victoria Requiem.

As a freelance musician, Rosemary balances accompanying, solo and continuo performances and teaching. She has appeared frequently on ABC television and radio, Channel Seven and 3MBS and is featured on La Compania's CD Music of the Spanish Renaissance (Move). Her debut solo recording, rosa, was released in March 2004. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 687

"Named after the 19th century baryton virtuoso Vincenzo Hauschka, the Hauschka Ensemble has been amazing audiences for the last ten years. It specialises in the remarkable repertoire of works for self-accompanied baryton, from 17th century works in modified lute tablature through to contemporary works written especially for them. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 16, 2008 | Hits: 667

“Robert Eisenstein is the director of the Five College Early Music Program,and conducts the Early Music Collegium and Euridice Ensemble, a 17th and18th century chamber ensemble. He teaches music history and directs the Madrigal Singers at the University of Massachusetts, and performs regularly on the viola da gamba with colleagues and in his capacity as founding member and programming director of the Folger Consort in Washington, DC. Mr.Eisenstein has performed with the New York Renaissance Band, Cappella Nova, the New York Consort of Viols, the Washington Bach Consort, and the National Symphony.“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 03, 2010 | Hits: 629

German Viola da Gamba Society ... site is in German. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2007 | Hits: 623

"Laura Vaughan is gaining a reputation as Australia’s most exciting viola da gamba and lirone player of the rising generation and has had a distinguished list of teachers including Wieland Kuijken, Philippe Pierlot, Miriam Morris and Anneke Pols. Following her return to Australia from studies at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague in 2004, she has established a busy schedule of teaching and performing from her base in Melbourne and performs a wide range of solo and chamber repertoire across Australia, Europe and the United States. Passionate about the sound world of the viol, Laura is committed to bringing this exquisite repertoire to audiences around the world." Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Nov 08, 2008 | Hits: 622

“"Grey Aengus" is Jim Petersen

Rewind back to 1990, early fall. It's nighttime at a buckskinner's camp. Jim and a
small group are gathered around the warmth of the campfire singing songs and
carrying on. A stranger pulls a most unusual-looking instrument from its case,
attaches a single leg to the back, and, balancing it on his knees, proceeds to
produce the most hauntingly beautiful tunes by hammering its strings with what
appear to be little wooden spoons. This was Jim's introduction to the hammered
dulcimer, an instrument that would soon become an obsession.

Upon researching the instrument and finding out how much one would cost, Jim
decided that building one would be the better option. Proceeding with plans by
Sam Rizzetta acquired at the local library, armed only with ninth-grade
woodworking skills and very few tools, he built his first instrument. (Hey, nobody
told him he couldn't do it.)

Three years later after teaching himself to play (hey, nobody told him he couldn't
do it), he was hired at the "Bristol Renaissance Faire" in southeastern Wisconsin.
It was there that he taught himself to play mandolin and later hurdy-gurdy. (By
now you would think somebody would have told him he couldn't do it.)

"Grey Aengus" now plays at many little weekend "Renaissance Faires" throughout
the Midwest, occasionally doing studio work for other musicians and playing for
special events and gatherings. His repertoire is heavily laced with the
compositions of Turlough O'Carolan, the renowned 17th century blind Irish
harper, his absolute favorite composer, followed closely by Robert Burns the
well-known Scottish poet. (go ahead ask him).

Jim also plays the hurdy-gurdy and has recently renewed his high school romance
with the guitar, working on developing a small repertoire of traditional
Irish/Scottish/Celtic songs. Jim's thought on the idea is "Hey, you don't really
need a good voice to sing 'Trad'. Besides, nobody told me I couldn't do it."“

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Added on: Sep 20, 2009 | Hits: 610

"Giovanna Pessi was born in Basel, Switzerland, and began playing the harp at age 7. At the age of 13, she began to play on an instrument by Erard, built in 1800. The experience with this historical harp, its light touch, and unique sound, motivated her to focus her studies towards early music and historical instruments. From 1993 to 1995, Ms. Pessi studied the 18th century pedal harp with Edward Witsenburg in Den Haag. Beginning in 1994, she also studied with Heidrun Rosenzweig at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. In 1998, she won the Basler Hans Huber Stiftung prize and, in 2000, she received the diploma for historical harp of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. From 2000-2002, Giovanna Pessi studied with the Norwegian Lutist, Rolf Lislevand, at the “Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen”, Germany. Studying Lute literature from John Dowland to Johann Sebastian Bach allowed her to cultivate and develop her own musical language. She has participated in master classes given by Mara Galassi and Andrew Lawrence King. As a soloist and accompanist Giovanna Pessi performed with groups and conductors such as Ricercar Consort, Christian Wallumrod Ensemble, Ensemble Kapsberger, Concentus Musicus, Les Flamboyants, La Fenice, Konrad Junghänel, Philippe Pierlot, Rolf Lislevand, Harry Bicket, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Marc Minkowski. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 593

"Hideki just moved to Portland, Oregon to pursue more performance opportunities. He would like to thank all his fans in Central Oregon for their support and friendship. He will still visit Bend on a regular basis to teach lessons and for engagements, and is still taking students and bookings there.

Hideki Yamaya is a guitarist and lutenist who has been active as a performer and teacher in the West Coast for over 12 years. He currently resides in Portland, Oregon, and is actively teaching and performing in the Portland area and in Central Oregon. He has a B.A. in Music and an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.F.A. from University of California, Irvine, in Guitar and Lute Performance. His primary instructors have included Paul Beier, Mesut Ozgen, John Schneiderman, Anita Sheer, Robert Strizich, and James Tyler; he has had master classes with Robert Barto, Ronn McFarlane, Richard Savino, Stephen Stubbs, and Benjamin Verdery. He is an internationally acclaimed musician and has performed in Canada, Japan, Great Britain, and Italy.

Added on: Mar 04, 2009 | Hits: 570

"Luciano Contini was born in Sassari, Sardinia, in 1958.

After completing his guitar studies with A.Marrosu and O.Ghiglia with awards in various competitions, he began, in the 1980's to dedicate himself to performance practice of renaissance and baroque music, and began playing the lute, exclusively.

From 1982, after graduating cum laude in musicology from the University of Bologna, he continued his studies at the famous Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, Basel, Switzerland, with H.Smith, E.Dombois and J.Christensen.

He began an intense concertistic career which carried him to Europe, the two Americas and Japan, performing for such prestigious institutions as the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde and the Konzerthaus in Vienna, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, the Staatsoper in Berlin and the Teatro alla Scala in Milano with musicians like A. Curtis, B.Dickey, C.Banchini, J.Christensen, R.Clemencic, J.Savall, R.Muti. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 10, 2008 | Hits: 567

“Theresia Bothe & Peter Croton (voice, lute & guitar) have been performing together regularly since 2003. They have performed and recorded a wide variety of music ranging from the Baroque and Classical periods, to folk music, boleros, jazz standards and original songs. Their first recording, "Love Songs From Five Centuries - from Baroque to Folk" was released in 2006 by Centaur Records, their second CD "I'll sing a song for you", exclusively with songs by Peter,  was  released by Zah Zah (Guild), and their most recent CD, with special guest Derek Lee Ragin, "Remembrance of Things Past", lute songs and solos by John Dowland & Peter Croton, has been released by Guild.“

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Added on: Jun 29, 2010 | Hits: 558

“Their musical complicity has been compared to the skill of two trapeze artists or the telepathic communion of a pair of jazz saxophonists! Susie Napper and Margaret Little, the two gambists of Les Voix humaines, have been thrilling audiences worldwide with dashing performances of early and contemporary music for viols since 1985. They are renowned for their spectacular arrangements of a wide variety of music for two viols and have become a world reference for the music of Sainte-Colombe. After being awarded a Diapason d'Or for their fourth volume of Sainte-Colombe's Concerts a deux violes esgales, they just received the Opus Award 2007 for PERFORMER OF THE YEAR from the Conseil québécois de la musique.

Les Voix humaines has invited prestigious artists to join them in concert and recordings, such as Wieland and Barthold Kuijken, Charles Daniels, Suzie LeBlanc, Rinat Shaham, Matthew White, Eric Milnes, Skip Sempe and Stephen Stubbs. The duo is regularly joined by some of Montreal’s finest young gambists to form the Voix Humaines Consort of viols specializing in the vast 17th-century repertoire for viol consort and presents joint projects with Les Voix baroques (Matthew White’s vocal ensemble). ..“

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Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 549

"The Sociedad de la Vihuela is a cultural association created at the national level on September 25, 2004 in order to disseminate and promote knowledge and study of historic stringed instruments such as: vihuela, lute, theorbo, guitar renaissance, baroque, romantic and classical, etc..

These objectives are carried out by organizing concerts, workshops, meetings and conferences as well as through the publication of specialized publications. ... "

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Added on: Jul 30, 2008 | Hits: 546

"Formed under the expert guidance of Patrice Connelly, the Society was incorporated on 23 June 2000. Since that time it has a proud record of achievement in serving the needs of players in Australia and New Zealand by holding workshops and producing both a regular newsletter and a journal 'Chelys Australis'. The most recent issue was volume 6 and details are on this web site."

Added on: Aug 05, 2007 | Hits: 530

“After studies at Cornell University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Thomas Georgi moved to Australia to take up a position with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. While a resident of Brisbane he developed an interest in early music, founding the Badinerie Players. Since his return to North America to join the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, he has specialized in the Viola D'Amore, performing solos on that instrument with Tafelmusik across North America, in Japan, in Europe and in Australia. He has recorded for Sony Vivarte, BMG and CBC as a violinist, but now with the completion of the series of Ariosti's music for viola d'amore for the remarkable Bis.se record lable, Thomas Georgi will have made the largest and most widely available recording project of the viola d'amore in the history of recorded sound. ..“

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Added on: Jul 14, 2009 | Hits: 519

“Timothy Burris graduated from Holland's Royal Conservatory, where he studied under the renowned lutenist, Toyohiko Satoh. From 1990-96, he taught lute at the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp.

A Fulbright alumnus, Mr Burris has performed throughout Europe and the US, including appearances with Derek Lee Ragin and Jennifer Lane, and performances under the baton of René Clemencic and Peter Schreier. He can be heard playing Bach's c minor Prelude in "Shock Act", the prize-winning short film by Seth Grossman. In addition to solo performances, Mr Burris appears with the tenor Timothy Johnson (as the duo Music’s Quill).“

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Added on: May 18, 2009 | Hits: 518

"Mike Parker is a harpist and musicologist who initially studied instrument building at the London College of Furniture, building and restoring 'early' and folk harps. His repertoire covers many styles of music from 'early' and folk styles through baroque and classical and into the world of 'light music' and pop.

He is the only Englishman to have been awarded Olamh Sui (Doctorate) by the Institute of Traditional Celtic Music, which was awarded for his work relating to the historical usage of the harp in the Celtic nations. He researches all aspects of the historical harp and modern folk music, resulting in a collection of 23 harps (with 2 more under construction) to enable him to use the most appropriate instrument and technique for each type of music.

Mike Parker completed an MMus in Performance & Related Studies in 2003 on the single action harp, at Goldsmiths College, University of London.

A specialist on the development technique and repertoire of the single action harp (1770-1825) and he has written a book, 'Child of pure harmony' on this subject. The solo recording 'A twist of the rope' [JNL CD1] is available in larger UK music stores and features Celtic music from the last 900 years played on 5 harps. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 517

"Peter Martin started playing the guitar while living as a child in Spain. He studied music at Churchill College, Cambridge during which time he became a founder member of the English Guitar Quartet. In recent years, Peter has concentrated increasingly on the lute, theorbo and baroque guitar. He is active as a solo recitalist, accompanist and continuo player. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 515

" He began his research in the field of renaissance and baroque musical idioms around 1979 together with violinist Enrico Gatti and harpsicordist Rinaldo Alessandrini. Studied then with Jordi Savall at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland. In 1982 he became a member of J.Savall's ensemble Hesperion XX and played with him until 1990 throughout the world, and making dozens of recordings (among them Bach's Kunst der Fuge, J.Dowlands Consort music, Neapolitan Renaissance Music , etc. etc.). In 1990, after the huge success of his first recording as a soloist (C.P.E.Bach's Sonatas for Viola da Gamba), he was nominated as Professor of viola da gamba at his alma mater, the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel. Since this appointment, he concentrates his teachimg activities in Basel, whilst his performing carrier takes him all over the world, playing with artists such as Emma Kirkby, Rolf Lislevand, Rinaldo Alessandrini, Mitzi Meyerson, Jose' Miguel Moreno and many others. Since 1992 he directs Labyrinto, a group of four or five viola da gambas, which is dedicated to the huge "consort music" repertoire. ... "

Added on: Aug 05, 2007 | Hits: 510

"John Hollowayis o­ne of the pioneers of the modern “Early Music” movement in Britain. He played his first public concert in aid of Hungarian refugees in 1956. He was 8 years old. After a conventional training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and various international competitions, he worked as a freelance in London: throughout the 1970s he combined concert-mastering and managing the orchestra of Kent Opera, appearances with all the prominent chamber-orchestras in London, contemporary music and string quartet concerts, and, after encountering Sigiswald Kuijken in 1972, performances o­n Baroque violin" ...

Added on: Jul 13, 2005 | Hits: 507

"Alfred Fernández was born in 1970 in Barcelona, where he studied classical guitar with Jordi Codina, Fernando Rodríguez and Manuel González.

Later on he became interested in studying in depth the Early Music repertoire for plucked string instruments (lute, vihuela, baroque guitar, theorbo, etc.). Formed mainly in a self-taught way, he has received advise of prestigious lutenists such as Lluís Gàsser, William Waters, Paul O’dette and Rolf Lislevand. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 14, 2008 | Hits: 506