EarlyMusicNews.Org

“My name is Lucia Domenegati. I can play harpsichord (and piano), french baroque lute and solo theorbo. I believe that early music instruments must be studied and played with their proper techniques. For instance, Piano and modern guitar with their techniques have nothing to do with early music, specially with early baroque solo music. This website is intended to be a small contribution to this point of view.“

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Added on: Jul 11, 2009 | Hits: 365

"I am mainly interested in the so called "art music". I still keep my ears open to other genres, too. I play different types of European lutes; late renaissance and early baroque are closest to my heart. The most interesting period for me is around year 1600 - the time when late renaissance turned into early baroque. The extreme time limits for the types of lutes I play are 1500-1750. Well, sometimes I break these limits, though... ;-)

I especially enjoy playing continuo (improvising harmonic texture on a written bass line, an example ) for a singer or a melody instrument player. That's why I wrote 1994 a small manual for those, who want to start this tremendous art: Basics of the basics of lute continuo. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 19, 2008 | Hits: 278

"Essi Iso-Oja (Ellonen) holds a Master's degree in the harp performance from Sibelius Academy and the additional studies of history at The University of Tampere. She has over twenty-years experience as an orchestral and chamber music harpist with the major Finnish orchestras (for example Lahti Symphony Orchestra) and with the various ensembles ranging from Early Music to the Contemporary field. She has also given lectures about the harp music in Finland as well as composed and arranged music for the harp.

During the recent years Essi has focused in Early Music and the historical pedal harp (the single action harp) by playing and researching the instrument and its original repertoire. She owns currently five harps, among them is a Louis XVI harp by Beat Wolf, built after historical models (Naderman, Cousineau).

You can hear Essi's harp also in the numerous film soundtracks, like the awarded documents Mechanical Love (dir. Phie Ambo 2007), Flying: Confessions of a Free Woman (dir. Jennifer Fox 2006) and Along the Road Little Child (dir. Virpi Suutari & Susanna Helke 2005).

Essi Iso-Oja is a member of the Historical Harp Society, the Finnish Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies and a founding member of the Finnish Harp Society. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 343

“Thierry MEUNIER and Jean-Marie POIRIER both studied plucked instruments (lute, baroque guitar, vihuela) and early music under Javier HINOJOSA. At the same time, they followed courses with other world famous specialists, Hopkinson SMITH and Paul O'DETTE. Moreover, their research in major libraries allow them to add a good deal of unpublished material to their repertoire. ..“

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Added on: Nov 23, 2009 | Hits: 412

"Benjamin Narvey was born in Montréal in 1978 and began his musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto). Upon completion of his conservatory training in classical guitar in Canada, he took a Bachelor of Music degree from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, where he studied the lute and continuo with David Miller. Benjamin has also benefited musically from studies with Paul O'Dette, Nigel North, Robert Barto, Pat O'Brien, Stephen Stubbs, Jacob Heringman, Elizabeth Kenny, and William Carter on the lute, as he has further refined various aspects of period practice with Emma Kirkby, Anthony Rooley, Rachel Podger, Nancy Hadden, Stephen Preston, Nicholas Parle, Pamela Thorby, and Rachel Brown. After having taken a Master of Studies degree from the University of Oxford in 2004, where he researched elements of enlightenment tonal theory with special reference to the writings of Jean-Philippe Rameau, Benjamin has continued at Oxford pursuing the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Music. In 2005, Benjamin was awarded the Lute Society of America Scholarship, and became the Invited Lecturer and Guest Performer at the Lute Society of AmericaWestern Seminar 2005, which was held in conjunction with the Vancouver Early Music Festival (Canada). Benjamin currently resides in Paris where he pursues his research, whilst continuing as an active professional lutenist performing both as a soloist and with numerous singers and ensembles. Recent performance highlights include appearances at the Brighton Early Music Festival, the City of London Festival, the Mars en Baroque Festival (Marseille & Aix-en-Provence) and in concerts accompanying singers Matthew Vine, Robert MacDonald, and Ian Honeyman."

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Added on: Apr 19, 2008 | Hits: 380

"1st prize in cello playing under André Navarra at the Paris Conservatory. Completes his studies in early music in Vienna with Nikolaus Harnoncourt and viola da gamba with Jordi Savall at the Schola Cantorum in Basel.

Together with Erich Höbarth, Andrea Bischof and Anita Mitterer, he founded the Quatuor Mosaïques in 1984. The quartet is specialised in music from Vienna classic repertoire.

Besides activities as a chamber musician, Christophe Coin is regularly invited as a soloist and conductor in France and abroad.

Since 1991, he has directed the Ensemble Baroque de Limoges in a repertoire of 17th and 18th century music.

Musician and research worker, he has organised international Symposa to examine playing techniques and fabrication of early instruments since 1992 in Limoges.

His recordings have been well-received by the critics; two Gramophone Awards successively for Haydn's Opus 20 and Opus 33 quartets played by the Quatuor Mosaïques, and a Classical Music Victoire Award for his recording of the “cello piccolo” cantatas by Bach with the Ensemble Baroque de Limoges.

Christophe Coin teaches at the Paris Conservatory and at the Schola Cantorum in Basel. "

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Added on: Aug 04, 2008 | Hits: 354

"Born in Holland in 1961 and after his cello studies Coen Engelhard is living in France, where he learns to play the viola da gamba and how to make them.

In Foix (Pyrenees) he discovered an unknown manuscript of viola da gamba music which he has revived. The CD ‘Le Manuscrit de Foix’ is part of this adventure.

Since 1996 Coen has been teaching viola da gamba at the Conservatory of Toulouse. He is an appreciated gamba soloist in Bach's Passions and is leader of Consortoulouse. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 04, 2008 | Hits: 382

Cyril Gilbert, Lutenist. Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 302

Baroque string ensemble.

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Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 284

“Eric Bellocq studied the guitar with Alexandre Lagoya at the Paris Conservatory, where he also graduated with a First Prize. He played the theorbo in the Baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants, directed by William Christie from 1983 to 1990. He also regularly took part in opera productions and concert performances with La Chapelle Royale, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Les Talens Lyriques, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roy, Le Concert Spirituel, Akâdemia, Le concert d'Astrée and La Fenice. ..”

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Added on: May 18, 2009 | Hits: 398

“François Joubert-Caillet studied viola da gamba with Paolo Pandolfo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis (Basle, Switzerland).
 
He plays with La Cappella Mediterranea, Ensemble Clematis (Leonardo Garcia Alarcon), La Chapelle Rhénane (Benoît Haller), Mare Nostrum (Andrea de Carlo), and Paolo Pandolfo with whom he records for Glossa, Ambronay, K617, ZigZag Territoires and Ricercar.
 
He won the 1st Prize and the Public Prize at Bruges International Early Music Ensemble Competition and is invited to give concerts, recitals, and masterclasses in Europe, Asia and South America.“

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Added on: Sep 30, 2011 | Hits: 222

"Gerard REBOURS is the only French holder of the Diplôme Supérieur in baroque guitar from the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, and was the first musician to obtain the Diplôme d'Etat in renaissance and baroque guitar.

In addition to a solo and duet recording he has made a CD with the group "Les Sonneurs", another with the "Compagnie Maitre Guillaume", has recorded music on historical instruments for the Paris "Cité de la Musique" and has performed on the sound track of several films such as Pirates (Polanski), Cyrano de Bergerac (Rappeneau), Mansart (Delaborde). ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 19, 2008 | Hits: 344

“Born in 1963 at Lignières in Central France, Gilles Chabenat began playing the hurdy-gurdy at 13 with Les Thiaulins, an association devoted to folk arts and traditions. Following private lessons with Georges Simon, he won several music awards and subsequently devoted himself to his region’s traditional repertoire with a desire to branch out into other musical styles.

In the wake of Valentin Clastrier, he thus felt the need to reinvent the instrument and the playing techniques associated with it. Around that time and after several years of research, luthier Denis Siorat developed a contemporary-style electro-acoustic instrument which facilitated the integration of the hurdy-gurdy into the modern musical experience.

In 1992, Gilles Chabenat thus began a twelve-year partnership with the Corsican group I Muvrini. During that period, he met and worked with a number of artists : Véronique Sanson, Florent Pagny, Stephan Eicher, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Sting, as well as Frédéric Paris, Edouard Papazian, Alain Bonnin, and Gabriel Yacoub.
More recently, he has been collaborating with jazz musicians such as Vincent Mascart, Jacques Mahieux, Alain Bruel, Alain Gibert, and Jean-Marc Padovani in a number of creative works, including a theatrical reading of Enzo Corman.  In addition, his hurdy-gurdy can be heard in a Jannick Top composition written for Pierre Jolivet’s film « Le Frère du Guerrier ».  He also works regularly with Eric Montbel, Didier François, a Nyckelharpa player, Gabriel Yacoub and Patrick Bouffard. ..“

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Added on: Sep 20, 2009 | Hits: 288

“Born in South Tyrol, Johannes Pramsohler completed his modern violin studies at the Conservatory ‘Claudio Monteverdi' in Bozen before going to London to study with Jack Glickman at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. During this time he started taking lessons on the Baroque violin from Rachel Podger, with whom he then continued his studies.

In 2005 Johannes moved to Paris where to study at the Conservatoire National de Région with Patrick Bismuth, and has since gone on to establish himself as a successful soloist and chamber musician, performing throughout Europe and playing with many of the leading period instrument orchestras. He was a member of the European Union Baroque Orchestra and is regularly invited to play with Concerto Köln, Les Arts Florissants, The English Concert and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. International concert tours have taken him to all major European concert halls, to North and South America and to the Near East.

Alongside his work as artistic director and leader of the International Baroque Players and with his own chamber music group Ensemble Diderot Johannes is enjoying an increasingly busy career as a recitalist and orchestra leader; he has given solo concerts at major festivals in France, Spain, Germany and Italy. Johannes regularly leads Le Concert d'Astrée (Emmanuelle Haïm) and the Britten-Pears Baroque Orchestra and recorded extensively for Sony, Channel Classics and Virgin.

Future engagements include solo recitals at festivals in Europe and his London South Bank debut with violin concertos by Leclair. In January 2011 he will be on stage at the Paris Opéra Garnier in a new production of Handel's Giulio Cesare directed by Laurent Pelly and conducted by Emmanuelle Haim. March 2011 will see him directing the Polish baroque orchestra Arte dei Suonatori in a programme of Heinichen, Bach and Telemann concertos.

Since October 2007 Johannes has played on the famous ‘P. G. Rogeri' from 1713, previously owned by Reinhard Goebel.”

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Added on: Nov 08, 2012 | Hits: 169

“Founded in 1886, the EAP is one of the few large plucked ensembles  in Europe. There are 50 amateur musicians divided into four panels (1st mandolins, 2nd mandolins, guitars and mandoles) plus mandocellos, the bass and flute.

The band plays mostly original compositions (Vivaldi, Calace, Wolke, Kuwahara, Mandonico ...) but the repertoire also includes transcriptions of major classical works (opera overtures, concertos ...). In June 2009, the orchestra played transcriptions of Bach and Handel in the “Passe ton Bach d’abord !” …” 

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Added on: Jan 11, 2012 | Hits: 282

"... Fascinated by the Baroque period, Louis began the lute- he was not yet fifteen. He started out by poring over musical research documents describing the antique music, gleaning whatever practical information he could. On the eve of his confirmation, he received what would become a lifelong passion: his first baroque lute. Working with another young enthusiast, Kleber Besson, his technique grew. Three times a day all through high school, the lute was as regular as meals. Louis played lute, theorbo and a 1927 folk guitar he had adopted on his first visit to New York to play blues. ...

In 1984 EMI records chose him to be their lute master of their Treasury of Bach; this box set included pieces with every instrument Bach has written for. By then, Louis was playing in the Saint Chapel in Paris. He then recorded the Dufaut disc in a small chapel in Switzerland. Louis also started playing harpsichord, organ and french hunting horn on the side. In 1989, a subsidiary of Universal Music requested a worldwide first: the recording of the "Divine Rhethoric", by Gaultier. The same year, national television produced a 30 minute documentary about Louis, the "Musician Minister": Louis was indeed a minister, but also an engineer and a PhD. in philosophy. ...

For the past ten years, Louis has been working incessantly on his latest masterpiece, the "Book of Perrine", recorded in Switzerland, which will finally be released in a few months. This recording is the apotheosis of his work, and is impatiently awaited by his fans. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 28, 2008 | Hits: 368

“Miguel Yisrael - formerly Miguel Serdoura, now carrying the surname of his mother -  was born in 1973, in Lisbon, where he began his musical and artistic career. Miguel Yisrael is at the forefront of the new generation of European lutenists. He completed his musical education with the renowned master Hopkinson Smith, who as referred to him in 2005 as a "passionate and intelligent musician who deserves to be heard in the world".”

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Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 383

"Nils Wieboldt, studied at the Musikhochschule Trossingen and at the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag, where he received his masters for specialising on baroque cello and historical performance practice with Jaap ter Linden.

In 1991 Nils won the first prize and the 'Rovere d'Oro Special Prize' at the Rovere d'Oro competition in Italy. In the nationwide competition "Jugend Musizert" in Germany he won the first prize in 1993. At the early music competition Musica Antiqua Brugge 2000 he won a 2nd price.

For the past years Nils has performed widely as a baroque cellist with various chamber music groups and and orchestras in most of Europe, Japan, the United States, the Middle-East and Russia. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 23, 2008 | Hits: 415

"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: 526

"The members of the Quatuor Mosaïques, Erich Höbarth, Andrea Bischof, Anita Mitterer and Christophe Coin, met in Vienna when they were playing with Concentus Musicus Wien, and it was the great names of the classical Viennese repertoire that brought them together as a quartet.

Right from the beginning of the Quartet’s career in 1985, the Mosaïques performances were marked by both a new clarity stemming from their use of period instruments, and a poetic attention to detail that was typical of the central European tradition of chamber music.

The Mosaïques have forged ahead ever since, concentrating on the core of the classical repertoire with Haydn, Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 04, 2008 | Hits: 358

"Welcome to the website of the French Lute Society (S.F.L.), a community of lutenists, music lovers, luthiers, professors, amateurs, professionals ... In a word, people crazy enough to be interested in an instrument which is 4 or 5 centuries old, but whose rich repertoire and entrancing sound continue to charm hundreds, even thousands of people throughout France, Europe and the world! "

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Added on: Mar 11, 2008 | Hits: 469

"Cette Association a pour buts :

• de promouvoir l'étude de la Viole de Gambe ;
• de promouvoir l'étude des techniques anciennes et modernes de facture des instruments de la famille de la Viole de Gambe ;
• de promouvoir l'étude de la musique pour les Violes et de ses sources, en particulier par la publication d'index et de catalogues, de maintenir le contact avec la recherche musicologique dans ces domaines ;
• de publier de la musique pour les Violes au nom de l'Association et encourager les publications faites sous d'autres auspices ;
• d'encourager la composition de musiques nouvelles pour les Violes par concours ou autres manières ;
• de produire du matériel d'enseignement pour les interprètes et les luthiers ;
• d'organiser des rencontres périodiques, conférences, concerts, démonstrations ainsi que des stages d'interprétation ou d'ensembles, etc ;
• d'éditer périodiquement un ou plusieurs journaux pour établir un lien entre les Sociétaires et disséminer les informations concernant les buts et fonctions de l'Association ;
• d'établir des liens à l'échelle internationale entre musiciens professionnels, amateurs, musicologues, luthiers et toutes les personnes intéressées par les buts de l'Association." ...
  

Added on: Aug 05, 2007 | Hits: 370

“

Susan King followed her passion for the music of this unique and lovely instrument from her home in Australia to the other side of the world. Today she lives in Paris, where she’s realising her dream of performing the original manuscripts written for the French Baroque lute at the court of Louis XIV in Versailles.

Whether  through intimate home concerts or private lessons, Susan aspires to introduce people to the quietly uplifting sound of her beautiful lute.“

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Added on: Mar 19, 2010 | Hits: 395

The International Association of Harpists and Friends of the Harp. Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 476

“ .. Véronique’s repertoire extends from the 13th to the 18th century.

 As Professor of harp and early music at the Ivry-sur-Seine and Palaiseau Conservatories and the Center of Medieval Music in Paris, Véronique teaches a variety of classes: modern and early harps, Chamber Music and Early Improvisation.

She is also particularly interested in the repertoire, history and organologie of harps and has presented papers on these subjects at conferences.  Most recently she presented her findings on Bray Pins at the Conference on Interdisciplinary Musicology in Paris in October 2009.

Véronique is also very interested in Contrapunto alla werke Polyphonic Improvisation and organizes courses and workshops on this. ..“

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Added on: Mar 19, 2010 | Hits: 405