EarlyMusicNews.Org

“A Baroque ensemble of the new generation, Les Ombres was founded by Sylvain Sartre and Margaux Blanchard in 2006 with the aim of closely linking musicological research and 'historically informed' interpretation. In their quest to rediscover forgotten masterpieces of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, its members seek to unite the emblematic arts of the Baroque theatre, so that musicians, singers, dancers and actors become interpreters of one and the same score. These specificities make the ensemble a space for creativity and expression, a human and musical adventure. Inspired by music as an art in constant evolution, Les Ombres also give priority to the exploration of new horizons, ranging from the traditional patrimony to contemporary creations.

The nucleus of Les Ombres is formed by three musicians trained at the Schola Cantorum of Basel: Margaux Blanchard (viola da gamba), nadja Lesaulnier (harpsichord), and Sylvain Sartre (transverse flute). According to the needs of specific programmes, this trio is supplemented by violins, flutes, bas- soon, theorbo, and so on. Alongside the instrumental repertoire, the ensemble devotes an important place to vocal music and dramaturgy. It has therefore invited for this CD Mélodie Ruvio, a mezzo-soprano who came to the members' attention in the title role of Le Carnaval et la Folie conducted by Hervé niquet at the European Baroque Academy of Ambronay in 2007, and the actor and director Manuel Weber, a specialist in Baroque theatre, whom they met at the creation of a production devoted to the fables of La Fontaine. …“

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Added on: Jul 21, 2011 | Hits: 215

“The chamber ensemble Nordic Affect was formed in 2005 to promote music of the 17th and 18th centuries and the performance of contemporary music. Its members are all specialists in historical performance and have appeared throughout Europe with various well-known ensembles. The musicians share a passion for viewing familiar musical forms from a different perspective as well as venturing into new terrain. Their performances in Iceland and on the Continent have ranged from the dance music of the 17th century to the exciting electronic compositions of today and have been received with great critical acclaim. Nordic Affect has performed for the Icelandic Broadcasting Service and the European Broadcasting Service. Their first CD, which consists of Apocrypha, a composition by Hugi Guðmundsson was nominated for an Icelandic Music Award and received the Kraumur Award.

The artistic director is Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir“

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Added on: Jul 21, 2011 | Hits: 448

“What is Profondo Il?

We are an eight-person basso continuo ensemble. As our name suggests, can we just play bass or bass instruments: cello, double bass, lute, theorbo, harpsichord, organ, etc.”

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Added on: Jul 21, 2011 | Hits: 218

Anas Chen violin
Johannes Keller harpsichord

“L'Istante - irretrievable moment in a live performance. The moment when the musical language of a bygone era speaks to us today. The music of the Baroque period has a lot to say. But if we play as a musician today for a contemporary audience, it is despite all the knowledge of the former Performance Practice can never be an exact reconstruction. For us this is not the most important. The music is as vivid contrast to a recent, perhaps even strange world can speak to us. L'Istante maintains a close cooperation with the basso continuo ensemble Il Profondo.”

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Added on: Jul 21, 2011 | Hits: 192

“Habsburger Camerata is an eclectic period instrument ensemble bound together by a common enthusiasm for 17th Century music. Originally established to explore the musical legacy of the Habsburg Empire, we stand out in the field of historical performance by specializing in this diverse and colourful repertoire. Based on historic precedent, our particular combination of string and wind instruments is unique among contemporary period instrument groups and, as such, has been recognized as pioneering. This versatile instrumentation not only enables us to present a wide variety of programmes as a core ensemble, but also to perform larger scale works with the addition of other musicians. …”

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Added on: Jul 21, 2011 | Hits: 189

“Spiritus Ensemble is a vocal and instrumental ensemble based in Kitchener-Waterloo, dedicated to the performance of great religious music, especially the cantatas Johann Sebastian Bach.”

Note: this link leads to this group’s Facebook site and is only accessible is you have a Facebook account. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 15, 2011 | Hits: 314

“Welcome to the official Gravitación website. The quartet with guest performers are proud to present virtuosic programs of early music. Our focus is under-performed repertoire of the medieval, renaissance and baroque periods.“

Matthew Leese, baritone
Jay Carter, counter-tenor
Daniel Carberg, tenor
Sherezade Panthaki, soprano

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Added on: Jun 08, 2011 | Hits: 313

“The instrumental ensemble Les Cornets Noirs have made their name in specializing in music of the Italian and German early Baroque.

The six musicians of different musical backgrounds met during their of study at the Schola Cantorum (Basel) …”

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Added on: Jun 03, 2011 | Hits: 255

“XVIII-21 Le Baroque Nomade is a Baroque music ensemble, its adventure sometimes leading it to contrast this repertoire of the 17 th and 18 th centuries with other types of music that crossed it, thanks to the globe-trotting musicians who travelled the world in an era when voyages led to hybrid cultures...

XVIII-21 aims at finding other kinds of music :  music that is exotic or different ; music that is listened to in other ways, by other kinds of people. This pursuit sometimes involves violence, restrictions or confrontation. But it also makes way for an encounter, a fundamental, liberating passion. …”

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Added on: May 25, 2011 | Hits: 200

“Founded in 2001 by tenor Benoit Haller, Chapelle Rhénane is a group of singers and instrumental soloists. The team is dedicated to the great works of European vocal repertoire. Its ambition is, through concerts and discs, to reveal the emotion, humanity and modernity of its music that could attract a broad contemporary audience.”

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Added on: Apr 24, 2011 | Hits: 245

“Concerto Italiano began its activity in 1984 at Teatro Ghione in Rome with a concert performance of Francesco Cavalli's Calisto. In twenty five years of concert activity all over the world the ensemble was able to renew the approach of the performance of Italian Music, especially in the case of Monteverdi and Vivaldi, at times suggesting models of execution which have become paradigmatic. In the case Bach, the ensemble has garnered approval even from the most demanding traditionalist public. Today Concerto Italiano continues to pursue in its investigation of Italian musical culture an unceasing examination of a musical language which is evermore evidently and indissolubly linked to the cultural and linquistic values of 16th and 17th Italy.“

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Added on: Apr 24, 2011 | Hits: 326

“L’Astrée was born in Turin in 1991 and specializes in early music instrumental repertoire with the use of original instruments.

The ensemble takes its name from a combination of François Couperin Le Grand  and that of the one of his trio sonatas called L'Astrée.”

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Tags: Fondazione Academia Montis Regalis Onlus

Added on: Apr 24, 2011 | Hits: 268

“Bacchanalia Baroque Ensemble was founded in 2002 by flutist Laura Thompson. This period-instrument ensemble comprised of talented and dynamic musicians from all over the world engages New York audiences with unusual programming - including works that have never been heard in America's concert halls. Bacchanalia brings to audiences baroque and early classical music -from the intimate flute sonatas of Hotteterrre and Blavet, to the virtuosic concerti of Quantz and music by composers such as Gehot and Mozart.

Bacchanalia gave their debut at the Boston Early Music Festival Fringe in 2002, and have since been heard in many venues and early music series' in New York, such as Riverside Church's Christ Chapel, Midtown Concerts, Saint Peter's Classical Concert series, as ensemble-in-residence at the Church of the Resurrection, Music at Our Saviour's Atonement, Sundays on the Island, and Trinity Church in New York City.

Awarded grants from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council in 2008 and 2010 for live concert programming, and from the Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance for the recording and production of a CD of American Federal era music, Bacchanalia is set to release their first recording, of trios by American immigrant-composer and violinist Joseph Gehot, which will be released on the Eroica label in 2011.“

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Added on: Apr 21, 2011 | Hits: 226

“Cincinnati Chamber Music -- The Catacoustic Consort performs music from the Renaissance to the Baroque on historical instruments with the intent of recreating the sound of the music when it was originally performed. Early instruments include the bass, tenor and treble viola da gamba, lirone, pardessus de viole, Renaissance cittern, bandora, Baroque flute, lute, theorbo, cornetto, Baroque harp, chamber organ, and harpshichord, among others. We offer early music workshops and classes. Performances include music by such composers as Marin Marais and St. Colombe (Tous les Matins du Monde — All the Mornings of the World). Our baroque performances in Cincinnati have been as diverse as seventeenth-century German sacred music and Italian love songs. Performers have included Ronn McFarlane (lute — Boston Early Music Festival, Amherst Early Music Festival, Baltimore Consort), Michael Leopold of Milan, Italy (chitarrone), sopranos Youngmi Kim and Cassie Webster, baroque flute virtuoso Sang Joon Park, Lucas Harris (baroque guitar and theorbo), and Wendy Gillespie (viola da gamba —Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Early Music Institute — Bloomington Early Music Festival). Fans of chamber music in Cincinnati as well as classical music will find this baroque music group quite extraordinary. Mark Cudek (Indianpolis Early Music Festival) has appeared with the Catacoustic playing cittern.”

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Added on: Apr 14, 2011 | Hits: 301

Los Músicos de su Alteza is a vocal and instrumental ensemble founded by Luis Antonio Gonzalez in 1992. Their repertoire ranges from early Baroque to Viennese classicism.

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Added on: Apr 14, 2011 | Hits: 209

“Cançonièr is a Bay Area-based early music group devoted to medieval repertoire from the 12th to the 15th centuries, and some traditional music from related regions (Scandinavia, the Balkans, and the Middle East).

Created in the summer of 2008 by multi-instrumentalist Tim Rayborn and recorder virtuoso Annette Bauer, the group appears both as a duo, and in an expanded form, featuring the talents of Bay Area favorite Shira Kammen on bowed strings, and the beautiful voice of Phoebe Jevtovic.

In a short time, the group has gained the attention of the early music community, and received acclaim for its musicianship, unusual and exciting concert programs, and its debut CD.  … “

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Added on: Feb 07, 2011 | Hits: 246

Chalice Consort collaborates with early music scholars and musicians in helping little-known works from the Renaissance and early Baroque eras become more widely appreciated by the modern music-loving public. The Consort pays special attention to the verbal texts and to the music's rhetorical force, as well as to acoustics. Its performances also take into account the various concepts of stylistic decorum that were strongly articulated by humanist writers in the Renaissance and provide an essential part of the context in which these repertoires were composed, performed, and first appreciated. Chalice Consort aims to communicate the emotional power of this music to modern listeners.

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Added on: Jan 28, 2011 | Hits: 253

“Pro Musica Rara, Baltimore's “premier early music ensemble”, is a period instrument chamber music ensemble performing baroque, classical, and early romantic repertoire. Founded in 1974, its musicians include Baltimore area professionals, early music specialists from throughout the eastern seaboard and world-renown guest artists. As Artists-in-Residence at Towson University Center for the Arts, PMR presents an annual subscription series and offers pre-concert lectures, master classes, and open dress rehearsals for students. In recent years, PMR has also given performances in important area venues such as the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore Museum of Art, Peabody Conservatory, and the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.”

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Added on: Jan 22, 2011 | Hits: 247

“Formed in 1973 by five Juilliard graduates, THE AULOS ENSEMBLE was at the forefront of a movement that was to capture the imagination of the American listening public. In 1978 with the release of their recording, "Masterpieces of the High Baroque", AULOS' reputation for exhilarating performances informed with scholarly insight was firmly established. In those groundbreaking years, the group's innovative programming featured a blend of flute, oboe, violin, cello, and harpsichord, later adding a viola da gamba.  With its conservatory based training, Aulos brought an uncompromising standard of excellence in performance that resulted in invitations from virtually all of this country's major chamber music presenters. This exposure helped create a new audience awareness for the rich rewards of this repertoire performed on "period instruments" and comments such as "scintillating", "virtuosic", and "authentic baroque performance at its best" from America's most respected music critics.  …“

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Added on: Jan 21, 2011 | Hits: 261

In just a few years, Concerto Soave has become a leading reference in the interpretation of Italian music of the Seicento. Born from the meeting of soprano Maria Cristina Kiehr and harpsichordist Jean-Marc Aymes, the ensemble draws together soloists specialised in the 17th century repertoire, essentially Italian. The ensemble takes the form of a Concerto in the historical sense:  « an instrumental jewel case richly coloured (archlute, harp, viola da gamba, violins, harpsichord, organ...) destined to enshrine one or more voices ».

Every concert and recording of Concerto Soave, with L’Empreinte Digitale and now under an exclusive contract with Harmonia Mundi, has been unanimously praised by audiences and critics alike. The ensemble is regularly invited to the most prestigious festivals: Utrecht, Ambronay, Montreux, Bruges, Innsbruck, Nantes (« La Folle Journée »), and performs in major European cities: Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon, London, Brussels, Berlin…as well as in the USA and Canada.

María Cristina Kiehr, soprano
Over a number of years, María Cristina Kiehr has come to be recognised as one of the greatest interpreters of baroque music. She combines suavity of timbre with an accurate respect for text, which she defends with humility and warmth. Perhaps it is her Argentine nationality and her Danish origins which create a magical combination of warm Latin sensuality and great musical and stylistic rigour?

Following study with René Jacobs, she has participated in countless concerts and opera productions with the most renowned conductors (René Jacobs, Philippe Herreweghe, Franz Bruggen, Jordi Savall, Gustav Leonhardt, Nikolaus Harnoncourt...), and with the most prestigious ensembles (Hesperion XXI, Concerto Köln, Ensemble 415, Seminario Musicale, Concerto Vocale, Elyma, La Fenice...). She has travelled around the world (Europe, Japan, Australia, Central and South America..) and has taken part in more than one hundred recordings. Her passion for Italian monody of the 17th Century is fully expressed with Concerto Soave, of which she is co-founder with Jean-Marc Aymes. Maria Cristina Kiehr reveals her talents as a story-teller, careful to express the most minute details of the nuova musica, which makes her not only a singer with a unique timbre, but an accomplished artist.

Jean-Marc Aymes, organ, harpsichord & direction
Jean-Marc Aymes is one of the most brilliant harpsichordists of his generation. He has recorded Girolamo Frescobaldi’s entire music for keyboard, all the volumes of which (Primo Libro delle Toccate and Capricci) have been greeted with critical acclaim in the international specialised press (Diapason d’Or, Joker from Belgian magazine Crescendo, 5 Goldberg…).

Jean-Marc Aymes is the artistic director of Concerto Soave. He founded the group, now considered a reference for the interpretation of early Italian baroque music, with the Argentinian soprano, Maria Cristina Kiehr. Recordings for the Harmonia Mundi label have won a succession of international prizes. He travels the world with Concerto Soave (U.K, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Austria, U.S.A, Canada...) performing in some of the most prestigious early music festivals. He has played with a wide range of early music groups (Janequin, Talens Lyriques, Grande Ecurie, Daedalus, Akademia...) and still performs regularly with the ensemble La Fenice, conducted by his great friend Jean Tubéry, also an Italian music specialist. He has participated in more than sixty recordings and innumerable concerts and radio broadcasts. He is also known for his contributions to the word of contemporary music as a concert and recording artist with Marseille’ ensemble Musicatreize. He is now the artistic director of the “Mars en baroque” festival in Marseille.

Added on: Jan 20, 2011 | Hits: 268

Kotchnak, founded in 1976, performs traditional Armenian folk songs as well as songs by ashoughs, or troubadours, especially those of Sayat Nova who lived in the 18th century.

Kotchnak has performed in numerous cities of Europe and North America.

Kotchnak specializes in the modal and monophonic interpretation of Armenian music.

Ensemble based in Paris.

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Added on: Jan 08, 2011 | Hits: 272

“Described as one of the discoveries of the 2001 early music festival in Regensburg, Germany, Musicians of the Old Post Road has been captivating audiences in the US and abroad with its exciting programming and virtuoso performances. As a chamber ensemble specializing in the period instrument performance of music from the Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic periods, the ensemble specializes in offering a dynamic and diverse repertory that includes rediscovered works that have been lost to audiences for centuries.“

Also, visit these associated Old Post Road sites:

Podcasts: Discover Podcasts
YouTube Channel: musiciansopr
OPR Editions: Old Post Road Editions

Added on: Jul 27, 2010 | Hits: 400

“Andreas Helm
Shawm, vocals, yodeling. Born and raised in the area of Mostviertel in Niederösterreich, Andreas Helm received his musical education at the Brucknerkonservatorium Linz and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam , where he studied recorders and early oboes. He is the permanent oboist of the L'Orfeo Baroque Orchestra, the Wiener Akademie, Concilium Musicum Wien. ..

Albin Paulus
Bag pipes (Schaeferpfeife, Bock), jaws-harp, vocals, yodeling. Born and raised in Germany, Albin Paulus obtained a classical education in clarinet. ..

Simon Wascher
hurdy gurdy. Born and raised in Oberoesterreich in a family known for its folk music tradition, Simon Wascher studied hurdy gurdy with Valentin Clastrier, Gilles Chabenat, Matthias Loibner, and Riccardo Delfino. ..”

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Added on: Jul 07, 2010 | Hits: 364

“Recently founded by four of the most promising young period instrument players in Europe, Ensemble Diderot is already renowned for its lively virtuoso interpretations of 17th- and 18th- Century music, and is rapidly evolving into one of Europe's most ingenious chamber music groups.

Named after the brilliant, versatile, and prolific writer of the Enlightenment, Denis Diderot, the Ensemble devotes itself to the performance and research of the trio sonata repertoire in its original and most sonorous combination: two violins, harpsichord and cello. ..“

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Added on: Jun 17, 2010 | Hits: 532

“We, the Okamotos [Yoshiko (Oneh-san) and Hiromi (aHO) Okamoto], call our small musical space at home "Studio aHOYO", which is devoted mainly for the early European music of the medieval to the early baroque (17C) era.“

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Added on: Jun 17, 2010 | Hits: 264