EarlyMusicNews.Org

"The charismatic Palladian Ensemble is firmly established on the international music scene as a quartet of the highest calibre, presenting baroque chamber music infused with style, uninhibited virtuosity and intelligent musicianship. Over the past fifteen years the Ensemble has made numerous broadcasts and played hundreds of performances at prestigious venues across Britain, Europe, North and South America and still enjoys consistent popularity with audiences and critics worldwide. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 09, 2008 | Hits: 534

"The Chris Norman Ensemble brings to life the energetic traditional dance music of Maritime Canada, Scotland, & Ireland with an emphasis on exploring points of contact with the music's roots in 16th-19th century Europe. The Ensemble's programs combine originality, intelligence, fun, and sheer mastery that have won them respect from audiences, presenters, and colleagues alike in North America, Europe and Asia.

At the heart of the group is Chris Norman, who's brilliant and imaginative flute playing has contributed to groups as diverse as the The Baltimore Consort, Skyedance, Helicon, Chatham Baroque, Concerto Caledonia, as well as Hollywood soundtracks and seven solo recordings. His influential work as a performer, composer, recording artist, educator, and director of the Boxwood Festival & Workshop has played a significant role in reviving the flute in traditional Scottish and Canadian music.

The Ensemble's extraordinary range runs the gamut from dynamic performances headlining international folk festivals to programs for some of North America's most prestigious chamber and early music societies and universities. With flutes, pipes, guitar, mandolin, mandola, harmonium, bass, percussion, drums & vocals, the Ensemble reaches across five centuries of traditional, renaissance and baroque music with a range of energetic programs. Education and public service is at the core of the group's values, and they regularly incorporate workshops, school programs, and community outreach into their tours. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 09, 2008 | Hits: 402

"Concerto Caledonia is Scotland’s early music group, bringing to life the classical and traditional music of the nation’s history.

The group’s seven CD recordings include Robert Burns songs in their original versions, classical symphonies from Fife , early Scots fiddle music, and the unique sound of 18th-century Scottish-Italian crossover. Its contemporary recordings include music by Frank Zappa, Astor Piazzolla, Daniel Johnston and The Buzzcocks. The album Mungrel Stuff was a Sunday Times Record of the Year, and besides appearing regularly on BBC Radio 3, the group has also been broadcast on Radios 1, 2, and 4. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 09, 2008 | Hits: 387

"The Caecilia Concert is a versatile international ensemble specialising in performance and research of 17th century music for instruments and voices. The group was formed in 2001 by four young instrumentalists working at the forefront of authentic performance practice in Europe. Since then, the Caecilia-Concert has not only made a name for itself as a virtuosic, flexible, small-scale recital ensemble of the highest international level, but has on occassion, expanded to incorporate other instruments and singers performing rarely heard masterpieces from Italy, Germany, Austria and The Netherlands. This flexibility allows us to experiment with various mixed ensembles therefore making accessible newly found compositions and other pieces that would otherwise not be programmed due to mixed or more unusual instrumentation. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 353

" The formation of the Etesian Ensemble in 1999 brought together five musicians committed to performing the great wealth of chamber music from the classical and romantic periods for fortepiano, oboe, clarinet, horn and bassoon. Performances of this exciting repertoire are rarely heard on today's concert platform, therefore the Etesian Ensemble set out to bring their vibrant, explorative interpretation of such works to a wider audience.

In concert, the ensemble presents established classics such as the exquisite Mozart Quintet for Fortepiano and Winds, which Mozart himself described as it as “the best thing I have ever composed in my life”, alongside lesser known and recently discovered works that deserve the attention of today’s audience.

All five members of the ensemble are active in the period performance world, working with established orchestras such as The Academy of Ancient Music, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Europa Galante, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, La Petite Bande, The Kings Consort and The Gabrieli Consort. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 320

"The Avison Ensemble are North East England's foremost exponents of 18th century music and standard bearers for Charles Avison, the hitherto little known but important English composer of the 18th Century.

Charles Avison (1709-1770) was a Newcastle-born composer, conductor and organist. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians calls him, "the most important English concerto composer of the 18th Century". Yet his work and that of other neglected British composers of the period was thoroughly overshadowed by the brilliance of George Frederick Handel, who was operating in London at the time.

omprised of some of Europe's leading musicians and soloists and in addition to playing other works from the baroque and early classical periods, the Avison Ensemble promotes chamber concerts and is furthering the revival of the once famous Newcastle Subscription Concerts, originally established and promoted by Charles Avison himself.

The Ensemble have chosen to perform on period instruments in order to recreate as closely as possible the distinctive 'sound world' that Charles Avison would have known. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 516

"Maria Sangers, Recorders; Dawn Johnston, Lute, Theorbo, Guitar

Aurora provides small scale music-making of a particularly intimate kind. Employing a wide range of recorders and plucked string instruments, the performers recreate the sound world of a renaissance chamber.

Aurora's programme style and content makes them particularly suitable for smaller, historic, or candlelit venues, and they have been heard to fine effect in various National Trust properties.

Aurora is also available to provide stylish and atmospheric music to enhance events such as weddings or receptions. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 456

"Apollo & Pan is a dynamic young group which explores the numerous hitherto neglected works for violin and bassoon from the 17th and 18th centuries, using both renaissance and baroque instruments. By expanding the group with one or two extra musicians, there are also opportunities to explore a wider repertoire, ranging from Vivaldi concertos to Bach cantatas.

In Greek mythology, Pan famously challenged Apollo to a musical contest: in the renaissance, Pan, often pictured holding a wind instrument, represented the wild and untamed, whereas Apollo, normally shown with a stringed instrument, stood for the sublime and refined. These contrasting qualities are united in the ensemble of violin and bassoon - with the development of mixed ensembles in the 17th century, this popular combination symbolised the contrast of the opposing forces of Apollo and Pan.

Tassilo Erhardt and Sally Holman met and formed Apollo & Pan while studying at The Royal Conservatory in The Hague. In England they were joined by the keyboard player Steven Devine, who was the winner of the inaugural Broadwood Harpsichord Competition in 1993. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 315

"The Ciconia Ensemble is dedicated to the music of the late 14th/early 15th centuries, especially the so-called Ars Subtilior, that uniquely difficult and wonderful music that flourished briefly in France and northern Italy. The group consists of Anna Maria Friman (soprano), John Potter (tenor), Susanna Pell and Jacob Heringman (lutes & vielles) and made its debut in York in 2006. Programmes have included music by Ciconia himself, including rarely heard masses and motets, as well as troubadour songs and Minnelieder. The group performed an all-Machaut programme entitled La Parole et la Puissance: Guillaume de Machaut and the way to eternity in the 2007 Kultursommer Rheinland-Pfalz Festival A recording of highlights from the festival features several tracks from the Ciconia Ensemble; complimentary copies are available from Robert White Artist Management. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 304

"The Amphion Consort are named after the mythological player (Ovid, metamorphoses) who built the walls of Thebes moving the stones to fall in their places by the power and beauty of his playing. The ensemble was initially formed to explore the repertoire for baroque violin and continuo (theorbo), but is expanding to include some of the best players and singers on the scene to perform chamber music and large scale works.

our repertoire ranges from the 14th century Ars Subtilior; Elizabethan lute songs by Dowland and Danyel; French music for viol and theorbo by de Visee and Marais to English masques and operas such as Blow's Venus and Adonis, Purcell's Dido and Aneas and the Fairy Queen. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 416

" German viol player, Peter Wendland and English harpsichordist, David Roblou, are long-established international artists, known on CD through their work with leading early music ensembles: The Rose Consort of Viols and The New London Consort, as well as numerous individual solo appearances worldwide.

After 10 years' giving occasional concerts together, Peter and David have decided to create a new ensemble and are currently offering three innovative programmes: Bach, and two new mixed programmes demonstrating the extraordinary variety of the repertoire, as well as the versatility and imagination of the artists. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 281

"Red Priest is one of the major success stories on the international Early Music scene today. Named after the flame-haired priest, Antonio Vivaldi, this extraordinary English ensemble has re-defined the art of baroque music performance, combining the fruits of extensive research with swashbuckling virtuosity, creative re-composition, heart-on-sleeve emotion and compelling stagecraft. The group performs largely from memory, allowing an operatic level of freedom and interaction, and its highly imaginative programmes are drawn from myriad baroque sources to create a kaleidoscopic range of moods and colours.

Formed in 1997, Red Priest now gives over 60 concerts a year in some of the most prestigious festivals and venues in Europe, Australia and the USA (see below), together with regular Radio and TV broadcasts (notably ITV's South Bank Show) and a series of highly acclaimed and brilliantly original CD recordings on the Dorian label - including their baroque-horror epic, Nightmare in Venice and a best-selling, post-modern take on Vivaldi's Four Seasons. In February 2005 the ensemble pushed the boundaries of baroque performance yet further with the launch of the Red Hot Baroque Show at London's Hackney Empire - a dramatic fusion of 18th century music with 21st century sound, light and video technology. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 671

"One of the outstanding vocal groups in its field, The Clerks' recordings and performances of Renaissance vocal music have earned them a place among the foremost interpreters of the repertoire. The group's discography of over 20 CDs represents a uniquely valuable and pioneering contribution to early music and has won them many accolades, including the coveted Gramophone Award for Early Music.

The Clerks formed at Oxford University and made their professional London debut in 1992. Their first recording, released a year later, made an immediate impact, being identified as one of the releases of the year by the Critics Choice panel of BBC Radio 3, and earning runner-up spot in Gramophone's Early Music Award. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 365

"Wrocław's Period Instruments Ensemble "Altri Stromenti" exists since 1992. It's name - "other instruments", brings to mind baroque practice which allowed changing of voices in compositions, it also reveals the special character of the period instruments, that means "different" from contemporary, ensemble. Choice of performs varies and depends on the repertoire. Among the musicians working with Altri Stromenti are Olga Pasiecznik, Marek Toporowski, Mark Caudle to name a few.

The repertoire of Altri Stromenti comprises both "classical" as well as less well known 17th century baroque compositions which the group reconstructs and presents during "Baroque Concerts" organized in the House under the Golden Sun in Wrocław (these concerts were started by the group and already more than 50 were organized). Altri Stromenti performed also in Germany, France and Czech Republic ("Monuments en musique" festival in Strasbourg, International Festival of Early Music in Cracow, at the Royal Castle in Warsaw and three times during international festival "Wratislavia Cantans" in Wrocław. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 07, 2008 | Hits: 364

"Early and traditional Jewish music, Klezmer, Yiddish, Sephardi and Middle Eastern music

'The UK's most widely acclaimed Jewish music band'
VENUE MAGAZINE, USA

'Burning Bush offers the original World Music where Europe, Africa and the Orient freely mingle'
THE INDEPENDENT

Exhuberance, defiance, celebration and ribald wit all come together o­n the emotional rollercoaster ride that is a Burning Bush performance. Combining foot-tapping klezmer, exotic Arab-influenced dance music from the old Ottoman world and haunting, mystical ballads of the ghetto, The Burning Bush cross cultural boundaries with their uninhibited brio in music both timeless and topical. Featuring the amazing voice and sinuous violin of Lucie Skeaping and the breathtaking, unbridled virtuosity of clarinettist Ben Harlan, this multi-talented sextet presents music that is impossible to resist whatever your background, as audiences from Bogata to rural Wiltshire will confirm. A magical journey into nostalgia, hope and joy.

'An absolute joy - grace, passion and virtuosity' GLASGOW HERALD

'A celebration of Jewish culture - flair and infectious gaiety' THE TIMES

'A terrific listening experience - it catches the life-blood of living' AMBIENCE, AUSTRALIA

* Lucie Skeaping - vocals, violin, rebab
* Ben Harlan - clarinets
* Roderick Skeaping - violin
* Robin Jeffrey - oud, laouto, darabukka, guitar
* Jon Banks - kanun, cymbalom, accordion
* Robert Levy - double bass

Contact: lucieskeaping@hotmail.com " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 04, 2008 | Hits: 374

"Capella Savaria was founded in 1981 in Szombathely. (Savaria was the name of the town in the Roman times, hence the name). The ensemble plays Baroque and classical music relying on original documents of the given period. The basis of the ensemble is the strings and the harpsichord joined by winds when required. Their instruments either are original ones from the 18th century, or are genuine copies of the originals. The ensemble performs chamber music, orchestral pieces, operas and oratorios. Capella Savaria has made nearly 60 recordings since its foundation, five of which have won the "Record of the Year" prize. They have recorded with several labels including Hungaroton, Quintana, Harmonia Mundi, Dynamic, Naxos and Dorian Records. ... "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 29, 2008 | Hits: 382

"CONCERTANTE OF LONDON
Director: Sir Nicholas Jackson

CONCERTANTE OF LONDON is a versatile ensemble performing with as few as 4 musicians playing baroque instruments for Nicholas Jackson's new realisation of Bach's 'A Musical Offering' expanding to10 or more players when performing works such as Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. It also frequently adds 4 young solo singers for the performance of choral works. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 24, 2008 | Hits: 303

"Hofmusici is a period-instrument ensemble of young musicians specialising in the performance of baroque music. The German-Latin name Hofmusici (which means Court Musicians) reflects the ensembles at aristocratic courts in the former Habsburg Monarchy. The ensemble's repertoire harks back to the domestic tradition as well. Apart from Czech music pieces it also includes works by Austrian and Italian composers, who were employed in the first half of the 18th century at the imperial court in Vienna. Hofmusici frequently perform modern world premieres of compositions, which have until now lain unknown in Czech and foreign music archives.

The orchestra was founded in Prague in 1991 under the name of Cappella Accademica and soon became one of the leading early music ensembles in the Czech Republic. The orientation of the ensemble towards fully staged period-style performances of baroque opera led in 1995 to the begining of cooperation with the Foundation of the Baroque Theater in Český Krumlov. Hofmusici regularly perform at concerts and festivals in the Czech Republic and abroad: Prague Spring (Czech Republic), Printemps des Arts in Nantes (France), Feste Musicali per San Rocco in Venice (Italy), Intenationale Händel-Festspiele Göttingen (Germany), Baroque à Saint-Roch Liège (Belgium). The Music Director of the ensemble is harpsichordist Ondřej Macek. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 24, 2008 | Hits: 351

"Alla Moderna is an ensemble founded in 2007 by Dmitry Badiarov. The group consists of musicians who have shared the utmost joy of playing together and are all renowned performers in the early music field. The name of the group derives from Bartolomeo Bismantova's Compendio Musicale (Ferrara 1677/1694), where he refers to Violoncello da Spalla Alla Moderna.

The history unveils that the early cello was frequently, if not predominantly, played on the shoulder when, in the 17th Century, it was still a 'modern' instrument. The group intends to perform the earliest violoncello repertory with instruments and voices using such a violoncello da spalla and other innovative bowed instruments re-created by the founder. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 331

"Stile Antico is an ensemble of young British singers, now established as one of the most original and exciting new voices in its field. Prizewinners at the 2005 Early Music Network International Young Artists’ Competition, the group is much in demand in concert and records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi. Their debut disc Music for Compline drew ecstatic reviews, winning the Diapason d’Or de l'année, the Choc du Monde de la Musique, and attracting a nomination for the 50th GRAMMY awards. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 405

"The Squair Mile Consort of Viols, formed in 1992, regularly gives concerts in Edinburgh, Glasgow and further afield in Scotland. It is dedicated to the great music composed for the viola da gamba (viol) from the 16th to the late 17th century - music for between two and seven viols by composers such as William Byrd, John Dowland, Orlando Gibbons, John Jenkins, William Lawes and Henry Purcell, as well as songs for one voice and viols, music for viols and pipe organ and solo music by the French composers Sainte-Colombe and Marin Marais. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 305

"Charivari Agréable is recognized as ‘one of the classiest baroque bands’ (The Observer), and ‘certainly one of the most original and versatile groups on the Early Music scene today’ (Hexachord), whose musical ‘intuitions are always captivating’ (Goldberg). The group has been hailed for its ‘thinking musicians who treat music of the past more creatively’ via their arrangements of music, ‘based on a greater knowledge of the historical and social contexts for the music’. They represent ‘a new and very exciting phase of the early music revival, one that enriches the existing repertory and can bring us ever closer to the spirit of the original music’ (Gramophone).

Under the artistic direction of Susanne Heinrich and the musical leadership of Kah-Ming Ng, the ensemble specializes in the ingenious use of period instruments to produce ‘ravishing sonorities and full-bodied textures’ (Gramophone) with ‘their powerful cohesion, warm sound, and their eloquent authority’ (Diapason). The group has ‘carved something of a niche for itself in imaginative and well-thought-out programming’; ‘its work is the fruit of both scholarly research and charismatic musicianship, a combination that puts it at the forefront of period-instrument ensembles’ (BBC Music Magazine). With a chronological remit spanning epochs from the Renaissance to the early classical, the ensemble appears in many guises, from a continuo band (accompanying the recitals of such artists as Emma Kirkby, John Holloway and Simon Standage), a viol consort, and an Elizabethan mixed consort, to a baroque orchestra and many other surprising - yet historical - combinations. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 277

"Ensemble Telemania takes its name from the German baroque composer, Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) and is a baroque chamber music ensemble specialising in the performance of 17th and 18th century repertoire on period instruments.

Concert appearances have included: Charlton House, Waltham Abbey Church, St. Hilda's College Oxford, The Town Church in St.Peter Port Guernsey, The Foundling Museum, Southwark Cathedral and the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. In May 2006, Ensemble Telemania won the Ella Kidney prize for Early Music at Trinity College of Music, London. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 297

"Founder and artistic director, Lisette Kielson, presents L’Ensemble Portique as a rare ensemble in today’s chamber music genre. Its conception emerged from Lisette’s passion for playing Baroque and contemporary music on the recorder and flute. Its name was inspired by the sculpture “Portique” designed and crafted by her grandmother, internationally renowned artist Madeleine Stanley-Jossem. Two forms of steel interlaced with silver stand boldly apart, creating an opening, a gateway, yet both are connected to the solid base that supports and unites them. “Portique” is the visual representation of L’Ensemble Portique’s mission to explore the independence and interdependence of the distinct and separate musical worlds of early and contemporary music. Lisette’s vision of integrating the two provides the guiding force behind this unique ensemble. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 453

"Based in Montreal, Ensemble Caprice, under the artistic direction of Matthias Maute and Sophie Larivière, is renowned for its innovative interpretations of baroque music. Originally formed in Germany in 1986, the ensemble continues to give concerts in Europe and has appeared at the Vlaanderen Festival in Bruges, Belgium, the Netwerk-Reihe of the Organisatie voor Oude Muziek in The Netherlands, the International Recorder Symposium in Stuttgart, the Recorder Festival in Stockstadt, and the Ancient Music Rencontres in Heidelberg. During 2005, the ensemble made its U.S. debut at the Boston Early Music Festival concert series and recently completed a successful tour of the West Coast and New England. The ensemble will tour Israel in the Fall of 2006 and plans are underway for a visit to Japan in 2007. Closer to home in Canada, the ensemble has its own concert series at Redpath Hall in Montreal and was recently nominated for the Conseil Québécois de la Musique's prestigious Prix Opus award in three different categories, including best early music concert and CD. A new recording featuring the music of Fux, Caldera and Badia will be released on the ATMA Classique label during 2006. " Visit website for more information. (ed)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 441