EarlyMusicNews.Org

"The Streicher Fortepiano Trio is devoted to period performance of Classical era chamber music. Its members, Katherine Kyme, violin, Joanna Blendulf, cello, and Charlene Brendler, fortepiano, have earned the reputation of presenting exquisitely performed concerts on replica and original instruments. Their musicianship, combined with sensitivity to sonorities, creates a unique musical experience of optimal balance and clarity. Critics frequently praise the Trio’s fine ensemble rapport. Spirited performances by the group convey the musical values and elegant Rococo ambiance of the late 18th century.

The Streicher Trio travels with a transportable 5-octave wooden framed replica instrument, lightweight and delicate in nature. Programs include the standard repertoire of Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, as well as an occasional adventurous exploration of other composers contemporary to the Classical and Early Romantic eras. A typical program might include Boccherini and Schobert along with Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, for instance. Collaborations with a guest artist -- clarinet, viola, or voice -- expand the repertoire possibilities. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 02, 2008 | Hits: 295

"Pastimes is a group of musicians who perform early music on period instruments.

We had been playing together for a couple years before forming in 1995 the ensemble now known as Pastimes. We began receiving requests to play at private parties, costume dinners and outdoor fairs, business functions, school assemblies, and occasionally in church settings. We play renaissance music from the late 1400s to the mid 1600s, ranging from formal courtly and liturgical music to refined or rustic domestic entertainment.

We take our name from a song attributed to Henry VIII called 'Pastime with Good Company'. Our goal is to provide as much fun for those who hear us as we ourselves are having, and we do aim to have a good time! Our home base is in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Northern Delaware. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 04, 2008 | Hits: 295

"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: 296

“Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense, a full time orchestra on original period instruments, was founded by Stefan Sutkowski  in 1957. It was the first early music vocal-instrumental ensemble in Poland. From the beginning, its members set themselves the goal of popularising newly discovered relics of Polish music. These musicians became founder members of Warsaw Chamber Opera, which was founded in 1961 by Stefan Sutkowski, who has served as its Managing and Artistic Director ever since. At present, the Warsaw Chamber Opera company consists of 2 directors, 2 designers, 7 conductors, over 75 soloists, and 3 full-time orchestras (period-instruments ensemble (orchestra) Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense and two small-size symphony orchestras - the Warsaw Sinfonietta and the Orchestra of Warsaw Chamber Opera ). It also has a the 40-strong Chamber Choir and the Choir specializing in Old Orthodox Music and a Mime Group.

While the opera company expanded, its repertoire enriched by works from the Classical era and later, whilst the Collegium cultivated and perfected the practice of performing early music. Yet music from several centuries ago cannot be given its proper tonal shape without the appropriate instruments, a complete set of which has been acquired thanks to the enduring efforts of the Warsaw Chamber Opera. ..“

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Added on: May 04, 2010 | Hits: 297

"The Early Music Company was founded in 1990 by Mamiko Hirai and Kenji Sano in Osaka, Japan, as a basic nucleus of voice and lute around which are built various combinations of voices and instruments for concerts centering mainly on the Renaissance and Baroque periods. They play European music from the14th to 19th century, give regular concerts in Japan, and record regularly for Aeolian records. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 10, 2008 | Hits: 298

“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: 298

"The Anitquarian Funks is a musical group specializing in authentic musical performances of rarely heard works from the Renaissance and Early Baroque periods. Based in Santa Cruz, California, The Antiquarian Funks were founded in 1971 by Head Funk William G. Mathews, and have been performing ever since in a wide variety of combinations and venues. The Funks perform with reproductions of original antique instruments.

Music of the 17th century and earlier was usually composed and performed for the church or European courts. A particular challenge in performing this early music is the absence of tempo and dynamic notation. Musicians of this time were expected to improvise embellishments on the original score, rather like modern jazz.

The aim of this website is to introduce you to both the Antiquarian Funks, as well as the amazing music, instruments and some of the composers we have featured over the years. Enjoy! " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 23, 2008 | Hits: 299

“Stimmwerck was founded in Munich, in 2001. It is a group of sought-after professionals in ensemble vocal music; the two tenors, Gerhard Hölzle and Klaus Wenk, the bass Marcus Schmidl, and the counter-tenor Franz Vitzthum, who gives the quartet its unmistakable sound.

Stimmwerck devotes itself in particular to composers of the Renaissance and their nearly inexhaustible wealth of vocal music. Research in archives of music collections and frequent exchanges with musicologists serve as the foundations of their work, and are followed up with regular recordings at studios such as Aeolus, Cavalli Record and Christophorus, among others.“

Added on: Apr 27, 2009 | Hits: 299

" The Ensemble Stampita is a group born in December 2003 dedicated to medieval music. We believe that music medieval-perhaps still little known outside the network of fans-could still be engaging and enjoyable even for a non-specialist public, and therefore is worth propose even outside of contexts so to speak "institutional". ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 24, 2008 | Hits: 300

“In the Middle Ages, the paladins were knights, who roamed in search of adventure.

In 1760, Rameau composed Les Paladins, considered as the ultimate masterpiece of the French Baroque genre, characterised by fantasy and imagination.

Taking their name from a work by one of the greatest composers of the French Baroque period, Les Paladins explore the neglected repertoires as well as the greatest works of the Baroque musical period. The ensemble is associated with the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles where they gave performances of previously unperformed works such as Iphigénie en Tauride by Desmarets or The Elements by Destouches. They are also regularly invited at the Ambronay Festival, where they performed Histoires Sacrées by Carissimi, Serpentes in Deserto by Hasse, at the Jean de la Fontaine festival where they sang Actéon by Charpentier and The Bourgeois Gentilhomme by Lully and at Musiques d'Automne in St Genest Lerpt. They also participate in the Semaines Musicales de Quimper where they performed Dido and Aeneas and the Ode to Santa Cecilia by Purcell. ..“

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Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 300

"Phantasm was founded in 1994 by Laurence Dreyfus, who dreamed of forming a viol consort embodying the highest artistic standards. Inspired by the great twentieth-century string quartets, Phantasm have championed a bold and passionate style of consort playing which does full justice to its magnificent repertoire.

The international members of the quartet (from Britain, Finland and the US) all trained on modern instruments, but were drawn to the viol consort because of the dazzling sonority of the ensemble and the independence of lines cultivated by the complex polyphony. Specialising in music from the 16th to the 18th centuries, the quartet have been applauded across the globe for their moving performances, which embrace the eloquent fantasies of Byrd and Gibbons, the magical works of Lawes and Purcell, even new arrangements of Bach and Mozart. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 14, 2008 | Hits: 301

"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: 302

"The group was organized in the spring of 1983 and are recognized as an important early music ensemble performing on period instruments.

Frances von Seggern Bach, viola da gamba and baroque cello; Adriana Zoppo, baroque violin; Anthony Brazier, baroque flute; Wm Neil Roberts, harpsichord. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 26, 2008 | Hits: 302

"Sfera Armoniosa specialises in performance of music from the seventeenth century. The ensemble's name is derived from a work commissioned for a seventeenth century noble marriage, published for voice and basso continuo.

The group is based around an unchanging core of continuo players. Vocal soloists are then added to the ensemble according to the demands of the repertoire. The more commonly heard basso continuo combination of lute and viola da gamba is enriched by the use of less well known instruments such as the lirone and the baroque guitar.

In addition to the music of famous composers such as Monteverdi and Lully, the ensemble undertakes research into the manuscripts and printed works of Italian, French, Spanish, English, German and Dutch libraries in order to provide a rich spectrum of music from lesser known composers. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 18, 2008 | Hits: 303

"Carol Lisek, Director After receiving a Ph.D. in chemistry and working as a research scientist for several years, Carol Lisek decided to pursue what was a hobby – music – as a full time endeavor. She earned her M.F.A. in Vocal Performance from the California Institute of the Arts and her D.M.A. in Early Music Performance from USC. Dr. Lisek performs as a contralto soloist and as a chorus member in many area choruses, including Vox Femina Los Angeles. She is an adjunct music faculty member at El Camino College and the Claremont Graduate University.

Continuing a Legacy of Early Music. Since the 1960s, Jouyssance and its parent organization, the Foundation of the Neo-Renaissance, have been dedicated to performing both familiar and obscure repertoire of the 14th through mid 17th centuries. Although primarily a vocal ensemble, Jouyssance often features performances and accompaniments by period instruments. " ...

Added on: Aug 22, 2007 | Hits: 303

"Wyldes Noyse is a group of two or three musicians drawn from King's Lynn Waites. Consisting of Chief Waite Chris Gutteridge, wind and string player Elizabeth Gutteridge, and other members of the Waites if required, the group is named after William Wylde, King's Lynn minstrel, and one of the first recorded Waites in the country. The group wears Renaissance dress and performs on a variety of early instruments as well as singing.

Wyldes Noyse is the ideal group for fêtes, garden parties, dinners, weddings, etc. where a smaller group is desired, or in a more intimate setting. The group has an extensive memorised repertoire and can play from a balcony or gallery, or in the corner of a room, or will roam about freely, playing as they go. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 17, 2008 | Hits: 303

“Flat Pavan is one of the most successful youth music groups in Britain. Based in Glasgow, Flat Pavan performs popular Traditional and Early Music (400 year old songs and dances which you can download and listen to from the website). The group have played in venues all over Britain and 8 Schools Proms. They were also one of only 6 performing groups from Britain invited to join 50 others at the 1994 Biennial ISME (international Society for Music Education) conference in Florida. The group have also played in Italy (including over an hour impromptu to the Pope). ..“ Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 19, 2009 | Hits: 303

“Internationally recognized for the quality of its performances and the originality of its projects, Alla francesca figures among groups who strive to discover and interpret repertoire in the best of conditions. The interpretation, both lively and poetic, is the result of a long process of maturation, research and exchange, a music test of performance practice, with a real sense of collaboration and contact with the public. .. . ”

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Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 304

“All members of the Lacrimae Ensemble are experienced performers of early music on historical instruments and have participated in numerous recordings for both radio and CD. “ Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 27, 2009 | Hits: 304

"MUSICA ANTIQUA NOVA is the Westchester County concert series of the baroque ensemble REBEL, performances of which take place in two historically notable and acoustically excellent venues in Westchester County: the Bedford Presbyterian Church in Bedford, NY and the Paramount Center for the Arts in Peekskill, NY. Three to four programs are presented annually, and ofte include guest artists of international repute. The series aims to present both known and rarely if ever heard 17th- and 18th-century repertoire, performed on historical instruments of the period, in an intimate setting. Receptions often follow the concerts, at which the artists mingle freely with the audience. " ...

Added on: Feb 02, 2008 | Hits: 305

"Renaissance Voices was founded in 1995 by a group of Maine singers on tour in London. The original idea for a small, auditioned, Portland-based chamber ensemble still guides our choices today. Although our emphasis is the a capella performance of early European music, in recent years we have broadened our repertoire to include other origins and periods, especially the 20th century. Every season we find and present music by women. We are a non-profit organization. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 23, 2008 | Hits: 306

"S. Chordæ Consort of Viols was founded by gambist John Dornenburg for the purpose of performing and recording the rich body of music for viol consort of the 16th and 17th centuries. The Consort has performed widely in California with presenters including the Berkeley Early Music Festival, San Francisco Early Music Society, San Jose Chamber Music Society, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival, Gualala Arts, and Magnificat. In 1999 they made their European debut at the Tage Alter Musik Festival in Regensburg, Germany. The Consort currently has three highly praised CD recordings released on the Centaur label. The most recent CD features Renaissance Music by Josquin Des Prez and Heinrich Isaac with guest vocalists Scott Whitaker and Susan Rode Morris. They have also recorded suites from Johann Hermann Schein's Banchetto musicale of 1617, and Claudio Monteverdi's Third Book of Madrigals played on viols alone without vocalists. In the chamber music of this period the consort of viols occupied a place of honor that in later centuries would be awarded to the string quartet. The repertory for viol consort embraces a wide variety of styles ranging from the chansons, madrigals, and dances of the Renaissance to the fantasias, anthems, consort songs, and suites of the early baroque. Three and sometimes four different sizes of viols create a blended sound that is warmly resonant yet surprisingly transparent. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 02, 2008 | Hits: 306

Early Music Ensemble. Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 24, 2008 | Hits: 306

“At the core of the ensemble is the duo of singer Donna Stewart and lutenist Ron Andrico. One of the few professional lutesong duos in the United States, their unique and immediate sound blends respect for authenticity with solid musicianship and a flair for improvisation. Their fresh and engaging approach imparts the immediacy of folk music to renaissance music. ..

Mignarda - Donna Stewart and Ron Andrico - perform historical music that transcends history. Ron Andrico is a lute specialist with publication of several important music editions and scholarly articles to his credit. Mezzo soprano Donna Stewart has a long background in research and interpretation of Gregorian chant and the renaissance choral repertory. Together, the duo specialize in performing music that resides in the grey zone between folk and art music, with interpretations that follow the renaissance ideal of 'moving the passions' of the listener.   ..“

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Added on: Jul 25, 2009 | Hits: 306

“Originally formed when two of our members were studying at the Royal College of Music, The 1607 Ensemble is unique in that we perform early consort repertoire alongside 20th-century vocal jazz—both to a high professional standard—and create our own eclectic compositions using elements from both styles. We draw our inspiration from a cappella groups like The Real Group, Take 6, Manhattan Transfer, and the New York Voices; mainstream early music groups such as The Consort of Musicke, I Fagiolini, and Le Poème Harmonique; and “third stream” jazz/classical fusion groups like The Modern Jazz Quartet. ..“

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Added on: Apr 18, 2010 | Hits: 306