EarlyMusicNews.Org

"Musica ad Rhenum has, since its founding in 1992, created a devoted following in the musical world. The intensely personal and highly emotional style which characterizes the performances of the group has earned them a special place on the early music scene. "Exhilarating", "controversial", "virtuoso" and "cutting-edge" are words which critics have used to describe the highly-charged atmosphere the group has created in concert at festivals and halls throughout Europe, North and South America, Iceland, Israel and Japan.

Blending an informed historical perspective with a lively artistic spirit, balancing the intentions of the composer against the needs of the creative performer, Musica ad Rhenum aims to make an impact on the audience; to move, amuse and delight them, through the music itself. The essence of the artistic experience, the meeting of minds separated by centuries, the moving of passions felt by hearts now turned to dust, needs no frivolous trappings, no gimmicks. Musica ad Rhenum is convinced, and has convinced audiences around the world, that Baroque music is as strong, expressive and free as the performers themselves, and as relevant to the world today as it was when first composed.

With more than 30 CDs on the market, with prizes and recommendations to their credit and repeated invitations to perform in the most prestigious venues, Musica ad Rhenum has proven its merit. The group has performed at festivals in York, London, Graz, Antwerpen, Madrid, Berlin and Utrecht, and on the concerts series of Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Frick Museum New York, Wigmore Hall London, Philharmonie Berlin and both Musikhaus and Musikverein Vienna. The core activity of the group is the performance of 18th-century chamber music: most recently the group has specialised in French music, which they approach with the enthousiasm, style and sense of fun which characterizes all their work. Their success with this repertoire can perhaps be judged by their 2004 recording of the complete chamber music of François Couperin, which has been highly praised in the press and has sold more than 20,000 copies. However, Musica ad Rhenum is not soley a chamber music group. Traverso-player and founder Jed Wentz also conducts the orchestral formation in large-scale works, and recent recordings and staged performances of operas by Mozart, Purcell and Handel have been hailed by critics for their verve and freshness. Whether the repertoire be intimate chamber music or grand, tragic opera, a concert by Musica ad Rhenum is not soon to be forgotten. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jun 22, 2008 | Hits: 365

“The duo Misericordia specialises in the Music and Song of Medieval Britain and Europe.

Anne Marie Summers and Stephen Tyler have been playing and recording together as a duo for over a decade, taking some of the earliest scored music and combining it with the improvisational element of folk music for an exciting and dynamic performance. They are accomplished multi-instrumentalists, and their wide range of instruments allows them many different sound textures to match the different musical traditions of medieval Europe.

A performance by Misericordia will take you from the mesmeric drone-based harmonies of their trademark combination of bagpipes and hurdy-gurdy, to the harmonically sparser sound of recorder and citole, as well as to softer timbres such as voice and harp.

Misericordia regularly perform at concert venues and early music festivals throughout Britain and Europe and have made various recordings.  Originally formed as a duo, they now work regularly with other instrumentalists and singers for a larger ensemble; all are professional and extremely versatile musicians specialising in early music.

Workshops are also available in medieval instrumental music, song, and singing for dancing. ”

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Added on: May 11, 2009 | Hits: 365

"The Ensemble Pricipio di Virtù began performing theater for music and narration to become an autonomous form of entertainment. The ensemble performs in churches and castles, ruins and forests, wedding rituals, private parties. ... " (Google translation) Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 25, 2008 | Hits: 366

"Italian ensemble with variable musicians (from triosonata to chamber orchestra), Festa Rustica is active in the ancient music field since ten years. Its first worldwide recording of the Francesco Mancini recorder concerts was for the Musicaimmagine(MR 1004) music company. The record obtained several positive feedbacks from national and international critics and according to the American magazine “Fanfare” is one of the world’s best classical music recordings produced in 1995 (“the want list 1995”). In addition to the numerous concerts performed in Italy (Settembre Musica, Oratorio del Gonfalone, A. D. M. Di Novara ecc...) and abroad (France, Spain, Albania) Festa Rustica has produced several recordings for Milan’s Agorà and ASV music companies. The founder and director of the ensemble is a recorder and cello player, Giorgio Matteoli, music expert and teacher at the Aquila conservatoire. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 05, 2008 | Hits: 366

"The Speellieden van Gelre is an ensemble that focuses on the performance of vocal and instrumental music from medieval and renaissance. It is uses wherever possible - copies of - authentic instruments. The Speellieden van Gelre had their debut in 1975 during the Zomerfeesten in Nijmegen.

In addition to its own concerts, mostly in small circles, which was approved by the Speellieden van Gelre in the past regularly the ensemble cooperated with other concerts in the vocal ensemble PANiek, the Nijmegen Male Choir, the Chamber Choir Nijmegen, Audite Nova ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 25, 2008 | Hits: 366

"The Continuo Players is a duo specializing in early music from 1600 to 1800. Using baroque bassoon, viola da gamba and recorders, Paula and Jill combine a variety of sounds to convey the feeling and ambience of former times. The repertoire of The Continuo Players includes works from England, Italy, France and Germany by such composers as Bach, Boismortier, Blavet, East, Handel, Loeillet, Marais, Morley, Philidor, Reinagle, Loeillet, Telemann and Vivaldi. They combine the music with readings from the same period.

This duo concertizes in libraries and museums throughout the New York City area. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 366

"Formed in 1993 by Neapolitan musicians dedicated to research in the field of early music, "Le Musiche Chamber" from the outset has directed its activities towards the rediscovery of songs unpublished or little known Neapolitan composers of the XVII and XVIII. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 27, 2008 | Hits: 367

"Asteria (Sylvia Rhyne, soprano, and Eric Redlinger, tenor and lute) seeks to bring a narrative quality and emotional immediacy to their late-medieval vocal and instrumental music. Their historically informed settings are based on extensive archival research into original sources in Paris, The Hague, and Basel, Switzerland. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 367

"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: 368

"Dulce Melos” was founded in 2003 by lutenist Marc Lewon (Germany), hammered-dulcimer specialist Margit Übellacker (Austria) and multi-instrumentalist Yukiko Yaita (Japan), who met while pursuing graduate studies in medieval music at the renowned Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland. Since then their virtuosity has earned them high-profile performances in European festivals including “Freunde Alter Musik Basel”, Kunsthalle Karlsruhe and “innovantiqua Winterthur”. They were involved in a recording of music of the Lochamer Liederbuch (published with Naxos in Jan 2008), a source contemporary with the earliest treatises mentioning the hammered dulcimer or “dulcemelos”. They regularly work with other Early Music-specialists for concert projects and CD productions, who complement the ensemble's characteristic sound with that of bowed strings: the fiddle and gamba-players Uri Smilansky (Israel/England), Elizabeth Rumsey (Australia/Switzerland), and Silvia Tecardi (Germany). “Dulce Melos” sees instrumental music of the late Middle Ages and early Renaissance as a repertoire which calls for dynamic skills in both performance and composition. This they do featuring instruments such as the eschequier or chekker, dulcemelos, guiterne sounds which are little-heard in modern concerts but were precious to fifteenth-century cognoscenti in the highly refined courts of Europe. "

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Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 368

"The Arbor Consort is a semi-professional group of singers based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, performing both publicly and privately throughout the year. Formerly known as "Our Lady's Madrigal Singers", Arbor Consort was formed over 20 years ago as the official madrigal ensemble of the Michigan Renaissance Festival in Holly. Arbor Consort can also be seen as carolers during the holidays, and is the Victorian Caroling quartet for the State Street Area Association and for Kerrytown Market & Shops in Ann Arbor. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 03, 2008 | Hits: 369

"This international group, specialized in medieval and Renaissance music, was founded in 1991. Besides a busy concert calendar, ensemble members collaborate regularly with important educational and scientific institutions, in particular the Centre de Musique Ancienne de Genève, the CERIMM of Royaumont.

Much of LUCIDARIUM’s research and is dedicated to repertoires considered "minor," that were, in reality, powerful vehicles for spreading and evolving new musical concepts during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. This music, meant for daily use and wide distribution, represents a mirror of the taste and mentality of the era, at the same time raising a series of questions about the relationship between written music and oral transmission, and about the continuous exchange of forms and themes between the different levels of medieval and Renaissance society. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 24, 2008 | Hits: 369

“Created in 1995 with the help of harpsichordist Isabelle Ramona and her twin sister Catherine Ramona (gambist and cellist), La Ménestrandis is an association of professional musicians who perform already with many great French baroque ensembles.

The focus of the ensemble is to relive the great vocal or instrumental works of  of the XVII and XVIII centuries in their purest traditional form. ..“

Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 369

"The history of the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin reaches back to 1982 when young members of the various former East Berlin orchestras joined forces to set up an independent orchestra specializing in early music. Set apart from the state sponsored music institutions of the former GDR, the ensemble's efforts at achieving authentic performances were rather timid at first. However, since 1984, the ensemble has had its own concert series at the Berlin Konzerthaus (Schauspielhaus) on the Gendarmenmarkt, and by 1986 the ensemble were already guests at the Tage für Alte Musik in Herne, West Germany. Their first recording was released in 1987, appearing simultaneously on the Eterna label in the East and on the Capprccio label in the West. Further CD productions followed for Cappriccio and Berlin Classics, and from 1994 onwards the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin has had an exclusive contract with harmonia mundi france. The recordings of the Akademie have been regularly awarded prizes, including the Deutschen Schallplattenpreis, the French Diapason d'Or, the Cannes Classical Award, the British Grammophone Award and the Dutch Edison Award. The international concert engagements of the ensemble have developed continuously since the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, with the Akdemie now regularly appearing as guests in Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich, London and Brussels, and other musical centers of Europe. " ...

Added on: Aug 14, 2007 | Hits: 370

“Brandywine Baroque is Delaware’s premier early music ensemble, offering concerts of chamber music on period instruments and featuring many national and international guest performers. They have also brought to the stage a number of rare and previously unpublished manuscripts and performed music often unheard by modern audiences. Their energetic performances evoke the mood of the era. Brandywine Baroque sprinkles repartee throughout the program, commenting on anything about the music and times that strike their fancy. Expect the unusual with these outstanding musicians! The members of Brandywine Baroque are Karen Flint, harpsichord & artistic director; Laura Heimes, soprano; Tony Boutté, tenor; Eileen Grycky, flute; Cynthia Freivogel, violin; Martin Davids, violin; and Douglas McNames, cello.“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 19, 2010 | Hits: 370

"Founded in 2006, the New Esterházy Quartet takes its name from the Hungarian estate where Joseph Haydn lived and worked for nearly three decades, and from the noble family who were his employers and patrons. The name also honors Quartetto Esterhazy, the ground-breaking historical string quartet from the 1970s, with the blessing of that ensemble’s eminent founder and leader, Jaap Schroeder.

The members of the New Esterházy Quartet are internationally-known period-instrument and chamber music specialists Kati Kyme and Lisa Weiss, violins, violist Anthony Martin, and cellist William Skeen. As individuals, the players perform in the top echelon of early music ensembles such as Orchestra of the 18th Century, the Bach Ensemble, Artaria Quartet, Smithsonian Chamber Players, Arcadian Academy, the Göttingen Festival Orchestra, and Musica Angelica. In addition to many years of musical collaboration in Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, and a long list of renowned chamber ensembles, these four Bay Area players have enjoyed decades of friendship and shared experience. Their history as both colleagues and friends endows the quartet with an unusual commonality of musical language and gesture, and provides a strong foundation for a unique and original ensemble voice.

The New Esterházy Quartet has embarked on a performance voyage featuring all 68 of the string quartets of Franz Joseph Haydn. The concerts will span two seasons, culminating in 2009, the 200th anniversary of Haydn’s death. This is the first complete period-instrument Haydn cycle ever performed in North America. Composed over a period of a half-century, Haydn’s quartets contain some of the most imaginative, sophisticated and expressive composition in all of music, providing great joy to players and listeners. For the New Esterházy Quartet, the chance to learn and perform the complete Haydn quartets represents the opportunity of a lifetime. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 02, 2008 | Hits: 371

"Sarasa is a collective group of international instrumentalists and vocalists who perform classical music of outstanding quality, and bring this music to diverse communities. Through the ensemble's outreach program in adolescent detention facilities, it is dedicated to bridging cultural, aesthetic, and economic barriers and providing incarcerated teenagers with opportunities for growth and enrichment through music.

Sarasa was formed in response to a concert played by its founder, Timothy Merton, in the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in 1997, at the urging of a friend who was a prison volunteer. An inmate who heard that first concert remarked, "When art is well executed, it projects a message that transcends language, culture, and even aesthetic boundaries." Sarasa took these words to heart and since then has been bringing high-quality music to those who ordinarily have little access to it. In addition to its public concerts, the ensemble plays in adult and adolescent correctional facilities, homes for the elderly, mental hospitals, and institutions for the disabled. Sarasa also does three-week residencies in grade schools, using drawing and writing to bring children to a meaningful understanding of classical music.

The name Sarasa is derived from a combination of Saraswathi, the Hindu goddess of art and culture, and the poetic sanscrit word rasa denoting the essence of sound " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 12, 2008 | Hits: 372

"Formed in 1993 by Neapolitan musicians dedicated to research in the field of early music, "LeMusiche da Camera" from the outset has directed its activities towards the rediscovery of songs unpublished or little known Neapolitan composers of the XVII and XVIII, with executions based on the recovery of executive baroque practice. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jun 29, 2008 | Hits: 372

“The ensemble Il Seminario Musicale is founded in 1985 by Gerard Lesne, countertenor and musical director. ISM is today renowned to be one of the leading French ensembles in baroque musique. Its residency, since 1990, is the prestigious Foundation at the Abbaye de Royaumont, thirty kilometres in the north of Paris.

Since its creation, ISM is composed by first rank European musicians : Marc Minkowski, Fabio Bondi, Blandine Rannou, Bruno Cocset, Patrick Cohen-Akénine, Florence Malgoire, Benjamin Perrot, Florence Bolton, Anne-Marie Lasla, Angélique Mauillon or Violaine Cochard have all participated or still participate in the ensemble musical and artistic excellence. ..“

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Added on: Jul 27, 2009 | Hits: 372

"The Baltimore Consort has delighted audiences on both sides of the Atlantic and earned their CDs a place on the Billboard Magazine Top-Ten list. The Baltimore Consort's arrangements of early music from England, Scotland, France, Italy, and Spain speak to the heart as well as the mind, and their love for the early music of English/Scottish heritage has led them to delve into the rich trove of traditional balladry and dance tunes preserved in the Appalachian mountains and Nova Scotia. More recently, the group has explored the extraordinary repertory from the Iberian peninsula awill in a program entitled "Cancionero: Early Music from Spain."

The Consort tours all regions of the USA, has also appears frequently in Europe, and has held residencies at the Walters Art Gallery and the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. Its performances on such syndicated radio programs as Performance Today, St. Paul Sunday, Millennium of Music, Harmonia, and Onstage (CBC) have broadcast its music far and wide.

The Consort has recorded thirteen discs on the Dorian label (click on Recordings link above). The group also performs with orchestra, in a family-friendly show entitled O'er the Hills and Far Away, which is a set of symphonic arrangements created by Consort member and composer Larry Lipkis. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 373

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

Added on: Apr 13, 2008 | Hits: 373

ARTIST/INSTRUMENT: BEVERLY AU/VIOLA DA GAMBA; HARRIS BECKER/GUITAR AND LUTE; ASQUALE BIANCULLI/GUITAR; MICHÈLE EATON/SOPRANO; ARTHUR HAAS/HARPSICHORD; KATHLEEN MCDONALD/FLUTE; MARTHA MCGAUGHEY/IOLA DA GAMBA; SANDRA MILLER/FLUTE

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Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 374

"The Telemann Ensemble, based in Townsville, North Queensland, specialises in performing music of the baroque (with occasional excursions into earlier and slightly later music) with awareness of, and respect for, the instruments and performance traditions of the period. The ensemble was formed early in 1999 and has presented concerts and led workshops in Townsville, Atherton, Innisfail, Cairns and Brisbane.“

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Added on: Apr 18, 2009 | Hits: 374

"Renowned for their unearthly vocal blend and virtuosic ensemble singing, the four women of Anonymous 4 combine musical, literary, and historical scholarship with contemporary performance intuition as they create ingeniously designed programs, interweaving music with poetry and narrative.

In addition to their unmatched medieval repertoire, Anonymous 4 has often reached out into the realm of contemporary music, and has premiered works by Peter Maxwell Davies, John Tavener, Steve Reich, and Richard Einhorn. The group has most recently expanded their repertoire to include traditional music of the British Isles and America.

Anonymous 4 has performed in major venues and festivals throughout North America, Europe and the Far East. The ensemble has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion," "CBS Sunday Morning," A&E's "Breakfast With the Arts," and NPR’s “Weekend Edition.” Anonymous 4's award-winning recordings have attained unprecedented popularity, rising to the top of Billboard's classical chart, and selling almost 1.5 million copies worldwide. " ...

Added on: Aug 22, 2007 | Hits: 375

"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. ... "

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Added on: Mar 29, 2008 | Hits: 376