EarlyMusicNews.Org

"Acclaimed by the New York Times for its "vital performances" and "robust" playing, Repast is a collaboration of three period-instrument virtuosi presenting vivid renditions of music of the baroque era. Repast members Keri Mikkelson (harpsichord), Amelia Roosevelt (violin), and John Mark Rozendaal (violoncello and viola da gamba), each have active careers in historical performance and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the trio's programs. Repast enjoys frequent and fruitful collaborations with leading period instrument players and vocalists in order to explore the vast, masterful repertoire of the baroque era. The group's name, meaning a meal or a feast, is a double-entendre: out of the revival of past music comes a delectable, spiritually nourishing experience. ...

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 437

“Has in recent years become one of the most popular ensembles in the music of the 16th and 17 Century and is now a regular guest of the most important European Festivals of Early Music. ..“

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Added on: May 09, 2009 | Hits: 437

"The Early Music Studio of Saint John is a new venture providing local musicians - both amateur and professional - with educational and performance programs about the music of the 16th to 18th centuries, the period of the first exploration and settlement of our region from the first voyage of Jacques Cartier in 1534 to the arrival of the Loyalists in 1783. The Early Music Studio seeks through its performances to offer the community the opportunity to experience the "soundtrack" of our early history. The adventurous spirit and energy of the early explorers and settlers is reflected in this lively, colourful music, as the composers of the time charted new realms of musical expression to create works which still have the power to entertain and move us today.

In keeping with the historical focus of the music, the Early Music Studio takes the stage in a number of Saint John's landmark heritage buildings. These dramatic performance spaces provide a fitting, historic backdrop for the performances of the Early Music Studio. " ...

Added on: Aug 17, 2007 | Hits: 436

"Parthenia is a dynamic quartet of viols dedicated to performing the rich and abundant repertoire for viola da gamba from the 16th to 21st centuries. We present an annual series of concerts in Manhattan, where we collaborate with esteemed guest artists in engaging and surprising programs; we commission and premier new works for viols; we work to increase awareness of the viol's cultural heritage by touring to historical venues throughout New York City and to prestigious venues around the country. Parthenia is committed to creating more consort-playing opportunities, both professional and amateur, throughout America."

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Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 436

"With their historical instruments, the Grenser Trio and friends explore late-classical and early-romantic chamber music as it sounded to its first audiences. Present-day audiences hear the Trio at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and SUNY Stony Brook as well as in New York City's Church of St. Francis of Assisi and the Interchurch Center. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 436

"Artistic Director , Julie Harris, returned to Calgary in 1999. Her experience as a performer (soprano) and connections to other performers across the country gave her the idea of starting a new series in her native city. Now entering its seventh season, the Early Music Voices Concert Society offers a varied and interesting line-up of performers who specialize in early music repertoire. Each year the series aims to present touring early music groups, while also being committed to presenting local and regional performers, and creating joint projects with visiting artists. In essence the series is dedicated to presenting music from Bach's time and before in a stylish, historically informed way. ..."

Added on: Aug 06, 2007 | Hits: 434

"The Gabrieli Consort & Players were founded by Paul McCreesh in 1982 and have just celebrated their 25th anniversary season. Initially recognised for their mould-breaking reconstructions of music for historical occasions, they have gone on to captivate audiences worldwide with their bold readings of the masterworks of the baroque and renaissance. They are regularly heard at major festivals and concert halls throughout Europe and the USA. In partnership with Martin Randall Music Management, they have pioneered new areas of 'cultural tourism' in creating festivals of music in historic centres, including Venice, Rome, Naples, Leipzig, and northern Spain. September 2007 saw the ensemble's largest residency to date as part of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival in Wrocław, Poland, where Paul McCreesh became Artistic Director in 2006. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 434

"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: 433

"De Organographia performs the music of Ancient Greece on a myriad of faithful reproductions of period instruments. Their concerts are informative and entertaining presentations using period text and song to bring to life the musical art of the distant past. The ancient Greek repertoire of De Organographia is brought alive in an improvisatory style based on precepts preserved in the writings of antiquity.

De Organographia performs on a collection of instruments of their own making: aulos (double reed pipe), lyra (Lyre), kithara (the ornate lyre of the professional musician), syrinx (panpipes), syrinx monokalamos (vertical flute), trichordon (small 3 stringed lute), psythirã (rattle), tympanon (drum), kymbala (cymbals), and salpinx (trumpet). " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 04, 2009 | Hits: 432

"Mercurius is a young and innovative group which specialises in the performance and research of the Early Music, embracing in its repertoire works from the Baroque and Classical periods. Its young members had first met at the Royal Academy of Music while postgraduate students and develop intense solo careers along with their chamber and orchestral work.

The group gathers young musicians, recently graduated in some of the leading schools in Britain, representing thus a suitable environment for the continuing development of their artistic abilities. Mercurius functions as a co-operative where musicians, singers and dancers have a unique opportunity to work closely and exchange views and experiences, creating an exciting and rich melting pot for artistic production. The experience of reuniting art forms as they were conceived in the Baroque period, when instrumental & vocal music and dance could not be dissociated, is largely supported. Similarly, we base our research on the Expression of Passions and the comprehension of rhetorical speech and its importance in that period. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Sep 07, 2008 | Hits: 431

"Ensemble Gombert is Melbourne's outstanding chamber choir, noted for its pure intonation and historic approach to choral sound and style. Named after Nicolas Gombert (c. 1495 - 1560), who has been largely ignored in the twentieth century despite an exemplary reputation amongst his contemporaries, the Ensemble specialises in a cappella performance of Franco-Flemish music of the High Renaissance. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 430

"The members of vox suavis came together, fascinated by the beauty of traditional spanish art and the excellence of its interpretation. They are eager to revive certain aspects of a type of music on the verge of disappearing. the group has taken on the work and the message of personalities such as felipe pedrell, kurt schindler, alan lomax, joaquín díaz and garcía matos, ethnomusicologists and composers. They are known for speaking out for a musical culture based on oral tradition which has an immense richness and artistic force. vox suavis aims to build bridges between medieval and renaissance music and popular music of an oral tradition. One of its assumptions is that studying the interpretation of traditional music facilitates the interpretation of early music. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 18, 2008 | Hits: 430

“RENAISSONICS music lives in the robust performances of Renaissonics. Simultaneously historical and contemporary in its approach, the group plays as musicians of the era played --vigorously and improvisationally. Renaissonics' stylish performances allow audiences to experience the elegance and excitement of Renaissance music as it was intended to be heard. Music of the past is suddenly music of today. Virtuoso solos, chamber music, dance music and dazzling improvisations combine in a program that joyously bridges the gap between the artistic and pop. Renaissonics is a unique blend of members, all of whom are internationally recognized soloists, dance musicians, and improvisors. Their playing vibrantly blends this extensive expertise into performances that are continually original. Renaissonics is the resident ensemble for the Historical Dance Foundation's annual International Early Dance Institute.

RENAISSONICS is acknowledged as a leading ensemble of Renaissance Chamber Music, Dance Music, and Improvisation. They have appeared at the Festival Cenomanies in Le Mans, France; Musique en Catalogne Romaine, Perpignan, France; and may be heard on Ken Burn's PBS Documentary "The West". They were a featured ensemble for the Christmas Revels where they performed for a public of over 15,000 and for Early Music America's Star Spangled Season. Other appearances include the Boston Early Music Festival, the Cambridge Society for Early Music's International Candlelight Concerts, the Castle Hill Pop Music Series, the Indianapolis Early Music Festival, the New England Conservatory of Music's Improvisation Festival, Plimouth Plantation, and at Boston's First Night Celebration. RENAISSONICS is the resident ensemble of the Killington Vermont Shakespeare Festival.  ..“

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Added on: May 03, 2010 | Hits: 430

"VOICES OF MUSIC performs both renaissance and baroque music, drawing upon the many and varied sources for historical performance practice. Performances are o­ne o­n a part, with an emphasis o­n combining both instrumental and vocal styles of interpretation and ornamentation. In addition to the concert series in the San Francisco Bay Area, Voices of Music sponsors the Young Artist Recitals, with the clear goal of working with the next generation of singers and musicians. Voices of Music is an affiliate of the San Francisco Early Music Society."

Added on: Apr 06, 2007 | Hits: 427

"Like so many of the best things in life, the birth of Gothic Voices came about almost by accident. Back in 1980 Christopher Page was asked by the BBC to put together a programme of plainchant by the 12th century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Record producer Ted Perry tuned in to that broadcast and it so impressed him that he set up what was to become one of the best-selling recordings of pre-classical music ever made: A Feather on the Breath of God — Hymns and Sequences by Abbess Hildegard of Bingen. Since that time, Gothic Voices has recorded a further twenty CDs on the Hyperion label, three of which have won the coveted Gramophone Magazine Award. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 427

"Founded by Francis Colpron in 1991, Les Boréades de Montréal focuses on early music. The ensemble has chosen an interpretative approach in keeping with the spirit of the Baroque era, by adhering to the rules of performance practice of the past and playing on period instruments. Critics and audiences alike in Canada and abroad have been unanimous in hailing the group’s energy and spontaneity as well as its theatrical, expressive and elegant playing, indicative of a unique flair for Baroque aesthetics. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 17, 2008 | Hits: 427

"Banquo plays (mostly) folk music and early music from (mostly) all over Europe, (mostly) from about the 12th century to present day.

We started out in the summer/fall of 1998, playing primarily Irish traditional music, and wanting to explore a fusion with early music. Since then, our vision has expanded dramatically to include basically, whatever we want. :) Part of the philosophy is that we refuse to be pigeonhole-able, which would tend to restrict us to a particular tradition or time period. And we're not willing to be so restricted. All this music is too interesting to leave behind just because it doesn't "fit" in some way. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 427

"The Madison Bach Musicians ensemble is dedicated to presenting the music of Johann Sebastian Bach—as well as works by other great composers of the Baroque, Renaissance, and Classical periods—through performances, lectures, and workshops. Bach’s music was chosen as a focal point because of its outstanding beauty, variety, and profundity and because it speaks with urgency to modern audiences; it is the high water mark of musical expression and craft in western culture. In pursuit of the greatest clarity we perform primarily on period instruments, and our ensemble sizes are typical of those used by Bach himself. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Nov 23, 2008 | Hits: 426

"Founded by local musician and early music enthusiast, John Truitt, Música Antigua de Albuquerque has been performing medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music since 1978. In recognition of New Mexico's Hispanic tradition, the ensemble concentrated on the repertoire of Renaissance and medieval Spain in its early performances. Soon, however, the organization began to broaden the scope of its repertoire, and its concerts have since featured music from many areas in Europe from the 13th-18th centuries.

Música Antigua has given guest performances throughout New Mexico, including Las Cruces, Silver City, Portales, Hobbs, Taos, Tucumcari, Los Alamos, Socorro, Grants, Corrales, Cedar Crest, Tomé, and Mountainair. The ensemble has given joint performances with the Sangre de Cristo Chorale and the Coro de Cámara, and has collaborated with the Cathedral Church of St. John in productions of the medieval Play of Daniel and T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral. In 2002, the group performed for the Southwest Repertory Theater's Shakespeare Festival. The ensemble has also given tour performances in Houston and Milwaukee. In addition to its concert series and guest performances, Música Antigua gives frequent lecture-demonstrations of early music and instruments to adults and students of all ages. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 10, 2008 | Hits: 424

"Ensemble Anonymus was formed in Québec City in 1978 by a group of young professional performers under the leadership of Claude Bernatchez, the group’s founder and musical director. Their passionate interest in early music led them to attempt to recreate the musical traditions of medieval Europe. Today, the long list of their concerts and original shows, along with a series of high-quality recordings, testifies to their achievements and the level of artistic excellence they have attained. " See website for more details. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 18, 2008 | Hits: 424

"Gothenburg is a Baroque ensemble consisting of singer and instrumentalists focused on the music of the 16th-17th century. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Oct 08, 2008 | Hits: 424

"Gaïta is a group based in Edinburgh dedicated to Medieval Music. They are performers of medieval music and early dance, produce books of medieval music, and design and build medieval instruments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 13, 2008 | Hits: 423

"Shunning the traditional concert-going experience, I FURIOSI Baroque Ensemble is revolutionising the face of Canadian early music. This group of four inspired and informed musicians performs programmes of music rarely heard on stage with an unparalleled and unusual fervour and sex-appeal. Having studied at institutions including University of Indiana at Bloomington, University of Toronto, McGill University, International Baroque Institute at Longy and The Banff Centre, these daring musicians bring their skill and expertise to new audiences, and are the edgy new voice in the early music world. The configuration of string trio and soprano allows a wide range of repertoire to be performed. I FURIOSI performs in Canada, the United States and abroad, and plans to expand to other venues in the coming years. In its Toronto concert series, the ensemble invokes the “bizarre and unnatural” aesthetic of the Baroque era, both cherished and despised in its time."

Added on: Apr 15, 2007 | Hits: 421

"Camerata Köln is an ensemble devoted to baroque and classical chamber music, with a special focus on works with woodwind instruments.

Since its foundation in 1979, the ensemble has performed in almost all European countries and at important early music festivals such as the Internationale Festtage Alter Musik Innsbruck, Flanders Festival Bruges, Tage Alter Musik Herne, Arolser Barockfestspiele or Tage Alter Musik Köln. International touring has also taken Camerata Köln to countries outside Europe including Israel, North and South America, India, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, mostly in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut. In North America, the ensemble has already performed in such places as the Frick Collection In New York, Indianapolis Early Music Festival, Vancouver Early Music Festival, the Pittsburg Renaissance and Baroque Society, the Tropical Baroque Festival sponsored by the Miami Bach Society and, more recently, the Edmonton Chamber Music Society, the Calgary Millenium Foundation and the Women's Musical Club of Toronto, Canada's oldest music series.

From the start, the idea underlying the ensemble´s activities has been to have early chamber music performed by musicians with a virtuoso command of historical instruments as well as proper attention to style combined with the greatest possible spontaneity, pleasure and artistic independence. Over the years, public and critics alike have continued to recognize this idea as being the distinguishing and outstanding feature of Camerata Köln. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 17, 2008 | Hits: 421

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 17, 2009 | Hits: 421