EarlyMusicNews.Org

"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: 307

"THE IVORY CONSORT, founded and directed by Jay Elfenbein, is an ensemble that specializes in medieval music performed in an exciting and historically informed manner. For over ten years, they have brought ancient music to life on stage and over the radio with stunning clarity and bold improvisation. The Consort presents a fascinating mosaic of songs from the Golden Age of Spain, when Jews, Muslims, and Christians forged a common musical language. The live program and CD Music in the Land of Three Faiths feature 10th through 13th century songs in Ladino, Hebrew, Arabic, and Galician-Portuguese and provide a historical context for the intermingling of cultures that took place before the 1492 Expulsion. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 364

"Istanpitta is a United States based ensemble performing music of the 10th to 14th century Middle Ages including many traditional Middle Eastern dance tunes. The ensemble consists of 3-5 musicians playing a variety of period instruments including oud, lute, saz, early percussion, shawms, recorders, transverse flutes, krummhorns, vielles, Medieval harp, bagpipes and voice. The ensemble performs live at formal concert venues, universities, and festivals. " See website for more details. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 18, 2008 | Hits: 385

“Indianapolis Early Music (IEM), originally known by its current corporate name of Festival Music Society of Indiana, was established in 1966 as a not-for-profit organization to enrich, educate and entertain audiences with the music of Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and early classic eras. IEM concerts feature high quality performers, performing on instruments of the period. IEM was the first organization of its kind formed in Indiana and only the second in the nation at the time of its organization. It is now the oldest continuous Early Music series in the United States. The festival occurs each June and July. …”

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Tags:“Indianapolis Early Music Festival”

Added on: Jul 30, 2011 | Hits: 181

“Innovative, historically-informed and multi-cultural, HESPERUS’ collaborative artists perform a variety of programs designed to bring musical history alive including silent movie soundtracks of early and traditional music, musical portraits of a single culture through time, fusions of European early music with American traditional styles, and single-genre early music programs from medieval to Spanish and British Colonial music. Whatever the genre, HESPERUS performs with creative energy, technical assurance and a sense of fun.“

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Added on: Nov 12, 2012 | Hits: 207

“Harmonious Blacksmith combines the best of creative conceptual programming with the fire of virtuoso performing and improvising. Uniquely focused on the connection between composition and improvisation in Renaissance and Baroque music, Harmonious Blacksmith looks back to the age-old practices of improvising dance music and ornamenting songs. …

Harmonious Blacksmith was founded in 2006 by harpsichordist Joseph Gascho and recorder player Justin Godoy. They met while studying at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, performing together in the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble under the direction of Mark Cudek. They also performed together at the Amherst Early Music Festival, the International Baroque Institute at Longy, and in numerous recitals in the Baltimore/DC area.  …”

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Added on: Mar 02, 2012 | Hits: 157

"Harmonia Baroque Players was established to perform the rich and plentiful small ensemble repertoire of the Renaissance and Baroque period, playing not only the popular works, but also the lesser-known masterpieces of this era. We are also deeply committed to providing affordable, high quality performances, thus making the enjoyment of live music concerts available to a wide audience which might not be able to afford higher priced events. Ticket prices are kept very low, but anyone who cannot afford even that will be admitted for free. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 10, 2008 | Hits: 283

"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: 440

“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: 312

"THE GOLIARDS present authentic medieval music in a lively and entertaining style. We perform on reproductions of actual medieval instruments and sing in the various dialects and languages of the period. We wear costumes based on the clothing of period musicians, completing the feeling of long ago.

The music is a wide variety of medieval tunes, chiefly from the 13th and 14th centuries. Selections can range from bouncy dances and drinking songs to hauntingly beautiful devotional and art melodies. In the style of medieval musicians, large sections of music are improvised, adding an unforgettable excitement to the songs. The Goliards can play, lead and teach dances to allow the audience to completely experience the music as it was originally presented. We have in the past worked with other performers in poetic and dramatic recitations. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 23, 2008 | Hits: 414

"Fortune’s Wheel made its debut at the 1996 International Festival of Early Music in Mexico City, where critics acclaimed the group’s “style, diction, tuning, perfect balance, and total engagement with the music.” Since then, the ensemble has been presented by early music concert series in San Francisco, Seattle, San Diego, Tijuana, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Houston, Jackson, Tucson, Columbus, Cambridge, and Duke University. They have also appeared at the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, the Amherst Early Music Festival, The Cloisters and the Frick Collection in New York City, Yale University’s Collection of Musical Instruments, and many other series." See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 10, 2008 | Hits: 409

“MaryAnn Shore ~ Recorder & Baroque Oboe & Susan Patrick ~ Harpsichord”

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Added on: Mar 01, 2012 | Hits: 174

“Folger Consort is recognized nationwide as a model chamber music ensemble, performing music from the twelfth through eighteenth centuries. Artistic Directors and Founding Members Robert Eisenstein and Christopher Kendall form the core of the ensemble and are joined by internationally noted guest artists, both singers and instrumentalists. Folger Consort was voted Best Classical Chamber Ensemble at the 2009 and 2010 Washington Area Music Awards. …”

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Added on: Sep 29, 2011 | Hits: 145

"Flying Forms – To be a presence that transforms communities and inspires expression through excellence in performance, innovative education and creative collaboration.

Flying Forms consists of members Sang Joon Park (traverso), Marc Levine (baroque violin), and Tami Morse (harpsichord). Already experienced modern instrument musicians with Doctor of Musical Arts degrees we formed Flying Forms out of our passion for performing early chamber music. In order to broaden our repertoire choices, and to experiment within the chamber music concert genre, Flying Forms collaborates regularly with other musicians and artists, including gambist Martha McGoughey and baroque dancers Dorothy Olsson and Mark Mindek.

Flying Forms performs regularly on the St. Mark’s Concert Series in Islip, and has upcoming concerts throughout the New York metropolitan area and in Boston. They regularly give lecture demonstrations at Stony Brook University, in the Islip Public School System, and Long Island museums and libraries.

In addition, Flying Forms has many on-going projects including performing the modern premieres of Carlos Canobio’s duos for violin and flute, recording and performing the complete Telemann “Paris” Quartets, recording a companion CD to a book written by baroque dance specialists Dorothy Olsson and Kaspar Mainz, and collaborating with singers and dancers in a fully-staged chamber opera performance. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 683

“Florida Pro Musica was founded in 1998 by George F. Gramling, III and Larry Kent. We presented our Inaugural Concert at the Palladium Theater in St. Petersburg, Florida in May of 1999.

Our concerts over the first ten years have included some wonderful highlights, from large-scale works like Mozart's Requiem and Handel's Messiah to intimate offerings such as the complete Masses by William Byrd, baroque trio sonatas, madrigals in costume, and a whole spectrum of choral and instrumental programs. We have performed in Largo, Clearwater, Sun City Center, and Ocala, as well as in St. Petersburg and Tampa. Our main performance home since 2002 is Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Tampa.  “

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Added on: Jun 10, 2009 | Hits: 346

“Eya is a new ensemble based in Washington, DC specializing in the interpretation of medieval music for women’s voices. Directed by Allison Mondel, Eya presents concert programs that interweave diverse repertories of the 12th through 15th centuries, from Hildegard von Bingen to Notre Dame to the flyleaves of early English manuscripts and beyond. Through this lens, these programs seek to tell a story that forges new points of connection between contemporary audiences and ancient repertoire.

Eya (prounounced “eh-yah”) is a Latin exclamation of joy.“

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Added on: Feb 19, 2012 | Hits: 213

"Performers of Medieval & Renaissance Music ... The Everyman Guild was founded in 1977 and is an ensemble of friends (none an original member) who sing and play a wide variety of early instruments.

Performing in renaissance costume, we recreate early dances, and use poetry and drama to build informative, theatrical and engaging programs. The simple elegance of this music, with its complementary melodic lines, clean, spare harmonies, poetic texts and engaging rhythms make it relevant and accessible today. An Everyman Guild concert is music sung and played by a small group of musicians who work together closely on interpretation, and who know each other well. This offers the musicians and the audience a personal and direct musical experience. Renaissance music is an authentic living history of people of the past, and perhaps the most intimate way we can connect with them. We hear in their music the same elemental feelings, emotions, and rhythms that we experience in our own lives. Come with us into the Renaissance, and be moved to a deeper understanding of our world today. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 23, 2008 | Hits: 390

"Pursuant to its mission to reclaim early music for contemporary audiences, Ensemble Voltaire presents engaging concerts of Baroque chamber music. Gifted musicians, skilled in playing period instruments, bring their rich understanding of the repertoire and culture of the period to bear on each time-bridging performance. At ease with today's audiences, Ensemble Voltaire brings the Baroque period to life with story and even humor, subtly surrounding the listener with the cultural context from which the music emerges."

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Added on: Apr 15, 2007 | Hits: 333

"Ensemble Vermillian was founded to explore the potential for color and texture possible in transcribing the virtuosic repertoire of the seventeenth and eighteenth century for recorder, cello and continuo. Based in Davidson, North Carolina, and Berkeley, California the members of EV, sisters Frances Blaker (recorders) and Barbara Blaker Krumdieck (Baroque cello) joined by Katherine Heater (harpsichordist and organist) have traveled to meet, research, rehearse and perform together since 2000. The ensemble is expanded to include other musicians depending on the project at hand. Viola da gambist Elisabeth Reed joined Ensemble Vermillian for the two-CD Stolen Jewels project. Having studied at conservatories in Denmark, the Netherlands, Ohio and Indiana, the performers blend their approach to the music to create a sound which inspired one audience member to write, “A beautiful performance. The chemistry between you is special.”

EV explores less-familiar repertoire from the 17th and 18th centuries and makes it their own through transcription for their particular instruments. The very special group chemistry that these players create together makes for compelling performances, both for the audience and the performers. The combination of music research and vibrant performance are what make Ensemble Vermillian stand out from the crowd. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 23, 2008 | Hits: 660

"Since 1995 Ensemble Soleil has given concerts and presented multi-media theatrical events in the United States and Europe. In 2001 Ensemble Soleil became a juried ensemble of the Vermont Arts Council.

Known for innovative programming and lively performances, we play period instruments and authentic modern copies. We were recognized by the I.R.S as a non profit organization in 1999.

Our programs feature the beautiful viol consort music of the Renaissance from Spain, Italy, England and the Low Countries, and the multi-faceted Baroque chamber music of Italy, Austria, Germany and France. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 24, 2008 | Hits: 290

"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: 449

"Ensemble Leonarda was formed at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where its founding members were participating in the early music program. Named after the composer Isabella Leonarda (1620–1704), this group of gifted individuals have come together to form an ensemble dedicated to performing works of the Baroque masters with vim, vigor, and enthusiasm. Past performances have included recitals at the Church of the Epiphany as part of the “Washington Musicians for Nuclear Disarmament” series; Squires Recital Salon at Virginia Tech; St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s Chapel–Columbia University, the Donnell Library Center, Music in Chelsea, and Church of the Transfiguration concert series. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 388

“Ensemble Impromptu rotates its musical artists, providing a unique experience for each event. Michelle D. Cosgrove is the founder of Ensemble Impromptu. Her experience with creating a variety of different chamber ensembles led her to developing a home base for each project- Ensemble Impromptu. Each concert features rotating guest artists, fashioning a new texture of instrumentation for each ensemble. This provides an opportunity for audiences to hear chamber music that is not regularly found in the mainstream classical venues.“

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Added on: Apr 14, 2010 | Hits: 288

“Based in Washington, DC, Ensemble Gaudior is dedicated to performing masterpieces of chamber music from the Baroque and Classical eras, using instruments from those periods or careful modern copies. By presenting this repertoire to modern concert audiences, we hope to contribute to the process of moving our world toward greater harmony. (The name Gaudior is borrowed from the musical unicorn in Madeleine L’Engle’s book A Swiftly Tilting Planet, who time-travels through the universe joyfully harmonizing with the music of the stars and planets.)”

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Added on: Mar 02, 2012 | Hits: 204

“In the summer of 2005, a few singers in the Madison Early Music Festival decided that it was a fine idea to get together and delight themselves with singing madrigals. The group's first piece—William Byrd’s “This sweet and merry month of May”, whose ending celebrated Queen Elizabeth I with the words

And greet Eliza with a rhyme:
O beauteous Queen of Second Troy,
Take well in worth a simple toy.

provided a great name for the group. Eliza’s Toyes was born, and existed every summer in Madison, Wisconsin.

In 2008, a fair number of singers who were in Eliza's Toyes are living in Madison once again. Thus we gather, outside of the Festival, for the joy of music making. It is our pleasure to continue sharing this wonderful body of music with you for the second year!”

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Added on: Mar 23, 2012 | Hits: 125