EarlyMusicNews.Org

"Derek Adlam is a performer and instrument maker. Trained in London, his teachers traced their musical ancestry to European traditions established by Czerny, Liszt and Clara Schumann. As a child he was, however, drawn instinctively to the ancestors of the modern piano. Neglected spinets and strangely shaped pianos with haunting, ghostly sounds possessed a magical appeal. This attraction remained strong, and while a student he began to play the harpsichord. He also began to explore the musical possibilities offered by the early piano. With the encouragement of his friends, he began his first experiments in the restoration of an antique fortepiano . ...

In 1982, Derek Adlam moved to Welbeck in Nottinghamshire to the Harley Foundation’s newly opened art and craft workshops. He became involved with the Foundation’s charitable work, and until 1999 supervised many of its artistic developments, including the building of a public art Gallery at Welbeck. Although no longer building instruments, he continues to perform, principally on the clavichord, and has given recitals in many European countries and the United States. He is President of the British Clavichord Society. " See website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 05, 2008 | Hits: 301

“Natalia Valentin began her musical studies at the age of six in Caracas, Venezuela. She studied Piano under Diana Franklin, Arnaldo Pizzolante and Cesar Rangel. She also completed courses in Harmony, Music History, Musical Aesthetics and Chamber Music at the Conservatory Juan Jose Landaeta. Parallel to her musical education, Natalia studied Arts at the Central University of Venezuela.

In 1998, Natalia Valentin settled in Paris where she began her musical studies at the Superior Conservatory of Paris (CRR). She studied with professor Billy Eidi and achieved a "Premier Prix" for her final piano performance.

Having successfully completed her piano studies at CRR, Natalia began specializing in Fortepiano, studying with professor Patrick Cohen at the CRR. In 2003, she obtained the Early Music Superior Diploma, and at the same time, she obtained the "Premier Prix" in Chamber Music at the Conservatory Gustave Charpentier where she studied under professor Odile Carracilly.

Subsequent studies took Natalia to the Conservatoire Superieur Nationale de Musique et Danse de Paris, and In June 2007 she obtained, by unanimous decision of the jury, a "Premier Prix" in Fortepiano performance with the commendation of excellence. She studied under professors Patrick Cohen, Pierre Cazes, and Kenneth Weiss and worked to perfect her fortepiano technique under the guidance of Susan Alexander Max and Arthur Schoonderwoerd.

Natalia Valentin has attended Fortepiano Master Classes by Malcolm Bilson, Alexei Lubimov, Andreas Staier, Claire Chevalier, Bart von Oort, Miklos Spanyi and Susan Alexander-Max. ..“

Visit website for more information. (Admin)

Added on: Oct 18, 2009 | Hits: 302

"Biagio Terracciano, pianist, choir and orchestra Director, has a diploma with distinction in piano at the Academy of Music "S.Pietro a Majella" in Naples and a honours degree with a historical musicologic specialization in Italian Literature. Since 1984 he has been studying and doing research on ancient music, specializing in the practice of the renaissance and baroque polyphony both sacred and secular. In the same year he founded the vocal group "Dimensione Polifonica" which he has been instructing and directing since then. Having distinguished himself during international courses of specialization both for orchestration and choir conduction organized by the Directors D.Bartolucci (Director for life of the Cappella Sistina), R.R. Duarte, J. Jurgens, B. Zagni he has also participated to the International Courses of Urbino for the vocality and the execution of the baroque music. He has published many articles and essays on ancient music and on sacred polyphony. In 1997 he revised L. Leo's unpublished "Dixit Domus" donating the score of it to Maestro R. De Simone of the Academy of Music of Naples. In 1988 he founded the Cultural Association "Dimensione Polifonica", an organization of regional importance, of which he is the President. As an expert of liturgical music he cooperates with the Cathedral of Naples. In 1990 he played the organ during the John Paul IInd celebration of the High Mass in Piazza del Plebiscito. Since 1991 he has been the Director of the Schola Cantorum of the Cathedral of Naples, which performs during the most important liturgies, celebrated by the Cardinal Michele Giordano. He is the founder and instructing director of the choir of white voices "S. Maria della Rotonda". He is the Secretary of the Diocesan Commission of sacred music, conductor of many chamber groups and artistic director of many musical happenings. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 20, 2008 | Hits: 304

"ANNAMARI PÖLHÖ studied harpsichord at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and at the Utrecht Conservatory. In 1989 she received her soloist diploma. Later she has studied with Mitzi Meyerson and Jesper Christensen (continuo-playing). She received her doctor's degree at the Sibelius Academy on French and Italian thorough-bass practise in 1994.

Annamari Pölhö has performed as soloist and chamber musician in Finland and abroad. She is the keyboard player of Battalia ensemble and she plays often with the Sixth Floor orchestra and Avanti!. She has made solo and ensemble recordings for the Finnish Radio and Alba recording company.

Annamari Pölhö works as a teacher at the Sibelius Academy and at the Helsinki Conservatory. Her dissertation about the French and Italian continuo styles has been published in the series of the Sibelius Academy Music Research Centre. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 27, 2008 | Hits: 305

"Italian, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Claudio Di Veroli received his training from a distinguished group of European musicians: Ernst Epstein (piano and interpretation), Erwin Leuchter (harmony) and Ljerko Spiller (chamber music). Living in Europe in the early 70’s he was strongly influenced by his teachers Colin Tilney in London and Hubert Bédard in Paris. He was granted access and practised extensively on the antique keyboards in the Fenton House (London) and the Paris Conservatoire Musée Instrumental (now Musée de la Musique). ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jan 15, 2009 | Hits: 305

"Irma Rogell was the last student of the great harpsichordist Wanda Landowska. In 1960, she played her debut concert at Boston's Jordan Hall, embarking on a successful career as a performer and teacher.

Ms. Rogell toured throughout Europe, South America and the United States. She has appeared with the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Leinsdorf and the Brazil Symphony Orchestra under deCarvalho; she has also played with the Camarata of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

As a teacher, she has served on the faculty of the Longy School of Music, the York College of the City University of New York and the New England Conservatory of Music. She has presented master classes at Harvard University and was a soloist and lecturer at the Aegina Arts Centre in Greece.

Ms. Rogell has premiered suites and sonatas for harpsichord composed and dedicated to her by the American composer Nicholas Van Slyck; she has also received compositions from composers such as Willi Pelemans, Josip Andric, Frank Martin, Dalibor Vackar and Ernst Levy.

Today she continues to record on the AFKA label. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 24, 2008 | Hits: 311

"Krzysztof Czerwinski was born in Poznan, Poland and began his early musical training at the age of 7, as a private piano student of Prof. Irena Wyrzykowska-Mondelska, from the Academy of Music in Poznan. He received his first degree from the Wieniawski School of Music (Poznan), where he studied organ and piano. In 1997 he gained the Wieniawski School of Music Award for both best music interpretation and best organ performance. He won First Prize in the 1998 National Organ Competition in Czestochowa (Poland). In 2000 he graduated from Prof. Jozef Serafin’s organ class, receiving the High School of Music Diploma in Organ Performance.

As an organist, Krzysztof Czerwinski won several top prizes in national and international competitions and has played in many of the major venues in Poland; has broadcast and recorded for Polish radio and television, and has performed abroad, in Russia, France, Holland, Austria, Germany, England and the USA. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 27, 2008 | Hits: 312

“Welcome to my website! I am a music historian and performer on historical keyboard instruments. I teach at Wagner College, Staten Island, New York, where I am Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department. Welcome to my website! I am a music historian and performer on historical keyboard instruments. I teach at Wagner College, Staten Island, New York, where I am Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department.  ..“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Feb 08, 2010 | Hits: 317

"He has based most of his piano and fortepiano activity on the results of his personal research. He gained his diploma at the Conservatorio di Musica di Foggia and his diploma with merit at the Accademia Chigiana of Siena in piano (1984) and in chamber music (1985). Having studied the main piano treatises, he has since concentrated his studies on rediscovering and re-evaluating 19th century Italian instrumental music. His repertoir includes Hummel, Clementi, Dussek, Moscheles, Cramer, Czerny, Kalkbrenner, Ries and Mueller as well as the most representative authors of the 19th century. Thanks to his researches he rediscovered and performed transcriptions of Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart’s sinfonies and concerts by Hummel, Moscheles, Ries, Czerny, Cramer and Clementi. He is curator and member, for Ut-Orpheus in Bologna-urtext, of the scientific committee for Muzio Clementi’s opera omnia, now available in the most important Libraries throughout the world. In 2002, in association with the Italian Society of Musicology (S.I.d.M.), he contributed to the organization of the conference “Muzio Clementi: compositore-(forte)pianista-editore” held in Perugia. He is regularly invited to hold conferences in Conservatories, Istitutes, musical associations and academies such as the Hungarian Academy during the International Conference “From Liszt to Ligeti “ in 2002 and the conference on Clementi organized by the Austrian and the German Historical Institutes in Rome. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 27, 2008 | Hits: 319

"Marco Vitale was born in Palermo (Italy) in 1980. He studied piano, organ, harpsichord and composition at Palermo’s “V. Bellini” Conservatory. He took the piano diploma in 2001 and the organ diploma in 2002 with full marks and “Cum Laude”. He took part in many international master-classes where he developed his skills and taste for baroque music.

His concert life began at age of 15, with performances as a soloist and chamber musician. He has performed as a continuo player with well-known orchestras and conductors. In 2002 he moved to The Netherlands where he studied at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. Marco Vitale took degrees in organ with Jos van der Kooy, and Early Music (harpsichord) with Ton Koopman and Tini Mathot.

Marco Vitale is the co-founder and musical director of “Contrasto Armonico”, a baroque orchestra specialized in the performance of music in italian stytle and baroque operas; in 2008 started a cooperation with the Dutch label Brilliant Classics, for whom he recorded already the serenata “Aci, Galatea e Polifemo” by Handel. For he will record, in October 2008, the Handel’s oratorio “La Resurrezione”, which will be released in the first half of the Handel year 2009. In addition to performing, he also works as teacher, giving master-classes throughout Europe and teaching Harpsichord at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague (Netherlands). " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 02, 2008 | Hits: 323

"Kathryn Cok pursues a varied career as a harpsichordist, fortepianist and academic on both sides of the Atlantic. She is well sought after both as a soloist as well as a continuo player. Born in the city of New York, USA, Kathryn now lives in The Hague, Holland where she completed a Masters degree at the Royal Conservatory as a student of Ton Koopman and Tini Mathot on the harpsichord, and Bart van Oort on the fortepiano. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 08, 2008 | Hits: 328

“Arthur Haas is renowned throughout Europe and America as a peerless pedagogue and performer of Baroque and contemporary music. After receiving top prize in the 1975 Paris harpsichord competition, Mr. Haas remained in Paris from 1975 to 1983, performing in most major French early music festivals including le Festival Estival de Paris, Mai Musical de Bordeaux, and the Saintes Early Music Festival. Praised by Le Monde for his interpretation of French keyboard music, Professor Haas has recorded duo-harpsichhord music of Gaspard LeRoux with William Christie, solo CDs of music by D'Anglebert, Forqueray, and harpsichord music of the English Restoration. Prof. Haas is a member of the Aulos Ensemble and Musical Assembly, and has toured with such leading Baroque musicians as Marion Verbruggen, Julianne Baird, Stephen Preston, and Laurence Dreyfus. Much in demand as a teacher, Prof. Haas is a faculty member of summer early music music institutes in Berkeley, Amherst, and the Longy School of Music; he has also taught at the Eastman School and at Stanford University.“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 21, 2010 | Hits: 335

“Praised by The Times as ‘exceptionally gifted’ and by Early Music Today for his ‘sensitivity and vibrance,’ the Iranian-born Mahan Esfahani (b. 1984) is quickly establishing himself as the leading concert harpsichordist of his generation. He was the first harpsichordist to be named a BBC New Generation Artist and to be awarded a fellowship prize by the Borletti-Buitoni Trust. Recent highlights have included performances of of Kalabis’ Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra (1975) with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Martinu’s Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra (1935) with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jiri Belohlavek, and Poulenc’s Concert Champetre (1928) with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Last season, he also gave his solo debut at the Wigmore Hall (broadcast on BBC Radio 3) – about which the Daily Telegraph exclaimed ”the harpsichord comes out of hiding…magnificent” – and appeared at the City of London and York Early Music Festivals. In addition, his recording of the Poulenc concert was selected as a CD of the month for the May 2010 issue of BBC Music Magazine, and he has been featured as a “Hot Property” by Classic FM magazine.

Further highlights of the upcoming season include a May 2011 appearance at the Wigmore Hall with the countertenor James Bowman, and directing the Manchester Camerata, the Arion Baroque Orchestra (Montreal), and The English Concert at the 2011 Lufthansa Festival. Further afield, he will return to the United States for solo recitals and make his concerto debut in the Far East with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2011.

As a soloist and guest director Esfahani has appeared with The English Concert, the Manchester Camerata, and the Seattle Baroque Orchestra; His series and festival appearances include the BBC Proms, Tage Alter Musik Regensburg, the Goettingen Handel Festival, the Settimana Mozart of Milan, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and the San Francisco Early Music Society.

Esfahani studied as a President’s Scholar at Stanford University where his principal mentor was the musicologist George Houle; he went on to pursue his performance studies under the supervision of the Australian harpsichordist Peter Watchorn (Boston) and the Italian organist Lorenzo Ghielmi (Milan) before settling in the United Kingdom in as Artist-in-Residence at New College, Oxford. In the autumn of 2010 he was further elected an honourary member of Keble College, Oxford.”

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Nov 25, 2011 | Hits: 336

“Steven Devine is the harpsichordist for London Baroque, the co-principal with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and many groups. He also has a fine solo career on harpsichord, clavichord and fortepiano.

As a Music Director, Steven has appeared all over the world with a variety of orchestras and opera companies.“

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Tags: Devine Music

Added on: Sep 07, 2011 | Hits: 339

"Claude Nadeau holds a first prize of a harpsichord Conservatoire National french obtained in 1999 in the class of Joel Pontet, and a diploma in early music at McGill University in Montreal (1998) where she earned "A" in harpsichord by unanimous jury. She worked with harpsichordists such as Luc Beauséjour, Kenneth Gilbert or Bob van Asperen.

Seventh generation of church musicians in her family, she hass also been very active as an organist for more than twenty years. She can be heard at the organ on the disc "Er Roué Stevan" with Roland Becker and the Orchestre National Breton, ...

Young conductor especially appreciated for her work with voices, she led the chorus of Radio-France Outremer from 2003 to 2004, and works regularly with the federation A Coeur Joie in the field of early music. In January 2007, it was her "debut" as a harpsichord soloist at the Opera National de Paris in a concert of contemporary music, where she assured the world premiere of "Toccate" Graciane Finzi, ... In March 2007 she was on a tour of Japan sponsored by Air France and with the assistance of the Embassy of France in Tokyo. Artist versatile, addressing both the music and medieval Gregorian chant to traditional music and contemporary creation, it was able to see the film and television in the role of a ... harpsichordist. ... " (Google translation) Visit website for more information.

Added on: Jul 24, 2008 | Hits: 341

"Anikó Horváth was born in Győr, Hungary, and prepared for a pianist career ever since her childhood. She graduated as a pianist from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in 1972; her professor was István Antal. Simultaneously with studying the piano, she started to play the harpsichord with János Sebestyén. She won the second Grand Prix of the Harpsichord Competition of Paris in 1973 but continued studying with Zuzana Ru�ičková. The harpsichord master course of Kenneth Gilbert given in Vleeshuis, Antwerp in 1978 exerted a great influence on her artistic development.

She has appeared as a soloist and member of chamber ensembles in several European countries: Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Turkey. She has conducted harpsichord courses in Germany and within the Early Music Days of Sopron for several years.

Anikó Horváth is harpsichord professor at the Liszt Ferenc University of Music, Budapest. In 2001 she took her DLA doctoral degree. Beside giving concerts regularly, she publishes articles in musical journals and gives lectures for professionals. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 24, 2008 | Hits: 345

"Siebe Henstra studied the harpsichord with Gustav Leonhardt and Ton Koopman at the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam. He has won prizes at competitions in Edinburgh (1982) and Amsterdam (1987). Since then, he has played with many ensembles; the best known are the Leonhardt Consort, Tokyo Baroque, La Petite Bande, the Ricercar Consort, and the Royal Concertgebouwr Orchestra. He worked with several famous directors - e.g. Frans Brüggen and Gustav Leonhardt - with whom he co-operated for recordings and opera-productions (for Ricercar, Denon, Philips, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Sony and Telefunken), in most of the European countries, Japan and the United States. He is continuo player (organ and harpsichord) of the Dutch Bach Society. Siebe Henstra has given a number of masterclasses in Finland, Germany, Italy, France, Japan, the USA, Catalunya, and the Czech Republic. At this moment, he teaches harpsichord at the Utrecht conservatory. He made several solo Cd's. One entirely devoted to 17th century italian music for harpsichord solo and another one with the complete keyboard works of Matthias Weckmann, both released by Ricercar. A CD with clavichord works for the MIM in Brussels and he contributed to the complete recording of Sweelinck which got an Edison award (2003) as well as an award of the 'Deutsche Schallplatten Kritik Preis (2003). " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 16, 2008 | Hits: 351

“ .. Masumi was a prize winner at the prestigious International Harpsichord Competition in Bruges in 2007 and became the first Japanese harpsichordist to reach the finals in 21 years. She was also a semi-finalist in the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition in Leipzig (2006), a runner-up in the Broadwood Harpsichord Competition in London (2007), and a finalist in the Fenton House Keyboard Ensemble Competition (2008) with her ensemble Corona Baroque.
 
After Masumi graduated with a University Medal from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University in Brisbane Australia where she studied piano with Leah Horwitz, she was granted an Australian Postgraduate Award by the Australian Government and completed her Master of Music degree on a full scholarship. In the UK, she studied at the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music and was later awarded “The English Concert” Junior Fellowship with ensemble Melopoetica. Masumi is currently working towards a PhD by Performance at the University of York. ..“

Added on: Apr 18, 2010 | Hits: 352

"Pedro Persone was born in Tietê, SP, Brazil, and started his harpsichord study at the Conservatório Musical "Dr. Carlos de Campos", Tatuí, SP, with Maria José Carrasqueira. He studied privately with Roberto de Regina in Rio de Janeiro, and received his Bachelor degree in Harpsichord at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) in the class of Dr. Helena Jank. In Europe, he attended courses with Felipe Nabuco-Silvestre (Brazil/Portugal), Christophe Rousset (France), and Rinaldo Alessandrini (Italy). In 1977 Mr. Persone studied with Huguette Dreyfus at the Ecole Nationale de Musique de Bobigny, France; in 1988 with Jacques Ogg, at the Academie voor Oude Muziek, Amsterdam. With a scholarship from the Fundação Vitae, he attended the "Primer Curso de Música Barroca Ciudad de Segovia" in the fortepiano class of Patrick Cohen (Fance). He is the fortepianist of the "Klassisch!" duo (with the soprano Andrea Kaiser). There is no other active performer of Fortepiano besides Persone in Brazil. As teacher, he has worked at the Festival de Londrina, Oficina de Música de Curitiba, Festivais de Artes de Itu, and is the professor of harpsichord, chamber music, and thoroughbass at the Conservatório Dramático e Musical "Dr. Carlos de Campos", Tatui. In 1996, he received his Master of Musical Arts from UNICAMP, with research o­n unmeasured works. In 2000, with a scholarship from CAPES, Persone began a doctorate program (D.M.A.) in Historical Performance o­n the Harpsichord and the Fortepiano at Boston University with Professor Mark Kroll, continuing now under the orientation of Professor Peter Sykes."

Added on: Apr 09, 2007 | Hits: 353

"Born in Sardinia, Paola Erdas was awarded her diploma in harpsichord at the Conservatory of Venice in 1991. From 1992 to 1996, thanks to a five-year scholarship, she studied under Kenneth Gilbert at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Since 1996 she has been a member of the ensemble L'Apothéose, recording for the Stradivarius label.

In the same year, together with recorder virtuoso Lorenzo Cavasanti, she founded the JANAS ensemble. The group, which collaborates with the theatre and historical dance specialist Deda Colonna, soon became multi-instrumental, with the sound of the harpsichord augmented by voice,winds,strings and percussion , in performances combining poetry, dance and music of the late Renaissance and Baroque periods in the Mediterranean area.

Particularly interested in the early harpsichord repertoire she combines her intense performing activity with her wide musicological interests. For Ut Orpheus Edizioni she has published the first modern edition of the "Pièces de Luth en Musique pour jouer sur le Luth et le Clavessin" by Perrine (Paris 1680), which she has also recorded, for the Stradivarius label, on the Delin harpsichord (Tournai 1768) from the collection of K.Gilbert. Always fascinated by the Spanish repertoire, she has studied this topic in depth with careful research into ancient sources and treatises. In 1997, she recorded the solo CD "Libro de Cifra Nueva" by Luys Venegas de Henestrosa on another harpsichord in K.Gilbert's collection, the Italian F. A. 1677. ...

She is presently working on a critical edition of the "Pièces de Clavessin" by N. A. Lebègue, the first volume of which has been already been published by Ut Orpheus Edizioni and recently recorded by her on the Stradivarius label.

Paola Erdas teaches thorough-bass at the Conservatory of Trieste. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 22, 2008 | Hits: 354

"Hailed by New York Magazine as a "leading light of New York's original-instrument scene," Bradley Brookshire has emerged as one of the most noted Bach interpreters of his generation. His distinctive approach to Bach's harpsichord music has led to sustained critical acclaim by the New York Times ...

A member of the Purchase College (SUNY) faculty since 1998, Brookshire holds the position of Director of Graduate Studies in the Conservatory of Music, where he leads the Purchase College Camerata and teaches graduate courses in musicology and counterpoint. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 06, 2008 | Hits: 355

“The International Organ Foundation (IOF) is a non-profit, privately-financed foundation, formed in 1990 and based in Spain. Its main objectives are to promote interest in all aspects of pipe organs, such as the conservation of historic instruments, the construction of new organs, and the training of organ builders and organists. “ This site offers a searchable database of nearly 6000 pipe organs in 71 countries.

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 16, 2010 | Hits: 356

"Jory Vinikour is recognized as one of the outstanding harpsichordists of his generation. A highly diversified career brings him to the world’s most important festivals and concert halls as recital and concerto soloist, partner to several of today’s finest singers, and increasingly as a conductor. Born in Chicago, Jory Vinikour came to Paris on a scholarship from the Fulbright Foundation to study with Huguette Dreyfus and Kenneth Gilbert. First Prizes in the International Harpsichord Competitions of Warsaw (1993) and the Prague Spring Festival (1994) brought him to the public’s attention, and he has since appeared in festivals and concert series such as Besançon Festival, Deauville, Monaco (Semaine de la Musique Baroque), Cleveland Museum of Art, Miami Bach Festival, Indianapolis Early Music Festival, etc. ...

Bach’s Goldberg Variations, released on Delos International in 2001 received excellent reviews throughout the world. John von Rhein of the Chicago Tribune named it as one of 2001’s top ten classical CD’s, an honor that was also accorded to Mr. Vinikour’s recording of Bach’s seven harpsichord toccatas in 1999. Händel’s “Great” suites (1720) will be released by Dutch Record Company in October, 2007. Jory Vinikour is closely associated with the musical activities at the Château de Chimay in Belgium, and teaches harpsichord at the Austrian Baroque Summer Academy in Gmunden. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 24, 2008 | Hits: 358

"Mrs. ELŻBIETA STEFAŃSKA was born in Cracow, Poland, on September 7, 1943. Her extraordinary musical talent having become aparent already at an early age, she received her first piano lessons from her father Ludwik Stefański, professor at the Music Academy Cracow.

In 19.. she graduated from the National Music University Cracow in the harpsichord class. Her teacher was the famous German Professor Hans Pischner from Berlin. In the following years she improved her musical proficiency at various international master classes in Siena and Weimar, under the guidance of eminent European harpsichord player - such as Zuzanna Ruzickova or Ruggiero Gerlin. Her first two prizes were awarded to her at the Ancient Music Competition, Łódź, for her piano and harpsichord performance of baroque works. 1965 she won the First Prize at the International Music Competition in Geneva, where she was also honoured with the special Henri Ghez reward as the best harpsichard player. Among her awards and prizes are also the City of Cracow Prize for actistic achievements, awarded to the Baroque Trio of which she was a member and "LAUREL OF CBACOW MUSIC LOVERS" granted to her "in testimony of their gratitude and appreciation for having made classic music widely known".

Elżbieta Stefańska is a Professor at the Music University of Cracow where she leads the harpsichord class and where, from 1981-1990, she was Head of the Department of Clavecin and Ancient Instruments. Since 1990 she has frequently been invited to give concerts and to play for TV and radio recording in Japan, South Corea and Taiwan. In the Mozart Year she played 18 Mozart sonatas (6 CDs) using an ancient Mozart piano for the Pony Canyon sonographic company in Tokio. For the same company she also recorded numerous works by J.S. Bach composed for clavecin. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 26, 2008 | Hits: 359

"Ton Koopman was born in Zwolle in 1944. After a classical education he studied organ, harpsichord and musicology in Amsterdam and was awarded the Prix d'Excellence for both instruments. Almost from the beginning of his musical studies he was fascinated with authentic instruments and a performance style based on sound scholarship.

Even before completing his studies he laid the foundations for a career as a conductor of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century music and this fascination with the Baroque era led him in 1969, at age 25, to establish his first Baroque orchestra and, in 1979, to found the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra followed in 1993 by the Amsterdam Baroque Choir. " ...

Added on: Aug 14, 2007 | Hits: 362