EarlyMusicNews.Org

The Lute Society of Japan. Visit website for more information. (site is in Japanese with no English, ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 381

"The LGS is a lute and early guitar society with members in Japan and abroad.

The LGS has a newsletter, Nostalgia, appearing four times a year both in Japanese and in English.

The LGS organises concerts and workshops in Japan. It imports instruments and gut strings for its Japanese members and publishes cds and music for all. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 231

"The Swedish Guitar and Lute Society, SGLS was founded 1968 by Jörgen Rörby. It is a non-profit organization open to all those interested in guitar and lute. A magazine is published four times a year, Gitarr och Luta. The SGLS arranges a course (Liten Gitarrakademi) every year with well known guitar and lute personalities as guest teachers. The Society works towards qualified guitar and lute playing and supports ensembles in varioes ways in Sweden. The SGLS has many members in differents countries and strives for broad international contact. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 325

"Marc Lewon specialises in medieval instruments of the lute family and medieval Germanic languages and literature. After gaining a Master's degree in musicology and medieval German from Heidelberg University (Germany), he moved to Basel to further his practical music studies in the Medieval Department of the Schola Cantorum. There he studied lute with Crawford Young, vielle with Randall Cook and singing with Kathleen Dineen. In 2006 he completed his diploma in medieval lute, graduating with honours. In 2007 he will conclude his studies in medieval fiddle and publish a facsimile edition of the fragmentary ”Frankfurt-Neidhart Manuscript” (c1300) containing early minnesang melodies.

He plays regularly with a number of ensembles including Freiburger Spielleyt, Dulce Melos, and Le Basile and is head of the project ensemble ”Leones”. Besides being a busy performer, he gives courses in medieval music and publishes articles and editions on the subject. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 385

"Born in Melbourne, Australia, Rosemary Hodgson has lived and worked abroad, performing in Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Germany and Venezuela.

Since her return to Australia in 2000, Rosemary has been in constant demand. Her recent engagements include Richard Mill's opera Batavia with the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra, Monteverdi Vespers in the Melbourne Early Music Festival, Monteverdi Madrigals with e21, Backgammon Baroque Tasmanian tour, Bach St John's Passion with the Australian Baroque Ensemble, Vivaldi Vespers with The Choir of Newman College and guest soloist in the Palestrina Project's Victoria Requiem.

As a freelance musician, Rosemary balances accompanying, solo and continuo performances and teaching. She has appeared frequently on ABC television and radio, Channel Seven and 3MBS and is featured on La Compania's CD Music of the Spanish Renaissance (Move). Her debut solo recording, rosa, was released in March 2004. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 690

"Peter Martin started playing the guitar while living as a child in Spain. He studied music at Churchill College, Cambridge during which time he became a founder member of the English Guitar Quartet. In recent years, Peter has concentrated increasingly on the lute, theorbo and baroque guitar. He is active as a solo recitalist, accompanist and continuo player. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 515

"Lynda Sayce is one of the UK's leading lutenists, and is noted both as a performer and as a musical scholar with a strong interest in history, literature and the visual arts. She studied at St. Hugh's College, Oxford, where she matriculated in History and graduated in Music. She then studied lute with Jakob Lindberg at the Royal College of Music, and also took continuo classes with Nigel North. She holds a Ph.D for her research on the history of the theorbo, which is to be published as two books in 2005-6. Lynda has contributed articles to Early Music, the Revised New Grove Dictionary of Music, and the art journal Apollo, and has edited many music publications. She performs regularly with leading period instrument ensembles, including The King's Consort, the Academy of Ancient Music, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, and the Musicians of the Globe. For many years she was lutenist with the award-winning ensemble Charivari Agréable. Lynda appears on more than 100 CD recordings, and has broadcast on radio and TV stations throughout Europe, and in the USA, Japan and South America. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 328

"Rebecca Rosen began learning cello at the age of 9 in Los Angeles. In 2000, after she graduated summa cum laude from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music theory, she began studying baroque cello with Professor Elisabeth LeGuin. Her education was broadened through her participation in intensive baroque workshops in San Francisco, Boston, and Amherst where she enrolled in masterclasses with Phoebe Carrai and Sarah Cunningham.

In 2002, Ms. Rosen was awarded the J. William Fulbright grant to study baroque cello with Jaap ter Linden at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands. There she earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in early music performance.

She performs with such distinguished ensembles as Les Musiciens du Louvre, B'Rock, New Dutch Academy, La Scintilla (with Cecilia Bartoli), Al Ayre Espanol, La Stravaganza Köln, and a new orchestra of which she is co-founder, Collegium Musicum Den Haag.

This May, Ms. Rosen will perform two solo suites by J.S. Bach in the opening concert of the Internationale Barocktage Festival in Melk, Austria. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 27, 2008 | Hits: 362

"Paolo Zebolino musician, singer, actor and historian. His main instrument is the hurdy-gurdy, but he also plays the guitar and other stringed plucked instruments (saz, bouzouki, oud) or violin, fiddle bow. ... " (Google translation.) Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 25, 2008 | Hits: 429

"London born gambist Claire Bracher, completed her undergraduate studies with Hille Perl in Bremen Germany, and her postgraduate studies with Richard Boothby and Reiko Ichise at the Royal College of Music (RCM), London.

Claire's postgraduate studies were supported by a Douglas & Hilda Simmonds Study Award and a Hester Laverne Award. At the RCM, Claire received the 'McKenna Baroque Prize'.

With her ensemble 'Amaranthos', she reached the final of The York Early Music Young Artists Competition 2007, and with the trio, 'Musici Infaticabili', Claire won first prize at the 2008 Fenton House Chamber Music Competition.

Claire now teaches the RCM viol consorts, and in 2007 organised the first 'International Festival of Viols', held at The Royal College of Music.

Claire has performed with many renowned early music specialists, including; Ton Koopman, Hille Perl, Harry van der Kamp, Harold Vogel and Peter Holtslag. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jun 22, 2008 | Hits: 390

"Graduated in Viola da Gamba under the guide of Maestro Paolo Pandolfo, it has been perfected in Viola da Gamba following the courses of Jordi Savall in Italy and Spain and baroque Violoncello following the course of Gaetano Nasillo in the School of Music of Fiesole. With Viola da Gamba, from 1992, he has carried out an intense concert activity (124 concerts) in Italy and to the foreign country. It has collaborated with prestigious groups exhibiting himself in very many Italian localities and to the word like as an example to Vienna (Musikverein - Brahms Saal) in Austria, Copenaghen and Odense in Denmark, Sydney in Australia, Saint Cruz and Seattle in U.S.A., Belgrade (Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts) in Serbia, Hamburg (Musikhalle - Study E), Kiel and Wolfsburg in Germany, Hong Kong in China, etc. In Italy it has played with several ensemble and as soloist in most important reviews and seasons of concert like as an example to Udine where, for the season of the "Amici della Musica", it has executed a program for Viola da Gamba in billboard, between the others, with Trevor Pinnoc. With the vocal group and instrumental "Rinascenza" of Rome, in 1993, it has gained the First Absolute Prize of the T.I.M. (International Torneo of Music). In 1995 he has been soloist in the" Johannes Passion " by J.S.Bach with the Regional Orchestra of the Lazio and the Markuschor of Munchen directed by H.Boenstedt . He has recorded for the Radio Vatican and has recorded for RAI and Channel 5. Often it is exhibited from soloist or in pair with the harpsichord with programs in which it inserts all the main composers who wrote for this instrument from Ortiz to Forqueray. He has recorded 6 Compact Disc. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jun 29, 2008 | Hits: 306

"Sergio Zigiotti and Fabiano Merlante Duo has been created in 1996 with the purpose of studing and performing the vast original repertoire for mandolin and guitar, that includes a large number of baroque sonatas – which manuscript are scattered everywhere in the european libraries – the 18th century’s works of the Italian and German instrumental schools, up to modern and contemporary music which research of the timbre pursuits go well with the crystalline sonority of these instruments. This stimulating historical sphere is on the same wavelenght as the musicological interests of the musicians that in this case have got the opportunity to have not only a techincal-executive musical approach with these works. All of this had led the Duo to an in-depth knowledge of the plucked instruments and to interest themselves to the execution – in particular occasions – of the 18th century repertoire with copies of instruments of those ages (Lombard, Brescian, Milanese, Genoese mandolin – Louis Panormo's guitar, London 1838). In 1997 the Duo had won the first award at the XI National Competition “Nei Giardini dell’Aulòs” in Rimini; in 1999 had been among the winners of the VII° Internationa Competition “Città di Cortemilia” (Cuneo), and had been shortlisted for the IX International Exhibition for young musicians in Macerata Feltria (Pesaro), had won the second prize (first prize had not been awarded) at the II International Competition Giacomo Sartori in Ala (Trento) on mandolin and guitar specific category. In 2000 had won had won the first award at the National Competition “Città di Castelfidardo” for guitar in chamber groups category and another first prize at the National Competition “G. Ansaldi” in Villanova Mondovì (Cuneo).

Sergio Zigiotti and Fabiano Merlante edit for Armelin Musica Edition the collection of music for plucked instruments "Conserto Vago". ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jun 29, 2008 | Hits: 330

"Ex classical guitar player, after this I dedicated at Lute (Renaissance and Baroque), Theorbo and Baroque Guitar with T. Stone, T. Bagnati and F. Torelli. I hearned my Diploma in Lute at the Italian State Conservatory "A. Pedrollo" in Vicenza under the guidance of T. Stone. I attended several courses with Nigel North, R. Cicero, A. Curtis and D. D. Sherving. With bursarship I attended a course with J. Lindberg by G. Cini Foundation in Venice. I make an intense concert activity as soloist and with little ensemble and orchestras. I'm member of Ensemble Foscarini, NovArt Baroque Ensemble and in the "Ancient Orchestra" of the Conservatoire in Vicenza directed by M. Paolo Faldi. I Work with the theatre company "Bel Teatro" in Padua for which I play the music, with original instruments, in the production af ancient theatre. Since four years I teaching guitar and lute at "Centro di Educazione Musicale Beethoven" in Padua where I've founded the "Accademia di Musica Antica del Centro di Ed. Mus. Beethoven".

I make an intense research activity working on ancient musical manuscript, besides I make pubblications by the editor "Armelin" in Padua. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jun 29, 2008 | Hits: 345

"Alfred Fernández was born in 1970 in Barcelona, where he studied classical guitar with Jordi Codina, Fernando Rodríguez and Manuel González.

Later on he became interested in studying in depth the Early Music repertoire for plucked string instruments (lute, vihuela, baroque guitar, theorbo, etc.). Formed mainly in a self-taught way, he has received advise of prestigious lutenists such as Lluís Gàsser, William Waters, Paul O’dette and Rolf Lislevand. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 14, 2008 | Hits: 507

"Hannelore Devaere studied historical harp at the Akademie für alte Musik, Bremen, with Andrew Lawrence-King. Her main focus is on music of Spain and Italy from the Renaissance and Baroque periods . As a soloist she can be heard in many recordings and is often featured on national radio. As a continuo player, she records regularly with many national and international ensembles, including Zefiro Torna, Romanesque, Elyma and Al Ayre Espanol. Hannelore is also a musicologist specialized in 16th- and 17th-century iconography and organology; as such, she has worked for the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels. She is a very active lecturer at symposia and music festivals, and is a published scholar.

Hannelore teaches the harp, continuo, improvisation and primary-source reading at the music schools of Tielt, Knokke and Woluwé (Brussels). She is often invited to give masterclasses in Belgium (Festival Van Vlaanderen) and abroad.

Hannelore was the first harpist on record to perform on the ice cap in the Antarctica and has a landing spot under her own name. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 15, 2008 | Hits: 1071

"Like many lute players, Liz Kenny started out by playing the classical guitar. As a junior at the Royal Academy of Music she received intelligent guidance from Michael Lewin (now a colleague there) and came within reach of London concert life. Her first encounter with the lute was hearing a performance by Nigel North - later to be an inspiring teacher. After going down the byways of an English degree and back to the guitar, she returned to this sound. Discovering everything from the subtle feeling of playing on double strung lutes to the freedom of improvisation that playing continuo offered was an exhilarating and at times frustrating experience. Just as well she didn't know at the outset that playing the lute for a living would entail mastering and giving houseroom to a dozen different instruments …

Now her repertoire extends from the early 16th century through the domain of the theorbo and baroque lute to the 19th century, thanks to stumbling across a beautiful small French romantic guitar at a London dealer's.

Her career has always had a strong international bias since it began during the recession in the UK in the early 90s. She went to Paris instead and began a long association with William Christie's Les Arts Florissants, which has had a big influence on her performing style. Playing with an unusually diverse range of ensembles in France, Germany and the USA as well as at home has given her a wide perspective on different ways of making music. She is now committed to drawing on this in devising her own programmes. Groups she has appeared with regularly in over a decade of touring include Les Arts Florissants, Concerto Vocale, The English Concert, Tragicomedia, Teatro Lirico, Tira mi sú, The Gabrieli Consort, The Taverner Consort, The Parley of Instruments, The King's Consort, The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Concordia. ..." Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 16, 2008 | Hits: 423

"... Fascinated by the Baroque period, Louis began the lute- he was not yet fifteen. He started out by poring over musical research documents describing the antique music, gleaning whatever practical information he could. On the eve of his confirmation, he received what would become a lifelong passion: his first baroque lute. Working with another young enthusiast, Kleber Besson, his technique grew. Three times a day all through high school, the lute was as regular as meals. Louis played lute, theorbo and a 1927 folk guitar he had adopted on his first visit to New York to play blues. ...

In 1984 EMI records chose him to be their lute master of their Treasury of Bach; this box set included pieces with every instrument Bach has written for. By then, Louis was playing in the Saint Chapel in Paris. He then recorded the Dufaut disc in a small chapel in Switzerland. Louis also started playing harpsichord, organ and french hunting horn on the side. In 1989, a subsidiary of Universal Music requested a worldwide first: the recording of the "Divine Rhethoric", by Gaultier. The same year, national television produced a 30 minute documentary about Louis, the "Musician Minister": Louis was indeed a minister, but also an engineer and a PhD. in philosophy. ...

For the past ten years, Louis has been working incessantly on his latest masterpiece, the "Book of Perrine", recorded in Switzerland, which will finally be released in a few months. This recording is the apotheosis of his work, and is impatiently awaited by his fans. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 28, 2008 | Hits: 361

"The Sociedad de la Vihuela is a cultural association created at the national level on September 25, 2004 in order to disseminate and promote knowledge and study of historic stringed instruments such as: vihuela, lute, theorbo, guitar renaissance, baroque, romantic and classical, etc..

These objectives are carried out by organizing concerts, workshops, meetings and conferences as well as through the publication of specialized publications. ... "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 30, 2008 | Hits: 549

"Although in the past, the Society organised courses in making as well as many in playing these instruments, at present the activity of both branches of the Society is fairly dormant due to the apathy of the membership. On the positive side, there are several good gamba makers as well as lute makers. Special mention should be made of Petr Vavrous (gambas) and Jiri Cepelak (lutes) who have both been very supportive to the work of the Society. However we do continue to lend out many instruments both gambas and lutes. The Society also lends out music and CDs. ... "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 30, 2008 | Hits: 383

"My name is Olve Utne, and I play the Baroque Violin and the Baroque Viola. I have a Cand.Philol. degree (roughly equivalent to an advanced thesis MA) in Musicology from the University of Oslo (1996), with Arvid Vollsnes as my advisor and Richard Gwilt as my Baroque Viola teacher. I have also studied one year as a guest student at the Early Music programme of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel (Royal Conservatory of Brussels) in Belgium on a Flemish State Scholarship (1997/98).

My main teacher in Brussels was François Fernandez — a violinist with a truly stunning technique, great musical insight and an open mind. I consider it a true honour to have had the chance to learn from him.

Orchestral practice includes playing the viola in the Oslo Baroque Orchestra, leading the 2nd violins and violas in Lofoten og Vesterålen Orkesterforening, and participating in various orchestral projects during my year in Belgium. Of those projects, the three that I feel I learned the most from were the Beethoven concert (4th Symphony, 5th Piano Concerto, Egmont Ouverture) conducted by Phillippe Herreweghe; the C.Ph.E. Bach concert (two symphonies and two cello concertos) lead by the impressively virtuoso Baroque cellist Hidemi Suzuki; and Haydn’s oratorio Die Schöpfung, conducted by Sigiswald Kuijken — a baroque violin pioneer and conductor whose orchestral leading skills and insight in Haydn’s music is truly exceptional. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 30, 2008 | Hits: 336

"Eduardo Figueroa - lutenist, born at Santiago (Chile), studies guitar with Oscar Ohlsen at the Music Institute of the "Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile".

Since 1995 dedicates himself to the study of early music (lute and theorbo), assisting to seminars with Hopkinson Smith, Eduardo Egüez, Paul O'Dette, Nigel North and Juan Carlos Rivera, obtaining his luth diploma on 2004 at the Early Music Institute of the "Accademia Internazionale della Musica" (Milan) under the guide of Paul Beier.

For years he has developed a wide concert activity as a soloist and in orchestral ensembles in Italy, Spain, Norway, United Kingdom, France and South America. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 30, 2008 | Hits: 398

"The "Liuto" (or "lute") derives both in name and form from the Arab instrument known as "al 'Ud" (in spanish "laúd"), which means literally "the wood". Normally a lute is described as a musical instrument which has a body with a round back and a flat top, a long neck and strings which are played with the fingers. We associate this instrument with the classic painting of the renassaince with an angel playing a "lute" while fliying. Is not so simple but is a good first contact with the lute.

We would consider a "lute" or "liuto" as a concept more than a single instrument.

Liuto com want to be a full web resource of lute, old plucked instruments and early music. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 31, 2008 | Hits: 346

"Born in 1980 in Seville of Syrian father and Palestinian mother, he studied viola da gamba with Ventura Rico. He travels to Europe. In Milan he entered in the Accademia Internazionale della Musica and Switzerland entered the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana, perfecting his studies in viola da gamba. He received lessons from the best European musicians as Enrico Onofri, Lorenzo Ghielmi, Trevor Pinnock, Kees Boeke, Stefano Montanari, Diego Fasolis, and with Vittorio Ghielmi viol. He is a member of Accademia del Piacere, a group that specializes in music for viola da gamba. He is a member of Gruppo Seicento, Ishbilya Consort, Speculum, etc. and has worked with La Venexiana, Armoniosi Concerti, Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Lyra and many others, with whom he has travelled around the world. Currently preparing a double disc for BRILLIANT CLASSICS on the family Forqueray. ... "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 31, 2008 | Hits: 445

"The Baroque Cello International Society (Associazione Internazionale del Violoncello Barocco) was founded in 2006 by the cellists Renato Criscuolo and Andrea Fossà.

The purpose of the Association is being a point of reference for all those interested in the baroque cello and related instruments (such as il basso di violino, il violoncino, il bassetto etc.) as well as musicians, philologists, researchers, violin makers, organists, string makers etc.

The Association organizes concerts, courses, workshops, recordings and and all that can help fulfil the above mentioned purpose of the Association. As well, the Association is developing and maintains an on-line library, iconography and virtual museum with pictures of several instruments from all over the world. ... "

Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 02, 2008 | Hits: 503

Violone and Kontrabass performer. Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Aug 02, 2008 | Hits: 459