EarlyMusicNews.Org

"Since playing her first CBC radio gig at the age of 20, Alison Melville's career as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player has taken her across Canada from Whitehorse to St. John's and to the US, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand and Europe. Her extraordinary breadth of experience as a performer comprises solo and chamber music recitals; music for dance, theatre, film and television; orchestral playing with modern and period instrument orchestras; music from the 12th to 21st centuries, composed, arranged and improvised; and music from Celtic and Scandinavian traditions." ...

Added on: Dec 18, 2005 | Hits: 625

“Hailed as one of the finest flute players of our time, Chris Norman proves over and over again that the simple wooden flute is the original- and still unsurpassed- woodwind of expression, passion, joy and subtlety. His influential work as a performer, composer, recording artist and teacher has brought the simple wooden flute to the forefront as an alternative voice to the modern orchestral instrument.

Born in Halifax Nova Scotia, he began his musical studies at the age of ten. His interest in the traditional music of Maritime Canada; Scottish, Irish and French Canadian Styles, drew him from his early path studying classical flute. Chris embarked upon a quest to learn the music from the tradition bearers, travelling across North America and Europe. His subsequent work has redefined the boundaries of both traditional and classical styles, forging a synthesis that has been embraced by audiences, scholars, and critics of both schools. ..“

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Added on: Dec 06, 2009 | Hits: 490

Early Flute ensemble.

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Added on: Feb 08, 2010 | Hits: 385

" Philippe Emmanuel Haas was born in Basel, Switzerland, in 1962.

Studies of Pan-pipes in ancient and classical music in Berne and at the Hilversum Conservatory, in the Netherlands.

Participation in masterclasses for the interpretation of ancient and classical music on copies of historical instruments at the "Centre International de Formation Musicale" in Nice, France, with Jean-Loup Grégoire and Simion Stanciu "Syrinx"; at the "Gesellschaft für Alte Musik" in Rastatt, Germany, with Hans-Martin Linde; as well as at the "Académie de Musique de Sion", within the "Festival Tibor Varga" in Sion, Switzerland, under the direction of Jordi Savall.

Concerts as a soloist, accompanied by the organ, the harpsichord, the harp or the lute, and as a member of ensembles of ancient music, during international music festivals in Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.

Artistic director of the international Festival "Festliche Musik in der Kirche Rötteln / Lörrach", Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany, dedicated to the ancient music.

Guest lecturer at the "Académie Musique et Danse Florigammes" at Sartène-Propriano, Corsica. Teacher of Pan-pipes at music schools in Switzerland.

CD recordings, for the labels AUROPHON CLASSICS and VDE-GALLO, of music of the Renaissance and the Baroque periods, accompanied by the harpsichord, the violoncello and the organ. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jun 29, 2008 | Hits: 494

"Founded in 1988 TROMPETEN CONSORT FRIEDEMANN ALWAYS maintains the trumpet ensemble music of the Baroque era. It consists of eight musicians, all specialists in the field of early music. More detailed information can be found under "TCFI" and "musicians" the current composition of the consort. ... " (Google translation) Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 20, 2008 | Hits: 500

"The instrumental ensemble La Caravaggia was created in 2004 by the cornettist Lluis Coll. The group specialises in the performance of Renaissance and Baroque music according to historical criteria. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 12, 2008 | Hits: 549

“Philippe Allain-Dupré studied baroque flute with Barthold Kuijken au Conservatoire Royal de Bruxelles where he obtained his “Diplôme supérieur” in 1987.

He plays on instruments he has constructed from designs copies of various museums:  la flûte de Rafi, la flûte de Van Eyck, la flûte de Hotteterre, la flûte Quantz that was played by Frédéric II of Prusse and la flûte Tortochot de l'époque de Devienne. ..”

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Added on: Dec 06, 2009 | Hits: 450

“Inspired by the meeting of Martine Fleith, Isabelle Sainte-marie, Rachel Mathis and Alan Cowderoy during the “Journées de la Flûte Traversière de Stuttgart” in 2005, the creation of the ensemble stems from the common desire to rediscover the original structure of the consort of Renaissance flutes. ..“

Added on: Sep 20, 2009 | Hits: 767

"Born in Cagliari, he graduated as flutist at the Conservatory "G. P. da Palestrina" in Cagliari under the direction of Maestro G. Pellegrini. For more than year he has carried on an intense concert activity, mainly in the field of chamber music. He took part to the seminar of flute interpretation by Maestro C. Klemm. He has played with Orchestra dellíEnte Lirico "G. P. daPalestrina" of Cagliari, with Orchestra "S. Cecilia" of Milano, the Chamber Orchestra "New Art Ensemble" of Novara and with the Orchestra "G. Donizetti" of Sesto S. Giovanni (Milano) as solo player. He has played in several chamber formations at the International Festival "Kammermusik" in Bellagio, at the International Festival "Alfonso Reyes" in Monterrey (Mex), at "Magno Festival Palafoxiano" in Puebla (Mex), at the " Saint Hill European Art Festival" in Sussex (GB) and he took part to seven editions of the "Sui Sentieri della Fantasia" at Montisola (Brescia). Tours of concert have taken him to Egypt, Portugal, Mexico, Lebanon. He has recorded two pieces of the composer S. G. Masoni on the CD "The Clear Project" and in July 1999 is available his last CD "TIME BANDITS :Time's deception" recorded with Pier Paderni.

Since February 1995 he ha been studyng baroque flute and after winning a CEE scholarship he attended the VI edition of courses in baroque music at Porto (Portugal) specializing under the direction of E. Di Felice. At present he studing under the direction of M. Castellani at the Conservatory of Verona. (Italy) "

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Added on: Aug 05, 2008 | Hits: 435

Claudio Santambrogio has been active as a flutist both in the field of early as well as contemporary music, specializing on period instruments. He is a member of the ensemble 'de vinea', specialized in Medieval Music, and of The Modena Consort, a quartet of Renaissance transverse flutes.
He has conducted extensive research on iconographical and textual references of the transverse flute in the Middle Ages, and has explored the repertoire of what he believes being a forgotten golden age the transverse flute, the late 14th century culminating in the so-called Ars subtilior.
With Boaz Berney he worked on the reconstruction of an instrument for this repertoire, based on a very unusual instrument from the Musikinstrumentemeuseum in Berlin. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: May 04, 2008 | Hits: 559

“Gabriele Cassone received his conservatory diploma in Trumpet following studies with Mario Catena, and in Composition studying with Luciano Chailly.
He is world renowned not only as a historical artist performing on original instruments (Baroque natural trumpet, Classical keyed trumpet, rotary valve trumpet and piston cornet), but enjoys an equal fame as a contemporary musician.
Luciano Berio selected Gabriele Cassone to premiere his works for solo trumpet: Sequenza X for solo trumpet, and Kol-Od, performed with L'Ensemble Intercontemporain under the direction of Pierre Boulez.
He has also shared the stage with celebrated trombonist Christian Lindberg in performances of Berio's opera Cronaca del Luogo, commissioned by the Salzburg Festival.
Famous international conductors have requested Gabriele Cassone for performances of the most demanding trumpet repertoire; Sir John Eliot Gardiner named him principal trumpet in the English Baroque Soloists for the entire cycle of J.S. Bach's Cantatas, and for the Second Brandenburg Concerto, and Ton Koopman, director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, requested him as principal trumpet for the ensemble's recording of Cantata BWV 51 by J.S. Bach. ..“

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Added on: May 17, 2009 | Hits: 527

"Recorder and traverso player Lorenzo Cavasanti began studying music as a child; still a student of oboe at the Conservatory of Music in Genova, he soon took up recorder, attending the International Early Music Courses in Urbino. Specialising in the recorder with F.Brüggen, K.Boeke and M.Miessen, Lorenzo received his Diploma at the Scuola Civica di Musica in Milano, with P. Memelsdorff and E.M.Recondo. He also studied baroque flute with B. Kuijken. " Visit webiste for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 13, 2008 | Hits: 518

“Stefano Bet was born in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) in 1960. Since many years he has devoted his career to the study of original early instruments and the historical performance of the repertory for flute (Renaissance, Baroque, Classic). He is self-taught relative to historic instruments, studied with Barthold Kuijken at the Academie Internationale of Antwerp, Sigiswald Kuijken at Centro di Musica Antica of Rome, Nikolaus Harnoncourt at the Salzburg Mozarteum. Finalist at the Utrecht International Early Music Competition, today he is one of the most famous italian early flute player. His concert work includes many International Festivals: debut  in 1983 at the Festival Vivaldi of Venezia (Fondazione Cini) and after....Teatro alla Scala Milano, Musica e Poesia a San Maurizio Milano, Società del Quartetto-Settimane Bach Milano, .. .“ Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 22, 2009 | Hits: 350

"Since its formation the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet has explored the boundaries of the recorder consort. Its musical adventure started in 1978 when studying at the Sweelinck conservatory in Amsterdam and discovering the quartet as a new phenomenon. The ensemble's reputation grew quickly when they emerged as the winner of the 1981 Musica Antigua Competition in Bruges despite testing the competition rules by performing an unusual arrangement of a Stevie Wonder song.

What followed was the recognition as a serious ensemble of unparalleled virtuosity, a recording contract with Decca and the start of an international career. Both their playing style and choice of repertoire, something unheard of at the time, made them appear at many festivals and they toured throughout Europe the United States, South America and Japan. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 16, 2008 | Hits: 458

"Jed Wentz began his flute studies with Walter Mayhall in Youngstown, Ohio, and continued studying with James Walker in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied modern and historical flutes at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with Robert Willoughby and Michael Lynn, and received a Soloist's Diploma from the Royal Conservatory in The Hague after three years with Barthold Kuijken. He has performed and recorded with groups such as Musica Antiqua Koln, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Capriccio Stravagante Paris and the Gabrielli Consort. In 1992 he founded Musica ad Rhenum, with whom he has recorded more than 20 CDs both as flutist and conductor. His recording of the complete flute sonatas of Locatelli was awarded the prize for the Best Recording of Italian Music 1995 by the Fondazione Cini Venetia. Mr. Wentz teaches at the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music, and lectures regularly on performance practice at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He has published articles in Early Music, Concerto, and Tijdschrijft voor Oude Muziek. He is pursuing his doctorate through Leiden University, with his research centering on the relationship between 18th-century staging and tempo in the tragedie en musique. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Jul 16, 2008 | Hits: 548

“Study of baroque, classisal and romantic flutes with Marten Root at the Utrecht Conservatory and Sweelinck Conservatory Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Private studies of modern flute.

Masterclasses by Barthold Kuijken, Wilbert Hazelzet, Nancy Hadden, Richard Egarr and Michael Rosenberg.

Flutist with the baroque orchestras l'arco, Hannover and Les Perruques, Amsterdam.

Free lance work with different period instrument orchestras in Germany.

Chamber music work with different enembles, a.o. ensemble le petit bruitand Ensemble Phoebus Amsterdam".

Performances and recordings made with
the Orchestra of the Nederlandse Bachvereniging, under Gustav Leonhardt, René Jacobs, Ivan Fischer and Jos van Veldhoven,
the orchestra Anima Eterna under Jos van Immerseel,
Ensemble Musica ad Rhenum under Jed Wentz,
the European Union Baroque Orchestra under Roy Goodman and Mark Minkowsky.

Teaching at the Early Dance and Music Center, Groningen and privately.“

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Added on: Jul 14, 2009 | Hits: 389

“Raymond Honing studied at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and chamber music with flute and Baroque flute at Harrie Starreveld Marten Root. He also attended masterclasses with the French flutist Patrick Gallois. His repertoire ranges from 18th-century, Early Romantic music on period instruments to contemporary and world music on the modern flute. The Amsterdam Quintet was a prizewinner at the International Wettbewerb für Junge Kultur in Düsseldorf and the Musical Ensemble L'Esprit won a prize at the International Competition of Wassenaer 2000. Raymond is artistic director of the Baroque ensemble La Barca Leyden. In addition to performing as a chamber music partner, Raymond also occurs as a regular soloist. He was the soloist for the world premieres of the flute concert by Robin Raaff (NL) and Uzong Choe (Korea) and also in Bach and Vivaldi concerts. He has made CD recordings of works by De Raaff, Ruynemann and Feldman and played eg in the Nieuw Ensemble, the Asko Ensemble, the Ives Ensemble, the Dutch Bach Society and the Frankfurt Baroque Orchestra. Besides numerous concerts in the Netherlands, he has also made appearances on concert stages and festivals in Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic and Scandinavia. In addition to his flute playing, Raymond is also active as a conductor.”

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Added on: Nov 24, 2011 | Hits: 257

" Hans Olav Gorset is Associate Professor of music at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, teaching recorder, baroque flute and performance practice. He was educated in Oslo, New York, Basel, and Amsterdam and is a veteran of the early music movement in Norway. He pursues a career as a soloist and as a member of various ensembles, but also finds time to make historical instruments and host early music programs for the Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). He directs Pro Musica Antiqua, Oslo, an ensemble noted for its lively performances of medieval and renaissance music. With this ensemble he has recorded CDs with Scandinavian medieval and renaissance music and performed in many European countries.

As a member of the Nordic Baroque Quartet he has toured Scandinavia and recorded a program of little-known 18th century music. His solo recording of the flute suites by Pierre Philidor (with Rolf Lislevand and Paolo Pandolfo) he has won international acclaim. Gorset is also accomplished in improvised music in many styles and genres. He has recorded music for film and theatre, and performed as a soloist with several orchestras, both with modern and baroque instruments. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 12, 2008 | Hits: 457

"The membership of the Society is made up of people who are interested in the music of the bagpipes, the playing of the instruments and also a growing number of instrument makers who produce a wide range of instruments.


Membership of the Society is open to anyone with an interest in the bagpipes and offers:

• Four Newsletters a year which include information o­n technical issues, recording reviews, notated music suitable for the bagpipes, band profiles, details of festivals and events where bagpipes will be present, an area for members to advertise instruments for sale and a Society shop selling society goods.

• The opportunity to attend the Society's "Blowout" weekend. This is a now annual event held at the end of May and includes workshops, concerts, dances and competitions amongst other "bagpipey" happenings.

• Periodical publications of the details of bagpipe makers and teachers, a discography and a bibliography."

Added on: Apr 20, 2008 | Hits: 585

“The English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, based in London, are now celebrating their 15th year. All the members are leading specialists on early brass instruments with a shared aim to take the performance of repertoire for Cornetts and Sackbuts to the highest level.

Since it’s formation, ECSE have played at many major music festivals in the UK and abroad including the Bath International Festival, Spitalfields, Warwick & Leamington and the York Early Music Festival including being finalists in the Early Music Network International Young Artists Competition. Sell out appearances have also been given at London’s Wigmore Hall, St. John’s Smith Square and the Purcell Room. ECSE have toured in France, Canada and Israel (twice with the assistance of the British Council). In April 2008, ECSE returned to Canada following there successful tour back in 2001 with performances in Toronto and Ottawa of their new programme “FLOWER OF CITIES ALL” plus world premiere performances of a new commission for ECSE by Canadian composer Andrew Ager. A live performance for Canada’s new radio station, Classical 96.3FM was also given. ECSE have also performed on BBC Radio 3, 4 and BBC Scotland and their recordings are often heard on Radio 3 and Classic FM. ..“ Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 14, 2009 | Hits: 526

“Georgia Browne is a freelance historical flute player. She specialises in repertoire from the Baroque to the early Romantic era, performing on original and replica flutes as both a chamber and orchestral musician. She is principal flute and soloist with The New Dutch Academy and has performed with numerous other period instrument ensembles in Europe and Australia.

Georgia has been a guest teacher at musical institutions in Iceland, Indonesia and Australia and teaches historical flute privately in London where she is currently based. “

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Added on: Jul 21, 2011 | Hits: 284

"Jeremy West is one of the few people alive today making a living from the 17th Century cornett (cornetto, Zink). His working life encompasses performance with His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts; teaching at The Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music, London as well as privately; instrument manufacture with Christopher Monk Instruments; and most recently with the publication of interesting, newly researched repertoire for the instrument and its various ensemble possibilities.

The cornett was the most popular wind instrument of its day, coming closer in sound, according to contemporary reports, to the human voice than any other. Curiously and sadly its popularity waned during the second half of the 17th century and eventually it died out altogether. The cornett is, however, making a serious comeback and Jeremy West is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of this revival. " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Mar 08, 2008 | Hits: 471

“Lesley Schatzberger has been at the forefront of historical instrument performance whilst also remaining active in a broad range of music making. After studying at the junior department of the Royal Manchester College of Music, she went on to the University of York, and then for postgraduate studies to the Royal Academy of Music. She was appointed as principal clarinet with Roger Norrington's London Classical Players, John Eliot Gardiner's English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique. She has toured many times in Europe, the United States, and Japan, including performances with Stockhausen's chamber ensemble and with the Academy of Ancient Music.

Lesley teaches at the Royal Northern College of Music and also runs Jessie's Fund, a charity helping seriously ill children through music, which was established in memory of her daughter. In 2006 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of York. “

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Added on: Nov 25, 2011 | Hits: 241

"Nancy Hadden's reputation is established world wide for her expressive playing, engaging programmes and communicative and inspiring teaching. She was born in Columbus, Ohio, earned a BMus in performance at Ohio Wesleyan University, an MA in music history at Penn State and studied for a PhD at Washington University in St. Louis before moving to London in 1978. She has performed all over the world as a soloist and with harpsichordist Lucy Carolan and viol player Erin Headley, with Andrew Lawrence King and the Harp Consort, and with her own ensembles Circa 1500 and Zephyrus. Reviving the repertoire and playing techniques of the renaissance flute has been a major achievement, and led to her ground-breaking first recording in 1988 for Hyperion, Flute Music of the 16th and 17th Centuries. She has made some 35 solo and chamber music CDs, several winning Gramophone 'record of the year' nominations and 'critic's choice' awards, including discs of CPE Bach, Michel de la Barre, Hasse, Mozart Flute Quartets, 18th c. English Solos and Scots Tunes, and six Renaissance CDs with Circa 1500. ... " Visit website for more information. (ed.)

Added on: Apr 16, 2008 | Hits: 495

“Zephyrus - the English Bagpipe Orchestra - offer the glorious harmony and sinuous counterpoint of six sweetly toned bagpipes underpinned by driving percussion. Formed by Jon Swayne in 1998 to perform his piece The Halfe Hannikin Variations, Zephyrus brings together some of the best players of modern English bagpipes. The polyphonic style of writing developed by Jon is quite unique and exploits to the full the amazingly rich sonority offered by six pipes. The group have released two CDs of their music, Halfe Hannikin and English Suite.

The Halfe Hannikin Variations is a suite of music inspired by the tune of the same name in John Playford's 1651 edition of The English Dancing Master. It comprises Prelude - Theme, Slowish Waltz, Polka, Slow Five, Bourrée, Dark Seven, Wodgy and Finale. The piece is far from a static presentation, the musicians having worked out carefully choreographed moves so as to enhance both the visual and the musical impact. ..“

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Added on: May 11, 2009 | Hits: 354