Friday, April 9, 2010

Baroque Band Presents Vivaldi – L’Estro Armonico Concertos for 1, 2, and 4 violins


As part of the first Chicago Early Music Festival, Baroque Band presents Vivaldi - L'Estro Armonico, Concertos for 1,2, and 4 violins. Director/violin - Garry Clarke.

This beautiful concert will take place on:

Wednesday April 21, 2010. 7:30 p.m.
St James Cathedral
65 E. Huron St.




About Baroque Band
Founded in 2007 by British baroque violinist Garry Clarke, Baroque Band has rapidly established itself as an important member of Chicago’s musical community. As Chicago’s period-instrument orchestra, it has been hailed by critics and audiences and has gained a reputation as one of the most exciting period-instrument ensembles in the United States. “Baroque Band are a welcome addition to Americas elite period-instrument ensembles” – John Puccio, Classical Candor


In the summer of 2008, Baroque Band was named Resident Ensemble of WFMT Radio, giving audiences throughout the world the opportunity to hear the orchestra’s performances through live and recorded radio and internet broadcasts. Baroque Band is also Ensemble-in-Residence at the Music Institute of Chicago, where it offers educational programming as well as concerts.

During its first two seasons, Baroque Band gave more than 80 performances. In addition to its own subscription concerts, Baroque Band performed at the Ravinia Festival, on both the Sunday Salon Series and the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series at Chicago’s Cultural Center, as part of the Byron Colby Barn Series, at Purdue University, and at the 2008 Madison Early Music Festival in Wisconsin. The orchestra also performed concerts as part of the 2008 and 2009 Chicago Latino Music Festival. In 2010, Baroque Band’s first cd – Henrich Biber’s Mensa Sonora – was released on the Cedille Record Label. The orchestra performed as part of the first Chicago Early Music Festival in April 2010 and other performances included concerts for the American Bach Society and the Viola d’amore Society. On August 17 they return to the Ravinia Festival for a concert in the Martin Theater.

To commemorate the 250th year since Handel’s death, Baroque Band added to its regular 2008–2009 concert series three performances of Handel’s rarely heard “Dublin” Messiah – the original version of his masterpiece that was given at its premiere performance in Dublin in 1742. These performances were chosen by NewCity alongside concerts by Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, and Riccardo Muti and the CSO as one of the top five classical concerts of 2009.

In December 2009 Baroque Band was hailed by John von Rhein in the Chicago Tribune as one of the top ten most important developments in Chicago’s classical music scene for the decade.
For more information about Baroque Band go to www.baroqueband.org