Est-ce mars  –  Paris in the Renaissance / Indianapolis (USA)
Jul
11
7:30 PM19:30

Est-ce mars – Paris in the Renaissance / Indianapolis (USA)

est-ce mars - Harmonies of love and power, Paris in the Renaissance

In the field of tension between Venus, the goddess of love, and Mars, the god of war, this program reflects the musical scene at the French courts of the Renaissance. Antoine Boësset's “Ballet du Roy” contains amusing remarks about music and a wonderful hymn to Mars, composed for a bass voice. This is followed by the song - “Eau vive”, in which the fire of love cannot be extinguished by water alone, and “N'espérez plus, mes yeux”, with virtuoso variations and in “Amour grand vainquer”, a battle between love and beauty breaks out. Instrumental music by Robert Ballard and the song “Adorable Princesse” by Pierre Guédron, dedicated to Maria de Medici, can also be heard. The last part of the concert revolves around the song “Est-ce Mars”, which plays with the contrasting characters of the famous mythological lovers Mars and Venus.

Ensemble Phoenix Munich
Emma-Lisa Roux - soprano, lute
Hille Perl - viola da gamba
Domen Marincic - viola da gamba
Joel Frederiksen - bass, lute, direction

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A Day with Suzanne - A Tribute to Leonard Cohen / Indianapolis (USA)
Jul
13
3:00 AM03:00

A Day with Suzanne - A Tribute to Leonard Cohen / Indianapolis (USA)

A Day with Suzanne - French Renaissance chansons meet songs by Leonard Cohen

A great modern singer-songwriter, a "troubadour," passed away in 2016. This program, is a tribute to his art and establishes a link to the French Renaissance chanson.

Leonard Cohen, who liked to call himself a "chansonnier," grew up in French-speaking Montreal, Canada. He is appreciated both as a poet and for his sensitivity to combining words and music. This project connects Cohen musically and poetically with previous generations of songwriters. Orlando di Lasso's famous 16th century chanson Susanne ung jour meets Cohen's Suzanne. Josquin des Prez's Adieu mes amours or courtly dances published by Pierre Attaingnant in Paris in 1529 combine with Cohen's songs and the eras converge. With knowledge of Renaissance musical practices, new diminutions on Cohen's music emerge, including original chordal accompaniments for viola da gamba or lute based on late 16th and 17th century models.

Ensemble Phoenix Munich
Emma-Lisa Roux - soprano, lute
Hille Perl - viola da gamba
Domen Marincic - viola da gamba
Joel Frederiksen - bass, lute, direction

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Trav’ling Home / Ludwigsburg
Jul
17
8:00 PM20:00

Trav’ling Home / Ludwigsburg

American Spirituals, 1770-1870

The Boston Camerata’s pioneering programs of early American music have brought pleasure to thousands of music lovers, and have helped to clarify and define our country’s rich and diverse cultural identity. It traces migratory currents and flows of early American song, largely spiritual but also secular. Among the various communities participating in this rich American mosaic we encounter the Puritans of New England, the Shakers and their visionary monodies, Amish and Mennonites of Pennsylvania, and the newly-freed African-American religious communities. The musical sources of this program are drawn from European and New World oral traditions, hymns, psalms and chants in English, German dialects, early songbooks of Black churches, as well as gems from the still largely unpublished Shaker manuscript archive at Sabbathday Lake, ME.

Boston Camerata
Anne Azéma Soprano, Artistic Director
Camila Parias Soprano
Emily Marvosh Alto
Daniel Hershey Tenor
Colin Balzer Tenor
Joel Frederiksen Bass & Guitar

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Borrowed Light / Ludwigsburg
Jul
20
5:00 PM17:00

Borrowed Light / Ludwigsburg

With the Tero Saarinen Company and the Boston camerata

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shakers movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

This TSC classic returns to the stage 20 years after its premiere!

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Borrowed Light / Bregenz (AT)
Jul
23
8:00 PM20:00

Borrowed Light / Bregenz (AT)

Tero Saarinen Company 
Boston Camerata

Since its world premiere in 2004, Borrowed Light has fascinated more than 50,000 people worldwide with its hypnotic fusion of movement, music and lighting. 21 years later the signature piece of the Tero Saarinen Company celebrates its Austrian premiere.

For Borrowed Light, choreographer Tero Saarinen found inspiration in the traditional songs and dances of the Shaker, a free church that was founded in the 18th century in the US and is known for its ecstatic Shaker dances and its strong work ethic. But the piece itself is more about universal topics such as community and devotion, than the Shaker movement itself. 

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Borrowed Light / Bregenz (AT)
Jul
24
8:00 PM20:00

Borrowed Light / Bregenz (AT)

Tero Saarinen Company 
Boston Camerata

Since its world premiere in 2004, Borrowed Light has fascinated more than 50,000 people worldwide with its hypnotic fusion of movement, music and lighting. 21 years later the signature piece of the Tero Saarinen Company celebrates its Austrian premiere.

For Borrowed Light, choreographer Tero Saarinen found inspiration in the traditional songs and dances of the Shaker, a free church that was founded in the 18th century in the US and is known for its ecstatic Shaker dances and its strong work ethic. But the piece itself is more about universal topics such as community and devotion, than the Shaker movement itself. 

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Nel regno d'Amore - The Kingdom of Love / Munich
Oct
5
2:00 PM14:00

Nel regno d'Amore - The Kingdom of Love / Munich

  • Bayerisches Nationalmuseum München (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Nel regno d'Amore – Music by Giovanni Felice Sances in solo, dialog and trio

Concert 1: Between Mars and Venus, Series XVIII, Season 2025/26 / Four concerts by subscription

Sunday, October 5, 2025, 2 p.m. Bavarian National Museum, Mars-Venus Hall

Giovanni Felice Sances (1600-1679) was one of the most colorful figures of the early 17th century – a singer, composer, and musical bridge builder between Rome and Vienna. In his “Cantade – Libro Secondo” from 1633, we encounter early Italian secular cantatas in all their expressive power. Sances combined virtuoso vocal artistry with subtle poetry and brought this style to the imperial court in Vienna, where he created a diverse body of work – from operas to sacred compositions. This concert presents a selection of his most impressive vocal works, artfully accompanied by theorbo, archlute, baroque guitar, harpsichord, and organ—a sonorous portrait of a Baroque pioneer—rounded off by instrumental compositions of his Viennese contemporaries.

Performers:

Bryony Lang - soprano

Ivo Haun – tenor, lute

Axel Wolf – theorbo, baroque guitar

Michael Eberth – harpsichord, organ

Joel Frederiksen – bass, archlute, conductor

1st concert of the XVIII concert series “Between Mars and Venus”

With the kind support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the District of Upper Bavaria.

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A Place of Green / Munich
Nov
9
2:00 PM14:00

A Place of Green / Munich

  • Bayerisches Nationalmuseum München (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

A Place of Green – The First Booke of Songs von Joel Frederiksen, Teil II

Concert 2: A Place of Green, Reihe XVIII: 2025-26 / Series XVIII, Season 2025/26 / Four concerts on subscription

Sunday, November 9, 2 p.m. – Bavarian National Museum, Mars-Venus Hall

With “A Place of Green,” Joel Frederiksen strikes a quiet, personal tone – a song about youth, longing, and the desire for reconciliation. With the second part of his “First Booke of Songs,” he completes an exceptional project: new songs in the spirit of the Renaissance, inspired by masters such as John Dowland and Thomas Campion, but interwoven with contemporary language and emotion. Following the successful first part in May 2024, Frederiksen continues his intimate musical dialogue with the past – touching, timeless, and intimate. A concert that carries the echo of old songs into the present.

Performers:

Emma-Lisa Roux – soprano, lute

Hille Perl – viola da gamba

Lucine Mesaelian – soprano, viola da gamba

Colin Balzer - tenor

NN - percussion

Joel Frederiksen - bass, lute, conductor, songs

2nd concert of the XVIII concert series “Between Mars and Venus”

With the kind support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the District of Upper Bavaria.

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Aufenthalt / Munich
Feb
5
8:00 PM20:00

Aufenthalt / Munich

  • Bayerisches Nationalmuseum München (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Aufenthalt – Songs for “one bass voice with pianoforte accompaniment” by Franz Schubert


Concert 3: Aufenthalt, Series XVIII, Season 2025/26 / Four concerts on subscription

Following the outstanding success of Schubert's Winterreise with Joel Frederiksen and Lukas Sehr as musical partners in the XVII series “Between Mars and Venus”, the two musicians are also devoting themselves to further songs by Schubert for bass voice this season.Schwanengesang (D 957) is a posthumously published collection of songs composed between August and October 1828. As Schubert's last major composition, the 13 songs were subsequently given the name Schwanengesang. This time, as in February 2025, the accompanying instrument plays a very special role. We are once again allowed to use an instrument from the Greifenberg Institute, but this time not an original, but a faithful replica of an instrument from Schubert's time. The audience in 2025 was completely enraptured by the sound of Louis Dulcken's instrument from around 1815. At this concert, you will experience a fortepiano by the Munich piano maker Gregor Deiß (Munich around 1815). The transparency and the fine sound of this instrument not only support the voice, but also contribute to being a singing partner with a very special sound.

Performers:
Joel Frederiksen (bass)
Lukas Sehr (fortepiano)

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Combattimento / Munich
Apr
26
2:00 PM14:00

Combattimento / Munich

  • Bayerisches Nationalmuseum München (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Combattimento - War, peace and lost love in the music of Claudio Monteverdi

Concert 4: Combattimento, Series XVIII, Season 2025/26 / Four concerts on subscription

Sunday, April 26, 2026, 2 p.m. Bavarian National Museum, Mars-Venus Hall

Claudio Monteverdi's music oscillates between heaven and hell, between battle and longing. This concert presents impressive madrigals from his eighth book (Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi, 1638), including the dramatic Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, a musical battle scene full of emotion and intensity. The program also includes the touching Lamento d'Arianna, Monteverdi's only surviving aria from the lost opera L'Arianna, as well as the virtuoso Ogni amante è guerrier based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. Il ballo delle ingrate concludes the evening with a dark splendor: a warning vision from the underworld about the power of spurned love—impressive, musical, emotional.

Performers:

Emma-Lisa Roux - soprano, theorbo

NN - mezzo-soprano - viola da gamba

Giovanni Cantarini - tenor

Manuel Warwitz - tenor

NN - violin

Michael Eberth - harpsichord

Joel Frederiksen - bass, archlute, conductor

4th concert of the XVIII concert series “Between Mars and Venus”

With the kind support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the District of Upper Bavaria.

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Joel Frederiksen in Elizabethan England / Litomysl (CZ)
Jun
22
4:00 PM16:00

Joel Frederiksen in Elizabethan England / Litomysl (CZ)

Lute songs of Elizabethan England performed by three young female artists and a charismatic bass. An afternoon concert will take us to the courts of King James I and Queen Elizabeth I.

Performers

Lucie Strejcová – soprano
Barbora Hulcová – lute
Magda Uhlířová – viola da gamba

Joel Frederiksen – lute, bass

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Orpheus, I am / Litomysl (CZ)
Jun
21
10:00 PM22:00

Orpheus, I am / Litomysl (CZ)

  • Chapter Church of the Raising of the Holy Cross (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

I am pleased to be part of the Smetana's Litomyšl Festival!

The captivating voice of Joel Frederiksen will be your guide on a journey through the night in Litomyšl and into the world of the mythical Orpheus. This fascinating trip into the realm of English, French, and Italian music from the Renaissance to the early Baroque will present songs that address two of life’s significant questions – love and war.

Joel Frederiksen will lead a small group of listeners through several locations in the historic core of the town. The lute, guitar, and the velvety bass of the American artist will resonate acoustically in various places with distinct atmospheres.

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A Gallery of Kings / Boston Early Music Festival (USA)
Jun
10
8:00 PM20:00

A Gallery of Kings / Boston Early Music Festival (USA)

  • New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

A Gallery of Kings: Uses and Abuses of Power ca 1300

Songs and stories of powerful Kings, both good and bad, abound in the Middle Ages. “May he reign forever!” sings the crowd, but the monarch’s power is limited: by his fallible judgement, his formidable adversaries, his love of power, and his own, precarious mortality. These ancient songs of kingship and its snares in Latin, German, Galician, Old English and French resonate strongly down the centuries, into our own, turbulent time.

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Est-ce mars  –  Paris around 1600 / Leipzig
Jun
2
8:00 PM20:00

Est-ce mars – Paris around 1600 / Leipzig

Est-ce Mars - Court songs from 17th century Paris

Trio Joel Frederiksen (USA/France/Luxembourg)

I am very much looking forward to Leipzig! Thank you, Amarcord, for the wonderful invitation!

In the field of tension between Venus, the goddess of love, and Mars, the god of war, the program reflects the musical scene at the French courts around 1600. The program opens with Antoine Boësset's “Ballet du Roy” with amusing remarks about music and a hymn to Mars, composed for a bass voice. This is followed by the song - “Eau vive”, in which the fire of love cannot be extinguished by water alone, and “N'espérez plus, mes yeux”, with virtuoso “Doubles”, in “Amour grand vainquer” the battle between love and beauty breaks out. Instrumental music by Robert Ballard and the song “Adorable Princesse” by Pierre Guédron, dedicated to Maria de Medici, can also be heard. The last part of the concert revolves around the song “Est-ce Mars”, which plays with the contrasting characters of the famous mythological lovers Mars and Venus.

Ensemble Phoenix Munich
Giovanna Baviera (mezzo, gamba)
Emma-Lisa Roux (soprano, lute)
Joel Frederiksen (bass, lute, conductor)

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Est-ce mars  –  Paris around 1600 / Greifenberg
May
31
7:00 PM19:00

Est-ce mars – Paris around 1600 / Greifenberg

  • Greifenberger Institut für Musikinstrumentenkunde (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

est-ce mars - Harmonies of love and power, Paris around 1600

In the field of tension between Venus, the goddess of love, and Mars, the god of war, the program reflects the musical scene at the French courts around 1600. The program opens with Antoine Boësset's “Ballet du Roy” with amusing remarks about music and a hymn to Mars, composed for a bass voice. This is followed by the song - “Eau vive”, in which the fire of love cannot be extinguished by water alone, and “N'espérez plus, mes yeux”, with virtuoso “Doubles”, in “Amour grand vainquer” the battle between love and beauty breaks out. Instrumental music by Robert Ballard and the song “Adorable Princesse” by Pierre Guédron, dedicated to Maria de Medici, can also be heard. The last part of the concert revolves around the song “Est-ce Mars”, which plays with the contrasting characters of the famous mythological lovers Mars and Venus.

Ensemble Phoenix Munich
Giovanna Baviera (mezzo, gamba)
Emma-Lisa Roux (soprano, lute)
Joel Frederiksen (bass, lute, conductor)

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La Primavera - Heinrich Schütz / Olching
May
23
8:00 PM20:00

La Primavera - Heinrich Schütz / Olching

We are the Munich ensemble 'versum vocale under the direction of the singer and lutenist Joel Frederiksen. Our focus is on a cappella pieces from the Renaissance period. Our repertoire includes madrigals, motets and chansons from the 16th century, which we interpret with great enthusiasm. With our music, we want to bring the beauty and richness of this era to life.

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La Primavera - Heinrich Schütz / Munich
May
22
8:00 PM20:00

La Primavera - Heinrich Schütz / Munich

We are the Munich ensemble 'versum vocale under the direction of the singer and lutenist Joel Frederiksen. Our focus is on a cappella pieces from the Renaissance period. Our repertoire includes madrigals, motets and chansons from the 16th century, which we interpret with great enthusiasm. With our music, we want to bring the beauty and richness of this era to life.

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The Woods so Wild / Munich
May
18
3:00 PM15:00

The Woods so Wild / Munich

The Woods so Wild - ballads to listen to and dances to dance along to!

Sunday, May 18, 2025, 3 p.m. - Bavarian National Museum, Mars-Venus Hall

1.00 pm - 2.30 pm - Introduction to Renaissance dance styles with Véronique Daniels

Bawdy songs and entertaining dances from the streets and theaters of London! Ballads with secular themes or news of the latest scandals were printed in England and sold on street corners. We will perform such ballads and juxtapose their arrangements for a mixed ensemble of unusual instruments, a so-called "Broken Consort". And there will be dancing!

We will entertain you with a mixture of courtly and peasant dances and invite the audience to dance along after the concert. Under the guidance of dancers experienced in historical practice, we will explore the steps of the Renaissance melodies together.

Performers:
Emma-Lisa Roux - soprano, lute
Giovanna Baviera - mezzo, viola da gamba
Félix Verry - Renaissance violin
Tabea Schwarz - recorder, one-handed flute and drum, viola da gamba, dance
Sam Chapman - cittern, lute
Joel Frederiksen - bass, bandora, lute, conductor

Véronique Daniels - Dancing master

4th Concert of the XVII Series “Between Mars and Venus”

With the kind support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the District of Upper Bavaria.

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Troubadour: 800 years of Song / Plock (PL)
Apr
4
7:00 PM19:00

Troubadour: 800 years of Song / Plock (PL)

Troubadour: 800 years of Song from Walther von der Vogelweide to Leonard Cohen

We will present highlights from our programms “Walther von der Vogelweide - Courtly Songs of the Middle Ages” and “A Day with Suzanne - A Tribute to Leonard Cohen with Renaissance Chanson”. Looking forward to this exceptional program uniting the Minnesinger Walther von der Vogelweide (ca. 1180-1230), whose poltical texts are especially timely, with music of Renaissance Chanson composers and connecting it to music of the modern troubadour, Leonard Cohen. Loosely used, a troubadour could be anyone singing a song, preferably his own, and perhaps accompanying himself on an instrument. More specifically, we can speak of troubadours and trouvères in Medieval music, without whose written music, passed down in manuscripts, we would have fewer melodies for Walthers songs. Cohen called himself a Chansonnier and I see myself in the larger picture, carrying the tradition along.

Ensemble Phoenix Munich:
Vincent Kibildis - Harp
Félix Verry - Fiddle
Emma-Lisa Roux - Lute, Voice
Hille Perl - Viola da Gamba
Domen Marinčič - Viola da Gamba 
Joel Frederiksen - Voice, Lute, Citole, Direction

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Mein Lieb, wie schöne bist doch du - Caspar Kittel / Munich
Mar
30
3:00 PM15:00

Mein Lieb, wie schöne bist doch du - Caspar Kittel / Munich

My love, how beautiful you are - arias and cantatas by Schütz pupil Caspar Kittel

Sunday, March 30, 2025, 3 pm - Bavarian National Museum, Mars-Venus Hall

2 pm Pre-concert talk with Dr. Sven Schwannberger

Caspar Kittel (1603-1639) was a composer of the Baroque era who is rarely heard today. As a pupil of Heinrich Schütz, he was accepted into the Dresden court chapel and sent to study in Venice. He returned to the Dresden court as a theorbist and royal chamber singer and replaced Heinrich Schütz as director of the court chapel from 1638. His arias and cantatas for one to four voices were published in the same year. They are among the early examples of the stile nuovo, the modern, monodic style that Kittel brought with him from Italy to Dresden and had a significant influence on the development of the sacred and secular cantata in Germany.

Performers:
Hannah Ely - soprano
Michaela Riener - soprano
Ivo Haun - tenor, lute
Jacob Lawrence - tenor
Michael Eberth - harpsichord
Sven Schwannberger - theorbo, flute
Joel Frederiksen - bass, lute, conductor

3rd Concert of the XVII Series “Between Mars and Venus”

With the kind support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the District of Upper Bavaria.

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Borrowed Light / Mulhouse (FRA)
Mar
8
6:00 PM18:00

Borrowed Light / Mulhouse (FRA)

Borrowed Light

Back in 1994 I made a CD with the Boston Camerata called “Simple Gifts” in an original Shaker Meeting House at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, wth the last remaining Shakers. The result was powerful and the CD became a bestseller. Later, the songs we recorded would be incorporated into a piece with modern dance. Although I sang on the original recording, I never performed the piece with dance, until now. I’m looking forwar to it!

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shaker movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

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Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)
Mar
1
3:00 PM15:00

Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)

Borrowed Light

Back in 1994 I made a CD with the Boston Camerata called “Simple Gifts” in an original Shaker Meeting House at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, wth the last remaining Shakers. The result was powerful and the CD became a bestseller. Later, the songs we recorded would be incorporated into a piece with modern dance. Although I sang on the original recording, I never performed the piece with dance, until now. I’m looking forwar to it!

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shaker movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

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Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)
Feb
28
7:00 PM19:00

Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)

Borrowed Light

Back in 1994 I made a CD with the Boston Camerata called “Simple Gifts” in an original Shaker Meeting House at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, wth the last remaining Shakers. The result was powerful and the CD became a bestseller. Later, the songs we recorded would be incorporated into a piece with modern dance. Although I sang on the original recording, I never performed the piece with dance, until now. I’m looking forwar to it!

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shaker movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

View Event →
Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)
Feb
27
7:00 PM19:00

Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)

Borrowed Light

Back in 1994 I made a CD with the Boston Camerata called “Simple Gifts” in an original Shaker Meeting House at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, wth the last remaining Shakers. The result was powerful and the CD became a bestseller. Later, the songs we recorded would be incorporated into a piece with modern dance. Although I sang on the original recording, I never performed the piece with dance, until now. I’m looking forwar to it!

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shaker movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

View Event →
Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)
Feb
26
7:00 PM19:00

Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)

Borrowed Light

Back in 1994 I made a CD with the Boston Camerata called “Simple Gifts” in an original Shaker Meeting House at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, wth the last remaining Shakers. The result was powerful and the CD became a bestseller. Later, the songs we recorded would be incorporated into a piece with modern dance. Although I sang on the original recording, I never performed the piece with dance, until now. I’m looking forwar to it!

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shaker movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

View Event →
Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)
Feb
22
7:00 PM19:00

Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)

Borrowed Light

Back in 1994 I made a CD with the Boston Camerata called “Simple Gifts” in an original Shaker Meeting House at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, wth the last remaining Shakers. The result was powerful and the CD became a bestseller. Later, the songs we recorded would be incorporated into a piece with modern dance. Although I sang on the original recording, I never performed the piece with dance, until now. I’m looking forwar to it!

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shaker movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

View Event →
Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)
Feb
21
7:00 PM19:00

Borrowed Light / Helsinki (FIN)

Borrowed Light

Back in 1994 I made a CD with the Boston Camerata called “Simple Gifts” in an original Shaker Meeting House at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, wth the last remaining Shakers. The result was powerful and the CD became a bestseller. Later, the songs we recorded would be incorporated into a piece with modern dance. Although I sang on the original recording, I never performed the piece with dance, until now. I’m looking forwar to it!

In collaboration with the Tero Saarinen Company (TSC), Borrowed Light captures the ritualistic essence of dance and the profound strength of community. Inspired by the radical Shaker movement of the 1700s and 1800s, the work explores total surrender and devotion to a community. The live performance of original Shaker hymns by The Boston Camerata fills the space with ethereal harmonies that echo through the repetitive rituals of the movement. Collective identity can carry towards something greater, but at what point do its rigid values push the individual to the very limits of their devotion?

View Event →
Die Winterreise / Munich
Feb
6
8:00 PM20:00

Die Winterreise / Munich

  • Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Mars-Venus-Hall (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Franz Schubert: Die Winterreise (The Winter Journey)

Pianist, Lukas Sehr

Pre-Concert Lecture: Jan Golch (LMU) at 7 pm

Based on texts by Wilhelm Müller, Franz Schubert completed the monumental song cycle "Die Winterreise" (Op. 89) in the fall of 1827, one year before his death. The 24 songs in the cycle contain some of his greatest works. Schubert was particularly proud of these songs and wrote to his friend and fellow composer Josef von Spaun: "I will sing you a cycle of haunting songs. I am eager to see what you have to say about them. They have affected me more deeply than any other songs ever have." Spaun reported: "He now sang us through the whole of 'Winterreise' with an impassioned voice. We were completely taken aback by the sombre mood of these songs." The bleakness and desolation of the landscape sung about by the traveler, who tells of happy days in a summer of love and then of lost love, the barren trees, the snow, the dogs chasing him out of the village, the crows perched in the trees, the organ grinder playing his ghostly melody in a swirl of snow, left them perplexed.

The facsimile of the autograph (1827) and the Urtext edition are being used to prepare this performance. Schubert himself transposed his works, and the songs of Winterreise exist in different keys. We will perform the cycle in the version for bass voice. Some ornamentation will be subtly added to the vocal part, as Schubert and his singer Johann Michael Vogl did. As carefully as we approach the performance practice of the early repertoire, we also proceed with the same sensitivity when interpreting early romantic music. Joel Frederiksen will be accompanied by an historical fortepiano, as Schubert might have played.

Performers:

Joel Frederiksen - Bass
Lukas Sehr - Fortepiano


2nd concert of the XVII series "Between Mars and Venus"

With the kind support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the District of Upper Bavaria.

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“Le Nuove Musiche” and the art of self-accompanied monody / Nuremberg
Jan
23
3:30 PM15:30

“Le Nuove Musiche” and the art of self-accompanied monody / Nuremberg

  • Hochschule für Musik Nürnberg, Kammermusiksaal (map)
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Lecture: Le Nuove Musiche and the art of self-accompanied monody

The preface to Giulio Caccini's “Le nuove Musiche” (1601) is a philosophical statement and an irreplaceable source of reference for us in the interpretation of baroque monody. We will take a closer look at Caccini's ideas, including his plea for self-accompaniment as the most affective form of performance.

Tage Alter Musik 2025 / Early music Days 2025

Forum historische Musikinstrumente / Forum for historical musical instruments

Vocal and instrumental Monodie

22 - 26 January 2025
Organizer and venue: Germanisches Nationalmuseum and Nuremberg University of Music

Contact: Dr. Frank P. Bär

Programm und Infos

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Daniel / Boston (USA)
Jan
19
2:00 PM14:00

Daniel / Boston (USA)

Daniel: A Medieval Masterpiece Revisited

The fiery prophecies of Daniel, young captive in corrupt Babylon, ring forth again. This stunning, contemporary new production by Anne Azéma of the greatest musical play from the French Middle Ages involves lights, movement, urgent poetry, and a sterling cast including seasoned professionals, children, and Longy School of Music of Bard College students, to make 1310 happen again, in 2025. Our singers and musicians are supported by Peter Torpey’s deeply evocative lighting and special effects.

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A German Christmas / Boston (USA)
Dec
22
3:30 PM15:30

A German Christmas / Boston (USA)

In Dulci Jubilo

I will be joining my friends with the Boston Camerata for this concert of music for Christmas.

In the European North, the forests are deep; the nights are dark and long. Perhaps this is why, in reaction, the early Christmas music of the German-speaking peoples is so intensely joyful and profoundly rich. Our program explores the marvelous music of German Christmas festivity through chants and chorales, simple carols, grandiose polyphony, and instrumental fantasias of the 15th to early 17th centuries.

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Beatus Vir / Olching
Nov
29
8:00 PM20:00

Beatus Vir / Olching

Claudio Monteverdi – Beatus Vir
Amor sacro & amor profano

I have been directing a new, ambitious amateur ensemble in Munich for a few years now. They sing Renaissance and early Baroque music, almost always a capella. This time we are devoting two concerts to Monteverdi and will perform a capella madrigals and pieces accompmanied by instruments! Very beautiful music with a unique sound.

Claudio Monteverdi is one of the great pioneers behind the musical revolution at the end of the Renaissance. To mark the anniversary of his death, we are presenting choral works and solo pieces that reflect the broad spectrum of his musical expression and tell of amor profano - secular love - and amor sacro - sacred love. In his musical universe, Monteverdi makes the transition from the so-called prima pratica, the strict polyphony of the Renaissance, to the seconda pratica, in which emotion and textual expression take center stage.

About the ensemble 'versum vocale

'versum vocale is an a cappella ensemble for early music from Munich under the direction of the singer and lutenist Joel Frederiksen. With a variable line-up of eight to twelve passionate singers, the ensemble strives for a high level of sound, devotes itself primarily to polyphonic Renaissance music and also performs lesser-known musical treasures.

Singers

Soprano: Malin Eiband, Bryony Lang

Alto: Katharina Preller, Sarah Park, Katharina Starzer

Tenor: Friedrich Esch, Thomas Padel

Bass: Robert Schmidt, Florian Eggers

Instruments:

Violin: Rita Brunner, Anne Powell

Baroque cello: Christine Winkelmann

Violone: Jerker Kluge

Theorbo: Jochen Schnapka

Harpsichord: Eglė Rudokaitė

versumvocale.de

versumvocale@gmail.com

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Beatus Vir / Munich
Nov
28
7:30 PM19:30

Beatus Vir / Munich

Claudio Monteverdi – Beatus Vir
Amor sacro & amor profano

I have been directing a new, ambitious amateur ensemble in Munich for a few years now. They sing Renaissance and early Baroque music, almost always a capella. This time we are devoting two concerts to Monteverdi and will perform a capella madrigals and pieces accompmanied by instruments! Very beautiful music with a unique sound.

Claudio Monteverdi is one of the great pioneers behind the musical revolution at the end of the Renaissance. To mark the anniversary of his death, we are presenting choral works and solo pieces that reflect the broad spectrum of his musical expression and tell of amor profano - secular love - and amor sacro - sacred love. In his musical universe, Monteverdi makes the transition from the so-called prima pratica, the strict polyphony of the Renaissance, to the seconda pratica, in which emotion and textual expression take center stage.

About the ensemble 'versum vocale

'versum vocale is an a cappella ensemble for early music from Munich under the direction of the singer and lutenist Joel Frederiksen. With a variable line-up of eight to twelve passionate singers, the ensemble strives for a high level of sound, devotes itself primarily to polyphonic Renaissance music and also performs lesser-known musical treasures.

Singers

Soprano: Malin Eiband, Bryony Lang

Alto: Katharina Preller, Sarah Park, Katharina Starzer

Tenor: Friedrich Esch, Thomas Padel

Bass: Robert Schmidt, Florian Eggers

Instruments:

Violin: Rita Brunner, Anne Powell

Baroque cello: Christine Winkelmann

Violone: Jerker Kluge

Theorbo: Jochen Schnapka

Harpsichord: Eglė Rudokaitė

versumvocale.de

versumvocale@gmail.com

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Le Donne di Giulio Caccini / Munich
Nov
17
4:00 PM16:00

Le Donne di Giulio Caccini / Munich

Margherita, Settimia and Francesca Caccini - Giulio Caccini's wife and two daughters

l suonatore di liuto (National Gallery of Art). Possibly a painting of Francesca Caccini

3 pm preconcert talk (in German): Dr. Christine Fischer (Basel)

Inspired by the popular female vocal trio "Concerto delle donne" from Ferrara, Giulio Caccini founded a professional female vocal ensemble called "Donne di Caccini" in Florence at the instigation of his prince, in which his second wife Margherita della Scala, his daughters Settimia and Francesca and selected female pupils performed. After a concert at the Parisian court around 1604, the French King Henry VI was so impressed that he wanted to take the "Concerto Caccini" into his service. His efforts failed due to the resistance of Prince Ferdinando de' Medici, who, in order to keep Francesca Caccini, officially employed her as a court musician for the Medici in 1607 with a generous salary. In the 1620s, she was the Medici's best-paid musician: singer, instrumentalist, teacher and composer. The marriage of her sister Settimia and her move to the court of the Gonzagas in Mantua led to the dissolution of the ensemble. Both sisters were not only virtuoso, highly educated singers who accompanied their own singing with lute or guitar, but also composers. Only eight Italian monodies by Settimia with expressive melodies for voice with basso continuo accompaniment survive. Francesca Caccini published her "Il primo libro delle musiche" in 1618, a collection of thirty-six solo songs and soprano-bass duets. Her only surviving stage work "La liberazione di Ruggiero" is considered to be the first surviving opera by a female composer.

Giulio Caccini published his groundbreaking book "Le nuove musiche" in 1601. "The new music" and the treatise at the beginning of the book, in which Caccini explains the new style, influenced composers throughout Europe. Caccini accompanied himself with the chitarrone, probably sang tenor and wrote pieces for "tenor exploring the bass range", among others. For a particularly virtuoso bass, Melchior Palantrotti, Caccini wrote monodies with large vocal ranges and virtuoso coloratura. Caccini taught his wife and daughters, but also numerous other singers, including the three ladies of Ferrara, to whom the EPM has already dedicated a concert (Musica Secreta, May 2019).

This concert will also be interactive with the Bavarian National Museum. At the beginning, visitors will be guided through the museum in small groups in order to discover and get to know the individual musicians, who embody individual figures, solo at various locations. In this way, the "new" baroque music is brought to life in the magnificent museum collections, appropriate to the theme. At the end, all visitors come together with the entire ensemble for the crowning finale.

Performers:
Margherita Caccini:
Tanja Vogrin - soprano, harp
Settimia Caccini: Emma-Lisa Roux - soprano, lute, theorbo
Francesca Caccini: Lucine Musaelian - soprano, viola da gamba
Giulio Caccini: Mario Lesiak - tenor, lute
Melchior Palantrotti: Joel Frederiksen - bass, archlute, conductor
Ferdinando de' Medici: Michael Eberth - harpsichord

1st Concert of the XVII Series “Between Mars and Venus”

With the kind support of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts and the District of Upper Bavaria.

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Le Donne di Giulio Caccini / Kiefersfelden
Nov
16
7:00 PM19:00

Le Donne di Giulio Caccini / Kiefersfelden

Margherita, Settimia and Francesca Caccini - Giulio Caccini's wife and two daughters

l suonatore di liuto (National Gallery of Art). Possibly a painting of Francesca Caccini

Inspired by the popular female vocal trio "Concerto delle donne" from Ferrara, Giulio Caccini founded a professional female vocal ensemble called "Donne di Caccini" in Florence at the instigation of his prince, in which his second wife Margherita della Scala, his daughters Settimia and Francesca and selected female pupils performed. After a concert at the Parisian court around 1604, the French King Henry VI was so impressed that he wanted to take the "Concerto Caccini" into his service. His efforts failed due to the resistance of Prince Ferdinando de' Medici, who, in order to keep Francesca Caccini, officially employed her as a court musician for the Medici in 1607 with a generous salary. In the 1620s, she was the Medici's best-paid musician: singer, instrumentalist, teacher and composer. The marriage of her sister Settimia and her move to the court of the Gonzagas in Mantua led to the dissolution of the ensemble. Both sisters were not only virtuoso, highly educated singers who accompanied their own singing with lute or guitar, but also composers. Only eight Italian monodies by Settimia with expressive melodies for voice with basso continuo accompaniment survive. Francesca Caccini published her "Il primo libro delle musiche" in 1618, a collection of thirty-six solo songs and soprano-bass duets. Her only surviving stage work "La liberazione di Ruggiero" is considered to be the first surviving opera by a female composer.

Giulio Caccini published his groundbreaking book "Le nuove musiche" in 1601. "The new music" and the treatise at the beginning of the book, in which Caccini explains the new style, influenced composers throughout Europe. Caccini accompanied himself with the chitarrone, probably sang tenor and wrote pieces for "tenor exploring the bass range", among others. For a particularly virtuoso bass, Melchior Palantrotti, Caccini wrote monodies with large vocal ranges and virtuoso coloratura. Caccini taught his wife and daughters, but also numerous other singers, including the three ladies of Ferrara, to whom the EPM has already dedicated a concert (Musica Secreta, May 2019).

This concert will also be interactive with the Bavarian National Museum. At the beginning, visitors will be guided through the museum in small groups in order to discover and get to know the individual musicians, who embody individual figures, solo at various locations. In this way, the "new" baroque music is brought to life in the magnificent museum collections, appropriate to the theme. At the end, all visitors come together with the entire ensemble for the crowning finale.

Performers:
Margherita Caccini:
Tanja Vogrin - soprano, harp
Settimia Caccini: Emma-Lisa Roux - soprano, lute, theorbo
Francesca Caccini: Lucine Musaelian - soprano, viola da gamba
Giulio Caccini: Mario Lesiak - tenor, lute
Melchior Palantrotti: Joel Frederiksen - bass, archlute, conductor
Ferdinando de' Medici: Michael Eberth - harpsichord

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L'Orfeo - Monteverdi / Winterthur (CH)
Nov
2
7:30 PM19:30

L'Orfeo - Monteverdi / Winterthur (CH)

Claudio Monteverdis “L’Orfeo” with the lautten compagney of BERLIN

Favola in musica - Staged opera production

I am delighted to be returning to the role of Caronte, the ferryman across the River Styx. An iconic bass role composed by one of my favorite composers!

Orfeo: Tomas Kral - baritone

Euridice and La Musica: Frieda Jolande Barck - soprano

Ninfa and Echo: Johanna Ihrig - soprano

Pastore: Christian Pohlers - tenor

Pastore: Armin Horn - tenor

Pastore and Speranza: Matthias Dähling - Altus

Messaggiera and Proserpina: Coline Dutilleul - Alto

Caronte: Joel Frederiksen - Bass

Plutone and Apollo: Cornelius Uhle - Bass

Director: Thomas Guglielmetti

Stage: Theres Indermaur

Costumes: Ralph Zeger

Choreography: Pietro Cono Genova

Dramaturgy: Barbara Tacchini

Lighting: Henrike Elmiger

Assistant stage designer: Lukas Müllner

Costume assistance: Jana Meyer

Musical direction: Wolfgang Katschner

https://theaterwinterthur.ch/orfeo

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L'Orfeo - Monteverdi / Winterthur (CH)
Nov
1
7:30 PM19:30

L'Orfeo - Monteverdi / Winterthur (CH)

Claudio Monteverdis “L’Orfeo” with the lautten compagney of BERLIN

Favola in musica - Staged opera production

I am delighted to be returning to the role of Caronte, the ferryman across the River Styx. An iconic bass role composed by one of my favorite composers!

Orfeo: Tomas Kral - baritone

Euridice and La Musica: Frieda Jolande Barck - soprano

Ninfa and Echo: Johanna Ihrig - soprano

Pastore: Christian Pohlers - tenor

Pastore: Armin Horn - tenor

Pastore and Speranza: Matthias Dähling - Altus

Messaggiera and Proserpina: Coline Dutilleul - Alto

Caronte: Joel Frederiksen - Bass

Plutone and Apollo: Cornelius Uhle - Bass

Director: Thomas Guglielmetti

Stage: Theres Indermaur

Costumes: Ralph Zeger

Choreography: Pietro Cono Genova

Dramaturgy: Barbara Tacchini

Lighting: Henrike Elmiger

Assistant stage designer: Lukas Müllner

Costume assistance: Jana Meyer

Musical direction: Wolfgang Katschner

https://theaterwinterthur.ch/orfeo

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L'Orfeo - Monteverdi / Winterthur (CH)
Oct
31
7:30 PM19:30

L'Orfeo - Monteverdi / Winterthur (CH)

Claudio Monteverdis “L’Orfeo” with the lautten compagney of BERLIN

Favola in musica - Staged opera production

I am delighted to be returning to the role of Caronte, the ferryman across the River Styx. An iconic bass role composed by one of my favorite composers!

Orfeo: Tomas Kral - baritone

Euridice and La Musica: Frieda Jolande Barck - soprano

Ninfa and Echo: Johanna Ihrig - soprano

Pastore: Christian Pohlers - tenor

Pastore: Armin Horn - tenor

Pastore and Speranza: Matthias Dähling - Altus

Messaggiera and Proserpina: Coline Dutilleul - Alto

Caronte: Joel Frederiksen - Bass

Plutone and Apollo: Cornelius Uhle - Bass

Director: Thomas Guglielmetti

Stage: Theres Indermaur

Costumes: Ralph Zeger

Choreography: Pietro Cono Genova

Dramaturgy: Barbara Tacchini

Lighting: Henrike Elmiger

Assistant stage designer: Lukas Müllner

Costume assistance: Jana Meyer

Musical direction: Wolfgang Katschner

https://theaterwinterthur.ch/orfeo

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