“Founded in the summer of 2007 by harpsichordist John Austin Clark and baroque violinist Nicolas Fortin, Bourbon Baroque is a period instrument ensemble based in Louisville, Kentucky that specializes in the historically informed performance of 17th and 18th century music.  Through inter-related arts collaborations and with a sensitivity for the modern audience, Bourbon Baroque performs regularly throughout the year in a variety of venues, often collaborating with other transformative and innovative organizations such as Moving Collective, Choral Arts Society of Louisville, Kentucky Opera, Louisville Youth Choir, and Musica Toscana.  Based on a given program, Bourbon Baroque can be heard in chamber, orchestral, and choral/operatic settings.  Be a part of Louisville's new vibrant musical initiative and discover the energy and dance as the music of the Baroque resounds in our minds, bodies, and in our slow-sipped bourbon.” 

“Brandywine Baroque is Delaware’s premier early music ensemble, offering concerts of chamber music on period instruments and featuring many national and international guest performers.  They have also brought to the stage a number of rare and previously unpublished manuscripts and performed music often unheard by modern audiences.  Their energetic performances evoke the mood of the era.  Brandywine Baroque sprinkles repartee throughout the program, commenting on anything about the music and times that strike their fancy.  Expect the unusual with these outstanding musicians!  The members of Brandywine Baroque are Karen Flint, harpsichord & artistic director; Laura Heimes, soprano; Tony Boutté, tenor; Eileen Grycky, flute; Cynthia Freivogel, violin; Martin Davids, violin; and Douglas McNames, cello.“ 

"Brooklyn Baroque debuted in the fall of 2000, when cellist David Bakamjian joined the long-standing duo of baroque flutist Andrew Bolotowsky and harpsichordist Rebecca Pechefsky.  Since then, the group has performed frequently in the New York area and has been invited to play in other states across the country.  The trio is the ensemble-in-residence at the eighteenth-century Morris-Jumel Mansion, where it performs in a yearly series.  Brooklyn Baroque specializes in the music of Bach and his contemporaries, but its concerts often range further back into the seventeenth century or as far forward as Beethoven.  About the ensemble’s debut CD, Northern Lights (QC 1005), Christopher Chaffee in the American Record Guide has written: “I cannot stop listening to this recording . . .  The playing is fantastic—sensitive, well shaped, and engaging.”  Brooklyn Baroque’s second recording, The Pleasures of the French (QC 1007), also won critical acclaim. ... "  Visit website for more information. ( ed.) 

“The Callipygian Players are an ensemble of Chicago's finest period instrument musicians and singers under the leadership of Director and Baroque Violinist Martin Davids. 

We present innovative and exciting concerts of music from the Baroque era (approximately 1600-1750).  Known for our interesting programming, our concerts feature music of well known composers as well as lesser known masterpieces. ..“ 

“Cançonièr is a Bay Area-based early music group devoted to medieval repertoire from the 12th to the 15th centuries, and some traditional music from related regions (Scandinavia, the Balkans, and the Middle East). 

Created in the summer of 2008 by multi-instrumentalist Tim Rayborn and recorder virtuoso Annette Bauer, the group appears both as a duo, and in an expanded form, featuring the talents of Bay Area favorite Shira Kammen on bowed strings, and the beautiful voice of Phoebe Jevtovic. 

In a short time, the group has gained the attention of the early music community, and received acclaim for its musicianship, unusual and exciting concert programs, and its debut CD. … “ 

"Capella Alamire was formed in 1984 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the purpose of exploring the repertoire of the Renaissance.  The word Alamire is a solmization term for the pitch A, sung as la, mi, or re; it was also the pseudonym of a Flemish music scribe employed by the Habsburg court at the beginning of the 16th century in the region of present-day Belgium and northern France, an area that produced many of the greatest composers and singers of the time.  In the first twelve years the ensemble performed some 28 programs in over 100 concerts.  The majority of these have been centered on repertoire by Franco-Flemish composers: Josquin DesPrez (Missae De beata Virgine, Malheur me bat, L'ami baudechon), Johannes Ockeghem (Missae L'homme armé, Fors seulement, Cuiusvis toni), Antoine Busnoys, Pierre de la Rue, Heinrich Isaac, and Nicholas Gombert.  Capella Alamire has released six CD recordings to date, including one through Titanic Records (Motets, 1992), and two through Dorian Discovery (The Early Josquin, 1995, and Three Masses by Ockeghem, 1997), and our latest one through Naxos (Gombert, 2006). "  See website for more information. ( ed.) 

"Carolina Baroque was organized by Dale Higbee in 1988 for the purpose of performing music of the Baroque period (c. 1600-1750) on instruments familiar to Monteverdi, Purcell, Buxtehude, Vivaldi, Telemann, J. S. Bach, and Handel during this Golden Age of Music.  Since then we have performed in many cities in North Carolina, as well as in South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia.  We appeared on Public TV (WTVI-42), have received rave reviews in the press, and digital CD recordings of our Salisbury concerts have been broadcast many times over both Davidson College's WDAV (FM 89.9) and Wake Forest University's WFDD (88.5 FM).  Carolina Baroque is a funded member of the Arts Council of Rowan and an organizational member of Early Music America.  The Music Director is a resident of Salisbury, NC, but the other artists are professional musicians from various North Carolina cities who have performed throughout the US, as well as in Europe and South America. "  See website for more information. ( ed.) 

* Established in 1977 to promote performance of music written before 1800
* Performs with historic instruments and/or copies and voices
* Uses performance styles of the period in which the music was written
* Has presented a concert series in Charlotte since 1978. " 
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Chalice Consort collaborates with early music scholars and musicians in helping little-known works from the Renaissance and early Baroque eras become more widely appreciated by the modern music-loving public.  The Consort pays special attention to the verbal texts and to the music's rhetorical force, as well as to acoustics.  Its performances also take into account the various concepts of stylistic decorum that were strongly articulated by humanist writers in the Renaissance and provide an essential part of the context in which these repertoires were composed, performed, and first appreciated.  Chalice Consort aims to communicate the emotional power of this music to modern listeners. 

"Chatham Baroque, western Pennsylvania's only professional baroque ensemble playing on period instruments, excites audiences with dazzling technique and artful interpretation.  In recent years the trio has taken its performances and educational programs to Montreal, Mexico City, the British Virgin Islands, California, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Alabama and Washington, DC. "  See website for more information. ( ed.) 

"claimed as an ensemble of “imaginative” programming and “delicate, flawlessly-played music”, the Chicago Early Music Consort recreates the rich and diverse sounds of the late Renaissance and early Baroque chamber repertoire in a historically-informed manner.  Founded by Gary Berkenstock, the consort performs throughout the Chicagoland and Wisconsin areas. 

The ﻿core ensemble consists of a “broken” consort of viola da gamba Phillip W. Serna, soprano Stephanie Sheffield, lute/theorbo Joel Spears, and recorders Gary Berkenstock, but the ensemble is supplemented as needed by the dictates of the music.  Programs are built around historical themes in order to provide modern audiences with a meaningful social context that will enrich their musical experience. "  See website for more details. ( ed.) 

“In the lute songs of the Elizabethan masters, music is at the service of poetry.  This age of Shakespeare, Jonson, Spenser, and Donne saw English verse rise to heights of expressivity still unsurpassed.  To sing to the lute is an art barely separate from the art of declaiming verse.  It requires clarity and beauty of tone, a natural flow of language, and a delicate sense of dialogue with the lute the instrument of courtly love.  Morrongiello and Young bring to life the flower of Elizabethan music in their programs of lute songs, fantasias and instrumental dances for lute, voice, and renaissance harp.” 

"Ciaramella brings to life Medieval and early Renaissance music from historical events and manuscripts.  Praised for performing intricate fifteenth-century counterpoint "with the ease of jazz musicians improvising on a theme," its members are united by the conviction that every omposition conceals a rich story waiting to be unlocked through historical research and speculative performance. 

Founded on a core of winds: shawm, sackbut, recorder, organ, and voice, Ciaramella takes its name from the Italian shawm and from a fifteenth-century song about abeautiful girl whose clothes are full of holes.  When she opens her mouth, she knocks men flat.  Ciaramella's members met as graduate students at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.  They first performed together on Christmas Day 2003, in Spoleto, Italy.  There they collaborated with musicologist Gioia Filocamo to perform music from the manuscript Panciatichi 27, much of which had not been heard for centuries.  In 2004, the group performed in a staged production of the first Hebrew play, A Comedy of Betrothal by Leone de'Sommi (c.1550) at the Cleveland Museum of Art. " 

"Clerestory is named for the architectural element of certain churches whereby daylight enters the sanctuary through a row of windows at the top of the nave.  This name represents the illumination that serious music brings into our lives.  We tell the "clear story" of the music we sing, through sophisticated, historically-informed performances, as well as through original, scholarly notes on the program. "  See website for more information. ( ed.) 

"Con Gioia, based in Claremont, California, presents some of the best performers concertizing on period instruments.  Following its debut in 1982, the ensemble continues to enchant its audiences with outstanding concerts of well-known masterpieces and rarely performed works of the baroque and classical repertoire. 

The ensemble has featured such internationally acclaimed musicians such as violinists Eduard Melkus, Monica Huggett, Chiara Banchini, Daniel Stepner, and Elizabeth Blumenstock; harpsichordist and fortepianist Preethi de Silva; flutists John Solum and Stephen Schultz; viola da gambists, Wieland Kuijken, Laura Jeppesen, and Mark Chatfield; recorder player Matthias Maute; oboist Gonzalo X. Ruiz; sopranos Julianne Baird and Sharon Baker; glass harmonicist Dennis James; and harpsichordists Jennifer Paul and Robert Zappulla, among many others.  In recent seasons, Con Gioia has performed concerts at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Caltech in Pasadena, and the San Diego Museum of Art.  During the seasons 2000-2001 and 2001-2002, Con Gioia presented a concert series in Claremont and Los Angeles devoted to the very rare performance of all of Bach's concertos for one or more harpsichords, together with strings and winds.  These extraordinary concerts were supported by Friends of Con Gioia; and generous grants from Claremont McKenna College, Scripps College, the Claremont Community Foundation, as well as a benefactress.  Con Gioia's recording of several of these concertos was released in 2004 by Centaur Records and has received high critical acclaim in the USA and Europe. "  Visit website for more information. ( ed.) 

“Taking its name from the Italian concitare ("to incite or provoke"), Concitato electrifies listeners with insightful interpretations of rarely performed repertoire, while redefining the way audiences hear the more well-known works of the Baroque canon.  Concitato tastefully combines the latest discoveries in musicological research with cutting-edge training.  Founded in 2008 by violinist Joan Plana, this trio of dynamic young players—violinist Joan Plana, cellist Ezra Seltzer, and harpsichordist Jeffrey Grossman—performs a vast repertoire of diverse instrumental music from the baroque era.  Concitato’s flexibility allows for the inclusion of additional musical collaborators for larger ensemble or vocal works.  After a stunning Chicago début in November 2008, Concitato has performed concerts in Montreal, Cleveland, and New York.  In 2009, Concitato was named a finalist of the York International Early Music Competition.“ 

“Consort Anon. ( named after the most prolific composer of the Middle Ages) has been performing at concerts, weddings, festivals, church services and other events since Kevin, Eric and Mary Anne formed the group (with Chuck Norris - not THE Chuck Norris) in 1979.  Our performing specialty is music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance but we also make very pleasant excursions into the Baroque, Colonial American, Jazz and 20th Century musical forms. …” 

"De Organographia performs the music of Ancient Greece on a myriad of faithful reproductions of period instruments.  Their concerts are informative and entertaining presentations using period text and song to bring to life the musical art of the distant past.  The ancient Greek repertoire of De Organographia is brought alive in an improvisatory style based on precepts preserved in the writings of antiquity. 

"Dulces Voces (Sweet Voices) is a vocal ensemble which specializes in performing secular and sacred music composed before 1750.  The group has an eclectic repertoire which spans periods from chant and Burgundian motets to Monteverdi and Purcell. 

Dulces Voces is comprised of a group of five singers based in Lincoln, Nebraska.  The ensemble performs mostly a cappella music and has no conductor or advisor, therefore it draws on its members for repertoire and performance practice.  The members of Dulces Voces come from varying backgrounds and professions, but all members have a profound love for the music performed. "  See website for more information. ( ed.) 

“Cellist Fred Edelen and harpsichordist and fortepianist Christina Edelen have performed together throughout the United States and Northern Europe since 1983.  Both received Performer's Certificates from the Indiana University School of Music for outstanding performance.  Their extensive repertoire includes lesser-known music of the French Baroque, more familiar repertoire of Bach, Geminiani, and the Italian masters, to early Classical. 

They have appeared at the early music festivals of Boston, Berkeley, Bloomington, Columbus, and San Antonio.  As Artistic Co-Directors and founders of Early Music Southwest in Houston, Duo Edelen have performed regularly with internationally acclaimed Baroque specialists including Baroque violinists Stanley Ritchie and Amy Kauffman, flutist Colin St. Martin, and tenor Tony Boutté. 

In conjunction with the Museum of Fine Arts Houston they have created a highly successful Baroque concert series in the museum's Rienzi collection.  Duo Edelen are founding members of Trio La Poplinière, and are sought after as recitalists, continuo players, and teachers.  They currently reside in Amsterdam.“ 

“In the summer of 2005, a few singers in the Madison Early Music Festival decided that it was a fine idea to get together and delight themselves with singing madrigals.  The group's first piece—William Byrd’s “This sweet and merry month of May”, whose ending celebrated Queen Elizabeth I with the words

And greet Eliza with a rhyme:
O beauteous Queen of Second Troy,
Take well in worth a simple toy. 

provided a great name for the group.  Eliza’s Toyes was born, and existed every summer in Madison, Wisconsin. 

In 2008, a fair number of singers who were in Eliza's Toyes are living in Madison once again.  Thus we gather, outside of the Festival, for the joy of music making.  It is our pleasure to continue sharing this wonderful body of music with you for the second year!” 

“Based in Washington, DC, Ensemble Gaudior is dedicated to performing masterpieces of chamber music from the Baroque and Classical eras, using instruments from those periods or careful modern copies.  By presenting this repertoire to modern concert audiences, we hope to contribute to the process of moving our world toward greater harmony. ( The name Gaudior is borrowed from the musical unicorn in Madeleine L’Engle’s book A Swiftly Tilting Planet, who time-travels through the universe joyfully harmonizing with the music of the stars and planets.)” 

“Ensemble Impromptu rotates its musical artists, providing a unique experience for each event.  Michelle D. Cosgrove is the founder of Ensemble Impromptu.  Her experience with creating a variety of different chamber ensembles led her to developing a home base for each project- Ensemble Impromptu.  Each concert features rotating guest artists, fashioning a new texture of instrumentation for each ensemble.  This provides an opportunity for audiences to hear chamber music that is not regularly found in the mainstream classical venues.“ 

"Ensemble Leonarda was formed at the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where its founding members were participating in the early music program.  Named after the composer Isabella Leonarda (1620–1704), this group of gifted individuals have come together to form an ensemble dedicated to performing works of the Baroque masters with vim, vigor, and enthusiasm.  Past performances have included recitals at the Church of the Epiphany as part of the “Washington Musicians for Nuclear Disarmament” series; Squires Recital Salon at Virginia Tech; St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, St. Paul’s Chapel–Columbia University, the Donnell Library Center, Music in Chelsea, and Church of the Transfiguration concert series. ... "  Visit website for more information. ( ed.) 

"Ensemble Musica Humana is a vibrant ensemble specializing in imaginative and historically informed musical performances.  Drawing from primary sources, we seek to creatively engage with history through music, and bring to life a myriad of ancient musical traditions. 

The ensemble takes its name from the Pythagorean concept of the Music of the Spheres as presented in the seminal work of Boethius, De Musica, which describes the three branches of music.  Musica Mundana, the divine harmony created by the movements of the stars and planets; Musica Instrumentalis, the sounds made by instruments and singers; and Musica Humana, the music that resonates within the human body when it is in harmony with the music of the spheres."