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Ensemble

 

Four Centuries of Bach is a classical music ensemble that specializes in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and his contemporaries. The ensemble was founded in 2001 by four musicians who shared a passion for Bach's music and a desire to explore the rich history of classical music. The founding members of Four Centuries of Bach were violinist Elizabeth Blumenstock, cellist William Skeen, harpsichordist Davitt Moroney, and flutist Sandra Miller. All four musicians were accomplished performers with extensive experience in the classical music world. Blumenstock had performed with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony, while Skeen had played with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the American Bach Soloists. Moroney was a renowned harpsichordist who had recorded extensively and taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and Miller had performed with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. The ensemble's name, Four Centuries of Bach, reflects its mission to explore the full range of Bach's music and its influence on classical music over the centuries. The group's repertoire includes not only Bach's own works but also those of his contemporaries and successors, from the Baroque era to the present day. Four Centuries of Bach has performed at major venues and festivals throughout the United States and Europe, including the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, and the Tage Alter Musik festival in Regensburg, Germany. The ensemble has also collaborated with other leading musicians and ensembles in the classical music world, including the American Bach Soloists, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and the San Francisco Symphony. One of the highlights of Four Centuries of Bach's career was its performance of Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos at the Berkeley Early Music Festival in 2004. The ensemble's interpretation of these iconic works was praised for its energy, precision, and musicality, and it helped establish Four Centuries of Bach as one of the leading ensembles in the early music world. Another notable performance by Four Centuries of Bach was its collaboration with the American Bach Soloists in a program of Bach's cantatas and instrumental works at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in 2010. The ensemble's sensitive and nuanced playing, combined with the powerful vocal performances of the American Bach Soloists, created a memorable and moving musical experience for the audience. In addition to its performances, Four Centuries of Bach has also received critical acclaim for its recordings. The ensemble's debut album, Bach and His Contemporaries, was released in 2003 and featured works by Bach, Telemann, and Handel. The album was praised for its virtuosic playing and its ability to capture the spirit of the Baroque era. Subsequent albums by the ensemble have explored the music of Bach's successors, including Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms. Four Centuries of Bach has received numerous awards and accolades for its performances and recordings. The ensemble was awarded the Diapason d'Or award for its recording of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos in 2005, and its recording of Mozart's Flute Quartets was named one of the top classical recordings of 2012 by the New York Times.

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