Genre

:

Chamber

 

 

Vocal

 

Piffaro is a classical music ensemble that specializes in the performance of Renaissance and Baroque music. The ensemble was founded in 1980 by Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, who were both graduates of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Switzerland. The group takes its name from the piffero, a type of Italian double-reed instrument that was popular during the Renaissance. The founding members of Piffaro were Joan Kimball (recorders), Robert Wiemken (sackbut), and Greg Ingles (recorders). Over the years, the ensemble has had a rotating cast of musicians, but the core members have remained Kimball and Wiemken. Other members have included Grant Herreid (lute and guitar), Christa Patton (recorders and bagpipes), Tom Zajac (recorders and shawms), and Priscilla Herreid (recorders). Piffaro has performed at major venues and festivals throughout the United States and Europe, including the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, the Utrecht Early Music Festival, and the Festival Oude Muziek in Bruges. The ensemble has also performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. One of Piffaro's most notable performances was at the 1998 Göttingen International Handel Festival in Germany, where they performed Handel's Water Music on a barge floating down the River Leine. The performance was a recreation of the original performance of the piece, which was commissioned by King George I of England for a similar event on the River Thames in 1717. Piffaro has also collaborated with other musicians and ensembles, including the Folger Consort, the King's Noyse, and the Newberry Consort. In 2008, Piffaro collaborated with the Philadelphia Orchestra for a performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. In addition to their live performances, Piffaro has released several recordings, including The Renaissance of the Piffero, which features music from 16th-century Italy, and Waytes: English Music for a Renaissance Band, which features music from 16th-century England. The ensemble has also recorded several albums of Christmas music, including Christmas Vespers and A Spanish Christmas. Piffaro has received numerous awards and accolades for their performances and recordings. In 1999, the ensemble was awarded the Noah Greenberg Award by the American Musicological Society, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the performance of early music. In 2003, Piffaro received a Grammy nomination for their recording of The Sacred Bridge, which features music from the Jewish and Christian traditions of Renaissance Spain. Overall, Piffaro has established itself as one of the premier ensembles for the performance of Renaissance and Baroque music. With their virtuosic playing and innovative programming, they have brought this music to audiences around the world and helped to keep it alive for future generations.

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