Role

:

Ensemble

Period

:

Baroque

Genre

:

Concerto

 

 

Film

 

 

Opera

 

Ensemble Arcadia is a classical music ensemble that was founded in 2007 by a group of musicians who shared a passion for early music. The ensemble is based in the United States and is known for its performances of music from the medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. The founding members of Ensemble Arcadia were all graduates of the Juilliard School in New York City. They included the violinist Rachel Evans, the cellist Rebecca Humphrey, the harpsichordist Michael Sponseller, and the tenor Rufus Müller. The ensemble was named after the Greek region of Arcadia, which was known for its pastoral beauty and was a popular subject in art and literature during the Renaissance. Ensemble Arcadia's repertoire includes music from a wide range of composers, including Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Claudio Monteverdi, and Guillaume de Machaut. The ensemble is known for its historically informed performances, which use period instruments and techniques to recreate the sound of early music. One of Ensemble Arcadia's most notable performances was its debut concert, which took place in 2007 at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City. The program included works by Bach, Handel, and Monteverdi, and was well-received by both audiences and critics. Since its founding, Ensemble Arcadia has performed at a number of prestigious venues and festivals, including the Boston Early Music Festival, the Berkeley Early Music Festival, and the Carmel Bach Festival. The ensemble has also collaborated with a number of other musicians and ensembles, including the vocal ensemble TENET and the viol consort Parthenia. In addition to its live performances, Ensemble Arcadia has also released several recordings. Its debut album, "Music for a King: Chamber Works from the Court of Louis XIV," was released in 2010 and features music by composers such as Jean-Baptiste Lully and Marin Marais. The album was well-received by critics and was named one of the top classical recordings of the year by The New York Times. Ensemble Arcadia has also received a number of awards and honors for its performances and recordings. In 2011, the ensemble was awarded the Early Music America/Naxos Recording Competition prize for its recording of music by the French composer Antoine Forqueray. The ensemble was also named a finalist in the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming in both 2012 and 2013. Today, Ensemble Arcadia continues to perform and record music from the early music repertoire. The ensemble's current members include Rachel Evans on violin, Rebecca Humphrey on cello, Michael Sponseller on harpsichord, and the soprano Nell Snaidas. The ensemble remains committed to its mission of bringing the beauty and complexity of early music to modern audiences.

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