Musicians of the Old Post Road, – a chamber music ensemble specializing in period instrument performances of music from the Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic eras, – marks its 28th season by focusing on a topic that is as relevant today as it was in the 18th century: migration. The migration of musicians and their music in the Old and New Worlds shaped the musical environments in which these musicians found themselves, changing the course of music history. The season highlights a variety of musical cultures in performances of well-loved masterpieces and exciting “rediscoveries” of the Baroque and Classical periods.
The season begins in early November with “Baltic Sojourn,” a program featuring exciting Baroque rarities from Italian and German composers who migrated to Latvia, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, and Russia. Works to be performed include the Drottingholmsmusiken, a delightful “Handelian” orchestral suite, by the Swedish Baroque composer Johan Helmich Roman. Fresh Baroque discourse will be on display in the engaging Trio Sonata in D Major by Polish composer Stanisław Szarzynski; a sprightly Chaconne by Johann Valentin Meder; and a virtuoso flute concerto by Johann Adolph Scheibe. Audiences will experience over-the-top emotional drama in the Flute Sonata in D Major by Johann Gottfried Müthel, a former student of Bach who lived and worked in Latvia, and the Violin Sonata in A Minor by Luigi Madonis, an Italian who worked at the St. Petersburg court.
Concerts will take place Friday, November 4, 2016, 7:30pm, at First Parish of Sudbury, and Sunday, November 6, 2016, 3pm, at Old South Church in Boston. The Sudbury performance will be presented in collaboration with the Sudbury Historical Society and is supported by the Sudbury Cultural Council.
Performances:
- Friday, November 4, 2016, 7:30pm, First Parish of Sudbury, 327 Concord Road, Sudbury
- Sunday, November 6, 2016, 3pm, Old South Church, 645 Boylston Street, Boston
$35 preferred seating/ $30 general admission / $10 students. Children ages 7-17 are admitted FREE when accompanied by an adult
Season Partner: Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC)
For more information and tickets: call 781-466-6694 or visit www.oldpostroad.org
Learn more about this unique and dynamic season on the group’s website, www.oldpostroad.org. All Old Post Road concert sites are wheelchair accessible. The concert series is sponsored in part by the Bear Foundation and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
ABOUT THE SEASON
This year, Musicians of the Old Post Road- a chamber music ensemble specializing in period instrument performances of music from the Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic eras- marks its 28th season with a musical migration of musicians and their music throughout Europe and to the New World. The season highlights a variety of musical cultures in performance of well-loved masterpieces and exciting “rediscoveries” of the Baroque and Classical periods. In concert with the theme of migration, the group has partnered with the Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) to raise awareness for the important work being done to support today’s immigrants. Throughout the season, the group will host members of the RIAC community at their concerts. This will provide a platform for staff, immigrants, and refugees to share their stories. Old Post Road will also accept donations of hard goods at concerts to benefit the RIAC, and will keep their audience informed of these efforts through email and social media posts.
Discover more about this unique season on the group’s website, www.oldpostroad.org. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $35 for preferred seating, $30 for general admission, $10 for college students, and free for children ages 7-17 when accompanied by an adult. Affordable and flexible “trio” and “quartet” subscriptions are also available. All Old Post Road concert sites are wheelchair accessible. Co-presenters for this season include the Sudbury Historical Society, the Wayland Historical Society, and Worcester Historical Museum. The concert series is sponsored, in part, by the Bear Foundation, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Sudbury Cultural Council.
ABOUT THE ENSEMBLE
Musicians of the Old Post Road takes its name from its acclaimed concert series that brings period instrument performances of music of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries to beautiful historic buildings along New England’s fabled Old Post Road, the first thoroughfare to connect Boston and New York City in the late 17th century.
Winner of the 1998 Noah Greenberg Award from the American Musicological Society, Musicians of the Old Post Road has also received programming awards from Chamber Music America and the US-Mexico Fund for Culture. The ensemble has toured in Germany, Austria, and Mexico, and has appeared at festivals and on concert series in the US, including the Indianapolis Early Music Festival, the Boston Early Music Festival Concert Series, the Castle Hill Festival, the Artists Series at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and the Connecticut Early Music Festival. The ensemble has held a residency at Dartmouth College and was featured on WCVB television’s “Chronicle” program and 99.5 All Classical radio’s “Live from Fraser” program.
The ensemble’s discography includes six recordings that have each been praised in the US and abroad. They include: The Virtuoso Double Bass (Titanic, 1994), Trios and Scottish Song Settings of J. N. Hummel (Meridian, 1999), Galant with an Attitude: Music of Juan and José Pla (Meridian, 2000), Quartets of Telemann and Bodinus(Meridian, 2004), Feliz Navidad: Christmas from Spain and New Spain (Meridian, 2008), and Roman Handel(Centaur, 2013). The ensemble’s 7th CD, Earthly Baroque, is projected for release by Centaur in 2017.
ABOUT THE SEASON PARTNERSHIP
Musicians of the Old Post Road is proud to partner with the Refugee & Immigrant Assistance Center this season. The RIAC was established in 1993. It is a community-based, grassroots organization dedicated to promoting educational and socio-economic development in Massachusetts refugee and immigrant communities.To realize their mission, RIAC offers the following range of services to support successful resettlement and to promote self-sufficiency: Refugee Resettlement, Post-Resettlement Support Services, Community Education & Outreach and Counseling Services. Throughout the season, OPR will provide a platform to share their message and will hold drives to bring in hard goods such as the hats/mittens, books, art supplies and personal care products that help the RIAC support their community.
SEASON AT A GLANCE
Christmas in the New World
Festive Spanish Baroque villancios, ornate cantatas, and lively instrumental music exported to 18th century Central & South America, with vocal soloists Catherine Hedberg & Jessica Petrus.
- Saturday, December 17, 2016, 3pm, Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston
- Sunday, December 18, 2016, 4pm, First Unitarian Church, 90 Main Street, Worcester
Destination London
Artful contributions to the concert life of this most musical city made by Handel, Bononcini, Pepusch, and others with soprano Teresa Wakim.
- Friday, March 3, 2017, 7:30pm, First Parish, 50 Cochituate Road, Wayland
- Saturday, March 4, 2017, 3pm, Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston
Scores from the Suitcase
Rediscovered works by Haydn, Pleyel, Antes, and others, imported to early America, including works preserved by the Moravian communities.
- Friday, April 28, 2017, 8pm, Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston
- Sunday, April 30, 2017, 4pm, Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm Street, Worcester
$35 preferred seating/ $30 general admission / $10 students. Children ages 7-17 are admitted FREE when accompanied by an adult
For more information and tickets: call 781-466-6694 or visit www.oldpostroad.org
