The Miami Bach Society’s Tropical Baroque Music Festival

From March 3 through 11, 2012.

Beginning Saturday, March 3rd, the Miami Bach Society presents its Tropical Baroque Music Festival. Now in its 13th year, the annual weeklong Baroque music event has gained international recognition by presenting the most renowned musicians from Europe, the United States and South America.  

Legendary viola da gamba player and conductor, Jordi Savall, will return to Miami with his renowned ensemble, thanks to the generosity of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. This will be the group’s fourth appearance at the celebrated early music event, held in Coral Gables the first week in March for the past thirteen years. Performing a program of music from Europe to Latin America, the famed viola da gamba player will lead his ensemble in works written in the Old World and the New.

Other concerts include Concerto Soave from Marseille, France, featuring soprano, Maria Cristina Kiehr, who studied with Figueras, as well as organist and director, Jean-Marc-Aymes. They will be performing works from the early Italian repertoire, Asteria, an American duo, who live and perform in France, will perform songs from a mediaeval song book, kept in a municipal building in Dijon. Germany is represented by the Lautten Compagney, from Berlin, making its festival debut performing Baroque compositions from its native land.

The Grammy Award-winning female quartet, Anonymous 4 will perform Mediaeval works. Fuoco e Cenere from Paris returns to the festival with works of Vivaldi; and Donal Fox of New York does a solo piano performance of Jazz Bach.

Two additional events include films of interest to the Festival patrons, shown in tribute to the International Film Festival, which coincides with the Tropical Baroque Music Festival this year. The first is the world premier of a documentary by John Berry from Trinidad about classical music played on the steel drums. It will honor the late Pat Bishop, who directed the Lydian Steel, a Festival favorite, which performed Baroque repertoire on the steel drums. There will also be a special tribute to Mrs. Bishop, in a shorter film.

The festival will also host a screening of Alain Corneau’s Tous les Matins du Monde, the French film about viol player Marin Marais, which featured a sound track of performances by Mr. Savall, Ms. Figueras and Maria Cristina Kiehr. This French film classic from the early 1990’s is purported to have brought the artistry of Jordi Savall’s to the public’s attention.

The festival’s grand finale is the return of Brian Neal’s Brass Miami, performing works for trumpets, trombone and tuba at the historic Biltmore Hotel, concluding with a spectacular fireworks display ignited to coincide with George Frederick Handel’s Royal Fireworks Music.

Tickets range from $30 to $75 and are free for students 18 years of age and under. College and graduate students pay $5. For tickets and further information call 305.669.1376 or visit the Society’s website at www.miamibachsociety.org.

CONCERT SCHEDULE

Saturday, March 3rd, 8:00 p.m. Concerto Soave from Marseille, France performs early Italian works at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, 1142 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables.

Sunday, March 4th, Bach to the Miami International Film Festival, 2:00 p.m. from Trinidad, world premier of John Berry’s Tribute to the late Pat Bishop of the Lydian Steel, with live music on the pans, Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road; 8:00 p.m. Alain Corneau’s 1991 French classic, Tous Les Matins du Monde, with music performed by Jordi Savall, Cosford Cinema, University of Miami, 1111 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables.

Monday, March 5th, 8:00 p.m. Jordi Savall and Hesperion XXI, Spanish early music icon from Barcelona returns to Miami with his chamber ensemble to the First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables 536 Coral Way, Coral Gables     

Tuesday, March 6th, 8:00 p.m. Asteria, American Duo, Eric Redlinger and Sylvia Rhine, living in France, give a lecture/musical demonstration of songs from the Dijon Chansonnier at the Danielson Gallery, Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue, Coral Gables

Wednesday, March 7th, 8:00 p.m. Lautten Compagney from Berlin, in its Miami premier performance plays German works, Plymouth Congregational Church, 3400 Devon Road, Coconut Grove.

Thursday, March 8th, 8:00 p.m. Anonymous 4, from New York, renowned American female quartet perform Mediaeval works, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 5690 North Kendall Drive, Coral Gables.

Friday, March 9th, 8:00 p.m. Fuoco e Cenere, from Paris, directed by Jay Bernfeld, performs concert works of Monteverdi. Vivaldi, Coral Gables Museum, 285 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables

Saturday, March 10th, 8:00 p.m. Donal Fox, noted jazz pianist from New York makes his South Florida debut performing Jazz Bach, Riviera Presbyterian Church, 5275 Sunset Drive, Coral Gables.

Sunday, March 11th, 7:00 p.m., Brass Miami, Annual Fireworks Concert, led by Brian Neal, the celebrated local ensemble performs Handel’s Royal Fireworks Music and Baroque favorites closing with a real fireworks display at the Biltmore Hotel, 1200 Anastasia Avenue.

Tropical Baroque Music Festival
305.669.1376
www.miamibachsociety.org

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