2238
Fairmount Avenue | Philadelphia, PA 19130
info@piffaro.com
| phone/fax (215) 235-8469
Artistic Directors:
Joan Kimball & Robert Wiemken
Administrative Director: Matthew
Smith-Soley
"A Mexican Christmas"
The Habsburg Hofkapelle of Munich & the Music of Orlande de Lassus
Piffaro, The Renaissance Band and Parthenia, Consort of Viols will present early music on a grand scale in Philadelphia and New York with a performance featuring music of one of the 16th century’s most celebrated composers, Orlande de Lassus.
Friday, March 23, 2007, 8:00 p.m.
St. Michael's Church, 99th Street and Amsterdam, New York City
Saturday, March 24, 2007, 8:00 p.m.
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia
Sunday, March 25, 2007, 4:00 p.m.
Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2110 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
Tickets: $30 for preferred seating, $25 for general and $15 for seniors and students.
For ticket information and reservations call (215) 235-8469, or visit www.piffaro.com.
** Press Comps available. Please call for reservations. **
The Bavarian Hofkapelle (literally “court chapel” but referring to the group of instrumentalists and singers in service to the Duke) under the direction of Lassus during the latter half of the 16th century, was renowned for the quality and expansiveness of its musicmaking. When Wilhelm V, son of Albrecht V, duke of Bavaria, married Renata of Lorraine in 1568, the occasion was set for this musical establishment to shine in all of its accustomed splendor.
Piffaro’s program will seek to recreate some the grandeur of the festivities, performing both sacred and secular works of Lassus, some of which were specifically written for the occasion. To put together a project of this magnitude requires larger forces than Piffaro alone, so Piffaro will be joined by the viol consort Parthenia (last heard in Philadelphia for our 15th anniversary celebration, and guests on two occasions before that), and singers Laura Heimes, Philip Anderson, Tony Boutte, and Eric Schwartzentruber.
And for such an ambitious program, extra wind players are required as well. William Dongois, one of Europe’s foremost cornettists, plays with the ensemble, along with regular guest sackbut players Mack Ramsey and Erik Schmalz. This performance will be given in New York City on Parthenia’s concert series, as well as in Philadelphia.
Since 1980 Piffaro has been performing the music of the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries to growing audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, the ensemble not only presents its concert series in the Philadelphia area, but also tours throughout Europe, the U.S. and South America. In addition, the ensemble has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Dorian Recordings. Recordings are available for sale at Piffaro concerts, in area record stores, and at www.piffaro.com.
Sweet Pipes: The Art of the Recorder
Piffaro, The Renaissance Band places the Renaissance recorder front and center in its upcoming program Sweet Pipes: The Art of the Recorder, which will feature its large collection of copies of historical models in 16th and early 17th century music from the Low Countries (Belgium and Holland), Spain, Germany and Italy.
Friday, February 23, 2007, 8:00 p.m.
St. Mark’s Church, 1625 Locust Street, Philadelphia
Saturday, February 24, 2007, 8:00 p.m.
Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia
Sunday, February 25, 2007, 4:00 p.m.
Sts. Andrew and Matthew Church, 8th and Shipley Street, Wilmington, DE
Tickets: $25 for preferred seating, $20 for general and $15 for seniors and students.
For ticket information and reservations call (215) 235-8469, or visit www.piffaro.com.
** Press Comps available. Please call for reservations. **
From virtuosic solos accompanied by lute and harp to double choral works in ten parts, the music reveals the varied sounds the instruments can produce, agile and flute-like at one moment, sonorous and organ-like the next.
The recorder, regarded by many as a poor cousin to the flute, and taught in schools as the “easy” instrument with which to introduce note reading, is in fact a highly sophisticated instrument built in multiple sizes from the soprano down to the contra-bass. Recorders were played throughout the medieval and Renaissance periods, the family, or consort as it was called, growing in number and size in the later 16th century until it included the contrabass standing over 6 feet tall.
Piffaro’s guests will include recorder virtuoso Daphna Mor from New York City, historical wind specialist Doug Milliken, currently a doctoral candidate in musicology at Florida State University, recorder and double reed player Priscilla Smith from Philadelphia, and Alexa Raine-Wright, an aspiring recorder talent who recently won Piffaro’s recorder competition for middle and high school students.
Since 1980 Piffaro has been performing the music of the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries to growing audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, the ensemble not only presents its concert series in the Philadelphia area, but also tours throughout Europe, the U.S. and South America. In addition, the ensemble has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Dorian Recordings. Recordings are available for sale at Piffaro concerts, in area record stores, and at www.piffaro.com.
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Piffaro Announces Winner of 2007 Young Recorder Competition
Piffaro, The Renaissance Band announces the winner of a national Recorder Competition for Middle and High School players.
Alexa Raine-Wright, a 17-year-old senior from St. Paul, MN, was the winner in Piffaro’s competition for young recorder players, held to spur interest in the instrument and to encourage young players to consider the field of early music as a career.
Five finalists were chosen to come to Philadelphia for a live competition/performance at the Germantown Branch of the Settlement Music School on Saturday, January 20th. Two other players were from the St. Paul/Minneapolis region, one from Washington, DC and one from Philadelphia. All were serious recorder players who have studied the instrument for at least six years.
Alexa began at a young age, and in addition to private lessons, attended recorder and early music workshops during the summer when she became a teenager. Last year her family moved to Montreal for eight months so that she could study with recorder virtuoso Matthias Maute, and currently she studies with Clea Galhano in St. Paul. Her plan is to attend McGill University so that she can continue her studies with Maute, and receive a degree in early music.
Runner-up in the competition was Olivia Sohlen, age 14, from Minneapolis, and a student of Mary Halverson Waldo. The other finalists were:
- Bryan Duerfeldt, age 14, from Bloomington MN, student of Mary Halverson Waldo
- Amalia Maletta, age 18, from Washington, DC, student of Carole Rogentine
- Daniel Wilhite, age 12, from Philadelphia, PA, student of Joan Kimball
The prize for winning the competition is to join Piffaro, The Renaissance Band, in a series of concerts at the end of February that feature 16th and early 17th century music on recorders. Sweet Pipes: The Art of the Recorder will take place on February 23-25.
Since 1980 Piffaro has been performing the music of the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries to growing audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, the ensemble not only presents its concert series in the Philadelphia area, but also tours throughout Europe, the U.S. and South America. In addition, the ensemble has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Dorian Recordings. Recordings are available for sale at Piffaro concerts, in area record stores, and at www.piffaro.com.
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CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF PHILADELPHIA & PIFFARO, THE RENAISSANCE BAND REVIVE ANCIENT MUSICAL MANUSCRIPTS FROM COLONIAL MEXICO FOR THREE HOLIDAY CONCERTS
Pre-concert Lecture by Eric Bianchi of Yale University Musicology Department Discusses Origins and Significance of the Assimilation of Old World Musical Traditions into New World Mexico
On Friday, December 15, 2006, 8pm, at St. Patrick’s Church, 242 S. 20th Street, Philadelphia, on Saturday, December 16, 2006, 8pm at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, and on Sunday, December 17, 2006 at 4:00pm at the Church ofSt. Andrew andSt. Matthew, 8th & Shipley Streets, Wilmington, Delaware the holiday season is enlivened by “A MEXICAN CHRISTMAS” a collaboration between the award winning Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, now celebrating its 25th anniversary season, and Piffaro, The Renaissance Band, Philadelphia’s premier early music ensemble.Tickets are $18-$30 and are available at (215) 545-8634 (Choral Arts) or (215) 235-8469 (Piffaro). Visit either group’s website at www.choralarts.com, or www.piffaro.com.
Together, Piffaro and Choral Arts take the audience back to the European musical roots that grew into the Christmas music traditions south of the border. Recently transcribed works originally performed centuries ago in the cathedrals of Mexico are brought to life, and rich harmonies of multiple choruses accompanied by an exotic array of period-authentic instruments including shawms, dulcians, sackbuts, cornettos and percussion of the period are woven into a colorful aural tapestry. Choral Arts’ Artistic Director Matthew Glandorf and Piffaro’s Robert Wiemken have worked together to create a program featuring the musical traditions brought to the New World by Spanish conquistadors and the integration of the many traits and colors of the music of the indigenous people. Many of the works are based on newly transcribed manuscripts that may have not been performed since the time they were composed and used in services in the 17th century. The participation and collaboration by Piffaro lends the authenticity of the instruments that were likely used in this period.
Prior to the Friday and Saturday performances, Eric Bianchi, a doctorial candidate in musicology at Yale University, will offer a special scholarly lecture, which begins one hour before curtain time and is included in the ticket price. For those with a special interest in the culture of colonial Mexico, Mr. Glandorf and Mr. Wiemken note that the concert coincides with the highly anticipated exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s TESOROS Treasures exhibit of paintings, sculptures and artifacts of colonial Latin America.It is hoped that "A Mexican Christmas" will provide a snapshot of the kind of grand and eloquent music making that was taking place in the Cathedrals of this period, and offer a rare glimpse of a rich and dynamic musical tradition that has almost been completely overlooked.
The Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia (CASP), the National Winner of the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly® - Choral Group, is recognized for performing a unique blend of traditional and new music to challenge, educate and enrich the lives of its singers and the listening public. CASP has performed nearly 200 works by close to 100 composers in nine languages, and has presented audiences with numerous Philadelphia and world premieres of major choral works.
Since 1980 Piffaro has been performing the music of the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries to growing audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, the ensemble not only presents its concert series in the Philadelphia area, but also tours throughout Europe, the U.S. and South America. In addition, the ensemble has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Dorian Recordings. Recordings are available for sale at Piffaro concerts, in area record stores, and at www.piffaro.com.
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Cantores Minores cathedral boys' choir of Helsinki
to perform with Piffaro
Wednesday, October 18, 2006, 7:30 p.m.
St. Patrick's Church
20th and Locust St., Philadelphia
Tickets: $25 for preferred seating, $20 for general and $15 for seniors and students.
For ticket information and reservations call (215) 235-8469, or visit www.piffaro.com.
Press Comps available. Please call for reservations.
PIFFARO, THE RENAISSANCE BAND will be joined by Cantores Minores, the highly acclaimed, award-winning choir of boys and young men from Helsinki, Finland for a concert in Philadelphia on Wednesday, October 18, 2006 as part of the choir's Eastern United States tour. Modeled after the great cathedral capellae of northern Europe in the 16th through 18th centuries, this Finnish ensemble represents the very best of a long choral tradition stretching back well into the medieval period.
Cantores Minores will perform, among other selections, songs from the Piae Cantiones collection, Finnish choral music including Sibelius, Madetoja, Rautavaara, Linkola, and Mäntyjärvi, and European music by Schütz and Bach. Piffaro will complement the choral works with instrumental pieces in the first half of the concert, and will join the choir in a collaborative work after intermission, lending their unique sound with authentic replicas of period instruments including shawm, sackbut, recorder and others.
Since 1980 Piffaro has been performing the music of the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries to growing audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, the ensemble not only presents its concert series in the Philadelphia area, but also tours throughout Europe, the U.S. and South America. In addition, the ensemble has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Dorian Recordings. Recordings are available for sale at Piffaro concerts, in area record stores, and at www.piffaro.com.
Call (215) 235-8469 or visit www.piffaro.com for information about tickets, concert location and times, or the other programs in Piffaro's 2006-2007 season.
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22nd Concert Series for 2006-2007
PIFFARO, THE RENAISSANCE BAND announces its 22nd Annual Concert Series in the Philadelphia area for 2006-2007. Performances will include four sets of concerts on the subscription series plus an additional program featuring the Cantores Minores boys' choir from Helsinki, Finland.
The series opens on September 29, 30 and October 1 with Iberica Resplendens: Music from the Great Cathedral Collections of Spain and Portugal. This program includes motets, mass movements, dances, and villancicos which have been preserved in cathedral libraries such as those in Lerma, Seville, Toledo, Madrid and Lisbon.
On Wednesday, October 18, 2006, Piffaro welcomes the Cantores Minores choir of boys and young men from Helsinki, Finland. Modeled after the great cathedral capellae of northern Europe in the 16th through 18th centuries, this Finnish ensemble represents the very best of a long choral tradition stretching back into the medieval period.
December 15, 16, and 17 joins Piffaro and the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia in A Mexican Christmas. The two Philadelphia ensembles will join forces to present a program that neither could do alone. The program features music from the cathedrals of Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca, performed as it once was when it enthralled both the newly converted native Indian audiences and the transplanted Europeans.
Sweet Pipes: The Art of the Recorder, will take place on February 23, 24 and 25, 2007, highlighting Piffaro along with guest recorder players Daphna Mor, Doug Millikan and Priscilla Smith for performances that will feature the full consort of recorders from contra-bass (not one, but two!) to soprano. The program will also feature the winner of a national recorder competition hosted by Piffaro for middle and high school students.
On March 24 and 25, 2007, Piffaro will present The Habsburg Hofkapelle of Munich, a unique program featuring the music of Orlande de Lassus, much of which was written specifically for the wedding of Wilhelm V, son of Albrecht V, duke of Bavaria, to Renata of Lorraine in 1568. This musical event was well-documented, and Piffaro will re-create some of its splendor with the help of Parthenia, Consort of Viols, as well as guest vocalists, cornettists, and sackbutenists.
Concert Location, time, and tickets are listed below, and available at www.piffaro.com, or by calling (215) 235-8469.
Iberica Resplendens $25 preferred, $20 General, $15 Students/Seniors
Fri 9/29/06, 8:00 pm Pres. Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave, Phila.
Sat 9/30/06, 8:00 pm St. Mark’s Church, 1625 Locust St., Philadelphia
Sun 10/01/06, 4:00 pm Sts. Andrew & Matthew Church, 8th & Shipley St., Wilmington
Cantores Minores $25 preferred, $20 General, $15 Students/Seniors
Wed 10/18/06, 7:30 pm St. Patrick’s Church, 242 S 20th St., Philadelphia
A Mexican Christmas $30 preferred, $25 General, $18 Students, Seniors--$4 off
Fri 12/15/06, 8:00 pm St. Patrick’s Church, 242 S 20th St., Philadelphia
Sat 12/16/06, 8:00 pm Pres. Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave, Phila.
Sun 12/17/06, 4:00 pm Sts. Andrew & Matthew Church, 8th & Shipley St., Wilmington
Sweet Pipes: The Art of the Recorder $25 preferred, $20 General, $15 Students/Seniors
Fri 02/23/07, 8:00 pm St. Mark's Church, 1625 Locust St., Philadelphia
Sat 02/24/07, 8:00 pm Pres. Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave, Phila.
Sun 02/25/07, 4:00 pm Sts. Andrew & Matthew Church, 8th & Shipley St., Wilmington
The Habsburg Hofkapelle $30 preferred, $25 General, $15 Students/Seniors
Sat 03/24/07, 8:00 pm Pres. Church of Chestnut Hill, 8855 Germantown Ave, Phila.
Sun 03/25/07, 4:00 pm Lutheran Church of the Holy Communion, 2110 Chestnut, Phila.
Subscriptions are still available. For more information, call (215) 235-8469, email info@piffaro.com, or visit www.piffaro.com.
Since 1980 Piffaro has been performing the music of the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries to growing audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, the ensemble not only presents its concert series in the Philadelphia area, but also tours throughout Europe, the U.S. and South America. In addition, the ensemble has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Dorian Recordings. Recordings are available for sale at Piffaro concerts, in area record stores, and at www.piffaro.com.
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Collaborations, Programs with Young People, and The Art of the Recorder
PIFFARO, THE RENAISSANCE BAND has announced an exciting year of programming, including two large collaborative programs, funded in part by PMP. In December, The Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia will join with Piffaro to present A Mexican Christmas, a holiday program that neither group could do alone, featuring music housed in the fabled cathedrals of Mexico City, Puebla and Oacxaca.
In March, Piffaro will enlist the help of Parthenia, Consort of Viols to present The Habsburg Hofkapelle of Munich & the Music of Orlande de Lassus. Together, the two groups seek to recreate some of the splendor of the 1568 wedding festivities of Wilhelm V (son of Albrecht V of Bavaria) and Renata of Lorraine.
In addition to Piffaro's regular concert season performances, the ensemble will also provide opportunities for young musicians to play with the group. On October 18, the Cantores Minores choir of boys and young men from Helsinki, Finland will join with Piffaro for a special performance in Philadelphia.
Piffaro is also planning to pique the interest of young recorder players across the nation by holding a recorder competition open to middle school and high school age students. Five to six finalists will be chosen by a panel of professional recorder players. These finalists will come to Philadelphia for a live competition in January of 2007. The winner will have the opportunity to perform with Piffaro in a program featuring the recorder. Sweet Pipes: The Art of the Recorder will take place on February 23-25.
With this concert, Piffaro will also release a new CD featuring music for the recorder. It will include a sampling of hits from Piffaro';s three CDs recorded on the Dorian label, as well as a significant amount of new material including double choral works and early 17th century works with plucked strings.
For more information on Piffaro programs, visit www.piffaro.com.
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Sweet Pipes for recorder fans, young and old
PIFFARO, THE RENAISSANCE BAND is planning to pique the interest of young recorder players by holding a recorder competition open to middle school and high school age students. There have been a number of such opportunities available for college and graduate students, but Piffaro aims to build in younger performers an interest in the joys of performing the repertoire of the 15th century into the early 17th century on recorders as well as other early wind instruments.
The competition will be open to students in 7th through 12th grades (12 – 19 years of age). Five to six finalists will be chosen by a panel of professional recorder players and teachers based primarily on a CD recording of live playing. These finalists will come to Philadelphia for a live competition in January of 2007. The winner will have the opportunity to perform with Piffaro in a program featuring the recorder.
This program, Sweet Pipes: The Art of the Recorder, will take place on February 23rd, 24th, and 25th in Philadelphia. Piffaro members, and the winner of the competition, will be joined by recorder players Daphna Mor, Doug Millikan and Priscilla Smith for performances that will feature the full consort of recorders from contra-bass (not one, but two!) to soprano. Piffaro's plucked strings, double reeds and brass will be the supporting characters.
In addition, Piffaro announces the release in February 2007 of a new CD featuring music for the recorder. It will include a sampling of hits from Piffaro's three CDs recorded on the Dorian label, as well as a significant amount of new material including double choral works and early 17th century works with plucked strings.
Since 1980 Piffaro has been performing the music of the 15th, 16th and early 17th centuries to growing audiences throughout the Delaware Valley. Under the direction of Joan Kimball and Robert Wiemken, the ensemble not only presents its concert series in the Philadelphia area, but also tours throughout Europe, the U.S. and South America. In addition, the ensemble has recorded for Deutsche Grammophon and Dorian Recordings. Recordings are available for sale at Piffaro concerts, in area record stores, and at www.piffaro.com.
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