Herd of Harpsichords 2021 Edition

LA FOLLIA AUSTIN BAROQUE presents an online concert Herd of Harpsichords 2021 edition Release date: May 16, 2021, at 6pm Music for Organ and Strings Keyboard Concerto in D major, K. 107 Wolfgang Amadè Mozart (1756-1791), after Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782) Allegro / Andante - Adagio / Tempo di minuetto Anton Nel, harpsichordist Keyboard Concerto in F major, HOB XVIII:F2 Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Moderato / Adagio / Allegro assai Matthew Dirst, harpsichordist Sonatina in B flat major, Wq 110 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) Allegro / Andante affetuoso / Presto Anton Nel and Matthew Dirst, harpsichordists Double Concerto in F major, Wq 46 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Allegro / Largo / Allegro assai Anton Nel and Matthew Dirst, harpsichordists 2 1977 Dowd French Double-manual harpsichord by William Dowd of Boston in 1977. It is built in the French tradition, modeled after a 1733 harpsichord by Blanchet similar to one in Francois Couperin’s possession. It features the rich sound characteristic of French harpsichords. The soundboard painting is in the French style by the late Sheridan Germann, who was perhaps the greatest instrument decorator in modern times. 1974 Dowd Franco-Flemish Double-manual harpsichord by William Dowd of Boston in 1974. It is built in the Franco-Flemish tradition of the early 1700s. It features a bright, sparkling sound in the so-called petit ravelement tradition of French building. The exquisite soundboard painting is in the Flemish style by the late Sheridan Germann. 3 Anton Nel, winner of the first prize in the 1987 Naumburg International Piano Competition at Carnegie Hall, enjoys a remarkable and multifaceted career that has taken him to North and South America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa. Following an auspicious debut at the age of twelve with Beethoven’s C Major Concerto after only two years of study, the Johannesburg native captured first prizes in all the major South African competitions while still in his teens, toured his native country extensively and became a well- known radio and television personality. A student of Adolph Hallis, he made his European debut in France in 1982, and graduated with highest distinction from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He came to the United States in 1983, attending the University of Cincinnati, where he pursued his Masters and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees under Bela Siki and Frank Weinstock. Highlights of Mr. Nel’s nearly four decades of concertizing include performances with the Cleveland Orchestra, the symphonies of Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, and London, and many others. As recitalist he has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum and the Frick Collection in New York, at the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena, Davies Hall in San Francisco, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Internationally he has performed recitals in major concert halls in Canada, England, France, Holland, Japan, Korea, and South Africa. Eager to pursue dual careers in teaching and performing, he was appointed to the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin in his early twenties, followed by professorships at the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Michigan, where he was chairman of the piano department. In January 2010 he became the first holder of the new Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Endowed Chair in Piano at the University of Texas at Austin. Anton Nel became a citizen of the United States of America on September 11, 2003. He is a Steinway artist. 4 Matthew Dirst is the first American musician to win major international prizes in both organ and harpsichord. Widely admired for his stylish playing and conducting, Dirst recently recorded his own reconstructions of several organ concertos by J. S. Bach. A review in Choir & Organ enthusiastically recommends this “lively and imaginative CD” from Loft Recordings. In 2018 the Washington Post described Dirst as an “efficient, extremely precise conductor who has an ear for detail and up-to-date ideas about performing Bach.” His Handel has also made the critics sing: the Dallas Morning News enthused that “conducting both clear and evocative by Matthew Dirst yielded a performance as irresistibly lively as it was stylish. The music danced.” Early Music America celebrated his solo recording of harpsichord works by François and Armand-Louis Couperin as a “stylish, tasteful, and technically commanding performance…expressive and brilliant playing.” As Artistic Director of Ars Lyrica Houston, Dirst leads a period-instrument ensemble with several acclaimed recordings, one of which—the world premiere recording of Johann Adolph Hasse’s Marc Antonio e Cleopatra—was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2011 for Best Opera. In addition to his work with Ars Lyrica, Dirst appeared during 2018 with the Washington Bach Consort, the Portland Baroque Orchestra and Trinity Cathedral Choir, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Symphony, and San Francisco Early Music Society. Appearances during 2019 and 2020 include programs at Oberlin Conservatory, Rice University, the Festival-Institute at Round Top, TX, the Southwest Regional Convention of the American Guild of Organists in Denver, and on concert series in Columbus, Alexandria (LA), San Antonio, Houston, and Santa Fe. Matthew Dirst holds the PhD in musicology from Stanford University and the prix de virtuosité in both organ and harpsichord from the Conservatoire National de Reuil-Malmaison, France, where he spent two years as a Fulbright scholar. Equally active as a scholar, he serves currently as Professor of Music at the Moores School of Music, University of Houston. Dirst is the author of Engaging Bach: The Keyboard Legacy from Marpurg to Mendelssohn (Cambridge University Press, 2012) and the editor of Bach and the Organ (University of Illinois Press, 2016). 5 Stephen Redfield, violin, concertmaster, also leads the orchestras of Con- spirare, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Arizona Bach Festival and Victoria Bach Festival. A long-time participant with the Oregon Bach Festival, he has performed there as concertmaster, principal and soloist, and has partici- pated in numerous recordings including the Grammy® award-winning disc Credo. He also performs internationally as a soloist and a chamber musician on both modern and Baroque violin. Stephen teaches violin at the University of Southern Mississippi School of Music. In 2019, Stephen received the Austin Critics Table award for best classical instrumentalist. Alan Austin, violin, has served as concertmaster of Ars Lyrica Houston, Houston’s J.S. Bach Society (for over 20 years), Texas Bach Collegium (San Antonio), and has performed with the Texas Baroque Ensemble, Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Den- ver, Dallas Bach Society, Mercury Baroque, Early Music Southwest, Texas Early Mu- sic Project (Austin). He is adjunct instructor of Baroque violin at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music. He plays on a Bernardo Calcanius violin made in Genoa, c. 1740 Bruce Colson, violin, winner of the Austin Critics Table 2017 award for Best Classi- cal Instrumentalist, holds a degree in music from the University of Texas. He is a member of the Austin Opera orchestra and the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. Stephanie Raby-Noori, violin, is an active soloist and chamber musician and a spe- cialist in early music performance. Ms. Raby earned a masters degree in Early Music at Indiana Jacobs School of Music and in 2015 she was a finalist in the Early Music International Young Artists Competition in York, England with her chamber ensemble Les Touches. She is currently the concertmaster for Austin Baroque Orchestra and a founding member of the chamber ensemble Les Touches and multimedia performing arts organization Lumedia Musicworks. Bruce Williams, viola is Austin Symphony principal violist, Artisan Quartet founder, Allegro Chamber Trio member, Mason Chamber Music Festival Artistic Director, and Chamber Music Director for the Texas Bach Festival. He’s a past Austin Critics Table Instrumentalist of the year and part of several Harmonia Mundi recordings with Conspirare. Suzanna Giordano-Gignac, viola, is co-founder of the period ensemble Angeles Con- sort and is principal with Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra She has studied with Elizabeth Blumenstock, Manfredo Kraemer and Simon Standage. As Principal Viola she has appeared with Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra, Bach Collegium San Diego, Los Angeles Bach Society, Vox Profundis, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Pacific Bach Project, Victoria Bach Festival. and La Follia Austin Baroque. 6 Eric Smith, cello, performs throughout the US as a soloist, chamber musician, and conductor. In addition to serving as Artistic Director of the American Baroque Opera Co., Eric has collaborated with ensembles including the Dallas Bach Socie- ty, Orchestra of New Spain, Ars Lyrica Houston, Ensemble VIII, Dallas Chamber Players, Bach Society of Houston, New York’s Concert Royal, and Texas Camera- ta. Eric performs on a rare cello made in 1751 by Leonhardt Maussiell in Nurem- berg, Germany. David Dawson, bass, winner of a GRAMMY® Award, currently teaches bass, music theory and humanities at Texas State University. A former member of the professional orchestras of San Antonio and Ft. Worth, he serves as the Principal Bassist for Austin Opera. Marcus McGuff, flute, plays both modern and Baroque flute. He holds degrees in flute performance from the Eastman School of Music and Indiana University, as well as a Doctor of Musical Arts in flute from the University of Michigan. In addition, Dr. McGuff holds degrees in mathematics from the University of Rochester. He has taught flute at Austin Community College and at Concordia University. Currently, he is Professor of Mathematics at Austin Community College and teaches flute privately. He has studied Baroque flute with Wilbert Hazelzet, Michael Lynn, and Jed Wentz and modern flute with Bonita Boyd. Adrienne Inglis, flute, received a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance at Lewis and Clark College and a Master of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Texas at Austin.

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