Bourbon Baroque

Last updated

Bourbon Baroque
Early music ensemble
Bourbon Baroque Logo 2020.png
Founded2007 (2007)
Location Louisville, Kentucky; United States
Website www.bourbonbaroque.com

Bourbon Baroque is a period instrument ensemble from Louisville, Kentucky. It specialises in historical informed performance of the music of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Contents

History

Bourbon Baroque was founded by harpsichordist John Austin Clark and baroque violinist Nicolas Fortin in the summer of 2007 in Louisville, Kentucky. [1] Since 2017, the ensemble is led by Clark and violinist Alice Culin-Ellison. [2]

Overview

Bourbon Baroque performing with soprano Megan Marie Hart in 2008. Bourbon Baroque Release.jpg
Bourbon Baroque performing with soprano Megan Marie Hart in 2008.

The ensemble varies in size based on the program and produces performances ranging from chamber music concerts to full opera productions. [3] [4] The 2010 production of George Frideric Handel's opera Alcina has been recorded for TV and aired first on 12 April 2011. [5] [6] Bourbon Baroque has been performing Handel's Messiah in the holiday season every year since 2013. [7] [8]

Bourbon Baroque performs regularly throughout the year in a variety of venues, often collaborating with performing arts organizations such as Squallis Puppeteers (Louisville, KY) and Empire City Men's Chorus (New York, New York). [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Bourbon Baroque is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. [14]

Name origin

Bourbon Baroque is named after the French royal dynasty House of Bourbon to reflect the ensembles inspiration by the art culture at royal European courts. [15] Louis XIV of France, after whom Louisville was named, was from this dynasty. [16]

Logo till 2020 Bourbon Baroque Logo.png
Logo till 2020

The logo consists of a cursive letter B with three slanted lines ending in leaves resembling Fleur-de-Lis, the emblem of the House of Bourbon and Louisville. [16] It is usually gold on solid dark blue, or yellow with a blue shadow. Some instances of the logo feature the words Bourbon Baroque next to it. Until 2020, the slant and decorative swirls were more pronounced.

Scholarship

In the fall of 2016 Bourbon Baroque established the annual Nicolas Fortin Scholarship in honour of co-founder and co-artistic director Nicolas Fortin (1980–2016) [17] after his passing. This scholarship is open to all musicians specializing in baroque music without further restrictions. [18]

Scholarship recipients
YearRecipientInstrument
2017Wei-Shuan Yu Viola da gamba
2018Paulina Francisco Soprano
2019Seth Van Embden Viola
2020Eleanor Legault Violin
2021Liz Loayza Violin
Michael Delfín Harpsichord
2022Stephanie Rempel Baroque flute

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville, Kentucky</span> Largest city in Kentucky, United States

Louisville is the most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeast, and the 27th-most-populous city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 24th-largest city, although by population density, it is the 265th most dense city. Louisville is the historical county seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shively, Kentucky</span> City in Kentucky, United States

Shively is a home rule-class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States, and a suburb of Louisville within the Louisville Metro government. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 15,264, reflecting an increase of 107 (+0.7%) from 15,157 in 2000.

<i>Courier Journal</i> American daily newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky

The Courier Journal, also known as the Louisville Courier Journal, and called The Courier-Journal between November 8, 1868, and October 29, 2017, is a daily newspaper published in Louisville, Kentucky and owned by Gannett, which bills it as "Part of the USA Today Network".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Kirkby</span> English soprano (born 1949)

Dame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, is an English soprano and early music specialist. She has sung on over 100 recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WHAS (AM)</span> Radio station in Louisville, Kentucky

WHAS is an AM radio station owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to Louisville, Kentucky. Its studios are located in the Louisville enclave of Watterson Park, and the transmitter site is in Long Run, in far east Jefferson County. First licensed in July 1922, it is the oldest radio station in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frazier History Museum</span> History museum in Louisville, Kentucky

The Frazier History Museum, previously known as the Frazier Historical Arms Museum and the Frazier International History Museum, is a history museum located on Museum Row in the West Main District of downtown Louisville, Kentucky.

Karina Gauvin is a Canadian soprano who has made several recordings and is especially recognised for her interpretation of Baroque music. Opera News stated that, "Gauvin knows how to rivet an audience in opera and concert. She has been a queen of Baroque opera for years. Her personality is big enough to dominate her elaborate wigs and costumes, and her soprano voice is like a clear, refreshing and inexhaustible spring that darts and sparkles around any ornamental obstacle in its way."

Sandrine Piau is a French soprano. She is particularly renowned in Baroque music although also excels in Romantic and modernist art songs. She has the versatility to perform works from Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart to Schumann, Debussy, and Poulenc. In addition to an active career in concerts and operas, she is prolific in studio recordings, primarily with Harmonia Mundi, Naïve, and Alpha since 2018.

Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women (KCIW) is a prison located in unincorporated Shelby County, Kentucky, near Pewee Valley, Kentucky, operated by the Kentucky Department of Corrections. Male and female inmates prior to 1937 had been housed at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Frankfort

Gary Cooper is an English conductor and classical keyboardist who specialises in the harpsichord and fortepiano. He is known as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Bach and Mozart, and as a conductor of historically informed performances of music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forecastle Festival</span>

The Forecastle Festival is a three-day music, art, and activism festival held annually in Louisville, Kentucky. The festival was founded in 2002 as a small gathering of local musicians in Tyler Park, and steadily grew into a national attraction that now includes major touring acts and an economic impact of over $20 million per year. Forecastle was selected as one of Rolling Stone's "Coolest Festivals" and has an annual attendance of over 75,000 fans at Louisville Waterfront Park. It attracts attendees from nearly all 50 states, 2000 cities, and a dozen international countries. Past headliners include the Black Keys, Jack White, Jack Harlow, Beck, Outkast, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Tame Impala, Tyler the Creator, Sam Smith, My Morning Jacket, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton, Alabama Shakes, the Flaming Lips, the Avett Brothers, Widespread Panic, Cage the Elephant and many more

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Fischer</span> Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Gregory Edward Fischer is an American businessman and entrepreneur who served as the second mayor of Louisville Metro from 2011 to 2023. In 2019, he was elected vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and in 2020, he served as its president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kobie van Rensburg</span> South African tenor and opera director (born 1969)

Kobie van Rensburg is a South African tenor and opera director.

Dunedin Consort is a baroque music ensemble based in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Collegium 1704 is a Czech early music orchestra and choir founded in 2005 by the Czech conductor, harpsichordist, and horn player Václav Luks. The Collegium Vocale 1704 is the affiliated vocal ensemble. Since 2007, the ensemble has been making regular guest appearances at festivals and concert halls all over Europe: the Salzburger Festspiele, the Berliner Philharmonie, London’s Wigmore Hall, Vienna’s Theater an der Wien and Konzerthaus, the Lucerne Festival, BOZAR in Brussels, the Chopin Festival in Warsaw, Wratislavia Cantans, and the Elbphilharmonie, and it is an ensemble-in-residence at the festival Oude Muziek in Utrecht and at the Leipzig Bachfest. In 2008, Music Bridge Prague — Dresden began, bringing together the two cities’ wealth of cultural traditions. In 2012 Collegium 1704 started a concert series at the Rudolfinum in Prague. Since autumn 2015, the two cycles have been merged into a single concert season that continues to take place in parallel in Prague and Dresden. In 2019 Collegium Vocale 1704 launched a series of chamber choir concerts in Prague.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisville City FC</span> American professional soccer team

Louisville City Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Louisville, Kentucky. The team plays in the USL Championship, known through the 2018 season as the United Soccer League (USL), which is currently the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Marie Hart</span> American opera singer

Megan Marie Hart is an American operatic soprano from Eugene, Oregon, performing in leading operatic roles and concerts in America and Europe.

Orchestra of the Antipodes is an Australian early music ensemble founded by Antony Walker and Alison Johnston. They play baroque music on early instruments. They were founded alongside vocal ensemble Cantillation and the Sinfonia Australis orchestra. They received a nomination for the 2012 ARIA Award for Best Classical Album with their album Bach: Brandenburg Concertos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Austin Clark</span> Music director - keyboards

John Austin Clark is an American music director and keyboardist. He plays piano and historical keyboards, including harpsichord, organ and fortepiano. He is a founder and current director of Bourbon Baroque.

References

  1. Kramer, Elizabeth (16 November 2016). "Bourbon Baroque continues its tradition". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  2. Tripplett, Jo Anne (30 January 2019). "John Austin Clark, classical and timeless". LEO Weekly. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  3. "ALCINA (GEORG FRIEDRICH HÄNDEL)". Opera Musica. 8 May 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  4. "Bourbon Baroque | About Us". bourbonbaroque. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  5. "Bourbon Baroque: Alcina | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  6. "Bourbon Baroque: Alcina". KET. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  7. "Bourbon Baroque To Perform Handel s "Messiah" | Louisville Music.org". louisvillemusic.org. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  8. Keel, Eli (21 November 2018). "Bourbon Baroque will play Handel's 'Messiah' as Handel intended – Insider Louisville". Insider Louisville. Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  9. The Arts Louisville | 12 February 2011 | Reporter Keith Waits
  10. The Courier-Journal | 7 May 2010 | Reporter Andrew Adler
  11. The Courier-Journal | 2 March 2008 | Reporter Susan Reigler | Special to The Courier-Journal.
  12. "Baroque soiree includes dancer". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. 19 September 2008. p. 19.
  13. The Courier-Journal | 4 November 2007 | Reporter Marty Rosen | Special to The Courier-Journal.
  14. "Tax exempt organization search". apps.irs.gov. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  15. "Gotham Early Music Scene, Inc". gemsny.org. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  16. 1 2 Ball, Rebecca (6 May 2014). "The French Connection in Louisville". louisville.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  17. "Nicolas Fortin – Avis de décès – Nécrologie, Montréal, Laval et la Rive-Sud – Rechercher – Urgel Bourgie / Athos". urgelbourgie.com (in French). Archived from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  18. "Bourbon Baroque | Scholarship". bourbonbaroque.com. Archived from the original on 1 June 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2021.