Baroque meets Contemporary

Thanks in part to the wonderful support we’ve received from the SMARTGrowth program, Baroque Band has taken on new projects that challenge us to continue pushing the limits of our art form.

In February, Baroque Band is partnering with the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) to present “The 21stCentury Brandenburg Project.” In three concerts at the MCA, we will perform all six of Bach’s beloved Brandenburg Concertos. Six contemporary composers have written works inspired by the Brandenburgs, using identical instrumentation. The result will be a pairing of each Bach piece with its new, 21^st Century “reimagining,” all performed on the instruments of Bach’s era.

Garry Clarke, Baroque Band's founding artistic director

“Period instruments are experiencing a resurgence in popularity – not only among performers, but composers as well. They are drawn to the intimate, voice-like qualities of the instruments, which offer a wholly different sound and aesthetic from modern instruments,” noted Garry Clarke, founding artistic director of Baroque Band.

Support from the Chicago Community Trust’s SMARTGrowth program has helped Baroque Band think strategically, examining ways to reach a broader audience and ensure the continued relevance of its art form. The 21^st Century Brandenburg Project will expose Baroque Band to an entirely new demographic of contemporary music and art fans, while elevating the ensemble’s artistic profile through partnership with a prestigious Chicago institution. Baroque Band’s February performances are part of a new music series at the MCA, on which the esteemed ensembles eighth blackbird and ICE will also appear this season.  

We encourage our fellow SMARTGrowth recipients to join us for one or more of our MCA performances. The MCA is located at 220 E. Chicago Ave. in downtown Chicago. Dates and times of our performances are as follows:

·      Thursday, February 21 at 7:30 PM

·      Saturday, February 23 at 7:30 PM

·      Sunday, February 24 at 3:00 PM

For more information or to reserve tickets, please visit:

http://www.mcachicago.org/performances/now/all/2013/892.

We hope to see many of you there!