Gramophone Magazine discusses the unique journey of Apollo's Fire, as the ensemble prepares for its second international tour and a new crossover CD release.  Music Director Jeannette Sorrell and her merry band are drawing unusually large crowds from London to Santa Fe, as they joyfully break down the barriers between the formal concert hall and the early music of the taverns and countryside.  Read the full article, or continue reading below for more news of AF!

Last October, Apollo's Fire celebrated the 400th anniversary of Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 with a 19-day project supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.  In addition to the 11-concert U.S. tour led by Jeannette Sorrell, the project included the international release of AF's 1998 Monteverdi CD recording, now on British label AVIE.   The CD debuted in the Top 10 on the classical Billboard chart, and won high praise from the London Times:  "Exultant . . . instrumental colours blaze brilliantly."

Now the LIVE recording from last October's concerts will be broadcast on stations throughout North America and Europe - THIS WEEK! The broadcast is syndicated in partnership with WCLV's Seaway network, and is part of the NEA-supported project.

Soloists on the concert broadcast are Richard Edgar-Wilson and Zachary Wilder, tenors; Nell Snaidas and Terri Richter, sopranos; with Kirsten Sollek alto, Jesse Blumberg, baritone, and Paul Shipper, bass.  Jeannette Sorrell leads the 20-voice Apollo's Singers, with the stellar Apollo's Fire orchestra featuring Julie Andrijeski as principal violin.

The broadcast will be carried by stations in over 100 cities across North America - from Boston to Puerto Rico, from Binghamton, NY to Eugene, OR.  In Cleveland, the program will be aired by WCLV-FM at 8:00pm on Thursday, April 21.

Unable to tune-in at one of these times? Order AF’s 2010 AVIE release of Vespers of 1610!    

“A stunning achievement” – FANFARE Record Magazine

LISTEN NOW!

Jeannette Sorrell's hit crossover program, which took Cleveland by storm in 10 sold-out concerts, takes to the road beginning this summer.  Titled "Come to the River:  An Early American Gathering," this poignant and joyous celebration of Appalachian ballads and shape-note hymns will debut at the CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION in New York State on Tuesday, June 28.  The tour finishes in Boulder, Colorado at the COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL on Tuesday, July 5.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Don Rosenberg described "Come to the River" as "fresh, impeccable and enchanting.  More musical theater than mere concert, Sorrell's creation is plotted, with a quartet of characters who take an extended, bumpy wagon ride to a Revival meeting in Kentucky. En route, they explore everything from love and death to murder and salvation."

The worldwide release of the "River" CD recording will take place in June, on British label AVIE.  You can pre-order your copy now from Apollo's Fire!

The winner of two consecutive grants from the prestigious American Masterpieces initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, “Come to the River” brings together early music artists and traditional Old-Time and Appalachian performers in a celebration that Sorrell calls “a journey of the soul.”

The theatrical program, which also features Appalachian dance and body percussion, has drawn over 5000 people in the Cleveland/Akron area since its June 2009 première.

“It’s wonderful as early music performers to be able to help people tap into the emotional connection with their roots,” Sorrell said. “In the 17th century there was not this chasm between art music and popular music that we have today. Monteverdi and Byrd and Morley wrote pop music for entertainment occasions, and church music for church. All of it is great.”

“A fascinating journey . . . which a sold-out audience savored.  The theatrical aspects are so charmingly realized that you can’t help but wonder if a sequel is in store.” – The Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Simply wonderful . . . a delight for all ages (kids, oldsters, even – gasp – teenagers!)"   - Clevelandclassical.com

"A stellar group of singers and instrumentalists digging into down-home fare . . . The results at Cain Park were exhilarating."  - Cleveland Plain Dealer

LISTEN NOW!

Two years ago, the sensational French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky discovered Apollo’s Fire on youtube. Nothing could have surprised Jeannette Sorrell more than receiving an email from Jaroussky’s agent in Paris, saying “Philippe a adoré totalement votre travail” (Philippe totally adores your work). The new collaboration will be launched in October, with an 11-concert international tour to major venues. The itinerary includes UCLA, Cal Performances (Berkeley), Ann Arbor’s University Musical Society, the University of Toronto, the Boston Early Music Festival series, and then heads to Europe for the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Théâtre de l’Opéra in Bordeaux, and halls in Metz and Lisbon.

The program of “Handel & Vivaldi Fireworks” includes arias written for the great castrato singers of Europe, as well as fiery concertos featuring Sorrell and the AF principal players.

This major tour comes only one year after AF’s acclaimed European debut tour, which included a sold-out concert at London’s Wigmore Hall. The 2010 tour was chosen by GRAMOPHONE as one of the “best events worldwide” for November 2010.

Plan now to catch the Jaroussky concert in your region! For complete dates and venues, click here.

French-Canadian violinist Olivier Brault has been seen on the Apollo’s Fire stage in several projects during the past 12 months. That presence will now become regular, as Brault will be concertmaster for all of next season’s concerts, tours and recordings.

Brault is the leading violinist of Montreal’s sophisticated and flourishing early music scene. With a doctorate in baroque violin from the Université de Montréal, he brings a blend of enthusiasm and scholarship to concerts throughout Canada, Europe and the U.S. He performs as soloist with many Montréal-based ensembles including Ensemble Caprice, the Quatuor Franz Joseph and Les Boréades. He is also an accomplished baroque dancer.

“I was delighted to discover Olivier two years ago, when I made a trip to Montreal to hear violinists,” said Music Director Jeannette Sorrell. “The early music scene in Montreal is on a very high level. With over a dozen early music ensembles and many creative artists inspiring each other, it is a wonderful place to find colleagues. Olivier is a real virtuoso violinist, with a passionate commitment to baroque scholarship and dramatic expression. He’s a great match for the artistic qualities we value in AF.”

Brault can be heard on many award-winning recordings on the Canadian labels ATMA and Analekta. 

Founding concertmaster Cynthia Roberts, who led AF’s violins regularly for the first 12 years and occasionally during the last 7 years, played a crucial role in developing the sound and style of AF’s violin section early on. Roberts now teaches in the baroque graduate program at the Juilliard School in New York. “Cynthia is much beloved at AF, and we look forward to having her with us for special projects down the road,” Sorrell said.

With over 15 tour engagements throughout North America and Europe next season, the small AF staff decided to enlist outside help in the public relations area. Josephine Hemsing, of Hemsing Associates, brings over 20 years of experience as a leading publicity agent in the classical music field.

Hemsing, who also represents pianist Alfred Brendel and violinist Jennifer Koh among others, was one of the first NY-based publicity firms to open a European branch office. With a staff member in Paris and fluent German and Spanish speakers on the NY staff, Hemsing’s office is well suited to handle AF’s growing tour publicity.

Hemsing enthusiastically shared her vision for AF’s place in the classical music world. “Jeannette’s conviction that music must be a thing of joy—even when it is sad—and that the rollicking, dance-like quality of the repertoire must shine through without ever forfeiting precision and perfect articulation is at the very core of her artistic success,” she said. “I am fascinated by the way in which Apollo’s Fire’s identity absorbs both the Baroque and the folk performances.  The time is ripe for this breakdown between what the critics (and some art lovers) have called “high-” and “lowbrow;” Apollo’s Fire has been doing this for quite some time now.  We would like to see Apollo’s Fire be THE ensemble that defies stereotype.”