Baroque Chamber Orchestra and Friends

The Baroque Chamber Orchestra hosts visiting artists Eva Lymenstull and Ellen Sauer Tanyeri in a program of chamber and chamber orchestra works. Co-director and Associate Professor of Harpsichord Joseph Gascho will perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto #5 and will join Lymenstull and Sauer Tanyeri in a trio by Stradella. The program includes other works from across 17th and 18th century Europe, including a suite from Lully’s Armide and a string concerto by Antonio Vivaldi.

The University of Michigan’s Baroque Chamber Orchestra studies and performs repertoire from the late Renaissance, Baroque, and the early Classical periods. While directed by faculty members Aaron Berofsky, baroque violin, and Joseph Gascho, harpsichord/organ, many performances are led by the students themselves. Using period instruments and replicas from the university’s growing Stearns Collection, the musicians gain vital hands-on experience and learn about the history and context of early music and performance practice.

Through partnerships with the University Musical Society and the Academy of Early Music, BCO hosts numerous masterclasses every year for students to learn from early music specialists from across the world. Recent guests have included Masaaki Suzuki (Bach Collegium Japan), Paul O’Dette (The Boston Early Music Festival), Kristin von der Goltz (Freiburg Baroque Orchestra), and Ensemble Nevermind with harpsichordist Jean Rondeau. BCO also partners with the Brandenburg Project, a community high school ensemble in Ann Arbor, for side-by-side performances and masterclasses. Numerous collaborations with other ensembles and faculty are also an important part of BCO’s role at the University of Michigan.