Fantasticus: Birth of Baroque

Feb 2, 3, & 4

“Lina Tur Bonet will make you fall in love with this repertoire”
— BBC Radio 3

Known as the “Kate Bush of early music” (conductor Paul Kildea) and “the Jimi Hendrix of the baroque violin” (Musicweb International), Spanish violinist and guest director Lina Tur Bonet makes her Tafelmusik debut with Fantasticus: Birth of Baroque on February 2, 3 & 4, 2024 at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. Tur Bonet brings her “dazzling, robust, and edgy” performance style to works by composers whose musical language leaves plenty of room for experimentation and intricate ornamentation. Tickets are available at tafelmusik.org.

The early 17th century was a watershed moment in European history, and Bonet’s “raw energy” is a perfect fit for this program that reflects a dynamic and unpredictable cultural climate.

The air was rife with radical developments in technology, science, and trade which ushered in a new age. Music also saw sweeping changes, among them the rise of virtuoso instrumentalists and music written for them in the stylus fantasticus.

Originating in Italy, this “fantastic style,” championed by early baroque composers such as Castello, Bertali, Marini, Falconieri, and Picchi, featured nimble improvisations and dramatic contrasts. Travelling musicians carried the experimental style across the Alps into Austria and Germany, where it found fertile soil in the imaginations of composers including Capricornus, Schmeltzer, Westhoff, Weichlein, and Biber, whose works enhance this program.

“There’s a special energy and thrill in the orchestra when we meet a fascinating and virtuosic musician, and we expect that to be on full display in our concerts with Lina Tur Bonet,” says Artistic Co-Director Cristina Zacharias. “The beautifully curated Fantasticus program will be full of passion, fantasy, and brilliance – we can’t wait to share it with our audience!”


LISTING INFORMATION:


Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
Fantasticus: Birth of Baroque

with Lina Tur Bonet, guest director and violin soloist
February 2, 3, and 4, 2024 at 8 PM                          
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
Tickets start at $23.50. Available at tafelmusik.org

Website: tafelmusik.org
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Tafelmusik gratefully acknowledges the support of BMO, Presenting Sponsor of the 2023/24 concert season. We are also grateful to our government partners Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

ABOUT LINA TUR BONET

Regarded as one of today’s most interesting, exciting, and innovative violinists, Lina Tur Bonet is sought after by ensembles across Europe. A native of Ibiza, Spain, she founded MUSIca ALcheMIca, an ensemble that has performed across Europe, the Americas, and Japan with a multidisciplinary approach that has included projects with poet Antonio Colinas and performances in museums and other unusual venues in collaboration with video artists, actors, dancers, photographers, goldsmiths, filmmakers, and puppeteers. With the ensemble she has released eight award-winning CDs of music by Jacquet de la Guerre, Biber, Corelli, and Bartok. Other recent recordings include a CD of Vivaldi concertos, a duo CD with renowned violinist Enrico Onofri, and La Bellezza, a selection of Italian, Austrian and German 17th-century music.

Lina Tur Bonet is professor of baroque violin and viola at University of Music Franz Liszt in Weimar, and associate professor in the historical performance program at Madrid’s Reina Sofía School of Music.

ABOUT TAFELMUSIK

Tafelmusik is a world-renowned period orchestra and choir in the heart of Toronto. Founded 45 years ago on the pillars of passion, learning, and artistic excellence, Tafelmusik brings a fresh perspective to baroque music and beyond. Historically informed performances of 17th- to 19th-century instrumental and choral music share the stage with exciting multimedia programs, bold new commissions, and intriguing cross-cultural collaborations. The orchestra plays on period instruments, and all performances are illuminated by scholarship. From dynamic live concerts at Jeanne Lamon Hall in Toronto’s historic Trinity-St Paul’s Centre and stunning Koerner Hall, to international tours, award-winning recordings, and inspiring education programs, Tafelmusik is a musical powerhouse with a reputation for thrilling and delighting audiences.

Media contact:
Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7