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Texas Early Music Project

PO Box 301675

Austin, TX 78703

(512) 377-6961

For ticket and concert venue inquiries, email the Box Office

 

PO Box 301675
Austin, TX 78703
United States

(512) 377-6961

Founded in 1987 by Daniel Johnson, the Texas Early Music Project is dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical music through performance, recordings, and educational outreach. 

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Filtering by Tag: Dido & Aeneas

Please sir, can I have another?

Danny Johnson

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Another concert, that is! Yes, we’re finally back to concert time and so we have two different programs this week. The first was Sept. 18, the inaugural Kerr Educational Outreach concert at Univ. of Texas: Sephardic Songs: Myths and Realities. We were the recital part of a lecture-recital, with the lecture portion being presented by Prof. Edwin Seroussi, renowned ethnomusicologist from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He was awesome and we were honored to be featured with him.

The second program, starting our official 2019-2020 concert season, is completely different because, of course, why wouldn’t it be! Oh, Henry! No, not the short-story writer. The composer, Henry. Henry Purcell. You’ve heard his music in countless soundtracks, often in the background, often featured. At any rate, we’re featuring him and only him! This Saturday and Sunday. See all the details below. There are some absolutely emotionally devastating moments in his music as well as tunes that will encourage you to dance [while seated]. The world of Henry Purcell: complicated, complex, and way too short!

See ya this weekend!
-Danny


 
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OH, HENRY!
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO PURCELL


Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, at 
 7:30 pm
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2111 Alexander Ave., Austin, TX
Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019, 3:00 pm

St. Martin's Lutheran Church, 606 W 15th Street, Austin, TX

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

Take advantage of preferred seating and other perks by
buying season tickets or sponsoring a concert!

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email info@early-music.org.

No, even though O. Henry did sing in the choir at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, this is a concert of music by Henry Purcell. Sorry for any possible confusion, O. Henry fans.

Henry Purcell is deservedly known as England’s greatest composer before Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams. His music is used often in movie soundtracks and his operas are revived frequently on international stages. As organist and composer at Westminster Abbey and also the Chapel Royal, he wrote vast amounts of sacred music, which resounds in modern day churches and concert halls.

TEMP has often explored the musical world of this genius, but never with a full concert dedicated to his eclectic and diverse repertoire. We are thrilled to begin our 2019-2020 season with music from Purcell’s compositions for the theater, the opera, the court, the sanctuary, and the pub.

With gifted soloists, a choir of twenty-six, and eleven instrumentalists, TEMP will present selections from Ode to St. Cecilia, the operas King Arthur, Dido & Aeneas, The Fairy Queen, and more, including a couple of catches (or rounds) suitable for late night rowdiness.

Soloists and featured singers include Jenifer Thyssen, Gitanjali Mathur, Meredith Ruduski, Shari Alise Wilson, Jeffrey Jones Ragona, David Lopez, Tim O’Brien, and special guests from the New York area, countertenor Ryland Angel and bass Peter Walker.

As Purcell himself wrote, “Prithee, be not so sad and serious,” come hear “How the wild musicians sing a welcome” to all who would hear music from the “Fairest isle, all isles excelling.”

Click on the image above to buy tickets now!

Click on the image above to buy tickets now!

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On the 50th Day of Christmas my true love gave me ...

Danny Johnson

An opera for St. Valentine's weekend!

 
Image: A promotional graphic for Dido & Aeneas, courtesy of SDSU Opera.

Image: A promotional graphic for Dido & Aeneas, courtesy of SDSU Opera.

 

And it's not just any opera; it's created (by Purcell, et al.) for 17th-century England and then re-purposed for you! You'll understand when you see it. Meredith (Ruduski) is the producer (and one of the six singers) and we have been planning a lovely and loving tribute to Purcell's music in a very non-intimidating manner. 

We hope you had a sweet, lively, restful, meaningful, I-just-want-some-time-off, tasty, football-filled (or not), Force-filled (or not) musical, let's-get-on-with-the new-year-already, enchanting Holiday season, no matter what you call it!

Thank you for your support with those end-of-year donations! You keep us going, you know!

Here is more news about the February opera!

-Danny

 
 

London City Limits: Opera on the Thames

Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 8PM
&
Sunday, February 14, 2016 at 3PM
Both at First Presbyterian Church, 8001 Mesa Drive

Admission $30 general; $25 seniors (60+); $5 students (at the door only)
Tickets available in advance online or by cash, check, or credit card at the door.

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message,
or email
info@early-music.org.

The next stop on our Eurotour includes the stages and opera houses of 17th-century London as we pay homage to Henry Purcell, one of the most important composers in the history of music, with a comedic-yet-tragic, dramatic-yet-hilarious pastiche of beautiful Purcellian operas as well as some extraordinary gems from his predecessors Robert Johnson and Nicholas Lanier, who were pivotal composers in the earlier 17th century. Our tale, which will surely touch both your heart and your funny-bone, will be performed by a small period orchestra and six of TEMP's acclaimed soloists.

The best opera tells a story that is, if not totally (or even the slightest bit) believable, at least is one that we can connect with—either through the characters or the music. With this in mind, we weave a plot around music from Purcell’s operas The Fairy Queen, King Arthur, Dido & Aeneas, The Tempest, and some of his songs and dialogues. Our lively, witty, and loving pastiche of beautiful music contains some of the most popular and should-be-popular works from the world of early Baroque opera.

Some of the leading lights of early music, rising stars from New York Peter Walker (baritone) and renowned countertenor Ryland Angel, join TEMP core members Jenifer Thyssen & Meredith Ruduski (sopranos), tenor Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, and baritone Brett Barnes for this unique production. Violinists Stephanie Raby, Bruce Colson, violist Bruce Williams, Jane Leggiero (cello), Scott Horton (theorbo), and Austin Baroque Orchestra director Billy Traylor (harpsichord) comprise the period orchestra.

As an early Valentine present, treat yourself and your sweetie(s) to the beauty, brilliance, and passion of some of the most accessible opera excerpts in an intimate setting. We’ll tell a story that will warm your heart, make you laugh, and put your toes to tapping. The passion! The jealousy! The love! Will there be a happy ending? We aren’t sure, but there will be no recitatives and there will be super-titles!

For more information, call 512-377-6961 and leave a message, or email info@early-music.org.

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