Chatham Baroque is pleased to present Parker Ramsay and Arnie Tanimoto in their program In the Court of Kings: Music of Bach & Marais. The concerts showcase the talents of two early career artists performing music from 17th and 18th century Europe. The Pittsburgh performance premieres at Deutschtown’s historic Teutonia Männerchor Sängerhall on April 5th at 7:30 pm. A second performance will take place at Hicks Memorial Chapel on the campus of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary on April 6th at 7:30pm.
The program draws inspiration from Marin Marais and Johann Sebastian Bach. Marais was a 17th century French composer and viol virtuoso. He was appointed musician to the royal court of Versailles in 1679, where he would later become known for founding and establishing “the empire of the viol.” Along with his mastery of the viol, Marais is also credited as one of the earliest composers of program music.
Marais was an inspiration to countless Baroque musicians, including German composer and musician, Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach, a muse for many of Chatham Baroque’s performances, is considered as being one of the greatest composers of all time. His exceptional skills and mastery of music allowed him to create and establish his own unique style of compositions, which is still beloved in the 21st century.
The performance features Marais’ Pieces de Viole, Book 3, Suite in A Minor, with all of its rhythmic 6 parts. The second half features Bach’s French Suite no. 4 in E-Flat, BWV 815 and Sonata in G Major, BWV 1027.
“In The Court of Kings: Music of Bach and Marais” is presented by Chatham Baroque and features artists Parker Ramsay (harp & harpsichord) and Arnie Tanimoto (viola de gamba).
Parker Ramsay, harp and harpsichord, has forged a career defying easy categorization. Equally at home on modern and period harps, he pursues his passions by tackling new and underperformed works, while bringing his instrument to new audiences. Recent and upcoming concerts include solo performances at Alice Tully Hall, the Miller Theatre at Columbia University, the Phillips Collection, Cal Performances, Shriver Hall, IRCAM, King’s College, Cambridge, the Spoleto Festival USA and the Center for the Art of Performing at UCLA.
His recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations was praised as “remarkably special” (Gramophone), “nuanced and insightful” (BBC Music Magazine), “relentlessly beautiful” (WQXR), and “marked by a keen musical intelligence” (Wall Street Journal). His last album, released in October 2022, features The Street, a new concert-length work for solo harp with text by Nico Muhly and Alice Goodman. In 2024, he will tour The Street with Mark Morris Dance Company.
Ramsay began harp studies with his mother, Carol McClure in Tennessee. He served as organ scholar at King’s College, Cambridge before pursuing graduate studies at Oberlin and Juilliard. In 2014, he was awarded First Prize at the Sweelinck International Organ Competition. He lives in New York City.
Gold medalist and first-ever American laureate of the 7th International Bach-Abel Competition, Arnie Tanimoto has quickly established himself as one of the foremost viol players in the USA. Described by the New York Times as a ”fine instrumental soloist” he has performed and recorded in venues across North America and Europe with the likes of Barthold Kuijken, the Boston Early Music Festival Ensemble, and the Smithsonian Consort of Viols.
Tanimoto was the first-ever viola da gamba major at the Juilliard School, where he soloed on both viola da gamba and baroque cello. In 2017 he was awarded with a Frank Huntington Beebe Fund Fellowship and subsequently finished his studies at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, Switzerland. His principal teachers include Paolo Pandolfo, Sarah Cunningham, and Christel Thielmann. As a teacher, Tanimoto serves on faculty at the Mountainside Baroque Summer Academy, as well as maintaining a private studio in New York City. He holds additional degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and the Eastman School of Music.
“Marais and Bach are two Baroque composers who have had tremendous influence on music as we see it today,” said Chatham Baroque co-artistic director, Scott Pauley. “There is no one better to bring this program to our audience than Parker Ramsay and Arnie Tanimoto. Their unique combination of insturments, harp, harpsichord, and viola da gamba will bring this music to life in a very special and rarely heard way. I cannot wait for the audience to hear how they interpret and bring to life these incredible Baroque works .”
Tickets are on sale now for In the Court of The King: Music of Bach & Marais. Early Bird Tickets sold at a discounted rate for general admission and seniors are available through the end of the day on Friday, March 22nd. On Saturday, March 23rd, patrons purchasing tickets will pay full price. More information about the performance can be found here: https://www.chathambaroque.org/concert/parker-ramsay-arnie-tanimoto-in-the-court-of-the-king-music-of-bach-and-marais/
About Chatham Baroque
Each year, Chatham Baroque presents a series of captivating, historically informed performances, drawing from a vast repertoire of classical music styles, eras, and locales from the Medieval Period through the early 19th Century.
As one of the country’s leading period instrument ensembles and early music presenters, each season features several concerts with the distinguished Chatham Baroque ensemble with artistic directors Andrew Fouts (violin), Patricia Halverson (viola da gamba), and Scott Pauley (theorbo and baroque guitar) as well as concerts by renowned touring ensembles specializing in music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and early Classical period.
Chatham Baroque concerts are performed with period instruments, which are restored or replica versions from the time when the music was written. Concerts are held in a variety of settings across Pittsburgh from churches to concert halls, and performers actively engage audiences with lively commentary and insights into the music. To learn more, please visit www.chathambaroque.org.
