The Boston-based period instrument chamber ensemble Musicians of the Old Post Road is proud to announce its 36th season. Entitled “Flights of Fancy,” the concert series aims to ignite curiosity and inspire the imagination with the ensemble’s signature blend of musical “rediscoveries” in dialogue with beloved 18th-century works.
For over 35 years, Musicians of the Old Post Road has captivated and delighted audiences through its innovative programming, with dynamic and diverse music from the Baroque to early Romantic eras. Performed on period instruments, the group’s subscription series brings concerts to historical venues in cities and towns along the original route of the old Boston Post Road, the first thoroughfare connecting Boston and New York City in the 1670s.
Core ensemble members include flutist Suzanne Stumpf, violinists Sarah Darling and Jesse Irons, violist Marcia Cassidy, and cellist Daniel Ryan, with Kelly Savage serving as guest harpsichordist for the season. The players are all acclaimed historical instrument specialists. The ensemble has been recognized for its cutting-edge programming and rediscovery work by the American Musicological Society and Early Music America.
The series opens with a program entitled Risky Business, featuring riveting Baroque works by German composers who pushed the envelope of their musical world. Works include virtuosic chamber music for flute, strings, and continuo by Buxtehude, Walther, Graupner, Kleinknecht, and W.F. Bach. Concerts are offered on Saturday, October 26, 4pm at First Parish, Sudbury; and Sunday, October 27, 4pm at Old South Church, Boston & online.
The ensemble’s December offering, Christmas Far & Wide, is a seasonal celebration featuring festive 18th-century yuletide music from Ireland, England, France, Poland, Germany, the Czech region, New England, and Mexico. In addition to stellar works by Bach and Handel, the program will spotlight delightful rediscoveries from across the Western Hemisphere. Vocal soloists joining the ensemble include soprano Carley DeFranco, mezzo-soprano Carrie Cheron, and tenor Jonas Budris. Concerts will be presented on Saturday, December 14, 4pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, Worcester & online; and Sunday, December 15, 4pm, at Old South Church, Boston.
In the spring of 2025, the series continues with Tall Tales, a program showcasing musical storytelling in narrative Baroque works. Audiences can expect to be transported by the immersive experiences of Vivaldi’s Night concerto, Couperin’s Apotheosis of Corelli, and Geminiani’s The Enchanted Forest. Performances are on Saturday, March 8, 4pm at First Parish Wayland & online; and Sunday, March 9, 4pm at Old South Church, Boston.
The season concludes in May with Through the Listening Glass, a program that features Classical chamber music for the Glass Armonica, a musical instrument invented by Ben Franklin. For this program, the ethereal, otherworldly sound of the Glass Armonica will be combined with flute and strings in Mozart’s Adagio and Rondo alongside exotic gems by Reichardt, Naumann, and early American composers Antes and Moller. World-renowned Glass Armonica player Dennis James will join the ensemble for this special season finale. Concerts are scheduled for Saturday, May 3, 4pm at the Worcester Historical Museum; and Sunday, May 4, 4pm, at Old South Church, Boston & online.
Musicians of the Old Post Road’s concert series is supported, in part, by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Sudbury Cultural Council. Collaborating organizations include the Sudbury Historical Society, the Wayland Museum and Historical Society, and the Worcester Historical Museum.
Subscriptions and single tickets are now on sale. Early Bird Subscribers will receive complimentary admission to the ensemble’s special pre-season concert and party on September 8th at the First Parish Church in Weston, MA.
Premier Subscription: $250; includes best available seats for 4 concerts, online access to all four live-streamed concerts through June 30, 2025, and access to all 5 Delving Deeper episodes.
Basic Subscription: $180; includes best available seats for 4 concerts and access to all 5 Delving Deeper episodes.
Online Subscription: $140 ($250 for family); includes online access to all four live-streamed concerts through June 30, 2025.
Single In-Person Tickets: $55 general admission, $50 seniors, $35 for under 35, Kids 17 and under free with adult. Day-Of-Concert Rush Tickets (students and EBT Card holders only) are $10, availability permitting. Virtual single tickets are available for $35.
For more information, visit www.oldpostroad.org, email musicians@oldpostroad.org, or call 781-466-6694.
ABOUT MUSICIANS OF THE OLD POST ROAD
Musicians of the Old Post Road takes its name from its acclaimed concert series that brings period instrument performances of music of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries to beautiful historic buildings along New England’s fabled Old Post Road, the first thoroughfare to connect Boston and New York City in the late 17th century.
Winner of the 1998 and 2023 Noah Greenberg Award from the American Musicological Society, Musicians of the Old Post Road has also received programming awards from Early Music America, Chamber Music America and the US-Mexico Fund for Culture. The ensemble has toured in Germany, Austria, and Mexico, and has appeared at festivals and on concert series in the US, including the Indianapolis Early Music Festival, the Boston Early Music Festival Concert Series, the Castle Hill Festival, the Artists Series at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and the Connecticut Early Music Festival. The ensemble has held a residency at Dartmouth College and was featured on WCVB television’s “Chronicle” program and 99.5 All Classical radio’s “Live from Fraser” program.
The ensemble’s discography includes seven recordings that have each been praised in the US and abroad. They include: The Virtuoso Double Bass (Titanic, 1994), Trios and Scottish Song Settings of J. N. Hummel (Meridian, 1999), Galant with an Attitude: Music of Juan and José Pla (Meridian, 2000), Quartets of Telemann and Bodinus (Meridian, 2004), Feliz Navidad: Christmas from Spain and New Spain (Meridian, 2008), Roman Handel (Centaur, 2013), and Earthly Baroque (Centaur, 2017). An eighth CD is planned for release in early 2025.
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Press Contact:
Joanna Boyle, General Manager
Musicians of the Old Post Road
781.466.6694
musicians@oldpostroad.org
