This prestigious biennial competition provides the finale to this year’s York Early Music Festival (6 – 13 July).
The 2024 competition final will be presented by a panel of judges: Bart Demuyt, Director of AMUZ/Alamire; internationally acclaimed lutenist Elizabeth Kenny; Philip Hobbs from Linn Records; Lionel Meunier, Director of Vox Luminis; and clarinettist/lecturer Emily Worthington (University of York).
The main prize includes a professional CD recording contract from Linn Records; a cheque for £1,000 and opportunities to work with BBC Radio 3 and the National Centre for Early Music. Other prizes are supported by the Cambridge Early Music Festival; the European Union Baroque Orchestra Development Trust; and the Friends of the York Early Music Festival.
The festival is delighted to announce that the final eight ensembles competing in this year’s competition are Rubens Rosa (Switzerland), [hanse]Pfeyfferey (Germany), Ayres Extemporae (Belgium), BREZZA (Switzerland), Apollo’s Cabinet (UK), Pseudonym (Switzerland), Trio Pellegrino (the Netherlands) and Friedrichs Nebelmeer Ensemble (Switzerland).
The 2024 competition final will be presented by a panel of judges: Bart Demuyt, Director of AMUZ/Alamire; internationally acclaimed lutenist Elizabeth Kenny; Philip Hobbs from Linn Records; Lionel Meunier, Director of Vox Luminis; and clarinettist/lecturer Emily Worthington (University of York).
The main prize includes a professional CD recording contract from Linn Records; a cheque for £1,000 and opportunities to work with BBC Radio 3 and the National Centre for Early Music. Other prizes are supported by the Cambridge Early Music Festival; the European Union Baroque Orchestra Development Trust; and the Friends of the York Early Music Festival.
Rubens Rosa: Based in Switzerland
Rubens Rosa is a young medieval music ensemble based in Basel It is co-directed by Aliénor Wolteche (fiddles) and Matthieu Romanens (tenor), two young graduates of the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Its repertoire ranges from 13th-century accompanied monody to late-medieval vocal and instrumental polyphony. Rubens Rosa made its debut in 2022 at the Basel festival Erasmus klingt.
[hanse]Pfeyfferey: Based in Germany
[hanse]Pfeyfferey is a Renaissance wind band that specializes in improvised and rediscovered music from the period around 1500. Their goal is to reproduce an authentic and refined Renaissance wind band sound that can be heard from high church towers and serves as the perfect soundtrack for grand processions and balls.Ayres Extemporae: Based in Belgium
Ayres Extemporae features Moldovan-Spanish violinist Xenia Gogu, Spanish cellist Víctor García García, playing on a five-string cello piccolo, and Portuguese cellist Teresa Madeira. In 2022, they were awarded the 1st Prize and the Audience Prize at the Semana de Música Antigua de Estella-Lizarra, which led to them being programmed at the 2023 edition of the festival. In the same year, they also won the 2nd Prize at the Biagio Marini International Early Music Competition in Germany.
BREZZA: Based in Switzerland
BREZZA was created in the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and its research, rehearsal and concert activities explore the music of the 17th and 18th centuries in the core instrumentation of traverso, viola da gamba, and harpsichord. BREZZA is one of the most versatile ensembles specialising in the historicist interpretation of 17th and 18th century music on the current scene.
Apollo’s Cabinet: Based in the UK
Murders, drinking songs, Cinderella stories, virtuosic cantatas, European tours, serene polyphony and candlelit rituals all feature in the evocative and story driven programmes of Apollo’s Cabinet. Winners of the Göttingen Händel Competition and the Maurizio Pratola competition in 2022, the group use their signature mix of acting, dancing, poetry and silliness to bring historical performance to modern audiences. Educational outreach for both children and adults is at the core of the ensemble’s work.
Pseudonym: Based in Switzerland
Pseudonym include Gabriel Smallwood, Maya Webne-Behrman, Stephen Moran, and Liane Sadler, all graduates of the prestigious Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. The ensemble offers uniquely fresh and adventurous interpretations of music from the 17th and 18th centuries. The members of this group have been finalists and prize winners at the MA Competition Bruges, Van Wassenaer Concours, International Harpsichord Competition “Wanda Landowska in Memoriam,” the Bach-Abel Wettbebwerb, the International Telemann Wettberwerb, and the International Biagio Marini Competition.
Trio Pellegrino: Based in The Netherlands
Trio Pellegrino formed after playing in a larger ensemble at the 2023 La Risonanza Early Music Festival in Bertinoro, Italy. It is currently concentrating on Classical and early Romantic repertoire, ranging from Haydn to Schubert. The trio has performed for audiences in Den Haag and plans to perform in Germany and England later this year.
Friedrichs Nebelmeer Ensemble: Based in Switzerland
The five talented musicians of the Friedrichs Nebelmeer Ensemble include Pablo Gigosos (flute), Mei Kamikawa (oboe), Claudia Reyes (clarinet), Andrés Sánchez (horn), and Angel Alvarez (bassoon). This dynamic young woodwind quintet was born in 2022 out of a shared passion for chamber music and a commitment to artistic excellence. The group has captivated audiences in Switzerland with their vibrant performances and diverse repertoire.
Further information https://www.yorkcomp.ncem.co.uk
