On Tuesday, October 17, the Music of the Baroque Orchestra will perform music by Antonio Vivaldi, the composer of the famous Four Seasons and one of the major figures in the Baroque era of music (from 1600 to 1750). Vivaldi was ordained as a priest but spent most of his life in Venice, Italy, working at an orphanage for abandoned girls called the Pietà. Life in the orphanage included an excellent education in music that the young woman would not otherwise have had, and Vivaldi wrote pieces for them that showed off their unique musical talents. Most of the music that the orchestra will perform was written for these skilled women. British conductor Nicholas Kraemer will direct, while members of the orchestra will talk about Vivaldi, share unusual and interesting facts about the music, and more.
One of the soloists who will perform is Brandon Acker, a guitarist who is also a YouTube sensation with over half a million subscribers. "Coming from a background playing in rock bands, I can't help but notice similarities in Vivaldi's music and the rhythms used in rock music,” Acker says. “I almost always grab my Baroque guitar to play Vivaldi's music, and I have a great time…And although Vivaldi's Concerto for Lute in D Major is most often heard today on the classical guitar, a 19th-century Spanish instrument, I will be playing on a period instrument that Vivaldi would have surely used in his orchestras: the 14-course archlute." Click this link to learn more about the instrument Brandon will play on October 17.
Music of the Baroque is proudly partnering with Austin-based business Schweet Original Homemade Chicago Cheesecake to offer every concert attendee an individual-size cheesecake!
The event is free; to guarantee your cheesecake, please register in advance (supplies may be limited). Click here to register