Past Events

In the second half of the seventh century, human tones were predominantly strophic songs in one voice with basso continuo accompaniment or exceptionally, with tablature for baroque guitar. In this stream converge a multitude of cultural events of the time, from various social universes.
Despite its brevity, these songs are able to recreate, with an economy of surprising ways, each of the characters, plots, legends, tales, stories, properties and archetypical situations that proliferated in all genres and subgenres of poetry, novels, theater and even painting of this time.
Los Tonos Humanos emerged in 2004 as an intimate musical concept: a group aimed at small spaces and intimate public, in order to interpret with replicas of instruments and historical criteria, musical repertoire from the Middle Ages to the Spanish Baroque and colonial era, and other European repertoires. Los Tonos Humanos is composed of musicians specializing in this repertoire who have performed at events throughout México and other countries.
This group comprises three great musicians from Puebla, Mexico: Elisa Ávalos (soprano), Omar Ruiz García (Renaissance flutes), Manuel Mejía (Lute and Renaissance guitarrilla)

Pathways to Bach—J.S. Bach didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Dieterich Buxtehude, “the father of German musicians,” greatly influenced Bach; and before that, Buxtehude was influenced by Heinrich Schütz, the trendsetter of a German musical tradition that would last for more than two hundred years. For its opening concert of the season, Texas Early Music Project performs some of the most technically and emotionally powerful music by Buxtehude and Schütz, featuring Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien and Buxtehude’s magnificent cantata, Herzlich lieb hab ich, for chorus, soloists, and orchestra.

Pathways to Bach—J.S. Bach didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Dieterich Buxtehude, “the father of German musicians,” greatly influenced Bach; and before that, Buxtehude was influenced by Heinrich Schütz, the trendsetter of a German musical tradition that would last for more than two hundred years. For its opening concert of the season, Texas Early Music Project performs some of the most technically and emotionally powerful music by Buxtehude and Schütz, featuring Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien and Buxtehude’s magnificent cantata, Herzlich lieb hab ich, for chorus, soloists, and orchestra.

“Animal House”—a family-friendly concert featuring great Classical music celebrating our furry and feathered friends, including a performance of Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals. Special guests are Robert Faires, narrator; Maimy Fong, with Scott Donald, piano; Tim O’Brien, bass-baritone; Jenifer Thyssen and Meredith Ruduski, sopranos; Elise Winters-Huete, concertmaster; and Jeffrey-Jones Ragona, conductor. With a special (virtual) appearance by Nora the Piano Cat in the Catcerto!

Although music of the Baroque and Early Classical period is La Follia’s “bread and butter”, we occasionally enjoy presenting concerts on modern instruments which offer a wide range of repertoire based around a theme. And so it is here, where we present Baroque, Romantic, and modern music which all share a fascination with our animal friends, in a format that the whole family can enjoy.

“Animal House”—a family-friendly concert featuring great Classical music celebrating our furry and feathered friends, including a performance of Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals. Special guests are Robert Faires, narrator; Maimy Fong, with Scott Donald, piano; Tim O’Brien, bass-baritone; Jenifer Thyssen and Meredith Ruduski, sopranos; Elise Winters-Huete, concertmaster; and Jeffrey-Jones Ragona, conductor. With a special (virtual) appearance by Nora the Piano Cat in the Catcerto!

Although music of the Baroque and Early Classical period is La Follia’s “bread and butter”, we occasionally enjoy presenting concerts on modern instruments which offer a wide range of repertoire based around a theme. And so it is here, where we present Baroque, Romantic, and modern music which all share a fascination with our animal friends, in a format that the whole family can enjoy.

Baroque music at its most festive, Handel’s masterpiece was composed for King George II to accompany his fireworks to celebrate the end of a war and signing of a peace treaty.

“Paris City Limits: Chansons, Dances, and The Birds”
TEMP’s 19-voice chorus will perform large scale motets by masters such as Jean Mouton and Janequin. Lively dances by Attaignant and others feature special guest artists Mary Springfels (viola da gamba), Peter Maund (percussion), and exhilarating Breton folk music rounds out the concert (yes, Cayla Cardiff will sing that song) as TEMP explores both the rustic and the sophisticated sides of Parisian life in the 16th and 17th centuries. Our featured singers include countertenor Ryland Angel (New York), mezzo Erin Calata (Seattle), TEMP members Jenifer Thyssen, Meredith Ruduski, Cayla Cardiff, Stephanie Prewitt, Jeffrey Jones Ragona, Thann Scoggin, Gil Zilkha, and more. The instrumental ensemble features our guest artists as well as harpist Therese Honey, violinist Bruce Colson, our viol consort (Jane Leggiero, Stephanie Raby, John Walters), recorders (Susan Richter & Victor Eijkhout), and lutenist Scott Horton. Venez, y’all!

“Paris City Limits: Chansons, Dances, and The Birds”
TEMP’s 19-voice chorus will perform large scale motets by masters such as Jean Mouton and Janequin. Lively dances by Attaignant and others feature special guest artists Mary Springfels (viola da gamba), Peter Maund (percussion), and exhilarating Breton folk music rounds out the concert (yes, Cayla Cardiff will sing that song) as TEMP explores both the rustic and the sophisticated sides of Parisian life in the 16th and 17th centuries. Our featured singers include countertenor Ryland Angel (New York), mezzo Erin Calata (Seattle), TEMP members Jenifer Thyssen, Meredith Ruduski, Cayla Cardiff, Stephanie Prewitt, Jeffrey Jones Ragona, Thann Scoggin, Gil Zilkha, and more. The instrumental ensemble features our guest artists as well as harpist Therese Honey, violinist Bruce Colson, our viol consort (Jane Leggiero, Stephanie Raby, John Walters), recorders (Susan Richter & Victor Eijkhout), and lutenist Scott Horton. Venez, y’all!

Daniel Johnson, Artistic Director presents “Dutch Treat: The Golden Age in the Netherlands.” Our journey includes music by Josquin des Prez, Obrecht, and Willaert, some of the most influential Renaissance composers from the Lowlands. Our group of eighteen singers includes soloists Gitanjali Mathur, Jenifer Thyssen, Meredith Ruduski, Cayla Cardiff, Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, Thann Scoggin, and others. Special guest, Mary Springfels, leads the viol consort of Stephanie Raby, Jane Leggiero, and John Walters, along with Scott Horton (lutes), Elaine Barber (harp), Susan Richter and Victor Eijkhout (recorders).

Daniel Johnson, Artistic Director presents “Dutch Treat: The Golden Age in the Netherlands.” Our journey includes music by Josquin des Prez, Obrecht, and Willaert, some of the most influential Renaissance composers from the Lowlands. Our group of eighteen singers includes soloists Gitanjali Mathur, Jenifer Thyssen, Meredith Ruduski, Cayla Cardiff, Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, Thann Scoggin, and others. Special guest, Mary Springfels, leads the viol consort of Stephanie Raby, Jane Leggiero, and John Walters, along with Scott Horton (lutes), Elaine Barber (harp), Susan Richter and Victor Eijkhout (recorders).

Masterworks of Mozart and Haydn, using instruments and performance practices like those used during the composers’ lifetimes.
The concert features a trio of Austin “firsts”:
1. Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto performed on keyed trumpet, precursor to the modern valved trumpet, and the instrument for which Haydn wrote his famous concerto.
2. Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony, performed on classical period instruments and at Mozart’s pitch.
3. A violin concerto by the “Black Mozart”, Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the first classical composer of African descent, a contemporary of Mozart, and a brilliant Renaissance man.
Featured are Go Yamamoto, concertmaster and violin soloist, and Brian Shaw, keyed trumpet. They will be accompanied by La Follia’s 25 piece chamber orchestra.

Mozart’s Just Desserts