Debra Nagy, Magnificat, Infusion Baroque and More Among SFEMS' 2015-16 Concert Season

The San Francisco Early Music Society (SFEMS) is proud to announce its 40th anniversary season. One of the nation's leading organizations for the advancement of historically informed performance of early music, SFEMS continues its robust traditions with concerts by six groups from around the U.S. and Canada including Archetti Baroque String Ensemble performing with guest oboist Debra Nagy, the Baltimore Consort, Magnificat, Quicksilver, Ensemble Caprice and Infusion Baroque. SFEMS' 2015-16 concert season opens the weekend of October 23 and runs through March 13, 2016.

"SFEMS is not only one of the oldest early music societies anywhere in the United States," says Society President Robert Cole. "It is also unique in offering such a broad range of services: education programs that have taught thousands of aspiring professional and amateur musicians; community services, such as our Affiliates Program, which has helped dozens of ensembles, including Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Chanticleer and Magnificat, to get off the ground; production of the biennial Berkeley Festival, an event that's earned the organization international recognition; and of course our own wonderful, annual concert series, which has brought Bay Area audiences the best of what early music has to offer."

This year's season will feature a new venue, Palo Alto's First Presbyterian Church at 1140 Cowper Street. Each of the season's artists will perform a Friday in Palo Alto, Saturday in Berkeley and Sunday in San Francisco.

Individual tickets for SFEMS' six main concerts are $40 with discounts for seniors andSFEMS members. SFEMS also offers discounts to season subscribers. For more information and to purchase tickets visit SFEMS.org.

In addition to its six-concert season, SFEMS will also continue its partnership with theCalifornia Jazz Conservatory,presenting September to May monthly Sunday afternoon concerts of early music with an eye to the improvisational common thread that links early music and jazz. For more information, visit SFEMS.org. Complete details about the upcoming concert season follow below.

Oct. 23 - 25 | ARCHETTI with guest oboist DEBRA NAGY

One of America's greatest baroque oboists Debra Nagy joins Northern California's premier baroque concerto ensemble to celebrate the most revered composers of the early 18th century. The lyricism of two Handel concerti grossi will be paired with the power and verve of three Bach solo concerti for harpsichord, for 2 violins, and for oboe and violin. Archetti was founded in 2010 by violinist Carla Moore and viola da gambist John Dornenburg to perform the rich chamber concerto repertory of the Baroque era. The ensemble's name means "little bows" in Italian and alludes to the dominance of bowed stringed instruments in the Italian Baroque concerto repertory. Archetti is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where they have been praised for their "dazzling clarity" (San Francisco Examiner) and "beautiful ensemble playing" (Early Music America). In 2014, Archetti released its first CD on the Centaur label --Handel and Hellendaal: Grand Concertos.

NOV. 20 - 22 | BALTIMORE CONSORT

"Few early music players have more fun making music than the Baltimore six, who through their performances, take the position that echoes of renaissance secular music are still to be found in modern folk practice" -- The New Yorker. The Baltimore Consort performs a new program featuring its core repertory -- music of the Elizabethan era -- with songs and consort music from Shakespeare's plays. Soprano Danielle Svonavec joins the ensemble to perform some of the greatest hits from the Bard's songbook, including "It Was a Lover and his Lass," "Where the Bee Sucks," "Full Fathom Five" and "The Willow Song."

Dec. 11 - 13 | MAGNIFICAT

Under the direction of Warren Stewart for over 20 years, Magnificat has recreated historical liturgies, performing great works from Monteverdi's Vespers to Charpentier's Midnight Mass in their intended musical context. This year they recreate a Lutheran Mass for Advent, following Leipzig liturgy as Bach himself wrote out on his manuscript score of Cantata 62. The program will include congregational chorales, which the audience will be encouraged to sing.

JAN. 29 - 31 | QUICKSILVER

"Enlightening...the audience was on its feet SFEMS is pleased to present a return engagement of Quicksilver, described as "drop dead gorgeous with a wonderful interplay of timbres" by (Early Music America). Led by violinists Robert Mealy and Julie Andrijeski, the ensemble will perform a program titled "The (very) First Viennese School," featuring music from the courts of Holy Roman Emperors Matthias to Leopold I: works by Valentini, Bertali, Buonamente, Pandolfi, Kerll, Legrenzi, Fux, Muffat and Schmelzer.

Feb. 19 - 21 | ENSEMBLE CAPRICE

Founded by acclaimed recorder soloist Matthias Maute, the Montreal-based Ensemble Caprice performs a program titled "Salsa Baroque: Music of Latin America and Spain." During the 16th and 17th centuries, the blend of European polyphony and Latin American traditional music created a unique style that is exemplified by the villancicos of the Bolivian composer Juan de Araujo and his contemporaries. Also included on the program are sonatas by Locatelli and Falconieri, two European composers influenced by this Latin American style.

MAR. 27 - 29 | ARTIFICE

Winners of the Grand Prize and Audience Prize at the 2014 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition, Montreal-based ensemble Infusion Baroque makes its Bay Area debut exploring the works of 17th- and 18th-century composers and their tangled, contrary and often scandalous personal lives. Featured will be music by Leclair, Geminiani, Merula, Guignon, Telemann and the Bach family.

TICKETS: Individual tickets: $34 - $40 - $40 General; $36 Seniors $34 SFEMS members. Subscriptions: $204 for the full 6-concert series ($180 for SFEMS members). Choose 3 concerts for $108 ($96 for SFEMS members). Tickets may be purchased online at sfems.org.

Founded in 1975, SFEMS is one of the nation's leading organizations for the advancement of historically informed performance of early music. Through its concert series, publications, outreach activities, affiliate support and educational programs SFEMS encourages the development of amateurs, supports professionals, and increases public involvement and participation in early music. SFEMS is the lead presenter of the Berkeley Festival & Exhibition of early music.