Miller Theatre Concludes 2013-14 Early Music Series Season with The Tallis Scholars Performing 40 YEARS OF RENAISSANCE POLYPHONY Today

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts concludes the 2013-14 season of its Early Music series with The Tallis Scholars, with Peter Phillips as director, performing 40 Years of Renaissance Polyphony. The Anniversary program includes a world premiere by Michael Nyman, commissioned by Miller Theatre. The performance is tonight, April 5, 2014, 8:00 PM, Presented by Miller Theatre at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin (145 W. 46th Street). Tickets are $40 - $50 (limited availability), CU Students: $7, and all other students: $24 with valid ID

From Miller Theatre Executive Director Melissa Smey:
"This season's Early Music Series has been a spectacular success, and I can't think of a better way to cap it off than with the Tallis Scholars, who are celebrating their 40th year this season."

EARLY MUSIC

Miller Theatre's "essential" (The New Yorker) Early Music series has been lauded as a leader in New York's burgeoning historical performance scene. This year Miller once again played host to some of the world's leading early music ensembles and young upstarts alike. Miller favorites Le Poème Harmonique and Stile Antico returned, as did the local quartet New York Polyphony. The Orlando Consort celebrated a 25th anniversary of their own at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin. The series also features world premiere performances of two new commissions, from composers Andrew Smith and Michael Nyman-a first for the series. Nyman's work, written for The Tallis Scholars, celebrates both Miller's milestone anniversary and The Tallis Scholars' 40th year.

Early Music

Saturday, April 5, 2014, 8:00 p.m.
The Tallis Scholars

Chuch of St. Mary the Virgin (145 W. 46th Street)

For 40 years The Tallis Scholars have served as early music's most visible advocates of Renaissance choral repertoire. This celebratory program of spiritual works spans four centuries, featuring some of the group's favorite pieces from their 40-year tenure, including music by Renaissance masters Tallis and Josquin as well as lesser-known pieces by John Sheppard and Cipriano de Rore. The ensemble will also present the world premiere of a new piece by composer Michael Nyman, commissioned by Miller Theatre for The Tallis Scholars in honor of this milestone anniversary.

The Tallis Scholars

www.thetallisscholars.co.uk

The Tallis Scholars were founded by Peter Phillips in 1973. They perform in both sacred and secular venues. Previous locations include the Sistine Chapel to mark the final stage of the complete restoration of the Michelangelo frescoes; Ferrara, Italy (at the invitation of Claudio Abbado); and London for a unique 25th Anniversary concert in London's National Gallery. Other UK venues include Symphony Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Wigmore Hall, London's South Bank Centre, and the Royal Albert Hall. They have also toured in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, France, the United States, Japan, China, Australia, and Singapore. Festival appearances include the Salzburg Festival, Bath Festival, Milan Cathedral Festival, and at the BBC Proms in London. Much of The Tallis Scholars's reputation for pioneering work has come from their association with Gimell Records, set up by Peter Phillips and Steve Smith in 1981 solely to record them.

Peter Phillips

Peter Phillips founded The Tallis Scholars in 1973. Besides his work with Tallis, Phillips has for many years contributed a column to The Spectator. In 1995 he became the advisory editor of The Musical Times, the oldest continuously published music journal in Europe. His first book, English Sacred Music 1549-1649, is an account of the history of English-texted sacred music written during the golden period between the Reformation and the Commonwealth. In 1997 he visited Japan as the adjudicator of a choral festival in Tokyo and has worked in Italy and the United States with groups specializing in the polyphonic repertoire. Phillips has made numerous television and radio broadcasts. Besides those featuring The Tallis Scholars, he has appeared on Music Weekly, BBC World Service, Today, and on European, Canadian, and North American radio. Phillips is also the director of the Oakham International Summer School, a choral course set up to keep alive the English choral heritage and develop excellence in unaccompanied choral singing.