We are very excited to announce our upcoming collaboration, coming this May, with the New Comma Baroque  entitled Brandenburg X: J.S. Bach's Exploration of the Viola da Braccio, the Violoncello and the Viola da Gamba based around Johann-Sebastian Bach's 6th Brandenburg Concerto, BWV1051. This will be a truly unique look as the program will include Bruce Haynes's Brandenburg Concerto No.12 for Montreal Baroque incorporating Nur jedem das Seine, BWV163: Lass mein Herz die Munze sein, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV80: Wie selig sind doch die, die Gott im Munde tragen & the Sinfonia from Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fallt, BWV18. Also being performed are Bach's Sonata G-Major, BWV1027/ 1039 performed on 3 bass Viol, a Brandenburg Concerto 'No.7' adapted by Duncan Druce from BWV1029 as well as Bach's Concerto for 2 Harpsichords, BWV1061a. More information will be coming soon for these concerts May 23rd-25th, 2014:

New Comma Baroque & Wisconsin Baroque: Cynthia Black & Marika Fischer Hoyt (Baroque violas), Eric Miller, Phillip W. Serna & Russell Wagner (bass viols), Eric Miller & Anton TenWolde (Baroque celli), Marilyn Fung (violone) & Emily J. Katayama & Max Yount (harpsichords)New Comma Baroque & the Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble Present Brandenburg X: J.S. Bach's Exploration of the Viola da Braccio, the Violoncello and the Viola da Gamba based around Johann Sebastian Bach’s 6th Brandenburg Concerto, BWV1051.

Other works on the program include Bruce Haynes's Brandenburg Concerto 'No.12' for Montreal Baroque incorporating Nur jedem das Seine, BWV163: Lass mein Herz die Munze sein, Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV80: Wie selig sind doch die, die Gott im Munde tragen & the Sinfonia from Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fallt, BWV18. Also being performed are Bach's Sonata G-Major, BWV1027/ 1039 performed on 3 bass Viols, a Brandenburg Concerto 'No.7' adapted by Duncan Druce from BWV1029 as well as Bach's Concerto for 2 Harpsichords, BWV1061a.

Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, Madison, WI
Friday, May 23, 2014 7:30PM

Eaton Chapel
Beloit, WI
Saturday, May 24, 2014 7:30PM

Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, IL
Sunday, May 25, 2014 3:00PM


New Comma Baroque & Wisconsin Baroque: Cynthia Black & Marika Fischer Hoyt (Baroque violas), Eric Miller, Phillip W. Serna & Russell Wagner (bass viols), Eric Miller & Anton TenWolde (Baroque celli), Marilyn Fung (violone) & Emily J. Katayama & Max Yount (harpsichords)

For more information on this and other concerts, please visit www.newcommabaroque.org & www.wisconsinbaroque.org.

April 12, 2013, Friday 7:30 PM, Hendricks Center for the Arts, Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, Free will offering

April 13, 2013, Saturday, 8:00 PM,  Gates of Heaven Synagogue, Madison, Wisconsin, $15 general admission, $10 students

Chelsie Propst - soprano, Eric Miller - viola da gamba, baroque cello, Monica Steger - harpsichord, Anton TenWolde - baroque cello, Theresa Koenig - bassoon (Beloit only)

The Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble will close 2012-2013 with a series of concerts April 12 in Beloit and April 13 in Madison.

Opening the program will be selections from the third suite of Marin Marais's Second Live de pièces de viole performed by Eric Miller, bass viola da gamba, with Monica Steger and Anton TenWolde on continuo. Marais published his second book of pieces for viol in 1701, fifteen years after the publication of his first book of pieces in 1686. The suite, in D Major, is a collection of charming dance movements, culminating in the well-known Les Voix humaines and a satisfying Chaconne.

Joining WBE for the first time is soprano Chelsie Propst. Chelsie is an active performer within the Madison area, in both the community and the UW-Madison School of Music. She has performed with Madison-based ensembles such as Clocks in Motion, the Isthmus Chamber Ensemble, and the early music ensemble, Eliza’s Toyes. Chelsie has performed several opera roles, including Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Belinda in Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas. She is a regular participant in the Madison Early Music Festival and attended SongFest in 2012. She was a finalist in WPR’s 2012 Neale-Silva Young Artists’ Competition and UW-Madison’s 2013 Concerto Competition.

Chelsie has chosen three fine works by women composers. Two works from Italy in the 17th century, Dulcis amor by Isabella Leonarda and Barbara Strozzi's L’Astratto. Pairing well with Marais suite will be Susanne by Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre.

Audience members in Beloit will be treated to a sonata for bassoon and continuo by Michel Corette performed by Theresa Koenig. This will be the debut with WBE of Theresa's beautiful new baroque bassoon recently acquired in Germany.

Anton TenWolde will perform a delightful sonata for cello and continuo by Giovanni Battista Bononcini. Frequent WBE flautist, Monica Steger, will be joining WBE on this program in a slightly different role than usual as harpsichordist.

February 8, 2013, Friday 7:30 PM, Eaton Chapel, Beloit College, Beloit, Wisconsin, Free will offering

February 10, 2013, Sunday 3:00 PM,  Gates of Heaven Synagogue, Madison, WI, $15 general admission, $10 students

Theresa Koenig - recorder; Brett Lipshutz - Traverso; Eric Miller - viola da gamba; Consuelo Sañudo - mezzo soprano; Anton TenWolde - baroque cello; Max Yount - Harpsichord

The Wisconsin Baroque Ensemble (WBE) ushers in 2013 with concerts Friday, February 8, 7:30 pm, in Beloit College’s Eaton Chapel, and Sunday, February 10, 3 pm, in Madison’s Gates of Heaven, 300 E. Gorham Street.

Claudio Monteverdi, the great early 17th-century composer who frequents our concerts, makes only one appearance in this program: a dramatic love letter, “Se I languidi miei sguardi” for solo voice and continuo. Our celebrated mezzo-soprano, Consuelo Sañudo, is the soloist, with Anton TenWolde, baroque cello, and Max Yount, harpsichord, supplying the basso continuo.

On the complete other end of the time spectrum of early music in Italy, we will hear Vivaldi's Sonata for cello and continuo in E Flat, RV 39, the last of the three "orphan" cello sonatas of Vivaldi to which WBE has devoted attention this season. Anton will be the soloist.

WBE moves the spotlight from Italy to the twilight of the German Baroque, featuring Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach’s dashing and eloquent Sonata in D major for viola da gamba solo with continuo, Wq 137. Eric Miller is the soloist, with Anton and Max as continuo. When you hear this you might glimpse how it was that C. P. E. was the more famous Bach (more so than his father, J.S.) in his own day. This is not to miss.

 A new artist, Theresa Koenig, (website, here) on recorder, appears on this concert, participating in two works of Telemann (also more famous than J. S. Bach in his own day, and godfather to   C. P. E. Bach)—a masterful trio, No. 7 from the Essercizii Musici, for recorder, viola da gamba, and continuo; and one of the master’s many church cantatas, "Es ist ein schlechter Ruhm" from Harmonischer Gottesdienst, with Consuelo as soloist.

A performer, long absent from WBE, is returning—Brett Lipshutz on baroque flute, performing a dramatic sonata by Johann Gottfried Müthel, J. S. Bach’s last pupil, and master of the Sturm und Drang explosions of the 1760s and 70s.

In Beloit, admission is free, but a contribution is sought at the door, in order to assist the department of music of Beloit College in presenting WBE.

Admission at Gates of Heaven in Madison is $15, $10 for students.