Thanks to all who joined us for Dessert and D’Amore last Sunday, with Matt Dane and Ann Marie Morgan as featured artists. It was a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on the viola d’amore, an exotic instrument that has its own alluring sound, with a fascinating if somewhat opaque background.  On a personal level, it was an amazing experience for me to have a chance to play Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel (composed in 1978, and an example of the composer’s mystic minimalism) on viola d’amore and harpsichord. It may be the first time this exquisite piece has ever been played on that combination of instruments!

This program was part of our Baroque Out of Bounds series, which allows us to explore programming off the beaten path. There are lots of fascinating “off roads” within the Baroque repertoire itself, but we go even further by exploring new compositions for old instruments and finding intersections with art forms very different from our own. The series is also a way to replicate that special, intimate “house concert experience” in a public space.

Stay tuned for more Baroque Out of Bounds events – we have two planned for next season that we think you will enjoy!