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ROUND TEN GRANT APPLICATIONS
La Tirana - 1
ENSEMBLE INFO
Ensemble Contact:
Pablo Tejedor-Gutiérrez
Email:
Ensemble Connect URL
UK Registered Charity No:
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Creation of an Iberian Early Music Festival in collaboration with Otley Baroque
La Tirana will undertake a four-day residency in mid-January 2026 as the guest artist ensemble at Otley Baroque, a thriving early music series in Yorkshire known for its community focus, educational outreach, and commitment to historically informed performance. This residency will launch the first Iberian Early Music Festival, combining newly rediscovered repertoire with public engagement and scholarship. The festival will feature four concerts across three venues, including one specifically tailored for children, as well as pre-concert talks and a public lecture by a university professor. While Otley Baroque will provide core logistical support and partial artist fees, funding from the Continuo Foundation is essential to realise the full scope of the project.
Concert venues include Farsley’s Sunny Bank Mills Gallery, the Methodist Church in Burley-in-Wharfedale, The Bookshop on the Square, and Otley Methodist Church. Some talks will be held in cafés and community centres to increase accessibility and audience engagement. Outreach activities will include video documentation of rehearsals and concert preparations, which will be shared online to promote the performances and expand reach through digital content and social media platforms.
Audience development is led by Asuka Sumi and a dedicated team of volunteers, collaborators, local business partners, and community choirs, and attracting Early Music audiences from York, Leeds and Manchester. The audience spans music students, local schools and families—especially for the children’s concert—as well as adults from age 30 to retirement who are early music enthusiasts or new to classical music. In other venues, audiences come from local communities who support cultural initiatives and welcome early music as part of their town’s cultural life.
The residency/festival includes four concerts. "An Evening at El Capricho" recreates a musical soirée held by a major female patroness the Countess-Duchess of Benavente, at her Palacio del Capricho, blending Iberian and European works by Boccherini, Brunetti, Haydn, and others to evoke the cosmopolitan sound of 18th-century Madrid. "A Manuscript Found in Barcelona" presents anonymous mid-18th-century works from Madrid—including the earliest known Iberian cello sonatas—rich in rhythmic vitality and stylistic fusion. "Forgotten Gems" explores rarely heard string trios by Boccherini, Mozart, and Beethoven, showcasing the expressive depth of this overlooked genre. "Iberian Baroque Adventures" is an interactive family concert with storytelling, instrument demos, and playful learning, in line with Otley Baroque’s educational mission.
The project encapsulates La Tirana’s commitment to reviving neglected repertoire through research-based programming, vibrant performance, and inclusive audience engagement.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
La Tirana is a historical performance ensemble based in London, founded in 2022 by cellist and gambist Pablo Tejedor-Gutiérrez. Created with the support of the British-Spanish Society’s scholarship programme, the group emerged from a desire to explore lesser-known chamber music of the 18th and early 19th centuries using historically informed performance practices, with particular attention to Iberian repertoire. It was formed with the long-term goal of creating a sustainable and distinctive artistic presence rooted in research, experimentation, and storytelling.
Since its foundation, La Tirana has given public performances at notable UK venues, including St John’s Smith Square (Concerts in the Crypt series), the Royal College of Music Museum, the Horniman Museum, Sands Film Theatre, and Handel and Hendrix House. It has also appeared in community-oriented recital series such as the Heath Street Arts Sunday Sundown Series. One of its high-profile engagements took place at the Embassy of Spain in London, performing modern premieres of Iberian Enlightenment music for the ceremonial change of the European Union Presidency before the Spanish and Belgian ambassadors and other EU diplomats.
Internationally, La Tirana was invited to perform in France at the Musique au Paradis Festival (Jura), and will perform in the Netherlands at venues such as ZIMIHC Theater Zuilen, the Stadsklooster, and the Concert Camper of the Utrecht Oude Muziek Festival. In Spain, the ensemble was selected as part of the 2025 Generation to perform at SMADE (Semana de Música Antigua de Estella).
La Tirana’s name pays homage to María del Rosario Fernández, known as “La Tirana,” a celebrated 18th-century actress and tonadillera painted by Goya. Her multifaceted artistry symbolizes the ensemble’s mission to bridge music with literature, visual culture, and historical context. Programmes are curated around specific themes and often highlight rarely performed works and composers.
The ensemble’s core members are young professionals trained at Europe’s top conservatoires, including the Royal College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, and Geneva Haute École de Musique. They are active with leading early music groups such as the Academy of Ancient Music, Balthasar Neumann Ensemble, Holland Baroque, Instruments of Time and Truth, and the European Union Youth Orchestra. Core members include Pablo Tejedor-Gutiérrez (artistic direction, cello and gamba), Sonia Hrechorowicz (harpsichord and fortepiano), Ettore Marchi and Danny Murphy (theorbo and historical guitars), Joseph Lowe (violin/viola), Hannah Parry (violin), and Ana Dunne Sequí (viola).
La Tirana’s repertoire spans solo baroque cello, French theatrical chamber music, British 18th-century works, and Iberian Enlightenment repertoire. The ensemble is committed to long-term activity, with future programmes focusing on cross-cultural and interdisciplinary themes, establishing itself as a meaningful contributor to the UK early music scene.
PROJECT COSTS
Number of performers:
Instrumentalists:
Vocalists:
Other:
5
Project Income (£):
Ticketing/Fees:
Public Funding:
Other trusts/foundations - confirmed
Other trusts/foundations - pending
Other
Income - Total sources
2500
1500
1000
5000
Project Expenses (£):
Artists' fees
Artists' travel/accommodation
Venue - Rehearsal/Concert:
Recording/Filming:
Marketing/Publicity:
Management/Contingency:
5000
1500
3000
100
200
Total Project Costs:
9800
Amount (£) of Grant Requested:
4800
Detailed Budget (Download):
IMPACT OF GRANT
The Continuo Foundation grant would enable us to create original programmes, provide vital employment for young musicians, and launch a new Iberian Early Music Festival. It would support the revival of neglected repertoire, strengthen our ensemble’s identity, and deepen engagement with local communities. By expanding access to early music and nurturing new audiences, the grant would have a lasting artistic and social impact.
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