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ENSEMBLE INFO

Ensemble Contact:

Email:

nocturnaliaensemble@gmail.com

2023

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Project Description: Nocturnalia’s Tartini and His Disciples – Scuola delle Nazioni

Following acclaimed performances at the BREMF scheme showcase and BBC Radio 3’s In Tune, Nocturnalia is excited to fully present our Tartini and His Disciples program to UK audiences. This project explores the groundbreaking work of Giuseppe Tartini and his students, whose influence shaped 18th-century violin technique and composition. The program features works by Tartini, his disciples Nardini, Stratico, Pugnani, and Sirmen—a unique female composer—as well as contemporary compositions by Nocturnalia that complement the Baroque pieces. Tartini’s legacy as a pedagogue and his innovative blending of music, poetry, and acoustics offers a fresh perspective on the evolution of Baroque and Galant music.

This rare programme includes several pieces that will be performed in the UK for the first time, showcasing Tartini’s contributions to violin technique, including his discovery of the “Third Sound.” The program also highlights his influence on European violin traditions through his disciples, whose works are a testament to the international nature of the Scuola delle Nazioni.

Tour Dates and Locations:

3rd October 2026 – Salisbury Musick (Masterclass on 4th October)

8th October 2026 – Music on Thursdays, Leatherhead

24th October 2026 – Bremf Lunchtime Concert (highlight on Tartini’s Dreams)

Target Audience:
The project is aimed at early music enthusiasts, violin lovers, students, music professionals, and amateur music lovers. It seeks to attract digital audiences through social media and engage new young listeners. The masterclass at Salisbury will offer insight into Nocturnalia’s approach to early music, making it both accessible and appealing to diverse audiences.

Recording/Streaming:
The 24th October performance will be recorded and streamed online to reach a broader audience and deepen public understanding of Tartini’s influence on violin music.

Visibility and Impact:
As a young ensemble, Nocturnalia is focused on increasing visibility. We plan to invest in paid social media advertising, photoshoots, and engaging videos of archival music. Our goal is to attract new, younger audiences while also providing valuable content for experts. Short, engaging videos will showcase lesser-known works, making them fresh and attractive for both specialists and newcomers to the genre.

Nocturnalia (nocturnaliaensemble.com) was formed in 2021 during the EEEmerging+ Academy at the Ambronay Festival, where late-night jam sessions led to the creation of the ensemble. The group’s vision is to bring fresh perspectives to early music, blending historical works with improvisation, ornamentation, and spontaneous dialogue, sharing a belief that early music remains deeply relevant today, offering both creative freedom and emotional depth. Their diverse European backgrounds, Slovene, Spanish, & Greek, are key to their artistic identity, while they actively explore UK early music heritage and perform at key venues across the UK and abroad.

Since its formation in 2023, Nocturnalia has widely performed across the UK and Europe. We were selected for the Brighton Early Music Festival’s BREMF Live! Scheme 2024–25, performing at various venues and offering educational workshops. Other appearances include the Foundling Museum, Heath Street series, Utrecht Oude Muziek and Contratemps Festival (Barcelona), and touring Slovenia, Turin and Cuneo. Upcoming engagements include Handel & Hendrix House, Salisbury Musick, BREMF and a recording of a rediscovered sonata by William Viner. Nocturnalia has also been selected for the prestigious S-EEEMerging 2026–2027 cohort and will develop residencies and performances in Finland (Helsinki Baroque Orchestra), France (Festival de la Tarentaise), and Spain (Torroella Festival).

Nocturnalia explores a wide range of early music, with a focus on 17th- and 18th-century works that are underperformed or overlooked. Their programs combine archival premieres with folk traditions, improvisation, and innovative themes. Notable programmes include Wit and Mirth (folk and elite music of 17th-century England), Olea Mediterranea (18th-century works from Greece, Italo-Slovenia, and Spain), La Scuola Delle Nazione (Tartini and his disciples), Flora Carniolica (music and nature in the Baroque), and Beyond the Diva (rediscovering Handel’s female patrons and fellow composers). The ensemble seeks to deepen the connection between early music and contemporary audiences, while expanding its presence across Europe and the UK, with aspirations for new collaborations and recordings.

-Mojca Jerman (Slovenia) is a prize-winning Baroque violinist trained in Bologna, Ljubljana and Graz, playing in Insula or Anima Aeterna. https://www.mojcajerman.com
-Pablo Tejedor-Gutiérrez (Spain) is a cellist and violist trained in Madrid, Geneva, and London, playing in Academia Montis Regalis, Instruments of Time and Truth or Holland Baroque, teaching at the RCM. https://pablotejedorgutierrez.com
-Alex Mastichiadis (Greece) is a harpsichordist and organist, specializing in historical improvisation and early keyboards, with studies in Greece and The Netherlands, playing in Armonia Atenea, teaching at the Koncon (NL). https://www.youtube.com/@alex_mastichiadis