GRANT ROUND 8 AWARDS ANNOUNCED! - CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
OUR IMPACT
Here's how we have been making a difference so far:
£850,000
Total Grant Awards
200
Different Locations
Across the UK
1,100
Freelance Musicians
525
Live Performances
and Recordings
197
Projects Supported
200,000
Audiences Reached
Live and Online
102
Ensembles Supported
29
Emerging Ensembles Supported
FOR ARTISTS & AUDIENCES
FEEDBACK FROM RECENTLY-FORMED ENSEMBLES
‘Who Killed Jean-Marie Leclair?’ Musical murder mystery tours
APOLLO'S CABINET
“Organising our fully self-promoted tour last autumn with the support of Continuo Foundation has helped equip us with a skillset that enables us to confidently plan even larger tours and budget for bigger productions with confidence now. By touring together, planning new projects, and having all these opportunities, we have grown so much as a group over the last year. Spending hours devising new programmes, approaching promoters, self-promoting concerts and our upcoming album, fundraising, applying for schemes & competitions, etc. has really glued us together. These are all huge tasks and it's hard to know where to even get started, so it's been a steep learning curve!”
– Teresa Wrann, recorder
‘Reflection and Remembrance’ concert with readings by Donald Macleod
FIGURE ENSEMBLE
"This concert feels like a turning point – it has solidified the core team and creative identity of Figure. For the future, we have a much clearer vision of the kind of work we want to make and have developed our track record of being able to deliver unique music experiences. We are moving to the next stage as an organisation, with an ambitious programme for 2023 including an immersive performance of Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu Nostri at the Swiss Church in London. Thank you so much to Continuo Foundation for making all this possible."
– Frederic Waxman, harpsichord
‘Smock Alley’ debut CD recording and subsequent CD launch tour
IRLANDIANI PLAYERS
"Continuo Foundation’s support has given us invaluable time and space to plan, rehearse and record our first full chamber ensemble programme. This has enabled us to take creative risk with our projects, programming a newly written piece and collaborating with shadow puppet artist Matthew Robins for our album launch. Since organising these projects, we have been independently approached by a festival who heard about our concert series and would like to book us for a further Autumn date. Without Continuo Foundation’s support, none of this would have been possible."
– Carina Drury, cello
‘Divine and Human’ launch concert
PARNASSUS
"We cannot express enough our gratitude towards the Continuo Foundation for helping us in these first stages of our ensemble’s existence. It would have been almost impossible to make such a dream project happen without the help of this grant. The subtitle of this project was Launch concert, as we believed that this milestone event for us where we presented a musical representation of ourselves would provide us with the energy, impetus, and materials to help the career development of the ensemble. The existence of a funding body such as the Continuo Foundation is something very special and rare. Its accessibility for anyone with a project to present and the ease of communication and collaboration between Continuo and the recipients is truly unique."
– Oscar Holch, viola
‘Telemann's Subscribers’ Concert Tour
CEDAR CONSORT
“To be a beneficiary was a very important step in the development of the Cedar Consort. Without Continuo's backing, our tour of Telemann’s Subscribers would not have happened. Not only did we perform in three fantastic venues, but we also filmed one of the concerts to provide promotional material for the future. Being part of the Continuo family of grantees is a huge honour and critically a great seal of approval. This endorsement has given us the confidence to approach new promoters, both in the UK and beyond. We believe this will allow us to develop the Cedar Consort musically and expand our profile much sooner than otherwise would have been possible.”
– Benedict Williams, Harpsichord
‘Festival of the Sun King’ - films and concerts of the French Baroque
HEX
"Without your support, this project wouldn’t have taken off for a long while and I wouldn’t have found this renewed drive and need to play and share this music. The project has been so transformative and fulfilling (and quite overwhelming at times), and I am brimming with ideas for future projects and collaborations as a result."
– Sarah Small, viola da gamba
‘Musick in Manchester’ concert series
MANCHESTER BAROQUE
"Investment in our organisation by Continuo Foundation represents both recognition of our work and a boost to our reputation within the historical performance field. A direct result of this is that the Musick in Manchester concert helped us to secure a multi-year funding commitment, from a private donor who attended the concert, which will allow us to plan with greater sustainability for the future."
– Mike Emmerich, Board of Trustees
Away Vain Warld and La Prima Donna del Mondo concert tours
SPINACINO CONSORT
"The grant had a transformational effect on the group. Having formed only in 2019, the pandemic put a stop to our activity for two years. The successful completion of this project has allowed us to think how we will move forward, and the filmed material from this project will allow us to sell the programme for chamber music societies and apply for young artist programmes which will help secure the sustainability of the ensemble. We will also be making our Wigmore Hall debut in December 2023 with a celebratory Christmas concert in a collaboration with vocal group Siglo de Oro. None of this would have been possible without Continuo Foundation."
– Eric Thomas, lute
Read more about how our work is making a difference
for Emerging Ensembles in our November 2023 report.
RESPONSES FROM AUDIENCES & PROMOTERS
MUSIC ON THE QUANTOCKS
Away Vain Warld and La Prima Donna del Mondo concert tours
"The thing about Continuo's support is the 'guarantee' it offers a promoter about the quality of the performance. And, for those of us running concerts a long way from London, Continuo's funding acts, in effect, to level the playing field. London promoters rarely have to face the crippling travel and accommodation expenses that prevent far too many top Baroque musicians performing live in Somerset and the West Country."
SARABAND
In the Music Room, Kenwood House
"Thank you. As a full time carer I rarely leave the home. Today was like a holiday - all the music, humour, history, art was absolutely inspiring and will keep me inspired and optimistic for some time."
- Audience Member
LETHERINGHAM MUSIC SOCIETY
Away Vain Warld and La Prima Donna del Mondo concert tours
"Letheringham is one of the smallest villages in Suffolk, and without the support of the Continuo Foundation, it would not have been possible for Musica Antica to have brought to the 12th century Priory Church of St Mary their beautiful programme 'Rittrati.' At the end of the concert, I can only say that I was inundated by people enthused by the music they had just heard with comments such as ‘this was a real jewel’ and ‘I was not expecting something so utterly beautiful’."
BROOK STREET BAND
love:Handel Festival
"The Love Handel Festival is an absolute highlight of my (two) years and I wish it was every year! Please don't stop coming to Norwich - we so appreciate hearing world-class musicians like the BSB in our city."
– Audience Member