APRIL UPDATE

Continuo Foundation
8 minutes ago
6 min read

IN THIS UPDATE:

3. PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

5. NEW ALBUM ALERT

IMPACT - FEEDBACK AND FIGURES

In April, six grantee ensembles presented a total of nine concerts, in nine UK locations, and two ensembles - Florilegium and Dialogue Viols - completed recording sessions for new albums.

We were delighted to hear how our grant has positively impacted Ceruleo, whose CD launch tour took them to five locations, from Devon to Scotland, while improving their sustainability:

We now have relationships with three new promoters and we hope to return with future programmes. We have also solidified a concert programme which has been very well received at all our venues and hope to continue promoting this programme throughout the next 12 months. Thanks to the success of this tour and the funding from Continuo Foundation, we have strengthened the longevity of the group and are able to look towards future performances and recordings.

Continuo Foundation's impact since inception:

£950,000 awarded to 110 ensembles

1,180 freelance musician beneficiaries

332,250 audience beneficiaries

28 CD recordings released so far

FUNDRAISING PROGRESS

A message from Tina Vadaneaux, Founder and CEO:

Following on from our latest grant awards, we look ahead to the exciting milestone which will be reached with our next (10th) grant round - passing the £1 million milestone! In addition to the impact highlighted above, this investment has artistically enriched the Early Music landscape and expanded the repertoire by enabling the research and development of high quality programmes.

Meanwhile, Continuo Connect has become the digital platform for Early and Baroque Music in the UK, showcasing the amazing creativity in this field. By opening access to Early Music through concert listings, articles, interviews, playlists and festival guides, Continuo Connect is making a fundamental contribution to the growth and financial sustainability of the UK Early Music sector.

We are thrilled to have two Principal Supporters (each donating £80,000 per year for three years), and are working to secure a third. Alongside our other generous donors, this would complete the funding needed to make our plans for 2025-2027 a reality: awarding £200,000 in grants each year, and growing the impact of our Continuo Connect digital initiative.

For the next grant round, we are very grateful for the generosity of our supporters at all levels who have so far pledged or donated a wonderful £81,500. Our immediate goal is to raise the £18,500 remaining to meet our £100,000 target for Grant Round 10, opening in July.

If you would like to discuss how you can help us achieve our objectives, I would be delighted to speak with you. Please contact me at tina@continuofoundation.co.uk.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

with Apolline Khou

Apolline Khou is a harpsichordist and pianist with an eclectic sensibility, embracing varied influences with a free spirit, and known for her poetical and passionate interpretations. She studied in France and at the Royal College of Music, where she is currently the Historical Keyboards Fellow. Apolline performs both as a soloist and a chamber musician, in the UK and abroad. Her past performances include concerts at the Utrecht Early Music Festival, at the Victoria & Albert Museum, and recitals for HRH King Charles III and for His Majesty the Emperor of Japan.

How has Continuo Foundation impacted your day-to-day life?

Discovering Continuo Foundation gave me hope, both as a listener and a performer. It is really heartwarming to know that there is a community of early music lovers, and that it is possible to initiate creative projects that receive sincere and generous support.

What new doors have opened for you since becoming a grantee?

Being a Continuo Foundation grantee allowed me to connect with a wider audience and other musicians through events and concerts, gaining both exposure and support. It also gave me the confidence and financial means to create projects with my ensembles—projects that would otherwise have remained only a dream.

What do you love about being a musician?

For me, music is one of the most direct ways to approach beauty - in fact, it can transform the darkest emotions into something beautiful, and I have always found this magical.

Where did you encounter the most receptive audience?

I have been lucky to perform in many different venues, both as a soloist and with an ensemble. When people from the audience come up to me after the concert, even if it is only one person who expresses a genuine appreciation of the concert, it really means a lot to me and reminds me why I am doing this.

No.1 listening recommendation?

It is not easy to decide, but a very touching recording that I have been listening to a lot recently, is "Les Voix Humaines" by Marin Marais, recorded by Vittorio Ghielmi and Luca Pianca.

More about Apolline Khou is available in her Continuo Connect Interview .

APRIL PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Ceruleo - Voices of Longing

Ceruleo completed their five-concert tour of their Voices of Longing programme in April, marking the launch of their latest album on the Resonus Classics label. In this project, Ceruleo celebrate the music of Barbara Strozzi, one of the greatest composers of the 17th century, and the most published composer of secular song of her time. With two sopranos, viola da gamba, harpsichord and lute, Ceruleo bring to life the music of this extraordinary composer, combining a selection of her finest works with instrumental pieces by her contemporaries. They performed concerts in Helensburgh, Burghclere, Sampford Courtenay, Maidenhead and Bristol.

Florilegium - Telemann - Old and New

In April, Florilegium completed recording sessions for their new album, Telemann - Old and New. This new recording of music by the much loved and prolific German composer highlights compositions from his early years as well as one of his last works, composed when he was 84 years old. Few recordings exist of Telemann’s exciting and dramatic Cantata Ino, a vocal masterpiece composed for solo soprano and chamber orchestra. They also include double concertos for recorder and flute as well as one for violin and flute, which brings Rachel Podger and Ashley Solomon together as soloists once again after more than 25 years. A delightful duet for solo flute and violin from his Essercizii Musici collection completes this recording. Click below for a taste of Telemann's Cantata Ino.

Sounds Historical - 600 Years! Hildegard to Haydn

Sounds Historical completed their 600 Years! Hildegard to Haydn concert tour in April. This programme, which was performed in more than twelve locations across the UK, showcased a wide and exciting variety of instruments (around 38 of them), composers and styles, all carefully researched and arranged, to provide an accessible journey through the changes and developments of music and instruments across 600 years. Composers included Hildegard von Bingen, Isaac, Alfonso X of Castile, Machaut, Dalza, Schlick, Attaignant, Susato, Cima, Simpson, de la Barre, Telemann and Haydn. Sounds Historical have been touring this programme to great acclaim since July 2024, bringing high-quality live early music to new audiences across the midlands and beyond.

Sestina Music - Concert Spirituel

Sestina Music performed their programme Concert Spirituel: A Celebration of 300 Years of Public Concerts with concerts in Belfast, Wexford and Kilkenny. The programme sought to commemorate the 'Concert Spirituel' - thought to be the first public concert series - through a reproduction of the inaugural concert from 1725 in Paris. As part of the ensemble, the exceptional talent of Sestina's Next Generation Mentoring Programme participants was also showcased. Under the direction of Mark Chambers, these performances brought the beauty of baroque music to audiences across the island of Ireland. Photo Credit: Mini Mountain Creative

NEW ALBUM ALERT

Early Opera Company - Jephtha

In April, the Early Opera Company and director Christian Curnyn released their latest album, of Maurice Greene's Jephtha. This is a magnificent work by a composer at the height of his powers, yet performed only twice in modern times. The orchestra and chorus were joined by a dazzling cast of soloists: Andrew Staples in the titular part, joined by Mary Bevan, Michael Mofidian and Jeremy Budd. Little-known today, due in large part to the looming presence of Handel in London during these years, English composer Maurice Greene (1696-1755) was one of the most successful musicians of his time. Click below for a taste of this masterpiece.