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IN THIS UPDATE:
IMPACT - FEEDBACK AND FIGURES
In July, eight grantee ensembles (five of whom first became grantees as emerging ensembles) presented 12 concerts in as many locations. Another recently formed group, Música d'Outrora, began work on the recording of their debut album in their home town of Birmingham.
We were delighted with this feedback from flautist Laura Piras, Founder and Artistic Director of The Vauxhall Band, about their concert at Crossrail Place Roof Garden in July:
"I’m so pleased that so many people came, and such a diverse group of people, including those who were there in the afternoon. The people who run the performance space said they had never seen that many people for a classical music event! They’re keen to have us back to do more, including possibly some education work, which would be great. It feels like a really interesting place to introduce people to early music, and to make classical music more accessible." Continuo Foundation's impact since inception:
£750,000 awarded to 94 ensembles
1,080 freelance musician beneficiaries
190,000 live and online audience members
21 CD recordings released so far
2024 GRANTS - ROUND 8
In July, we reached our £100,000 fundraising target and launched Grant Round 8! Our Advisory Panel and Trustees look forward to seeing all the creative ideas for projects.
Grant applications have been coming in ahead of the submission deadline on Friday 9 August, when our two-stage evaluation process will begin. Grant awards will be announced by 26 September.
We are increasingly aiming to raise funds on a multi-year basis, to maximise efficiency and planning. All fundraising is conducted by our pro bono CEO, Tina Vadaneaux. Please get in touch to discuss how you could become part of our success story.
CONTINUO CONNECT
We were thrilled to be a 'favourite' of recorder player and teacher Sarah Jeffery, creator of YouTube sensation Team Recorder - with over 205,000 subscribers. In her July video, Summer Favourites 2024: what has brought me the MOST joy this year, Sarah explains what she loves about Continuo Connect. Click below to hear the Continuo segment or watch the full video on YouTube.
Support the artists on Continuo Connect by encouraging friends to visit the site!
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT
with Carina Cosgrave
Carina Cosgrave studied at the Royal College of Music and the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague. She specialises in historical bass instruments and the violone and performs with ensembles worldwide. Carina has toured extensively with groups including Les Siècles, Vox Luminis, L’orchestre des Champs-Élysées, Dunedin Consort, The English Concert, Gabrieli Consort and Players, Apollo’s Fire, OAE, Florilegium, La Serenissima and the London Handel Orchestra. Carina was awarded a grant by Arts Council England to further develop her creative practice, and will focus on researching and performing lesser-known chamber music from a historical performance perspective with the Sabi Ensemble, which she founded.
How has Continuo impacted your day-to-day life? Continuo Foundation has made a huge number of projects possible, and often in some very uncertain times. It has really helped the feeling of a community and nurtured ideas, musicians and audiences. What do you love about being a musician? Being able to share what we love with audiences.
Where did you encounter the most receptive audience? I think different cultures express themselves so differently it’s really hard to say, but finishing a concert in Mexico has a definite packed stadium feel to it!!
What new doors have opened for you since becoming a grantee?
Some of the programmes Continuo Foundation has funded have expanded and pushed me as a musician, and I’m grateful for that. They’ve also included some dream collaborations and many of these programmes are accessible online also, which is fantastic.
No.1 listening recommendation? Seek out something that might be new to you!
More about Carina Cosgrave is available on her Continuo Connect Interview.
JULY PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
ZAREK trio - Bs and Bees
The ZAREK trio performed the first two of five concerts of a fascinating programme of music by two great Baroque composers: J.S. Bach, and Buxtehude. Works by the two composers were interspersed with readings written and read by Jan Zahourek, who also played the viola da gamba. Contemplations of the harmony of the bee hive, the geometry of the honeycomb and the vibrational dances of bees were mirrored in the counterpoint and melodic invention of the music of these two composers. The remaining concerts of this tour will take place in September in St Leonards-on-Sea and Brixton, and in October in Stroud. Don't miss this exceptionally creative programme!
Consone Quartet - Barnstorming!
The Consone Quartet, together with violist Francesca Gilbert and cellist Alexander Rolton, launched their new Barnstorming! concert series, playing a programme of sextets to a sold-out audience at the Riverside Barn in Walton-on-Thames. The first Barnstorming!, supported by one of our first round of grants, was a series of filmed concerts with the aim of reconnecting colleagues and audiences during lockdown in 2021. Two concerts in the tour remain, though the Consone Quartet hope to tour to barns all over the UK, on 2 September in Amersham and 19 October in Syde.
Manchester Baroque - Vivaldi's Summer Flower Collection
Manchester Baroque closed their record-breaking 2023/2024 season with a spectacular finale in Manchester Cathedral. The success of the ensemble's work to develop an audience for historical performance in their home city was evidenced by the enthusiastic crowd of over 400 people. The programme used original manuscripts from Manchester's collections, uncovered in research by Artistic Director, Dr Pauline Nobes, and featuring Vivaldi Concerti for trumpet and oboe, flute, and violin, as well as the Manchester version of 'Summer' from Vivaldi's Four Seasons. The group also joined forces with The Mancunium Consort for Vivaldi's Gloria, directed by Christopher Stokes.