NOVEMBER UPDATE

Continuo Foundation
2 days ago
6 min read

IN THIS UPDATE:

IMPACT - FEEDBACK AND FIGURES

In November, there were twenty-one Continuo-supported concerts presented by eight grantee ensembles in nine locations across the country. The Bellot Ensemble also celebrated the release of their debut album, 'Cupid's Ground Bass'.

The feedback below from Spiritato, following completion of their 'Leipzig Legacy' tour, highlights the way that being selected by Continuo's expert panel breeds success with both potential donors and concert promoters, helping to build thriving careers.

This grant has allowed us to put on a large-scale, ambitious project with the full forces needed to deliver high-quality performances of this repertoire to audiences at key venues. The concerts in Wiltshire and London enabled us to promote the group's work, to develop our patron base, and to generate interest from press and festivals, all vital for our future sustainability.

And similarly from The Mozartists:

The endorsement of a prestigious funder like Continuo Foundation has been invaluable in leveraging grants from other sources. Our performances and research would not be possible without the generous support of Continuo and other like-minded philanthropic organisations.

Continuo Foundation's impact since inception:

£1,070,000 awarded to 114 ensembles

of which 34 emerging ensembles supported

1,340 freelance musician beneficiaries

350,422 audience beneficiaries

34 new albums released

2026 GRANTS - FUNDRASING

A message from Tina Vadaneaux, Founder and CEO:

Fundraising for our 2026 grants is progressing well. Some wonderful recent donations! We are very grateful for the generosity of our ongoing supporters, and new donors who have discovered Continuo's work more recently. To reach our £200,000 goal for the two 2026 grant rounds, we are working hard to raise the remaining £53,500. We plan to open Grant Round 11 on 8 January 2026.

We received a lovely letter from one of these new donors, saying: "I was delighted to find Continuo. I was remarking to a friend recently that the UK's achievements in early and Baroque music are something the nation should be incredibly proud of.... A vast new seam of repertoire and practice has been discovered that's influenced musicians everywhere. It's a quite spectacular track record that deserves to be celebrated much more than it is. Rarely a day goes by without me being thankful for what's been created here. So much utterly fabulous music making. So I was very pleased to make a donation, and will certainly be going to more concerts now I'm aware of your extremely useful concert calendar [Continuo Connect]."

The search continues for a third Principal Supporter, able to commit £80,000 per year for three years. We are having ongoing conversations with a number of philanthropically-minded individuals thanks to helpful introductions from Continuo donors, enthusiasts and beneficiaries.

To discuss how you can help us to keep investing in the future of Baroque and Early Music, please contact me at tina@continuofoundation.co.uk or visit our Support Us page.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

with Agata Daraškaitė

Lithuanian-Polish violinist Agata Daraškaitė enjoys a busy and varied performing career on both modern and period instruments. She studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School and the Royal College of Music, where, as a winner of the concerto competition, she performed Berg’s violin concerto with Edward Gardner conducting. She subsequently graduated with Distinction, winning The Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rosebowl. Agata's love for the sound world created by gut strings and the immense string quartet repertoire led to the creation of the Consone Quartet. The first period instrument string quartet to be selected as BBC New Generation Artists, Borletti-Buitoni Artists and recipients of multiple Continuo Foundation grant awards, the Consone Quartet are fast making a name for themselves with their honest and expressive interpretations of repertoire from the classical and romantic eras, played on gut strings.

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

Being part of this supportive community and having more opportunities to share our music with wider audiences has been a real joy! We all know musicians are notoriously bad at self-promotion, so we have been grateful that members of the audience regularly tell us that they heard about the concert because they saw it listed on Continuo Connect. The website is a wonderful network for all early music performers and enthusiasts!

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

Our first Continuo Foundation grant enabled us to kick start our Barnstorming! series and film some of our favourite music in gorgeous barns around the country. This was during the pandemic when live concerts were not happening and so being able to share that online with audiences far and wide was a real privilege. Since then we have also been able to take some larger projects (sextets in particular) on the road which, without the help of Continuo Foundation, would not have been financially possible.

What do you love about being a musician?

I love the joy of sharing an experience - with my colleagues, but also with the audience. Exchanging little smiles when your colleagues do something beautiful or cheeky (!) with their phrasing, or those magical moments where nobody in the room dares to move, not to break the silence.

Where did you encounter the most receptive audience?

I can’t single out one because I find being a member of the audience is a choice and if you’ve come out to experience something you’re likely going to be receptive!

No.1 listening recommendation?

I’m currently really enjoying the infectious excitement and magical story telling of Shunske Sato and Shuann Chai’s recording of the complete Beethoven Sonatas. I didn’t know the world needed another recording of these pieces, but turns out it really does!

For more about Agata Daraškaitė check out her Continuo Connect Interview .

NOVEMBER PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

Liturina - Hidden in Plain Sight

Liturina toured the north of England, giving four concerts in combination with education work. Their 'Hidden in Plain Sight' programme showcased Lutheran Chorale Preludes from Buxtehude to Bach, reimagined by the ensemble. These melodies, central to Lutheran worship and life, were performed in German Lutheran churches across Bradford, Nottingham, and Liverpool, and at Manchester’s Stoller Hall. The tour included a workshop at Chetham’s School of Music and a world-premiere of a new work expanding Bach’s BWV 1040 with the winners of Liturina’s competition for young composers. You can read more about the competition and listen to the winning pieces on Liturina's website. You can also listen below to Liturina performing Bach's 'An Wasserflüssen Babylon' live at Stoller Hall in Manchester, as part of their tour.

Spiritato - Leipzig Legacy

Spiritato performed their 'Leipzig Legacy' programme twice in November, in Bradford upon Avon (Wiltshire) and in London as part of the London Festival of Baroque Music. This energetic instrumental programme explored the creative impact of Leipzig’s musical world on the works of JS Bach and his rarely-heard contemporaries, Graupner and Fasch. After two successful performances, the ensemble received this lovely comment from the former Director of Wiltshire Music Centre, James Slater: [Spiritato’s] energetic, dynamic and high-quality performance really engaged our audience. The group are true ambassadors for inventive and engaging programming… They delivered their music with an infectious enthusiasm and gave a thrilling performance.’

HGOAntiqua - L'Incoronazione di Poppea

HGOAntiqua presented a run of eight performances of their fully-staged production of Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea at Jackson's Lane Theatre in North London. HGO present two operas a year, with the aim of providing opportunities for the advancement of young singers and instrumentalists. Directed by Ashley Pearson, with Seb Gillot directing the music from the harpsichord, this production received a host of positive reviews, including this comment from Owen Davis for 'Plays to See': A real treat with a cast of splendid young singers and players… Once again, HGO has produced a show that can stand proudly alongside those of much larger companies – an object lesson in how to present baroque opera. [Photo by Julian Giudera]

Istante Collective - Salieri's 'Falstaff'

Istante Collective presented two fully-staged performances of Antonio Salieri’s rarely-performed comic opera ‘Falstaff’ as part of Baroquestock's 10th anniversary season. With an outstanding cast of singers and a period instrument chamber orchestra conducted by John Andrews, this was the cornerstone of the group's ‘Locanda Salieri’ project, marking the 250th anniversary of the composer's death. Through this project, the group aimed to add depth to the reception of Salieri as a relatable figure. The metaphor of a ‘locanda’ (an inn) refers to Salieri's role in playing host to, and integrating, the styles of major 18th century musical figures.

NEW ALBUM ALERT

Bellot Ensemble’s debut album, Cupid’s Ground Bass, is out! Capturing love’s extremes, from radiant joy to deep lament, the arias and instrumental works vividly portray the sound-world of 17th-century Italy. Featuring composers such as Francesco Cavalli, Andrea Falconieri, Barbara Strozzi and Claudio Monteverdi, the album includes the ensemble’s own composed written-out instrumental diminutions, and arrangements of some sublime arias. The album is available to purchase from First Hand Records and on all major streaming platforms. Watch a video of one of the tracks with Kieran White below. Robert Hugill commented in a glowing review of the album: On the one hand, the result is a finely engaging programme which is superbly played and sung, but on the other it is a fascinating exploration of the sheer imagination 17th-century composers brought to the repertoire.