EARLY MUSIC: from August 27th to September 5th World's leading Festival of Early Music will take place in Utrecht.
Ten days of French Baroque music in Utrecht's concert halls and churches. Dozens of concerts, lectures, workshops and a symposium place a spotlight on the Grand Siècle.

About twenty concerts will be recorded to be broadcasted later this season in the series 'Spotlight on The Netherlands', produced by Radio Netherlands Worldwide.

The concerts to look forward to are the following:

August 27th, Capriccio Stravagante, led by artist in residence Skip Sempé, will open the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 2010 and offer opera fragments, orchestral and ballet music by Lully, Muffat, Marais and others.

August 28th, Grand Motets. Le Parnasse français, led by Louis Castelain, never fails to advocate recently rediscovered repertoire, in the concert Campra’s Magnificat

September 1st, Pièces à 2 et 3 violes. Gamba music by Marais and Forquery performed by Wieland Kuijken and two of his most successful students.

September 2nd, The 20 children and 17 adult singers of Les Pages & les Chantres du Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles reflect the forces employed by Louis XIV’s royal chapel. Led by Olivier Schneebeli they will perform one of the grand highlights of the French Baroque: Campra’s Requiem.

September 3rd, Dutch baritone Maarten Koningsberger with Musica ad Rhenum led by Jed Wentz in a concert devoted to the French song, starting with lyrical airs de cour by Michel Lambert, to the elaborate and refined Baroque cantatas of André Campra.

September 5th, Closing the Festival, Le Concert des Nations, led by Jordi Savall, bring together some highlights from a century of orchestral music at Versailles. The French orchestral suite

If you happen to be in Utrecht during this period you might even have brunch with Jordi (Savall at Sunday 5th) or do some Wine or Cheese tasting during the weekends. The workshop Baroque dance is sold out already....

If you want to attend any concerts or events, order your tickets via the website of the festival.

The Festival of Early Music Utrecht in a nutshell (by RNW)