Juilliard Historical Performance And Juilliard415 Announce 2018-19 Season

Juilliard Historical Performance, the school's graduate-level, full-tuition scholarship program for early music, announces a full schedule of concerts, tours, and master classes anchored by performances from its primary period-instrument ensemble, Juilliard415, working with distinguished guest and resident artists Paul Agnew, Alfredo Bernardini, William Christie, Richard Egarr, David Hill, Monica Huggett, Robert Mealy, Rachel Podger, and Masaaki Suzuki.

The season opens with two performances of Handel's Alexander's Feast with Masaaki Suzuki conducting Juilliard415 and Yale Schola Cantorum on Friday, October 12, at Battell Chapel in New Haven and on Saturday, October 13, at St. Michael's Church in NYC. Faculty member Cynthia Roberts leads the ensemble as concertmaster.

On Thursday, October 25 in Alice Tully Hall, violinist Robert Mealy directs Juilliard415 in an all-Rameau program of Baroque dance suites with world-premiere choreography created by Juilliard dancers. Building on the success of last season's Hippolyte et Aricie, this program celebrates the kinetic energy and musical invention of Rameau's dance music.

Artist in residence Richard Egarr curates an all-Bach chamber music program featuring Brandenburg Concertos and sonatas on Friday, November 2, at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church.

Making his Juilliard debut, Italian-born oboist and conductor Alfredo Bernardini directs Juilliard415 in "Vivaldi, His Friends and Enemies" on Sunday, November 11 as part of the Music Before 1800 series at Corpus Christi Church. The spectacular Baroque specialist Alfredo Bernardini makes a rare U.S. appearance as part of this program, bringing his vivid musicality to this theatrical program of Italian concertos and sinfonias from the early 18th century. Concertos by Marcello and Vivaldi are paired with rarely-heard works by composers like Antonio Lotti and Baldassare Galuppi in a concert that pairs Vivaldi's music with that of his contemporaries, both friends and enemies.

Artist in residence William Christie and his musical protégé Paul Agnew, who makes his Juilliard debut, each lead a program (William Christie on Monday, November 19, at the Morgan Library and Paul Agnew on Saturday, December 1, at Alice Tully Hall) that explore the fearless creativity of Handel during the composer's fruitful years as a young man in Rome. The programs, with singers from Juilliard's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts, feature Handel's early dramatic chamber cantatas.

The spring semester opens with violin artist in residence Monica Huggett and Juilliard415 in an all-Mozart program performed on period instruments in Juilliard's Peter Jay Sharp Theater on Friday, January 18. They'll perform Mozart's String Divertimento in D Major, K. 136; Piano Concerto No. 24 in C Minor, K. 491 (soloist to be announced); and Symphony No 41, K. 551 "Jupiter."

Juilliard Opera presents Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, conducted by Avi Stein and directed by Mary Birnbaum, on Wednesday, February 20, Friday, February 22, and Sunday, February 24 in Juilliard's Willson Theater. One of the most widely-produced English-language operas, Dido and Aeneas is based on the story of Dido, queen of Carthage, and the prince of Troy, Aeneas, with a libretto by Nahum Tate. First performed in 1689, it is perhaps most famous for Dido's lament, "When I am laid in earth." Performances follow in mid-March in Aiken, South Carolina at the Joye in Aiken! festival. In June, Juilliard415 and singers from Juilliard's Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts will tour together for the first time, taking the Juilliard Opera production to Europe with performances at London's Holland Park, the Opéra Royal at Versailles and at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens.

Juilliard415's first international performance of the season is with artist in residence Rachel Podger in a program of Handel and Vivaldi on Wednesday, March 27, at the Isabel Bader Centre in Kingston, Ontario, followed by a New York performance on Friday, March 29, in Alice Tully Hall.

On Tuesday, April 16, Juilliard415 breaks new ground by presenting "The Seven Last Words Project," an evening-length event that features seven new works by seven composers, all of whom will write a response for period string quartet to one of the sonatas of Haydn's Seven Last Words of Christ. The composers who have been commissioned are Reena Esmail, Colin Jacobsen, Tania León, Nico Muhly, Paola Prestini(all graduates of Juilliard), the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, and a seventh composer (tbd). The premieres will take place during Holy Week, on Tuesday, April 16, at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

Another world premiere marks the second collaboration of the season between Juilliard415 and Yale Schola Cantorum, conducted by David Hill. Polish composer Pawe? ?ukaszewski has been commissioned to write an oratorio for period instruments and choir, in a program that will also feature Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass. Performances take placeFriday, May 3, at Woolsey Hall in New Haven and on Saturday, May 4, in Alice Tully Hall. A tour to Scandinavia from May 21 to June 2 follows with performances in Copenhagen, Lund, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Oslo.

Juilliard Historical Performance continues its free lunchtime concert series, Tuesdays at Twelve, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 65th Street and Central Park West, NYC. The hour-long concerts take place on October 16, December 11, February 26, and April 23 (all on Tuesdays at noon) and feature chamber music performed on period instruments. The 110-year-old church is the home of the celebrated Bach Vespers series. These concerts are free, and no tickets are required. The series is an extension of Juilliard's long-running, free lunchtime performance series that takes place during the school year on Wednesdays in Alice Tully Hall.

Residencies and master classes are an important part of the Juilliard Historical Performance program and give Juilliard musicians a chance to work closely with a who's who list of early music specialists. Among others to be announced, cellists Kristin von der Goltz (October 17) and Elinor Frey (November 14) will give master classes in the new season.

Juilliard's full-scholarship Historical Performance program was established and endowed in 2009 by the generous support of Bruce and Suzie Kovner.

Photo: Juilliard415 (photo by Michael DiVito)