The Arts Council of Big Sky is pleased to bring the Valencia Baryton Project back to Big Sky for a concert in the Gallatin River Gallery on Monday, January 15th. The concert is part of the “Bravo! Big Sky” classical music series and is partially underwritten by the arts council’s Schwer-Toepffer Memorial Fund. Doors open at 6pm with a reception with the performance to follow at 7pm.
The Valencia Baryton Project has dedicated itself to the performance of music written for an ancient and little-known instrument, the baryton. A cross between the viola da gamba and lirone, with 10 resonating and plucked strings down the back of the instrument, the baryton gives the traditional string trio an entirely new dimension.
The Spain-based project was formed by colleagues from the opera of the Palau de les Arts and the Orchestre Nationale Montpellier (France) with the vision of performing the nearly 160 works written by Franz Joseph Haydn as well as compositions by other composers, both modern and classical. At the heart of the ensemble is the traditional formation in trio – baryton, viola and violoncello – for which Haydn wrote 123 works of outstanding beauty during his time as the court composer for the Prince Esterhazy of Austria.
With Matthew Baker, one of only a handful baryton performers in the world, the Valencia Baryton Project have delighted audiences in North, Central and South America as well as Europe with what is considered to have been the pinnacle of aristocratic instruments of the classical era. Beyond the over 160 works by Haydn for this instrument, the ensemble has added to their repertoire works by numerous other contemporaries of Haydn such as Tomasini, Lidl, Neumann and Bergsteiner as well as working with modern day composers such as Ivan Moody, Steve Zink, John Pickup and Julian Calarco.
Admission for this performance are $25 for adults, $10 for students ages 12-17, and children 12 and under are admitted free. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.bigskyarts.org. •
