Music City Baroque was founded in 2005 to explore the music from the 17th and 18th centuries in the way it would have been heard during that time period, while offering a valuable contribution to the art form.
In their mission statement the Nashville ensemble states they are committed to changing the traditional engagement with the music of this period by widening our scope with respect to composers, musicians, spaces, and repertoire through culturally-informed music programming. The performing group performs this Saturday (March 21) at Second Presbyterian Church on Belmont Blvd.
“What attracts me to Baroque music and what I hope will come across to audience is that every piece tells a story, paints a picture,” Idalynn Besser, violist and viola da gambist for the ensemble said. “You can easily create your own music video as you’re listening because it creates such a strong sense of mood, sense of place and sound. It’s a sound universe that gives your imagination all sorts of places to go so that If you just sit back and listen and let your eyes create what you’re hearing, it’s kind of trippy, but it’s really fun and it makes the music of a full experience.”
She continues: “We perform three or four different programs a year. What we try to do is bring a program that has familiar music for people who want to hear familiar music, but we feel that we have a very strong mission to under-recognized, under-performed music to the form. Music by women composers that sometimes had to write under a pseudonym. Music by Indigenous peoples, music from people of color, and a different flavor so that it’s spicier and that you bring different voices to the program. I think that makes us unique among smaller classical organizations in Nashville is that we are trying to broaden the buffet so that there is definitely a flavor for everyone in our programs.”
Additional event opportunities:
WNXP Insider Happy Hour at Strega on Thursday (March 19), Rock N Roll Hall of Fame nominees New Edition at Bridgestone Arena on Friday (March 20), BENEE at The Basement East on Monday (March 23) and Saul Williams meets Carlos Nino and Friends at The Blue Room Tuesday night (March 24).
