Atlanta Baroque Orchestra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atlanta Baroque Orchestra (ABO) |
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| Founded | 1997 |
The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra (ABO) is a special group of musicians in Atlanta, Georgia. It started in 1997. The ABO is the first and oldest professional orchestra in the Southeastern United States that plays music from the Baroque era in a very specific way.
They use "historically informed performance" which means they try to play the music exactly as it would have sounded hundreds of years ago. To do this, they use "period instruments". These are either original instruments from the Baroque time or modern copies of them.
The ABO played its first concert in January 1998. The first director was Lyle Nordstrom, who played the lute (a string instrument like a guitar) and theorbo (a larger lute). Later, John Hsu, who played the viola da gamba (a string instrument similar to a cello) and baryton (another string instrument), became the Artistic Director. Since 2011, Julie Andrijeski, a violinist, dancer, and choreographer, has been the Artistic Director.
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What Music Does the ABO Play?
The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra usually performs four to six concerts each year. They mostly play orchestral pieces and concertos. A concerto is a piece of music for a solo instrument with an orchestra.
They also perform chamber pieces (music for a small group of instruments) and vocal cantatas (a type of singing piece). Their music goes back to the early 1600s, when the Baroque style began.
Famous Baroque Composers
The ABO often plays music from famous Baroque composers. These include:
They have also played music by later composers like Mozart and Haydn. Sometimes, they even play string symphonies by Mendelssohn from the 1820s.
How Are Baroque Instruments Different?
The musicians in the ABO are experts in playing Baroque-era instruments. These instruments sound quite different from the ones modern orchestras use today.
For example:
- Baroque violins, violas, and cellos use strings made from sheep gut. Modern instruments use steel strings, which are much louder.
- The Baroque flute is made of wood and doesn't have keys like a modern flute.
- The natural horn (a Baroque horn) has no valves.
Other instruments you might hear in a Baroque orchestra include the harpsichord (a keyboard instrument like a piano, but it plucks strings), lautenwerk (a keyboard instrument that sounds like a lute), recorder, and Baroque bassoon.
Many ABO performers are university teachers. They are all specialists in playing music the "authentic" way, just like it was played hundreds of years ago.
Who Plays in the Orchestra?
Because not many musicians specialize in Baroque instruments, the ABO has a core group of musicians from Atlanta. For each concert, they invite other performers and soloists. These guest musicians come from all over the United States and sometimes even from other countries.
Special Guest Artists
The ABO has worked with many leading Baroque and Classical-period performers. Some of these include:
- Violinists like Stanley Ritchie, Monica Huggett, and Sergiu Luca.
- Paul O'Dette, who plays the lute.
- Aldo Abreu, who plays the recorder.
- Singers like soprano Julianne Baird and countertenor Stephen Rickards.
- Baroque dancers Paige Whitley-Bauguess and Thomas Baird.
Important Performances
The Atlanta Baroque Orchestra has performed many important pieces for the first time in Atlanta using period instruments.
Some of their special concerts include:
- Vivaldi's The Four Seasons in 1998 at Clayton State University's Spivey Hall.
- J. S. Bach's Passion according to St. John in 2000 at Emory University.
- Handel's Messiah in 2002.
- Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Te Deum in 2001, using a new version created by music expert Charles Brewer.
In 2006, they celebrated the 250th birthday of Mozart with a year of concerts. In 2009, they played symphonies by Haydn to celebrate his 300th birthday.
Collaborations and Venues
The ABO often works with other groups across the Southeastern United States. They have performed at music conferences and on many university campuses, including:
- Emory University
- University of Georgia
- Florida State University
- Kennesaw State University
- Clayton State University
- Oglethorpe University
- Valdosta State University
They have also performed in cities like Birmingham, Alabama, Pensacola, Florida, Rome, Georgia, and Conyers, Georgia. The orchestra has partnered with many choirs, such as the Emory Concert Choir and the Atlanta Choral Artists.
Currently, the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra has not released any official recordings of their music.
