Arcadia Players - New England's Period Instrument Ensemble
Arcadia Players embraces
historical performance practice to illuminate and invigorate the great Western heritage of vocal and instrumental music. |
Next Concert
Vermeer's "The Concert"
March 7-8, 2025 in the Warbeke Room, Pratt Hall, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley Two performances: Friday March 7 @ 7:30pm; Saturday March 8 at 3 pm In cooperation with the Mount Holyoke College Music Department Sophie Michaux – voice Douglas Kelley – viola da gamba Nathaniel Cox – lute and cittern Andrus Madsen – harpsichord In 1664 Johannes Vermeer painted a domestic music scene in which a singer is joined by a harpsichordist and a lutenist, with a viola da gamba on the floor and a bandora or a cittern on the table. (The painting was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990 and has never been recovered.) This concert will be a reproduction of the music these musicians might have played, sampling from works widely available in Rotterdam in the 1650s, including then-popular Roman cantatas written for the instruments and voice depicted in the painting. This program will be performed twice in the Warbeke Room at Mount Holyoke College, an ideal space for this intimate repertoire. Arcadia Players Selects New Artistic Director
Arcadia Players, the western Massachusetts-based Early Music ensemble, has named Andrus Madsen as its new Artistic Director, beginning this May. Madsen is an active performer on the organ, harpsichord, clavichord and fortepiano. He is the founding director of Newton Baroque and also performs with the Boston-based vocal ensemble Exsultemus. Madsen is known for his eloquent Baroque-style improvisation and for his inventive programming, striving to bridge the barriers between audience and performers. He succeeds Andrew Arceci, who led Arcadia Players for the past two seasons and is departing due to increasing commitments abroad.
Jon Solins, President of the Board of Directors of Arcadia Players, noted that Madsen's extensive knowledge of historical performance and the roles its original practitioners played in their society was especially attractive to the Board, along with his collaborative approach and his dedication to developing the ensemble, building on Arcadia Players' roots in western New England. Solins said, "We're looking forward to working with Andrus to plan our upcoming season, and we believe his vision and enthusiasm will help create ever-more exciting and accessible programs for the music lovers of our area." Andrus Madsen holds degrees from Brigham Young University and the Eastman School of Music, where he earned a doctorate in harpsichord performance and literature. His teachers include Arthur Haas, Ton Koopman, Peter Sykes and William Porter, and he has taught and led masterclasses at Eastman, Boston University, University of Texas and many other institutions. He is the founder and director of Newton Baroque and is an active private teacher who also serves as music director at several churches and synagogues in the greater Boston area. His recordings include a reconstruction of the Vespers from 1701 by Johann C. F. Fischer, on Toccata Classics, and keyboard music of Johann Pachelbel on Raven CD Recordings. In Memoriam
Arcadia Players recently lost two friends. Alan Durfee served on the Arcadia Players board as President and Treasurer in the early 2000s and was a faithful supporter of the organization. He was a professor of mathematics at Mount Holyoke College and a dedicated cyclist and squash player in addition to his many musical interests. Alan was passionate about early keyboard instruments and played organ, harpsichord and clavichord. In his later years it was rare to be at a historically-informed performance in the Pioneer Valley without seeing Alan in the audience. He was a quiet and gentle soul and we will miss him.
In the early years of Arcadia Players, violinist Peggy Spencer was a regular and beloved presence in the string section. She served as soloist and concertmaster of the New England Bach Festival for twenty-five years, and played for audiences around the world, from New York to China. She also taught violin, often at the Brattleboro Music Center, for over fifty years, touching the lives of many developing musicians. She died at home in Vermont at the age of 83. Click Here for a Message from the President
Arcadia Players performing Monteverdi at
St. Mary's Church, Northampton Photo by Walter Denny |
Arcadia Players’ 2023-2024 concert season is made possible through the support of our patrons and donors,
by our media sponsor New England Public Media, and by the Cultural Councils of Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, and South Hadley,
local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Arcadia Players is Ensemble-in-Residence at the Arthur F. Kinney Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies.
by our media sponsor New England Public Media, and by the Cultural Councils of Amherst, Hadley, Northampton, and South Hadley,
local agencies supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.
Arcadia Players is Ensemble-in-Residence at the Arthur F. Kinney Center for Interdisciplinary Renaissance Studies.
We are proud to participate in Mass Cultural Council's Card to Culture program in collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Department of Public Health's WIC Nutrition Program, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and hundreds of organizations by making cultural programming accessible to those for whom cost is a participation barrier.
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders can purchase general admission tickets for $10 each.
See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.
EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders can purchase general admission tickets for $10 each.
See the complete list of participating organizations offering EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare discounts.
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Arcadia Players
New England's Period Instrument Ensemble
160 Main St. Suite 27
Northampton, MA 01060
413 586-8742 (413 58-MUSIC)
New England's Period Instrument Ensemble
160 Main St. Suite 27
Northampton, MA 01060
413 586-8742 (413 58-MUSIC)