Search - John Holloway, Lars Ulrik Mortensen, Jane Gower :: Castello & Fontana: Sonate Concertate in Stil Moderno

Holloway took up baroque violin in the early 1970s. With his baroque ensemble, L'Ecole d'Orph‚e, he made the first complete recording on historical instruments of Handel's instrumental chamber music. Since then his growing chamber music and solo discography has ranged from Castello and Fontana to Vivaldi, Telemann and beyond. His recording of Biber's "Mystery Sonatas" won a Gramophone Award in 1991, and remains the reference recording of this music. He was awarded two Danish Grammys for recordings of music by Buxtehude. Since 1997 he has made a number of acclaimed recordings for ECM New Series, including the Sonatas and Partitas for Violin solo by Bach. One of the most experienced concertmasters in the `Early Music' world, he has led orchestras for such diverse directors as William Christie, Christopher Hogwood, Gustav Leonhardt, Ton Koopman, Jean-Claude Malgoire, Nicholas McGegan, and was for many years concertmaster of Roger Norrington's London Classical Players and Andrew Parrott's Taverner Players. In 1999 he was appointed Professor of Violin (modern and baroque) and Chamber Music at the Hochschule f�r Musik in Dresden, Germany. Since 2006 he has been Artistic Director of the International Competition and Masterclass "Violin in Dresden". Lars Ulrik Mortensen studied at The Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen, and with Trevor Pinnock in London. From 1988 to 1990, he was harpsichordist with London Baroque and until 1993 with Collegium Musicum 90. He now works extensively as a soloist and chamber-musician all around the world, performing regularly with distinguished colleagues including Emma Kirkby, John Holloway and Jaap ter Linden. Active as a conductor for "modern" orchestras in Sweden and Denmark, where especially his activities at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen met with great critical acclaim, he has, since 2003, devoted himself exclusively to work with period instrument ensembles. Lars Ulrik Mortensen has received many prizes and distinctions, among them the Danish Music Critics' Award in 1984, and in 2007 The L‚onie Sonning Music Prize. In 2008 he was made a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. A specialist on historical bassoon, Jane Gower received her Bachelor of Music with High Distinction, from the Canberra School of Music in 1992. She has appeared as principal bassoonist with orchestras such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Freiburger Barockorchester, Les Arts Florissants, The Academy of Ancient Music, Philharmonia Baroque and La Petite Bande. In 2005, she was appointed principal bassoonist of both Sir John Eliot Gardiner's orchestras, the English Baroque Soloists and Orchestre R‚volutionnaire et Romantique. Her current chamber music projects include concert tours with harpsichordist Lars Ulrik Mortensen and recorder player Genevieve Lacey, as well as trio concerts with Mortensen and John Holloway. She also leads the quartet Island which specializes in early 19th century repertoire for bassoon, violin, viola and cello. Gower gives regular lectures and master classes and since 2007 has been a Professor at the Royal College of Music, London.