Much like our own era, the early 17th-century was a watershed moment in European history. The air was rife with radical developments in technology, science, and trade which ushered in a new age.

Music also saw sweeping changes, among them the rise of virtuoso instrumentalists and music written for them in the stylus fantasticus. Originating in Italy, this “fantastic style” featured unfettered improvisations, dramatic contrasts, and the passionate give-and-take of friends in musical conversation. Travelling musicians carried this experimental style across the Alps into Austria and Germany, where it found fertile soil in the imaginations of native German composers. 

Known for her “raw energy” and her “dazzling, robust, and edgy” performance style (Musicweb International), Spanish violinist and guest director Lina Tur Bonet is a perfect fit for a program reflecting a dynamic and unpredictable cultural climate. 

Directed by Lina Tur Bonet, violin