ARTIST PROFILE

Andrew Manze and Richard Egarr

BIOGRAPHY

Andrew Manze

Andrew Manze is 'among the most exciting of early music's young blades' (The Independent), and has been referred to as 'a violinist with extraordinary flair and improvisatory freedom, the Grappelli of the baroque' (BBC Music Magazine), and 'the first modern Superstar of the baroque violin' (San Francisco Examiner).

As a player he specializes in repertoire from 1610 to 1830, and as a conductor he is increasingly in demand amongst 'modern' instrument orchestras. He also teaches, writes and broadcasts about many aspects of 'early music'.

A Cambridge Classicist by training, Andrew Manze studied the violin with Simon Standage and Marie Leonhardt. Formerly Associate Director of The Academy of Ancient Music from 1996 onwards, he was appointed Artistic Director of The English Concert in 2003. He is also 'Artist in residence' at the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.

Andrew directed numerous tours across Europe and the USA in basically baroque repertoire. In his newly appointed position at The English Concert, Andrew will move forwards into classical repertoire, including Mozart's violin concertos, orchestral works and reorchestrations of Handel's oratorios. Manze is also active as a conductor in large scale oratorio and symphonic repertoire. He has conducted symphonies from Schubert to Beethoven and oratorios from Händel (Messiah, Alexander's Feast) and Bach (Christmass Oratorio, Matthew Passion). He worked with the German Symphony Orchestra Berlin, the symphony orchestras of Stavanger, Tampere and Norrköping, the chamber orchestras of Zurich, Basel, Västerås and Norway, and period instrument ensembles such as The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, Philharmonia Baroque (USA) and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. Last season he directed the London Philharmonic Orchestra in concerts with violinist Anne-Sofie Mutter. Upcoming projects comprise guest conducting the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in Graun's Der Tod Jesu, and reappearances with the chamber orchestras of Västeras, Norway and Sweden and the Berlin based Akademie für Alte Musik and German Symphony Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Andrew Manze continues to champion 17th and 18th century violin repertoire. Major events included two tours to the USA (with Richard Egarr), and a debut tour in Australia.

He records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi USA, and has produced an extensive range of CDs. Recordings with his partner on the keyboard, Richard Egarr, have set new standards. Most of his cd's (Violin Sonatas by Bach, Biber, Pandolfi, Rebel, Schmelzer, Vivaldi; Violin Concertos by Bach and Vivaldi, Concerti grossi by Handel and Geminiani, and solo discs with Telemann and Tartini) have been awarded international prices, including Gramophone, Edison, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and Cannes Classical Awards, the Premio Internazionale del Disco Vivaldi Antica Italiana and the Diapason d'Or. Their recording of the complete sonatas of Handel was Editor's Choice in Gramophone, and entered the US Billboard Charts, while their latest double CD of the sonatas by Corelli has met wide acclaim. Manze's has recorded a first CD with The English Concert, serenades by Mozart, including Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Ein Musikalischer Spass.

Andrew is also active writing programs for the radio, or articles for The Times, BBC Music Magazine etc. His cadenzas to Mozart's violin concertos will shortly be published by Breitkopf & Härtel.

Richard Egarr

Richard Egarr is one of the most exciting and versatile musicians of his generation. He plays all types of historical keyboards, performing music ranging from fifteenth century organ intabulations to modern piano music from this century. He is in great demand as a soloist, chamber musician and conductor.

Richard Egarr enjoyed his musical training as a choirboy at York Minster, at Chetham's School of Music in Manchester, and as Organ-Scholar at Clare College Cambridge. His study with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam further inspired his work in the field of historical performance, culminating in his taking top prize in the International C.P.E. Bach Fortepiano-Clavichord-Harpsichord Competition in Hamburg.

As a conductor Richard Egarr has had great experience in many fields. He has directed operas and oratorios, from Bach's Matthew Passion to John Tavener's Ikon of Light. He has been greeted as director of specialised ensembles and modern orchestras alike, notably The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, The Academy of Ancient Music, Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. He is director of the Amsterdam based Academy of the Begijnhof.

Recent productions include Handel's Acis & Galatea, Purcell's Fairy Queen (both with the Orchestra of the Paris Conservatory), Bach's b minor Mass and Telemann's Matthew Passion (with the Britten Pears Orchestra), a Stokowski programme with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and several productions of Handel's Messiah, two of them with Portland Baroque Orchestra. This season comprises productions of Handel's Alcina and L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, a recording of dramatic Handel Opera arias with soprano Emma Bell and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Messiah with the Cleveland based Apollo's Fire and with OAE at the Paris Théatre des Champs Elysées. Next season include productions with Tafelmusik Toronto after his successful debut last year, a concert tour and recordings of Händel's Organ Concertos Opus 3 with The Academy of Ancient Music and a collaboration with the Dutch Bach Society in Handel's Esther.

As (orchestral) soloist, Richard has performed extensively in the major music festivals throughout Europe, as well as critically acclaimed tours in the USA and Japan. He has played in the Musikverein in Vienna, the Philharmonie in Berlin, and the Wigmore Hall in London. He was guest soloist with the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra in three consecutive years, in concertos by C.P.E. Bach, Haydn and Mozart. Richard has also demonstrated his remarkable improvisational skills in several concerts with jazz pianist-composer Guus Janssen and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble.

In chamber music, Richard forms an 'unequalled duo for violin and keyboard' (Gramophone) with violinist Andrew Manze. They have toured Europe and North-America with music from the Stylus Phantasticus and late baroque. This season they will be turning to the classical era with performances of Mozart's Auernhammer Sonatas and Sonatas by Schubert and Hubert Parry.

Richard Egarr has appeared on many recordings. His solo discs include works by Frescobaldi, Gibbons, Couperin, Purcell, J.S. Bach, and the complete recording of the keyboard works of Johann Jakob Froberger. Recent recordings include 'Per Cembalo Solo' (CD of the Month in Gramophone) and sonatas by Rebel, Handel (nominated for a Grammy Award) and Bach with Andrew Manze (all HM USA). Their Pandolfi-cd won a Gramophone Award, their recording of Corelli Sonatas was awarded the Caecila Prize. With The Academy of Ancient Music he recorded works by Geminiani and the complete Bach harpsichord concertos, both for Harmonia Mundi USA. Upcoming recordings include the Rosary Sonatas from Biber, Violin Sonatas from Mozart (both with Andrew Manze) and Bach's complete Goldberg Variations.