The music of the Bachs and their entourage inspires and connects both performers and music lovers. When Johann Sebastian led his Collegium musicum at Leipzig’s Zimmermann Coffeehouse, he felt the need to present a great variety of works to satisfy the exacting tastes of the patrons for new and entertaining musical fare. To meet the challenge, he not only chose among his own works, but could put to good use those of his sons, his good friend Telemann, and his esteemed colleague Johann Friedrich Fasch.

So come enjoy Arion’s coffeehouse experience with a varied selection of orchestral works and concertos, led by the co-directors of the French ensemble Café Zimmermann, harpsichordist Céline Frisch and violinist Pablo Valetti.

Artists
Arion Baroque Orchestra
CÉLINE FRISCH, Harpsichord and conducting

Born in Marseille, Céline Frisch studied harpsichord at the Aix-en-Provence Conservatory, then she entered the prestigious Schola Cantorum in Basel (Switzerland). In 2002, she became the first harpsichordist to be selected for the Victoires de la musique classique, one of the greatest French classical music Awards. In 2009, she became a Knight of Arts and Letters for her « significant contribution to the enrichment of the French cultural inheritance ». Her renditions of J.S. Bach’s music are praised by the critics, the international press and the general public alike. Apart from Bach, she loves playing French music from the baroque period, English virginalists’ works or German music from the 17th century, as well as contemporary creations. She won several awards for her recordings, such as the Diapason d’Or, the Choc de Classica and the Grand Prix de l’Académie de Charles Cros.

PABLO VALETTI, Violin and conducting

Born in Argentina, Pablo Valetti first played the violin at the orchestra of the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. He then studied early music at the Schola Cantorum in Basel (Switzerland). He regularly performs as a soloist or first violin with prestigious baroque ensembles and international orchestras such as Les Arts Florissants, Le Concert des Nations, Concerto Köln, Hesperion XXI… Today, he is dedicated to the development of Café Zimmermann and his career as a teacher at the Escola Superior de Musica de Catalunya in Barcelona and at the Conservatory of Nice. He plays a 1758 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin.

MATHIEU LUSSIER, Bassoon

Artistic Director of Arion Baroque Orchestra since June 2019, and recently appointed Artistic Director of Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, Mathieu Lussier has energetically and passionately promoted the modern and baroque bassoon as solo instruments for more than two decades throughout North America and Europe. He also devotes considerable time to chamber music as a member of ensemble Pentaèdre de Montréal, and is Professor and Vice-Dean at the Music Faculty of the Université de Montréal. Previous appointments include Associate Conductor of les Violons du Roy from 2012 to 2018, where Lussier led the orchestra in over 100 concerts in Quebec and on tour in greater Canada, the United States, Mexico and Brazil, collaborating with artists such as Marc-André Hamelin, Philippe Jarrousky, Alexandre Tharaud, Jeremy Denk, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Julia Lezhneva, Anthony Marwood and Karina Gauvin.

Program
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV 1041
Carl Philip Emmanuel Bach (1714-1788)
Harpsichord Concerto in A Major, Wq. 29 H. 437
Wilhelm Friedmann Bach (1710-1784)
Symphony in F Major, F.67
Johann Friedrich Fasch (1688-1758)
Overture in D minor, K: d3 Bassoon Concerto in C Major, FaWV L:C2
Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Concerto alla francese in C Major, TWV 53:C1

Bourgie Hall
Saturday, January 18, 2025 – 7:30pm
Sunday, January 19, 2025 – 2:30pm

To purchase your tickets, visit: www.arionbaroque.com