Andrew Arceci

Andrew Arceci, viola da gamba
John McKean, harpsichord

"Der Musikalisch-Poetische Lustwald, ou L'île Enchantée"
(The Musical-Poetical Pleasure-Grove, or the Enchanted Isle)

The program will showcase French and German music for viola da gamba and harpsichord

FREE ADMISSION - $10 suggested donation

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

Andrew Arceci has performed with the Washington Bach Consort, Opera Vivente, Harmonious Blacksmith, Carmina, the Vivaldi Project, the Washington Kantorei, the Handel Choir of Baltimore, Pro Musica Rara, and the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival. He has performed the viola da gamba solos in Bach’s St. John Passion with the Baltimore Baroque Band (Peabody), and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the National Philharmonic. Mr. Arceci recently played for Gesualdo Translations, which was broadcasted on DeutschlandRadio (Germany). As a composer, his Suite in d minor (for viola da gamba and chamber orchestra) was premiered in March 2007 by the Peabody Camerata, and later presented by the Peabody Sinfonietta. His solo work, You (for unaccompanied viola da gamba), was recently aired on Shut Up! I'm on the Radio (WLOY, Baltimore) and Taipei Broadcasting Station (Taiwan). In May 2008, Mr. Arceci graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University with a B.M. in Double Bass, B.M. in Viola da Gamba/Violone, and an Academic Concentration in Art History from the Johns Hopkins University. He is scheduled to perform at the Indianapolis Early Music Festival in July 2009

Harpsichordist John McKean first encountered his instrument and the field of historic performance practice at a very young age. His passion for 17th and 18th century music has since inspired a career dedicated to combining historical authenticity with vibrant musicality.

In addition to studies at the Oberlin Conservatory and the Freiburg Staatliche Hochschule für Musik, Mr. McKean has received instruction from the most influential modern masters of historic keyboard, including Jacques Ogg, Skip Sempé, Jesper Christensen, and Gustav Leonhardt. As a member of ensembles and orchestras including Cleveland-based Apollo’s Fire, Mr. McKean has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe with recent engagements at Fondazione Cini in Venice, the Montisi Music Festival in Tuscany, and Festwochen Attersee in Austria.

Mr. McKean’s parallel interests in organology and musicology have motivated projects including the construction of a Flemish harpsichord and the (ongoing) preparation of a new performing edition of the harpsichord works of Gaspard Le Roux. When not performing or studying, he enjoys returning to his hometown of Camden, Maine.