Baroque Weekend

Powerful women in Handel’s Day

Academy of Ancient Music and Laurence Cummings (photo: Benjamin Ealovega)

This concert raises the curtain on some fascinating, seductive female characters: Medea, Cleopatra, Semele and the Queen of Sheba. They all inspired George Frideric Handel to write great music for his operas and oratorios, arias filled with virtuosity and emotion. No composer of his time was better at endowing the personalities of these women with musical glamour. To open our Baroque Weekend, the Academy of Ancient Music, under Laurence Cummings, with soprano Nardus Williams, will introduce us to some of Handel’s most powerful, headstrong heroines.

Academy of Ancient Music

Laurence Cummings conductor

Nardus Williams soprano (replacing Mary Bevan)

Handel’s Heroines

Arias by George Frideric Handel

Baroque Package

Put together your own package of three or five concerts from the programme of our Baroque Weekend and save 5 or 10% on the individual ticket price!

3 concerts / 5 % discount

5 concerts / 10 % discount


Follow-up talk

After the concert, Nardus Williams and Laurence Cummings will answer your questions. We look forward to your participation.

Dates and Tickets

Biographies

Academy of Ancient Music

In 1726, the first Academy of Ancient Music was founded in London to perform "ancient" music, which at the time meant works composed more than 20 years earlier. The rebirth came in 1973, when the Academy, founded by harpsichordist Christopher Hogwood, became one of the first English early music ensembles. To this day, the Academy of Ancient Music is acclaimed internationally as a leading chamber orchestra, employing historical playing techniques and instruments as well as intensive study of original sources to bring music from the Baroque and Classical periods to new life. The ensemble has released more than 300 albums, received countless awards, and is the most popular period instrument ensemble online, with over one million monthly views. Together with its current music director Laurence Cummings, the ensemble celebrates its 50th anniversary this season - with festive concerts around the world and the completion of a recording project comprising Mozart's complete works for piano and orchestra. As a harpsichordist and conductor, Laurence Cummings is one of the leading representatives of the early music movement. The Guardian Newspaper acclaimed him  as "one of Handel's best advocates worldwide", an artist who knows how to combine "Handel's energy" with "unmistakable lyricism".

Nardus Williams

Nardus Williams, who was honoured with the Rising Talent Award at the International Opera Awards 2022, has established herself as one of the most exciting and versatile young British singers of her generation. The soprano recently made her debut at the Boston Lyric Opera and performed at the Glyndebourne Festival and the BBC Proms. She will soon be recording her debut album with Italian cantatas by George Frideric Handel.

Nardus Williams received her vocal training at the International Opera School at the Royal College of Music in London, where she was the only recipient of the prestigious Kiri Te Kanawa Scholarship. She was a member of the Houston Opera Studio in the 2018/19 season. As well as Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and the Countess (Le nozze di Figaro), her roles include Adina in L’elisir d’amore, Mimi in La Bohème and Micaëla in Carmen.

Nardus Williams (photo: Bertie Watson)

Season’s focus

This season we are looking at "Heroes" and whether we still need them.

Showpieces

Baroque Weekend 2024