Musica Domestica

Kate Semmens
Steven Devine
Matthew Truscott
Rebecca Truscott

Kate Semmens is a soprano with a wide and varied career, singing in opera, and on the concert platform. She has sung with some of the most eminent choirs and consorts including the Monteverdi Choir, Gabrieli Consort, Dunedin Consort, Eric Whitacre Singers, Brabant Ensemble, and Taverner Consort. With these she has recorded several CDs and appeared in some of the world’s major concert halls and festivals. In opera, Kate has played many roles particularly in Baroque Repertoire including the title role in John Stanley’s ‘Teraminta’, Asteria in Handel’s ‘Tamerlano’, the title role in Mozart’s ‘Il Re Pastore’,·Sandrina in Haydn’s ‘L’infedelta Delusa’ and has sung for Opera Restor’d, Stanley Hall Opera and extensively for New Chamber Opera. Highlights over the last year have included live performance on Radio 3, a lecture recital with Cliff Eisen for Classical Opera Company, recording with Andrew Parrott and continued collaborations with extremely gifted musicians including those featured tonight.

Steven Devine is co-principal keyboard player with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the harpsichordist with London Baroque and principal keyboard player for the Gonzaga Band, Apollo and Pan, and The Classical Opera Company.

He has played and conducted in many of the world’s major concert halls and gives regular performances at the Royal Albert Hall. He is Music Director for New Chamber Opera. Steven has recorded a large number of CDs, most recently the second volume of Bach’s harpsichord works for Chandos. BBC music magazine described it as ‘oozing virtuosic exuberance’ and Gramophone Magazine said his previous recording, the Goldberg Variations was ‘among the best’.

Steven is a regular member of the OAE education team, Professor of Harpsichord and Fortepiano at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and has enjoyed a long association with the Finchcocks Collection of Historical Keyboard Instruments.

Matthew Truscott, one of the leaders of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, is a versatile violinist who shares his time between period instrument and 'modern' performance, appearing with some of the finest musicians in both fields. In demand as a guest leader, engagements in this capacity have included projects with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, The English Concert, Le Concert d'Astrée, The King's Consort, Arcangelo, Budapest Festival Orchestra, English National Opera, Dutch National Opera and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra. He is also leader of St James' Baroque, Classical Opera and the Magdalena Consort.

A keen chamber musician, recent recordings have included a set of Purcell Trio Sonatas with Retrospect Trio, a disc of Bach chamber music with Trevor Pinnock, Emanuel Pahud and Jonathan Manson, and one of Haydn Piano Trios with Richard Lester and Simon Crawford-Phillips.

Rebecca Truscott is a cellist hailing from Cornwall. She began her studies at Chetham's School of Music, continuing at the Royal Academy of Music under Jenny Ward-Clarke and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Wouter Moller, and has since performed with many of the UK's most prominent period ensembles including the Gabrielli Consort, the Hanover Band, Classical Opera Company and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as groups abroad such as Musica Saeculorum in Italy and playing guest principal for Jordi Savall and le Concert des Nations. Rebecca plays a cello made by Thomas Smith in 1769.

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