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GEMS Live! artists are available for bookings nationally and internationally.  For booking inquiries, please contact Rachel Givner, Director of Administrative Services, rgivner@gemsny.org, (212) 866–0468.

 

Bishops Band DancersTHE BISHOP'S BAND
Codex Trujillo del Peru

Led by Grammy-nominated Amer-Uruguayan soprano Nell Snaidas, this unique project explores popular songs and dances from late 18th-century Peru, frozen in the amber of an unlikely source– a collection of watercolor paintings compiled by the local bishop to be sent to King Carlos IV with the intention of displaying the plants, animals, people and archeological monuments of this region in northern Peru. Five singers and a band of guitars, Spanish double harp, violins, cello and a battery of South American percussion and winds provide the music, while two dancers, in a choreography created by Carlos Fittante (trained in flamenco, traditional, baroque and other styles) are featured in the dances. The performance is accompanied by slide projections of the codex illustrations and supertitles of translations of the texts.

 

East of the River in PIttsburghEAST OF THE RIVER
Where world music and early music meet

East of the River was founded by internationally renowned recorder players Nina Stern and Daphna Mor. The project explores haunting and virtuosic melodies from the traditional repertoires of the Balkans, Armenia and the Middle East, as well as gems of the Medieval European classical repertory. The music is arranged and interpreted by musicians whose musical backgrounds include Classical, World music, and Jazz. Together they create the unique blend that is East of the River. The members of the ensemble have separately recorded and performed with artists as Yo Yo Ma, Philip Glass, Jordi Savall, Sting, Natalie Merchant, Aerosmith, Simon Shaheen, Glen Velez and many others.

“Culturally rich . . . Musically addictive.”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

 

house of timeHOUSE OF TIME
Virtuoso baroque chamber ensemble

House of Time, known for their “fluency and command” (San Francisco Classical Voice) is dedicated to both well-known and underperformed repertoire of the 17th through the 21st century played on period instruments. Currently in their 7th season, House of Time performs as Ensemble-in-Residence at St. Ignatius of Antioch on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They have been presented by the Berkeley Early Music Festival, Czech Center New York, Early Music Festival: NYC, Music Before 1800, Michigan State University, San Diego and San Francisco Early Music Societies, The University Club in NYC, and the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments. Members and guests include Juilliard and Curtis faculty members, as well as prize-winners of major international competitions. Critics have declared oboist, Gonzalo X. Ruiz, “one of only a handful of truly superb baroque oboists in the world” (Alte Musik Aktuell); Tatiana Daubek, is known for her "sleekly elegant playing" (Gazettes Long Beach); and Avi Stein, one of NYC’s finest, is described by the New York Times as “a brilliant organ soloist.”

“Musically suave… volatile and beguiling.”
San Francisco Classical Voice

 

Parthenia

PARTHENIA
New York's premiere viol consort

Parthenia, a viol consort, has been hailed by The New Yorker as "one of the brightest lights in New York's early-music scene". This dynamic ensemble explores the extraordinary repertory for viols of the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries from Tudor England to the court of Versailles and beyond. Parthenia has released five CDs including two with soprano Julianne Baird on the MSR Classics label.

“One of the brightest lights in New York’s early-music scene.”
The New Yorker

 

Pomerium2

POMERIUM
Luminous 15-voice Renaissance a cappella choir

Inspired by the renowned chapel choirs of the Renaissance, Pomerium revives the golden age of a cappella singing. The ensemble, featuring some of the finest singers in the country and acclaimed for its luminous sound, performs frequently in New York at such venues as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters, the Pierpont Morgan Library, the Frick Collection, and Music Before 1800, as well as across the USA and abroad. The New York Times noted that Pomerium is "the standard by which early music vocal groups are measured." The group of 12-14 singers is available for a variety of programs including Renaissance mannerism, the Vatican chapel, Josquin, and others. Distinguished scholar/conductor Alexander Blachly is also available for entertaining and enriching lectures before or after concerts.

“One of the finest early-music ensembles in the country, and perhaps the world.”
The New York Times

GEMS Live! is a unique not-for-profit booking agency representing a roster of New York's world-class early music ensembles: The Bishop's Band, East of the River, House of Time, Parthenia, and Pomerium.