Theotokos is the living embodiment of a baroque church ensemble. Founded in 2020 at the invitation of Fr. Andrew O’Connor, the ensemble is in residence at St. Mary’s Church on the lower east side of New York City. Every week a new cantata is composed by director Doug Balliett and performed by the ensemble, based on and tightly linked with the liturgical readings assigned to that date. In addition, theologically relevant baroque and pre-baroque music is performed in situ during the Mass, from Josquin to Telemann, early American church music, and into Romantic masters.
Theotokos has given concerts of sacred vocal music around New York City, including performances of Telemann’s Harmonischer Dottesdienst cantatas, Charpentier’s Leçons de Tenebre by candlelight, and the sacred madrigals of Marenzio. Driven by a special interest in early Christian music, Theotokos also runs a Gregorian Chant club, open to all, which regularly meets to chant the Latin Mass and the Divine Office.
Upcoming performances include Marian Music in Cold Spring Harbor, NY, an exploration of the Passion Before Bach, and a residency in William Christie’s gardens in Thiré, France.
The passion, historical curiosity, and imagination of the Theotokos project has attracted visiting guests of extraordinary stature and variety, including Davoné Tines, Karim Sulayman, Jonathan Woody, Nola Richardson, Jessica Niles, Majel Connery, Matt Aucoin, Jean Rondeau, Thomas Dunford, Myriam Rignol, and William Christie, as well as many of NYC’s top choral soloists. In 2021 Theotokos began a fruitful collaboration with the Juilliard School Historical Performance program, in which interested students are given the opportunity to perform, compose music, and experience the baroque sacred music tradition from within.
Ensemble Members
Doug Balliett continuo, direction
Rocky Duval soprano
leiken tenor
Manami Mizumoto violin
Will Copeland violin
Kelsey Burnham flutes, recorders
Andrew Blanke oboes
Elliot Figg,continuo
Caitlyn Koester continuo
Bassist Doug Balliett, who teaches a course on the Beatles at the Juilliard School and writes weekly cantatas for Sunday church services, as well as wacky pop operas, is in a class of his own.
Los Angeles Times