Music at Oxford is delighted to welcome Rachel Podger back to another series, this time accompanied by her own acclaimed ensemble, Brecon Baroque. Vibrant, dynamic performances are the hallmark of Brecon Baroque, and over the last decade they have delighted many audiences thanks to their tours of Europe and Japan. Rachel and Brecon Baroque’s debut CD, Bach Violin Concertos, attracted universal critical acclaim and was quickly hailed as a benchmark recording of these works. Since 2007 this ensemble has gone from strength to strength and in 2016 was awarded Record of the Month by both the BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone Magazine, a Diapason d’Or, and won the 2016 BBC Music Magazine Concerto Award for its recording of Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico concertos.

For Music at Oxford they will bring a tantalizing programme including The Four Seasons. Bach’s transcription of Vivaldi’s violin concerto from the famous L’Estro Armonico collection shows off his mastery and understanding of the harpsichord – in the days preceding copyright laws, composers regularly ‘borrowed’ the music of their peers in order to make new versions of them. Led by Gramophone Award winner Rachel Podger, these peerless players bring their skill and musicality to this delightful programme. Expect an evening full of energy and exuberance.

‘…stylish…instrumental playing of Brecon Baroque: led with characteristic verve and sensitivity by Rachel Podger on the violin…’ Wales Arts Review