The Players
©Jozi Grant Photography
Michael Jarvis has been acclaimed as one of Canada’s finest harpsichordists, fortepianists, organists, and continuo players, and is in demand as a collaborative artist and performance practice coach. He has performed with most of Canada’s leading orchestras and in chamber ensembles across Canada, the US and Europe. As a conductor he has led many diverse programmes from 17th century French theatrical dance and English theatre music to 21st-century 12-tone opera. He has recorded for many labels, including Marquis Classics, Hungaroton, ATMA, Naxos, Solitudes and Avalon, and has many times broadcast nationally and regionally for the C.B.C., as well as nationally across the U.S. on N.P.R. His CD of Hummel’s op. 5 violin sonatas with Paul Luchkow was chosen as a finalist for Best Classical Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards 2013. He has taught at the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and Wilfred Laurier University, was featured on two national Canadian television specials, “A Baroque Christmas” and “A Baroque Easter” and was also co-host and star of the 13-part television series “Come into the Parlour” for Bravo- tv.
©Jozi Grant Photography
Paul Luchkow is a versatile violinist and violist whose activities cover the range of music from the 17th Century to the present day on modern and period instruments. In addition to the Victoria Baroque Players, Paul is a regular feature of Vancouver’s and Victoria’s Early Music scene, is a long-time member of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and appears frequently in concerts for Early Music Vancouver as well as at Victoria’s Pacific Baroque Festival. Paul performed for 10 years with the Portland Baroque Orchestra and now continues to collaborate with colleagues from all across Canada and the US. A highlight of the last 10 years has been his work with fortepianist Michael Jarvis and their exploration of Classical and Romantic sonata repertoire on period instruments. Their recording of Hummel Sonatas (Op. 5) for fortepiano and violin / viola is available on the Marquis Classics label and their latest CD, the complete sonatas for harpsichord and violin sonatas of Michel Corrette (op. 25) was released, also on Marquis Classics, to glowing international reviews.
©Jozi Grant Photography
A viol player, cellist, lecturer and musicologist, Sam Stadlen has been a member of Fretwork since 2015, appearing with the group regularly live and on the radio both in the UK and internationally. He also appears as a continuo player and soloist on viol and cello with a number of early music ensembles. These include the viol consort Chelys, with whom he has recently recorded a CD of music by Dowland with Dame Emma Kirkby (‘A Pleasing Melancholy – available on BIS Records). He has a keen interest in the performance of contemporary music on early instruments; with Fretwork in particular, he has performed music by George Benjamin, Michael Nyman, John Taverner, Nico Muhly and has recently recorded The World Encompassed – a new work by Orlando Gough describing Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe (available on Signum Records). His new UK/Canada ensemble with baroque violinist Paul Luchkow and harpsichordist/fortepianist Michael Jarvis recently completed their inaugural tour of British Columbia, Canada, culminating in a Main Stage performance for the world-renowned Vancouver Early Music Festival. Their debut albums will be released in early 2019 and early 2020.
In addition to his performing work, Sam is Viol Consort Professor at the Royal College of Music in London and has been an associate lecturer at the University of York and a guest lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in the influences of poetry and declamation on the composition and performance of the pièces de viole in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century France.
In addition to his performing work, Sam is Viol Consort Professor at the Royal College of Music in London and has been an associate lecturer at the University of York and a guest lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music. He holds a PhD in the influences of poetry and declamation on the composition and performance of the pièces de viole in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century France.