Our Musical Programs - Educating, Challenging & Entertaining

Unique & Innovative Programs

Intriuging concert programs such The Godfather, Burn't & Musical Offerings, The Wrong Man!, Music in the Time of Frankenstein, Barn Dance with the prize winning fiddling group Jaybird, Torch Songs, The Court: Versailles and The Forbidden City with guest artists Music from China, Shakespeare's World , an evening of readings from the works of Shakespeare, Marlowe and Donne interspersed with the glorious music of William Byrd, and an evening of popular songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Noel Coward combined with the music of Henry Purcell titled, The Theater: The Haymarket and Broadway, make The Four Nations Ensemble among the more innovative groups performing today.

The critics have been uniformly unanimous in their praise of The Four Nations Ensemble's programming. To view the complete programs and read what the critics have to say, just click on any of the links above.

Musical Time Travel: Image, Color, Drama

Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy's long-awaited realization of love finds new sighs and tears of joy in recent film adaptations of Jane Austen's touching and humorous late 18th-century novels. Sleek columns and pilasters soothe city dwellers' eyes with images from Palladio and Adams; re-interpretations of ancient buildings in post-modern architectural design. The painters Guercino and Zurburan, so long forgotten, excite admiration after years of neglect!

Today we delight in the images, colors and dramas of the past. In the same way, authentic instruments and performance styles are revitalizing every music lover's relationship to Bach and Handel, Mozart and Beethoven, while opening up new treasures of music which have long been silent. The Four Nations Ensemble has performed the works of Mondonville and Schobert along with the trios of Beethoven and Haydn on the stages of Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, as well as in the intimate rooms and churches of chamber music societies around the nation.

The effect on the audience is much like time travel. The sounds shimmer and music lovers listen in quiet astonishment to the timbre of gut strung violin and cello and quilled harpsichord. Each program offers a rich voyage into a world of old music enlivened with immediate expression and excitement.

Exciting & Interesting Programs

Four Nations concerts are carefully crafted so that each program offers a varied and communicative tour through chamber music from the 17th through 19th centuries. Well known masterworks are heard alongside neglected treasures. These "new" works which inspired the greater masters still have the power to delight today. Each concert is an opportunity to rediscover the supreme genius of our favorite composers while visiting the very attractive works of their contemporaries. Joined by fine and renowned singers and instrumentalists, The Four Nations Ensemble also presents concerts of vocal chamber music along with trio sonatas and chamber concertos, including the Brandenburg concertos and Vivaldi's sparkling works.

Vivid Interpretations

The Four Nations Ensemble, a trio of violin, cello and keyboard (both harpsichord and fortepiano) has been engaging audiences around the country with vivid, colorful and emotional performances of music from Purcell and Monteverdi, through Bach and Couperin, to Beethoven and Schubert. Played on the instruments that inspired and challenged composers, this music, from the most esoteric to the most familiar, again delights today's music lovers. New timbres and a fresh approach to old masterworks mark each concert of the Four Nations Ensemble. The sounds of the instruments bring us into the sensitive world of the past while the emotional intensity is direct and contemporary.

Intimate & Communicative Presentations

Pre-concert talks are an integral part of a Four Nations concert. The music at hand is placed in context through allusions to society, history, art and literature. Humorous and sometimes shocking anecdotes convey serious and illuminating information. Andrew Appel, artistic director of the ensemble, challenges the audience with questions and signposts that direct the attention of each listener and enhance his or her enjoyment of the repertoire.

Concerts Tailored to Your Events

The Ensemble's understanding and knowledge of a vast available repertoire has been successfully used to enhance events at art museums, historical societies and universities throughout the country. Four Nations' musicians delight in crafting programs for unique events, from historical celebrations and religious holidays to professional conventions and student activities.