Continuo Connect — Profile // Royal Baroque

Coming from Finland, Norway, Poland and the United Kingdom, the members of Royal Baroque met at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London in 2010. They began with an interest in the wide reaching influence of court music during the pre- baroque and baroque eras, exploring the works of composers who enjoyed the patronage of the Royals. The group’s repertoire extends from the early Italian to the national styles of the English, French, Polish and German courts, which, with the majority being multi- instrumentalists, they are able to play in unique combinations.

Royal Baroque has performed in many London venues, among others at the London Handel Festival with Anna Starushkevych – the winner of the Handel Singing Competition. The ensemble was nominated to represent Guildhall School of Music and Drama for the Sir Anthony Lewis Memorial Prize competition organised by the Musica Britannica Trust and were finalists in the Fenton House Early Keyboard competition. Royal Baroque were also highly commended as the finalists of the York Early Music International Young Artists Competition (2015).

Royal Baroque are famous for innovative and exciting concert programming. Most recent UK performances include Baroquestock Festival in Hampstead, Handel & Hendrix Museum, Old Operating Theatre, as well as international festivals: Peñíscola Early Music Festival, Sagunt in Excelsis Festival, ORFIM XVI International Music Festival in Spain.

In 2022 Royal Baroque have been recently awarded a Continuo Foundation grant for a project ‘Italian Grounds and Skies - The Art of the Duello’.

Royal Baroque:
Christiane Eidsten Dahl - baroque violin
Rebecca Vučetić - recorders
Kaisa Pulkkinen - baroque harp, recorders
Kate Conway - viola da gamba, baroque cello
Katarzyna Kowalik - harpsichord, organ

"Rarely do you come across a chamber ensemble so well-coordinated." - Graham Vickers, The Artsdesk

"Royal Baroque's playing is committed, knowing, seemingly effortless and brimming with genuine affection, both for the repertoire and each other"s musicianship." - Adam Fergler's blog

Christiane Eidsten Dahl - plays baroque violin made by Michael Sturzenhofecker after Bergonzi (1727) and a baroque bow by Richard Moser.

Rebecca Vučetić - plays Soprano recorder (415) - made by Bodil Diesen, after Ganassi (transitional recorder model from 1535), G alto (415) - made by Philippe Bolton, after Ganassi (1535), Baroque Alto in F (415) - made by Martin Wenner, after Stanesby Jr. (c.1720)

Kaisa Pulkkinen - plays: an Italian baroque triple harp based on descriptions and images from around 1600, made by Chris Barlow, treble recorder by Fumitaka Saito based on Stanesby Jr. model (c.1720), and Ganassi descant (1535) by Jean-Luc Boudreau.

Kate Conway - plays 7 string bass viol made by Jane Julier after Bertrand (early 18th century) and a bow by Waterhouse.

Katarzyna Kowalik - plays (mainly) the double manual French harpsichord after Jean - Claude Goujon (1749), made by Andrew Garlick and single manual Flemish harpsichord after Ruckers (1644) also made by Andrew Garlick.