EVENT LISTINGS
OUR UPCOMING CONCERT
And last concert of the season!
Bach in English
Friday, April 25, 2025 at 7:30pm
Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 3:00pm
Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Austin, TX
In this concert, we explore the challenges and opportunities of performing Bach’s vocal works in English (a practice Bach very well could have approved, being a Lutheran whose teachings emphasized the Word being offered in the vernacular).
We begin with pieces sung in both German and English. Rev. Nathaniel Biebert, a Lutheran pastor and an expert in Reformation era German, will provide us with unique translations which will demonstrate the surprisingly complex issues surrounding effective English translations.
After this enlightenment, we will perform the greatest arias by Bach for soprano, tenor, and baritone. We will sing some in English and some in the original German. Discover for yourself how this glorious music best speaks to you.
Gitanjali Mathur, soprano, Steven Brennfleck, tenor, and Gil Zilkha, baritone/bass are featured.
Purchase Tickets for this concert here.
From the Archives
From La Follia’s February 28, 2025 performance of Dietrich Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri: a performance of the third cantata: Ad manus (To the hands).
From La Follia’s “Mentors of Mozart” concert January 31, 2025. Anton Nel on fortepiano is joined by Stephen Redfield on violin and Eric Taeyang Mun in this spirited performance of Haydn’s trio 27 in C major.
An excerpt from our October 2024 “Cast Your Vote!” concert where we anticipated the November US election by “voting” on various Baroque performance issues. This issue was “Do you prefer high and slow arias or fast and furious ones?”
Fortunately Ms. Gitanjali Mathur, assisted by cellist Sydney ZumMallen, with Stephen Redfield on violin, Marcus McGuff on traverso and Keith Womer on harpsichord, can ably demonstrate the options. Enjoy!
PS Apologies to Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris for the wardrobe choices! (Also Ms. ZumMallen is wearing an Ivanka Trump brand blouse, and Mr. McGuff is sporting his Donald Trump brand shirt.)
Such fun!
Gitanjali Mathur and Steven Brennfleck bring down the house in a rousing performance of “Happy We” from Handel’s Acis and Galatea.
Anton Nel and director Keith Womer perform Bach's Concerto in C major for two harpsichords as part of the annual "Herd of Harpsichords concert.
A Concert of French Baroque Chamber Music
In this March, 2020 concert (the first of the “COVID” era), La Follia performed French Baroque chamber music by Couperin, Rameau, Jacquet de la Guerre, Campra, Clerambault, Charpentier, Robert de Visée, and Boësset.
Performers are Jenifer Thyssen, soprano, Stephen Redfield, violin, Marcus McGuff, flute, Eric Taeyang Mun, viola da gamba, Arash Noori, theorbo, and Keith Womer, harpsichord.
Shot in multi-camera HD with CD quality sound.
Grab some wine and cheese, and enjoy the intimate chamber music of French Baroque masters.
At Home with the Herd of Harpsichords
Keith Womer, director of La Follia Austin Baroque, recorded a 30 minute video piece for KMFA Classical 89.5’s FaceBook Live series “Sound Ideas”, a youth outreach project. In it, he explores three of the harpsichords used in La Follia’s popular “Herd of Harpsichords” concerts, currently corralled at his home in Round Rock, Texas.
Learn what makes a harpsichord different than a piano, what makes Italian, French, and Franco-Flemish harpsichords different from one another, and what gives all harpsichords their special, magical sound.