Coming back for the second time in the 2015-2016 school year was the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra on Feb. 26 in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall of the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center. For this concert, “The Brandenburg Affair,” four concertos were performed: “Brandenburg Concerto No. 4,” “No. 6,” “No. 5” and “No. 3,” composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.
The ensemble consists of 12 performers with eight different instruments. IBO Artistic Director, flautist and recorder player Barthold Kuijken, led the rest of the ensemble. Other members of the ensemble were Thomas Gerber on harpsichord, Rachel Gries, Martie Perry, and Yaël Senamaud on viola; Toma Iliev, Augusta McKay Lodge, Allison Edberg Nyquist and Martie Perry on violin; Christine Kyprianides, Erica Rubis and Anna Steinhoff on cello; Sung Lee on recorder; Philip Spray on violone; and Erica Rubis and Anna Steinhoff on viola da gamba.
Steinhoff spoke about her debut in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall with the IBO.
The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, led by Artistic Director Barthold Kuijken, performs in the Ruth Lilly Performance Hall on Feb. 26. Photo by Morgan Ellis
“This is actually my first concert here [Ruth Lilly Performance Hall] and playing the ‘Brandeburg No. 3’ was definitely my favorite piece to play here in the hall,” she said. “It is so much fun to play.”
Steinhoff also offered advice for those pursuing their dreams.
“Work hard and try to find a balance with life, because that could be tricky,” Steinhoff said. “But also, don’t let it consume [you] to the point of not being able to be a well-balanced, well-rounded person.”
Steinhoff has been playing cello since she was three years old and began playing viola da gamba eight years ago.
Sophomore music education major Tara Bradley attended “The Brandenburg Affair.” She said she would recommend this concert to anyone. Her favorite pieces of the performance were “Brandenburg Concerto No. 6” and “No. 3.”
“I always like [‘Brandenburg Concerto] No. 6’,” Bradley said. “I liked [‘Brandenburg Concerto] No. 3’ a lot. I hadn’t heard that piece much before, so I enjoyed hearing that quite a bit.”
Bradley said her favorite part of the performance was the intermission between the “Brandenburg Concerto No. 6” and “Brandenburg Concerto No. 5.”
“I really enjoyed the part during the intermission when the guy [Philip Spray] came on stage and spoke to us about the viola da gamba,” she said. “I thought that was interesting.”
