Arcadia Players

The Finest Baroque Ensemble in the Pioneer Valley

P.O.Box 387
Northampton, MA 01061

Phone: 413-536-8888
www.arcadiaplayers.org

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Call or email us to receive a season brochure.

Founded in 1989 by Margaret Irwin-Brandon, Arcadia Players is a professional ensemble of musicians whose repertoire is focused on the music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and whose instruments and performance practices reflect the spirit and style of the period in which the music was composed.
Listen to concert excerpts

Now, as we celebrate our twentieth season, Arcadia Players continues its mission: to develop a regional ensemble of musicians and a broad audience for live musical performance, to communicate the spirit of the Baroque in performance, programming and educational outreach.

Arcadia Players presents a series of concerts each year in several communities in western Massachusetts, performing chamber music, opera, orchestral and choral repertoire, including semi-annual, highly acclaimed performances of Handel's Messiah. The group regularly collaborates with vocal ensembles throughout western New England, at institutions such as Dartmouth College, Mount Holyoke College, Yale University, and the Hartt School. Reviews

Arcadia Players is in residence at the Massachusetts Center for Renaissance Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Come early and enjoy ...

You are invited to attend free pre-concert discussions and interviews to enlighten your evening's experience. One half hour before each performance, join others in the audience to learn more about the music and the era in which it was written. Become a more informed concertgoer as master raconteur Watson provides insights from a musician's point of view to enhance your enjoyment of the concert that follows.

A printable online ticket order form is available at our Tickets Page. Subscriptions represent a considerable savings over individual ticket prices. We encourage you to mark your calendars and the concerts on the form and order now.

Local Events
From time to time Arcadia Players musicians present historically-informed performances in the Pioneer Valley region that are not in our regular concert series. Usually these are presented as part of other free local concert series such as Providence Place's Chapel Concerts in Holyoke and Music at South Church in Amherst.

Arcadia "On the Road"
Arcadia Players is frequently hired to accompany other musical organizations at venues around New England. We are also increasingly being invited to present programs from our regular concert series at venues outside the Pioneer Valley.

Our place or yours?
Tea and cucumber sandwiches in the drawing room... champagne and canapés under the stars. A houseful of friends and acquaintances... brilliant music to impress and delight...

Haven't you dreamed of hosting such a party?

Realize this dream and support your Baroque orchestra by hosting a concert to raise funds and make friends for Arcadia Players, offering your hospitality and our music in exchange for your guests' contributions. (A portion of the contribution is tax-deductible, as are your expenses.)

You provide the guests and the refreshments—whatever suits the unique spirit and style of your home—and we'll supply the music and logistical support. To get started, contact us at 413-534-8888 or info@arcadiaplayers.org.

Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteers drive our organization. In addition to the many needs already served Arcadia Players is looking for volunteers in other areas as well. Help us run more smoothly, and have fun!

If you would like to join our efforts in supporting live music, played and sung by gifted artists, please give us a call at 413-534-8888 or email us at info@arcadiaplayers.org with your area of interest. You will hear from us soon!

Artistic Director, Ian Watson

Excerpts from an article by Meredith Young that appeared in Arcadia Player's Summer 2004 newsletter.

The accent may be British, but the high-energy impression Ian Watson instantly conveys is a delightful blend of Steve Martin and Garrison Keillor. In addition to shaping the artistic vision of Arcadia players, Ian leads an active concert touring and recording life. Forays to Venice or London to perform with Sir John Elliot Gardner are nothing unusual.

He also is the music director of St Paul's Cathedral in Worcester, where he frequently can be heard playing the organ and directing the choir on Sundays, and at special services.

For Ian, becoming the artistic director of Arcadia Players is a dream come true. '"As glamorous as it was to perform in the soundtrack for such films as Amadeus, or to conduct performances of Bach in the leading opera houses of Germany, one is constantly being dictated to. With Arcadia, one can follow one's own passion."  And what is this musical passion? "I am impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm of the Board and the players. I feel a great responsibility to work with them to produce a concert that elates the audience, that exhilarates them, that leaves them buzzing with the excitement of the experience. We're bombarded with so much recorded music. To create the thrill of the moment, to allow the audience to experience spontaneity, is something to strive for."

Posting # 1399 Expires: January 1, 2050