It can be easy to presume that the extraordinarily talented classical composers we know and love led personal lives that were as pristine as their professional successes. Even the greatest artists, however, must live with the human condition. In a program that parallels the goodness found in music with the inevitable nefariousness that exists in the world, Burning River Baroque will explore seasonal music by composers whose lives were colored with drama and scandal, alongside of works by those who led more honorable lives.

Like its namesake, Burning River Baroque seeks to tie history and social change to music and current issues in a way that feels relevant to contemporary audiences. Our presentation encourages a participatory concert atmosphere, breaking the fourth wall and involving audiences in the drama that occurs on stage.

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano and cello
Paula Maust, harpsichord