The High Art of Dueling Lutes!

Bloomfield Hills
Friday, November 10, 8 PM

Ann Arbor
Saturday, November 11, 8 PM

Before Nov. 3 – $30 General / $25 Seniors / $10 Students
After Nov. 3 – $35 General / $30 Seniors / $15 Students

Pre-Concert Lecture starts at 7:15pm

The lute was the most beloved solo instrument of the Renaissance, and lutenists often doubled the pleasure by performing as duos. A large repertoire of exciting lute duets survives from throughout Europe, with the pinnacle of this art in Italy and England. The leading duet performers cultivated a style where the two players challenged each other by trading passages back and forth with increasingly dazzling feats of virtuosity. This colorfully varied program consists of dances, fantasias, ornamented madrigals, and exciting variations on popular ballad tunes.

Paul O’Dette has been described as “the clearest case of genius ever to touch his instrument” (Toronto Globe and Mail). He has made more than 140 recordings, and is artistic director of the Boston Early Music Festival. Grammy-nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane, a frequent and welcome performer on Academy of Early Music programs, strives to bring the lute into today’s musical mainstream and gain it a wider audience.

“In a Rarefied World of Lutenists One Makes the Antique Fresh” — Review from The New York Times

“[Ronn McFarlane’s] intense concentration, technical prowess and rapport with the audience showed that…he could become the Segovia of the lute.” — Chicago Tribune