Tonight, we hear music from Ireland, Quebec, Germany and New England with an interweaving thread of Baroque Music and techniques. At a time when Telemann and Bach were composing fugues in continental Europe, the Bardic harping tradition was alive and vibrant in Ireland resulting in a whole repertoire of Irish harp tunes that are now carried via pipes, fiddles and a host of different instruments. We have the stunning sounds of Montreal-based violist Alexis Chartrand, bringing his unique Gut-bow approach to traditional Quebec repertoire. In contrast, the GRAMMY-nominated violinist Christina Day, along with theorbist Michael Leopold, performs one of Heinrich Biber’s Mystery Sonatas. Artistic Director Maeve Gilchrist will also bring in longtime collaborator Kyle Sanna and bassist Logan Coale to premier some new music for harp and electric guitar inspired by a Seamus Heaney translation of a middle English Poem on the mysticism of Hares! Don’t miss this richly imaginative evening of 17th century inspired exploration in a completely contemporary fashion!

Celtic Baroque

Rockport Music-Shalin Liu Performance Center

This summer, Orchestre de l’Agora presents a series of three open-air and regional concerts featuring the program Fiddlers and Northern Folklores, under the direction of Nicolas Ellis. Joined by guest fiddlers Alexis Chartrand and Nicolas Babineau, the ensemble revisits traditional Quebec dances through original orchestrations, juxtaposing them with works by Grieg, Sibelius, Marcus Goddard, and Danish tunes from the Danish String Quartet. By blending traditional music with orchestral writing, this initiative celebrates the vitality of Quebec’s musical heritage while giving it a fresh perspective. A unifying project, deeply rooted in our cultural identity!

Alexis Chartrand

Events

Upcoming events

Jul 30 - Aug 13, 2026

Fiddlers and Northern Folklores · Orchestre de l’Agora

Past events

Sep 13, 2025

Celtic Baroque · Rockport Music

Future and recently performed repertoire

Violin in Impromptu by Sibelius

Orchestre de l’Agora

Violin in Allaqi by Goddard

Orchestre de l’Agora

Violin in Traditional Dance Tunes from Québec by Babinea

Orchestre de l’Agora

About

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