The Rose Ensemble Competitors

“Sorrell and her dazzling period band… are incandescent.” – The Sunday Times, London Named for the classical god of music, healing and the sun, Apollo’s Fire is a GRAMMY®-winning ensemble. The period-instrument orchestra was founded by award-winning harpsichordist and conductor Jeannette Sorrell, and is dedicated to the baroque ideal that music should evoke the various Affekts or passions in the listeners. Apollo’s Fire is a collection of creative artists who share Sorrell’s passion for drama and rhetoric.

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale’s mission is to present audiences throughout the world with historically-informed performances of music from the Baroque, Classical, and Early Romantic periods, as well as new music, using period instruments and vocal techniques that capture the style, spirit, and distinctive sound of that time. We share our music through live performances and recordings, and actively reach new audiences through our educational offerings and training programs for the next generation of musicians. Philharmonia’s pursuit of its mission is based upon three fundamental convictions: 1. Great music is universal. It is a timeless medium that impacts quality of life on an emotional, social, spiritual, and intellectual level. 2. Period-instrument performance, executed at the highest level, creates a distinct sound and singular listening experience. Historically-informed performance means more than playing music in the style in which it was written; it also means performing music with a passion, joy, and vitality that provide a meaningful contemporary artistic experience for today’s audience. In addition, this experience enriches appreciation of history and provides a valuable perspective in preserving and understanding the orchestral tradition. 3. The opportunity for audiences today to hear great works and authentic instruments from the past is, in itself, a legacy that must be preserved for the benefit of future generations.

Conspirare was founded in 1991 and has grown rapidly to become an internationally recognized, professional choral organization that combines outstanding vocal artistry with innovative programming. Led by renowned founder and artistic director Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare is comprised of two performing ensembles and an educational program. The professional chamber choir (“Conspirare” or "Company of Voices") of extraordinarily talented singers from around the country is presented in an annual concert series in Austin, other Texas communities, around the U.S. and abroad. The Conspirare Symphonic Choir of both professional and volunteer singers performs large choral/orchestral works. often in collaboration with other music organizations. The Conspirare Youth Choirs is an educational program for young singers ages 8-17, who learn and perform in two separate ensembles, Kantorei and Allegro (formerly Conspirare Children’s Choir). Conspirare is operated by 7 full-time and 8 part-time staff members and governed by a volunteer board of directors.