The Four Nations Ensemble Musical Offerings

	EXCITING AND INTERESTING PROGRAMS Four Nations concerts are carefully crafted so that each program offers a varied and communicative tour through chamber music from the 17th through 19th centuries. Well known masterworks are heard alongside neglected treasures. These "new" works which inspired the greater masters still have the power to delight today. Each concert is an opportunity to rediscover the supreme genius of our favorite composers while visiting the very attractive works of their contemporaries. Joined by fine and renowned singers and instrumentalists, The Four Nations Ensemble also presents concerts of vocal chamber music along with trio sonatas and chamber concertos, including the Brandenburg concertos and Vivaldi's sparkling works.

VIVID INTERPRETATIONS For over a decade, the Four Nations Ensemble, a trio of violin, cello and keyboard (both harpsichord and fortepiano) has been engaging audiences around the country with vivid, colorful and emotional performances of music from Purcell and Monteverdi, through Bach and Couperin, to Beethoven and Schubert. Played on the instruments that inspired and challenged composers, this music, from the most esoteric to the most familiar, again delights today's music lovers. New timbres and a fresh approach to old masterworks mark each concert of the Four Nations Ensemble. The sounds of the instruments bring us into the sensitive world of the past while the emotional intensity is direct and contemporary.

INTIMATE AND COMMUNICATIVE PRESENTATIONS Pre-concert talks are an integral part of a Four Nations concert. The music at hand is placed in context through allusions to society, history, art and literature. Humorous and sometimes shocking anecdotes convey serious and illuminating information. Andrew Appel, artistic director of the ensemble, challenges the audience with questions and signposts that direct the attention of each listener and enhance his or her enjoyment of the repertoire.

CONCERTS TAILORED TO YOUR EVENTS The Ensemble's understanding and knowledge of a vast available repertoire has been successfully used to enhance events at art museums, historical societies and universities throughout the country. Four Nations' musicians delight in crafting programs for unique events, from historical celebrations and religious holidays to professional conventions and student activities.