Continuo Foundation Awards £100,000 in Grants to 27 Period-Instrument Ensembles

The ensembles will receive between £2,000 and £6,000 each to help with touring costs and other artistic projects

The UK-based Continuo Foundation recently announced that it will award £100,000 worth of grants to 27 period-instrument ensembles, to support them with tours and other artistic projects. The grants, which range between £2,000 and £6,000, will enable these projects to take place in 65 locations between April and October 2024.

More than 50 ensembles applied for the grants. Continuo Foundation appointed an expert Advisory Panel, that assessed these applications alongside the organization's trustees. The panel favored applicants who emphasized artistic quality, new audience engagement, and a sustainable future for the ensemble.

Six of the grant recipients are ensembles which formed recently, and one-third of the recipients have been awarded a Continuo Foundation Grant for the first time.

In addition to financial support, the selected ensembles will also have access to Continuo Connect, a centralized website platform that allows ensembles to publicize their concerts and connect with their audiences. They can also upload interviews, listening recommendations, and video content, thus allowing more people to engage with early music.

The grantees are as follows:

• Academy of Ancient Music
• Armonico Consort
• Bellot Ensemble
• Consone Quartett
• English Haydn Orchestra
• Fiori Musicali
• Fretwork
• Galliarda
• HGOAntiqua Orchestra
• Istante Collective
• La Nuova Musica
• La Serenissima
• Manchester Baroque
• The Mozartists
• Musica d'Outrora
• Newe Vialles
• Norwich Baroque
• Palisander
• Passamezzo
• Phantasia
• Pocket Sinfonia
• Sestina Music
• Sounds Historical
• The Telling
• Trouvere
• The Vauxhall Band
• Zarek Trio

"The financial support offered by these grants and the publicity support of Continuo Connect are fundamental to growing the early music sector and raising its profile," said Tina Vadaneaux, the Founder and CEO of Continuo Foundation. "By helping musicians to build financially sustainable careers, we are also enabling them to bring outstanding live music to people in their local communities and beyond."

"We are delighted to have the support of Continuo Foundation to continue our commitment to championing the work of contemporary composers, alongside baroque masters, and to exploring parallels between the two sound worlds," said La Nuova Musica, one of the grant recipients. "The Foundation's valuable work to support and strengthen the sector makes us extremely proud to be part of the Continuo family and we look forward to working in partnership to bring high quality music-making to audiences across the UK."

Another new grantee, La Serenissima, added: "This grant will enable us to take our latest musical discoveries outside London and reconnect with audiences in Gloucestershire (where we are based), and in our founder’s home city, Liverpool," added ensemble La Serenissima. "Taking programs outside London in the current economic environment is challenging, so we are very grateful to be able to tour this program."