Red Priest

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The Red priest of Venice' is a common nickname for the Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi, due to his red hair and priestly vocation

Red Priest is a quartet of British musicians who play early music in a flamboyant and theatrical style, named after Vivaldi's nickname. They play from memory, leaving the members with portable instruments free to move about the stage and through the audience. Red Priest originally comprised Piers Adams on recorder, Julia Bishop on violin, Angela East on cello, viola da gamba, and bass violin, and Julian Rhodes on harpsichord. Julian Rhodes fell ill after recording the album Priest on the Run and was not able to continue as a member of the ensemble. His place is now held by Howard Beach.

In addition to their touring, Red Priest has released several albums. Priest on the Run was the first of these, followed by Nightmare in Venice. The most recent is a contemporary take on Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.