La Favoritte
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| La Favoritte | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ottawa, Ontario; Canada |
| Years active | 2002 – Present |
| Genres | Baroque, Medieval, Renaissance, Comtemporary |
| Members | Lise Maisonneuve Madeleine Owen Barbara Zuchowicz Kevin James Johanne Couture |
Since 2002 La Favoritte early music has specialized in Baroque music on period instruments. The ensemble also enjoys stretching the bounds of repertoire to include Medieval, Renaissance and contemporary works in performance. Their special focus is the music of women composers, and the musical traditions of early Canada; great artists from ages past including Elizabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, Barbara Strozzi, as well as the Augustine and Ursuline Nuns of New France. Since its inception as a trio, La Favoritte has grown to a larger ensemble frequently performing as a full-sized baroque orchestra including winds, brass, and timpani. La Favoritte is a proud supporter of Ottawa's new chamber music concert hall in partnership with The Ottawa Chamber Music Society (www.chamberfest.com) through the Online Auction for the Arts.
In June of 2003 the ensemble made its international debut at the prestigous Boston Early Music Festival. La Favoritte has performed on CBC, CTV and TV Ontario and has collaborated with groups such as Seventeen Voyces and Musica Divina in highly praised performances.
[edit] Name origin
Their name, La Favoritte, is derived from an 18th century piece for viola da gamba by the French composer, Charles Dollé. He is partly French and partly Italian, reflecting both the current musical fashion of the day, Les goût réunis (the unified style), and the ensemble's musical interests.
