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Apollo's Fire

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Apollo's Fire Baroque Orchestra
Orchestra
Short nameApollo's Fire
Founded1992 (1992)
LocationCleveland, Ohio and Chicago
Principal conductorJeannette Sorrell
Websiteapollosfire.org

Apollo's Fire Baroque Orchestra is a period-instrument ensemble specializing in early music (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic). The ensemble is based in Cleveland, Ohio and, since 2021, also in Chicago. The ensemble is composed of early music specialists from throughout North America and Europe, and led by conductor/harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell.[1][2] Apollo's Fire and Jeannette Sorrell won a GRAMMY Award in 2018, shared with tenor Karim Sulayman.[3]

Founding and Early History

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Named after the Greek god of music and the sun, Apollo's Fire was founded in 1992 by the American conductor and harpsichordist Jeannette Sorrell. Sorrell, who was 26 at the time, had assistance from Roger Wright, who was then Artistic Administrator of the Cleveland Orchestra. Sorrell came to the attention of Wright through recommendations from conducting faculty at the Aspen Music Festival and Tanglewood Music Festival where she had studied under Leonard Bernstein, Roger Norrington and others.[4] Wright was handling the Cleveland Orchestra's search for an assistant conductor, and he invited Sorrell to an interview for the position.[5] The interview was conducted by Cleveland Orchestra Music Director Christoph von Dohnányi along with Roger Wright. During the interview, Dohnányi told Sorrell that there was "no point in finding time with the orchestra for her to audition, as the audience in Cleveland would never accept a woman as a conductor."[6] Sorrell replied that she had not applied for this job, and her true goal was to work with a period-instrument orchestra.[7] Following this encounter, Wright decided to help Sorrell launch a period-instrument orchestra.[citation needed]

The orchestra received a start-up grant from the Cleveland Foundation in 1992, and made its debut in June of that year. Apollo's Fire then began receiving touring invitations from concert series presenters, and has been an active touring ensemble since its first season.[8][third-party source needed]

In 2004 Sorrell launched a multicultural/folk wing of Apollo's Fire – a troupe specializing in traditional music (Celtic, Appalachian, Sephardic), performed on period instruments in a historically informed aesthetic. Apollo's Fire was awarded major grants through the NEA American Masterpieces initiative in 2009 and 2010 for Jeannette Sorrell's research, creation, and recording of the innovative crossover program, "Come to the River: An Early American Gathering." This recording became a top-10 bestseller on Billboard Classical in 2011. The album was hailed by the American Record Guide as "one of the most joyous releases, intoxicated by the sheer joy of being alive."[9]

Awards and honors

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References

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  1. ^ Stewart, Andrew (November 2010). "Fire-Starters". BBC Music Magazine. pp. 52–54.
  2. ^ Cummings, Robert. "Appollo's Fire - Music Biography, Credits, Related..." allmusic.com. Rovi Corp. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  3. ^ a b Clawson, Kerry. "Apollo's Fire wins Grammy". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  4. ^ Stewart, Andrew (6 November 2010). "Firestorm: The USA's hottest baroque bandis heading our way". Classical Music Magazine (UK).
  5. ^ Stewart, Andrew (6 November 2010). "Fire Storm: The USA's hottest baroque band is heading our way". Classical Music Magazine (UK).
  6. ^ Glanville, Justin. "The Sorrell Affekt". Oberlin Magazine. No. Summer 2017. pp. 40–43.
  7. ^ Glanville, Justin. "The Sorrell Affekt". The Oberlin Magazine. No. Summer 2017. pp. 40–43.
  8. ^ "Touring History". apollosfire.org. 17 June 2016.
  9. ^ Greenfield (September–October 2011). "CD Reviews". American Record Guide. Vol. 74, no. 5. p. 216.
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