– Or, what happens when two violists meet each other and start to talk about the viola condition…
Violists Natalia Duarte Jeremías and Marie Stockmarr Becker are both specialized in early music and historical performance practice. They met each other in Snape Maltings in 2019, both being awarded a scholarship from the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme. On that occasion they constituted the viola section in a project on Bach cantatas led by Philippe Herreweghe. This is how they discovered their musical affinity and their common passion for the early viola and its repertoire.
Years later, their paths crossed again – this time in Iceland. That’s when they decided to start the Ripieno Revolution!
They are dedicated to the project of exploring the original repertoire for viola duo from the eighteenth century on historical instruments, showcasing the early viola as more than just a ripieno instrument. By bringing forth undiscovered or overlooked music, they highlight the early viola’s versatility and distinct sound, contribute to the facilitation and preservation of original chamber works for viola duo, and engage the audiences with the charms of not one, but two historical violas playing together.
Join the ripieno revolution and stay tuned!
Ripieno Revolution! will facilitate a workshop at Listaháskóli Íslands / Iceland University of the Arts in November 2025. The music students are invited to join a hands-on exploration of eighteenth-century ornamentation practice in European music, based on the teachings of Giuseppe Tartini and his contemporaries. The workshop will be both theoretical and practical. During a final performance session, the learnings will be applied to eighteenth century chamber music. The project is funded by Nordic Culture Point.
There will be an open presentation of the workshop on November 13th 2025!
