An exploration of Italian violin music of the Baroque, and its influence in other lands.

In early 17th Century Italy, new and innovative technical approaches to violin playing were being developed, alongside the first publications for solo violin with basso continuo accompaniment. In this program, Out of Italy, violinist Meg Cohen and lutenist George Wills explore how the Italian violin style spread across Europe and the British Isles during the Baroque era.

Known as ‘The Prince of Musicians’, Arcangelo Corelli’s fame was evident across Europe. Serving as the centrepiece of this program, his Sonata in C Major from Op. 5 demonstrates Corelli’s mastery of the violin and his development of the Sonata form at the turn of the 18th Century. The program also explores Ignazio Albertini’s adoption of Austrian and German style of composition, and how Nicola Matteis took England by storm through his virtuosic and emotive style of playing. Henry

Eccles, an English musician who published music in France, combines Italian and French styles, while borrowing Francesco Antonio Bonporti’s Courante in his Sonata in G Minor. The program culminates with an exciting work by Frenchman Jean Baptiste Senaillé, who after earning recognition in Italy, brought an Italian violin style back to the French Court.

About Meg Cohen
Meg Cohen is a Naarm/Melbourne-based violinist involved in diverse projects – from chamber and orchestral musician, baroque violinist and violist, to artistic director of Moirai, Wattleseed Ensemble and Duo Elementi. Meg has performed at all the major festivals and venues across the country, recorded multiple albums with ABC Classics, and was a Freedman Fellowship nominee in 2023. She performs with ensembles including the Melbourne Chamber and Symphony orchestras, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Genesis Baroque, the Australian Haydn

Ensemble, the Penny and Partridge quartets, and tours the country with Opera Australia. Internationally, she was academist with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, and the award-winning Geist Quartet, travelling across the US and Canada, Germany, France and Italy.

Meg holds Bachelor (Hons) and Master’s degrees from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is a graduate of the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne. She founded and directed the Sydney Baroque Music Festival, an education program connecting Australia’s young historical musicians, from 2013–18. Meg's current projects focus on developing inclusive music-making experiences with and for others, embracing and exploring jazz, folk and improvisatory musical styles, and bringing great music to the regions.

About George Wills
George Wills is a lutenist and guitarist based in Sydney. He has recently returned to Australia after an intensive few years performing and studying in Germany. As an active basso continuo player, George specialises in theorbo and baroque guitar, and he regularly performs with ensembles and orchestras in Europe and Australasia. Recent highlights include performances with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Orchestra of the Antipodes (Pinchgut Opera), Lautten Compagney, Komische Oper Berlin, Deutsches Kammerorchester, The Song Company, and Salut! Baroque.

George has performed in Europe, UK, USA, Australia, and New Zealand. He has appeared in performances at festivals including Bach Festival Leipzig, SPAM Alte Musik Fest, Friedenau Alte Musik Fest, Kulturfeste im Land Brandenburg, and he has been broadcast live in performance by SWR radio Germany. With the ensemble Crossroads Baroque, George won first prize in Il Gusto Barocco’s 2024 Nouvi Talenti competition. He also won first prize with Ensemble I Sogni in the ‘Kulturfeste im Land Brandenburg’competition in 2024.

Following studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music with lutenist Tommie Andersson where he gained a Master of Music degree, and private study with Simon Martyn-Ellis, George completed a Master of Music degree in Early Music at the Universität der Künste Berlin, studying with Sam Chapman.