Rising Stars

Born out of a meeting of talent, enthusiasm and friendship, the International Baroque Players is a period ensemble with members from many countries. Having won the Deutsche Bank Award for Performance in 2009, IBP has rapidly established itself on the early music scene. Comfortable in diverse venues, they have featured in the popular Limelight nights at the 100 Club in London, and have performed Handel's Jephtha at the Grimeborn Festival 2009 to great acclaim.

Musical Opinion caught up with Aliye Cornish (General Manager/Viola player and co-founder of IBP) to ask a few probing questions about this very promising and talented young group of historical performance musicians:

How and when was the IBP formed?

IBP was formed in February 2009, fresh out of a Britten-Pears Baroque Orchestra (BPBO) course, along with the valuable addition of some former European Union Baroque Orchestra (EUBO) members. My colleague, Sally Woods (Orchestral Manager), and I were so inspired by our experience at the BPBO course, that we felt forming our own group was too good an opportunity to miss, both musically and socially. It took us about four months to put everything together, and then we were ready to launch ourselves on the unsuspecting public!

Why was IBP formed?

For young historical performance music graduates, the prospect of establishing themselves can be quite daunting in this relatively small world, something we felt to be a shame, as our generation has so much to offer. The UK already has an established role in the twenty-first century’s professional early music scene but, despite the large number of existing ensembles (with whom many of us have been fortunate to have worked and to have gained invaluable experience from), we felt there was a definite niche for a new, young and dynamic period instrument ensemble. We felt the time was right to show people exactly the level of talent that is coming out of conservatoires across the world.

What do you feel IBP has which the current historical-performance scene doesn’t have?

Our excitement about what we are doing is genuinely tangible, and this translates into meticulous preparation for a project. Whereas most groups operate on extremely tight rehearsal schedules, we give ourselves the luxury of more rehearsal time, to ensure that each note has a purpose, that each gesture is considered, and that we are breathing and experiencing the music as a unit. Having a concertmaster as precise as Johannes Pramsohler is a real asset in this area.

This is not to say that the contribution of the individual is unimportant, all IBP players freely contribute during rehearsals. We have a diverse mixture of personalities and musical interests, and we feel that we manage to balance this against having a strong sense of ensemble playing. The fact that we are also all friends with one another brings a real sense of interplay and security during concerts. This allows us space for freedom and spontaneity, as we develop the music together onstage. Furthermore, we have started putting together IBP editions of works from our projects. These include for example, all of our bowings and markings from rehearsals, giving us a definitive and unique IBP edition, and forming part of our identity as a group.

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