The Sebastians are a dynamic and vital musical ensemble specializing in music of the baroque and classical eras. Lauded as “everywhere sharp-edged and engaging” (The New York Times), the Sebastians have also been praised for their “well-thought-out articulation and phrasing” (Early Music Review) and “elegant string playing... immaculate in tuning and balance” (Early Music Today). Their 2018 unconducted St. Matthew Passion with TENET Vocal Artists was called “shattering” and “a performance of uncommon naturalness and transparency.”

Recent seasons have included dozens of originally conceived programs, including collaborations with poets, choreographers, and actors; a musical installation in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; programs dealing with musical “immigration” and nationalism; and major works of J.S. Bach.

Winners of the Audience Prize at the 2012 Early Music America Baroque Performance Competition, the Sebastians were also finalists in the 2011 York International Early Music Competition and the 2011 Early Music America/Naxos Recording Competition. The Sebastians are currently in residence at the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments.

The ensemble’s recordings range from Night Scenes from the Ospedale, pairing Vivaldi concerti with newly composed interludes by Robert Honstein (“beautifully- nuanced playing and thoughtful expressivity”); to the Sebastians a 2: Virtuoso Music of the Holy Roman Empire, exploring the rich baroque repertoire of music for violin and harpsichord written by composers from modern-day Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic; and, most recently, Folia, which juxtaposes trio sonatas and vocal works by Corelli, Colista, Handel, and Vivaldi, featuring soprano Awet Andemicael.

Photo by Nan Manville