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The English violinist and conductor, Monica Huggett, has an international reputation as one of the foremost baroque violinists of our time. During her studies of the modern violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London she was introduced to the baroque violin and immediately felt a complete empathy with the instrument. She has been one of its most fervent champions ever since.
Monica Huggett has an active international career as soloist, director and chamber musician. She has recorded for EMI, Decca, Teldec, Philips and many other record labels. In 1998 she released two discs of the complete Bach unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas for Virgin Classics. This disc was met with great critical acclaim and has become a landmark recording. She has worked with many of the great directors of the baroque world and particularly values her work with Ton Koopman, as the leader of the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra from 1980 to 1987.
In recent years directing has taken a larger proportion of Monica Huggett’s time, with regular guest appearances with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the European Union Baroque Orchestra. She enjoys the new artistic challenges that come with her job as Artistic Director of The Portland Baroque Orchestra in Oregon, USA. She is also the founder/director of the baroque Ensemble Sonnerie who tour extensively in Europe and the USA in many of the major Festivals including Bachwoche Ansbach in Germany, Spitalfields and Aldeburgh in the UK.
In 1998 Monica Huggett toured the USA with James Galway with a programme of Mozart orchestral works using an 18th century violin. These performances were met with great critical acclaim. Recent engagements include performances as director with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, solo recitals in Oslo Chamber Music Festival, York Early Music Festival plus dates in Turin and Madrid.
Monica Huggett is professor of baroque violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. She was made a fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in 1994. |
