Prizewinners at the European chamber music competition Musique d'Ensemble held at the Paris Conservatoire in 2001, the Aurora Ensemble has performed in many major venues and festivals including the Purcell Room & Wigmore Hall (for the Park Lane Group), Manchester's Bridgewater Hall, Cardiff's St. David's Hall and the Warwick, Thaxted, Ryedale and Petworth Festivals. It has broadcast on ORS Television (Austria) & BBC Radio 3 for the Young Artists' Forum and was selected as one of the featured ensembles in Making Music's Concert Promoters' Network brochure for the 2005 - 2006 season.

In 2002 the ensemble recorded its debut CD, which included the first CD recording of Marin Goleminov's Wind Quintet No.2 and the world première recording of Ronan Guilfoyle's Groove Merchants. With funding from the Arts Council of Ireland, the Auroras commissioned a new work from Ronan, which they premiered at the Warwick Festival in June 2004.

Sounds Exciting (Patron Neil Black OBE) is the ensemble's own education project, which runs in conjunction with their recital work. Former projects include a children's concert with narration from ex Blue Peter presenter, Janet Ellis, and the commissioning of artwork from the illustrator Caroline Glicksman to use in their children's concerts. The ensemble directs its own course at Hawkwood College, Gloucestershire every Easter, and has also had extensive experience at performing in hospitals, schools & centres for people with disabilities and residential homes for the elderly, through the late Yehudi Menuhin's Live Music Now! scheme.

In 2006, the Aurora ensemble celebrates its 10 year anniversary.

The Aurora Ensemble are Maxine Willis (flute), Gwenllian Davies (oboe), Andrew Mason (clarinet), Helen Shillito (horn), Constance Tanner (bassoon).

“The excellent Aurora Ensemble played…with dazzling precision and infectious wit…These players are a superb team, brilliantly accomplished, and I long to hear more of them *****” Financial Times

“flames flickered with the Aurora Ensemble…Out from mouths and fingers came immaculately polished and blended sounds.” The Times

“moments of real inspiration…energy and enthusiasm…an enthralling interpretation.” The Guardian

“The Aurora Ensemble played with complete professionalism - tight, witty, beautifully balanced and cleverly phrased.” The Independent on Sunday

“An extremely valuable workshop - certainly enriched the curriculum and a good stimulus for further work” Benedict Biscop Primary School

Chamber Music Courses

The Aurora Ensemble currently run a chamber music course at Hawkwood College, Gloucestershire (see pictures of previous Hawkwood courses)

Hawkwood College
8th Annual Wind Chamber Music Course
March 2007 - dates to be confirmed

The Aurora Ensemble return to Hawkwood College for their eighth successive year to run their popular Wind Chamber Music Course. The course is open to all players of the flute, clarinet, oboe, horn and bassoon - although early booking may be advisable for flutes, clarinets and oboes as these instruments tend to become oversubscribed soonest!

During the three days of the course, players will study a variety of repertoire, mostly using the traditional wind quintet formation, but with time also being spent on some smaller and larger combinations. The emphasis will be on developing the skills required when playing in an ensemble, good communication with each other and your audience (should you choose to perform) and rehearsal technique. There will also be opportunities for some individual lessons, and horn players will be given the chance to have a go at playing the natural horn.

As in past years, the coaches will give a concert during the course so that the art of playing wind chamber music can be seen in action!

Minimum standard of playing should be about Grade 5

Tutors:
Maxine Willis (flute)
Gwenllian Davies (oboe)
Andrew Mason (clarinet)
Helen Shillito (horn)
Connie Tanner(bassoon)

Fees: See Hawkwood site

Applications are welcomed from pre-formed groups as well as individuals wishing to be put into groups for the duration of the course

Hawkwood, an early 19th century manor house built on an ancient site, is surrounded by its own extensive grounds. Situated at the head of a small Cotswold valley with a panoramic view down the Severn vale it provides a beautiful and peaceful setting for an Adult Education Centre.

For more information, contact
Hawkwood College, Painswick Old Road, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL6 7QW
Office Tel: 01453 759034 Fax: 01453 764607 Student Line: 01453 764045
email hawkwoodcollege@cs.com
or visit www.hawkwoodcollege.co.uk (includes facilities for online booking)

C’est en songeant à Eos, la “déesse aux doigts de rose” qu’Enrico Gatti a fondé en 1986 l’Ensemble “Aurora”, avec d’autres artistes passionnés par l’étude et l’interprétation du patrimoine musical antérieur à 1800, avec un intérêt particulier pour le répertoire italien.

Chaque musicien de l’ensemble a déjà effectué un travail de recherche personnelle très sérieux, et a perfectionné et qualifié sa préparation auprès des plus prestigieuses écoles européennes, telles que le Conservatoire de la Haye, la Schola Cantorum de Bâle, le Centre de Musique Ancienne du Conservatoire de Genève, le Mozarteum de Salzbourg et le Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris.

A une époque où les sonorités de la musique ancienne sont en train d’acquérir une physionomie de plus en plus nerveuse et rythmée, l’Ensemble "Aurora" a fondé la recherche de sa propre émission sonore sur une constante essentielle de l’esthétique des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles : l’imitation de la nature, et par conséquent de la voix humaine, avec sa dynamique, sa prononciation et son articulation.

Sur cette base, le recours aux instruments d’origine et l’exacte utilisation de ceux-ci en fonction du répertoire abordé ne sont pas conçus comme une fin en soi, mais comme un moyen précieux en vue d’une restitution de la tradition italienne, dont le caractère éminemment noble et raffiné ne peut être rendu qu’à travers un parfait équilibre entre une préparation rigoureuse et une interprétation créative.

L’ensemble s’est constitué autour d’un travail approfondi sur la littérature du XVIIe siècle et sur les sonates en trio de Corelli, qu’il considère comme la formule stylistique de base nécessaire pour aborder le répertoire postérieur sans tomber dans le piège des interprétations anachroniques. En dehors des programmes intrumentaux, l’ensemble a réalisé également des cantates profanes et sacrées (avec, entre autres, Gloria Banditelli, Guillemette Laurens et Gian Paolo Fagotto).

Il a été invité à plusieurs saisons de concerts : Festival Van Vlaanderen, Festival des Cathédrales, Ambraser Schlosskonzerte Innsbruck, Festival International de Musique Sacrée de Lourdes, Tage Alter Musik Herne, Théâtre de Caen, Festival "Vivaldi in Veneto", "Musiva e poesia a S. Maurizio" de Milan, entre autres.L’ensemble Aurora a enregistré pour Tactus et Symphonia, avec qui il a réalisé de nombreuses premières mondiales. Il a remporté, entre autres récompenses, le Prix International du disque "Antonio Vivaldi" pour le meilleur enregistrement de musique instrumentale italienne en 1993, ainsi que le "Diapason d’or". Depuis 1995, il enregistre pour la maison discographique française Arcana.