The Concerto delle Donne – a vocal consort of three ladies in the court of Alfonso d’Este in Ferrara – created quite a musical stir in late sixteenth-century Italy. Renowned for their technical and artistic virtuosity, the Concerto delle Donne revolutionized the role of women in professional music in sixteenth century Italy.

Continuing this tradition Castalia Vocal Consort present an exciting debut program of music from the courts of the Italian Renaissance, to the grungy laneways of NYC. Featuring the music of Barbara Strozzi, Carlo Gesualdo, and Claudio Monteverdi, to Michael Finnissy, Caroline Shaw, and Salvatore Sciarrino, tracing the development of the vocal chamber ensemble from stile antico to the modern day.

The themes of lust, longing and unrequited love, are interwoven throughout this program, much like the fine voices of singers Amy Moore, soprano; Chloe Lankshear, soprano and Stephanie Dillon, mezzo soprano.