Founded by Artistic Director Amanda Keil, the early music company Musica Nuova brings new perspectives to Baroque music by heightening the dramatic qualities intrinsic to the repertoire. Through staging and storytelling, Musica Nuova weaves storylines based on the meaning of the songs. The goal of the company is to create performances that transcend the standard concert experience of early music, providing a framework to engage newcomers and offer a new level of understanding to experienced listeners.
 
Musica Nuova takes its name from the revolutionary book of songs Le Nuove Musiche, published in 1602 by Florentine composer Giulio Caccini. The book marked a new way of singing that brings out the meaning of the words through ornamentation, varied rhythmic textures, and expressive harmonies. These dramatic songs heralded the beginnings of opera, and marked a turning point in the development of solo song. Taking these songs as a starting point, Musica Nuova expands their stories into timeless narratives.
 
During its initial years in Boston, Musica Nuova was presented on concert series with the Society for Historically Informed Performance (SoHIP), Bates College, MIT Chapel, Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Concerts, and Newton Library, and was Ensemble-in-Residence at the Amherst Early Music Festival. In July 2012, Artistic Director Amanda Keil and harpsichordist Gabriel Shuford travelled to the International Early Music Festival in Riga, Latvia, on the invitation of the U.S. Consulate. 2011-12 marked Musica Nuova’s full debut season in New York, including its first full-length opera, Il Ballo delle Ingrate.



photo credit: Corey Weaver