Save the date for the launch of Brandenburg One.
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“It has been wonderful to still be able to prepare works and perform them for you”

MARIANNE YEOMANS


Together as One.

Join our journey into the future of Baroque.


Dear friend of the Brandenburg

I really enjoyed reading the letters from my fellow Brandenburg family members Rob Nairn and Anna Sandström in the previous weeks. I thought it would be nice to say a quick hello and send you a little video that you might find useful, as I have, while we are still spending more time at home.

The final night of our Vivaldi's Venice performance just before lockdown commenced was quite a surreal experience. Knowing that this would be the last time I'd be on stage with my colleagues, as well as not seeing our beautiful audiences for a while, was quite emotional. There were just so many unknowns! I decided though, it was important to make the best use of the enforced break and positively utilise the time that had freed up from the usual concert and tour routine.

I wanted to make the best of it and to try out new things and do things that I don’t usually have the time for. I even gave roasting coffee beans a go - surprisingly they turned out really well! It has also been a nice opportunity to practise music that I don’t usually have the time for. Usually, practice is dominated by preparing concert programs. So I have enjoyed delving into works that over the years I have had to put to the side.

I am also an avid runner; I was actually supposed to do a 50km trail race in the Blue Mountains in May, but sadly that too was cancelled. Although all these cancellations have been disappointing, I have still been enjoying getting out for runs locally. There are so many beautiful places to run in Sydney where I live. Running has always been such a wonderful outlet for me. I love being outdoors and amongst nature. It is a time for me to think as well as not think! Playing concerts involves a great deal of concentration, and I love the time out running where the only thing I have to concentrate on is not tripping over a tree root! I also love being able to go out for a run when on tour, it is a brilliant way to discover new places wherever we travel.

Like all musicians, I desperately miss playing concerts for live audiences, and cannot wait until we are able to be back in the concert halls. I miss the adrenalin, the electric atmosphere and the music-making on stage with my colleagues and friends. However, I am so appreciative of the incredible initiative of the new Brandenburg One platform. It has been wonderful to still be able to prepare works and perform them for you - albeit via cameras and the internet - but how brilliant that this opportunity exists. We are very fortunate to be living at a time when technology enables this to happen. I feel privileged to be a part of something very special and also incredibly excited to finally announce the Brandenburg One launch date. 

Look out for an email from us on Monday 13 July at 10:00 AM AEST with all the information you need on how to access our new digital stage, Brandenburg One, and begin enjoying the joy and passion of Baroque music in the comfort of your own home.

As mentioned earlier, I have prepared a special video for you. It's a simple 10-step muscle stretching routine that my fitness trainer Richard Ivanov from Flow Athletic has prepared. I invite you to join me in this quick stretch accompanied by music from our album Handel: Concerti Grossi Op. 6 - you can click here to watch. I hope you enjoy.

Join our journey into the future of Baroque. Please donate today.


Marianne Yeomans
Baroque Viola