In this first concert program of the 50th anniversary, Folger Consort returns to Italian works performed in its inaugural season

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Folger Shakespeare Library welcomes audiences to the first concerts in the award-winning Folger Consort's 50th season. Performed by the Folger's early music ensemble-in-residence, Monteverdi's Legacy will be on stage in the Elizabethan-style Theatre from September 11–13, 2026.

"We're in the habit of looking ahead, but will indulge in some nostalgia this season, revisiting music we've done from the beginning," shared co-Artistic Directors Robert Eisenstein and Christopher Kendall. "To provide some perspective on the Consort at 50, we've chosen music from a golden age of music in Venice at the start of the 17th century, which is also Shakespeare's time. Some of this music appeared in the Consort's very first season! We still love its revolutionary and virtuosic nature and continue to be resolute members of the Monteverdi fan club."

Bridging the Renaissance and Baroque styles, the era-defining Claudio Monteverdi's concerted madrigals (secular vocal music accompanied by basso continuo and other instruments), canzonettas (secular vocal composition), and virtuoso instrumental music for violins, harpsichord, and baroque guitar are interwoven throughout the concert. Monteverdi embraced the revolutionary musical techniques of the period, using new, emotionally charged styles in both chamber music and opera, and brought innovative developments in theatrical music to church forms.

The program showcases the musical works of several of Monteverdi's followers and admirers, including Giovanni Battista Fontana and Biagio Marini, both early important composers of sonatas for violins; Francesco Corbetta, a famous composer and guitarist of King Charles II's Restoration-era court; Girolamo Frescobaldi, known for his flashy keyboard music; Giovanni Rovetta, Monteverdi's successor as the maestro di cappella at Basilica di San Marco in Venice; and Francesco Cavalli, a prolific opera composer. Some of the works that will be performed during Monteverdi's Legacy were also performed by Folger Consort during its first season fifty years ago.

Folger Consort's lineup of artists includes Jessica Beebe (soprano),Tatiana Chulochnikova (violin), Agnes Coakley Cox (soprano), Robert Eisenstein (viola da gamba), Joseph Gascho (harpsichord), Aisslinn Nosky (violin), and William Simms (theorbo, guitar).

Tickets for each performance can be purchased online at www.folger.edu/consort or by contacting the Folger box office at (202) 544-7077. Tickets are $20-$50, with discounts available for Folger members and subscribers, students, educators, military and their families, and groups. For more information about Monteverdi's Legacy, please visit: folger.edu/monteverdi.

Related programming for Monteverdi's Legacy includes pre-show conversations with guest artists led by Kendall and Eisenstein from 7–7:30pm before the Friday, September 11, and Saturday, September 12, performances. This event is free and no registration is required.

On Wednesday, September 9, at 6pm, Eisenstein leads a virtual seminar that offers a sneak peek at the music performed in the Folger Consort's Monteverdi's Legacy concerts. The event will be hosted on Zoom; $10, free for Folger Members and Consort Subscribers: https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/early-music-seminar-monteverdis-legacy/ .

Members of the press who would like to cover the performance may reserve tickets through Colleen Kennedy, Senior Communications Manager, via email at press@folger.edu. Selected images are available here: folger.edu/consort-presskit.

Folger Consort wishes to thank Premier Season Sponsor Andrea "Andi" Kasarsky; Production Sponsors Dr. Charles C. Hanna and Dr. Gail Orgelfinger; and Contributing Sponsors Mary Augusta and George D. Thomas.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Robert Eisenstein

Artistic Director (Viola de Gamba)

Robert Eisenstein has led over 200 productions and performances with Folger Consort over the past 40 years, including Measure + Dido at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Napa Valley Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice at Strathmore, The Fairy Queen, and Hildegard Von Bingen's Ordo Virtutum at the Washington National Cathedral. Recently retired as the Director of the Five College Early Music Program; Music Director for the Five College Opera Project production of Francesca Caccini's La Liberazione di Ruggiero; Mount Holyoke College faculty emeritus, where he taught music history and performed on the viola de gamba, violin, and medieval fiddle. He is an active participant in Five College Medieval Studies. Recipient of Early Music America's Thomas Binkley Award for outstanding achievement in performance and scholarship by the director of a college early music ensemble.

Christopher Kendall

Artistic Director

Christopher Kendall is the founder of the Folger Consort. He is Dean Emeritus of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance in Ann Arbor. In Washington, in addition to his work with Folger Consort, since 1975 he has been Artistic Director and conductor of the 21st Century Consort, the new music ensemble-in-residence at the Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Mr. Kendall served as Director of the University of Maryland School of Music from 1996 to 2005. Associate Conductor of the Seattle Symphony from 1987 to 1992 and Director of the Music Division and Tanglewood Institute of the Boston University School for the Arts from 1993 to 1996, Mr. Kendall has guest conducted many orchestras and ensembles in repertoire from the 18th to the 21st centuries. His recordings can be heard on the Bard, Delos, Nonesuch, Centaur, ASV, Arabesque, Innova, Bridge, and Smithsonian Collection labels.

GUEST ARTISTS

Jessica Beebe

Soprano

In recent seasons, Jessica Beebe has appeared as a guest soloist in concert with Folger Consort; the New York City Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall; the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Raymond Leppard; the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra; Omaha Symphony; Asheville Symphony; Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra; Lyric Fest; Lancaster Symphony Orchestra; Philharmonie Austin; the Princeton Festival Orchestra; the English Concert under Harry Bicket; Bourbon Baroque; Piffaro, the Renaissance Wind Band; the Delaware Symphony Orchestra; the Utah Symphony under the baton of Craig Jessop, and several other orchestras and ensembles.

Tatiana Chulochnikova

Violin

Praised for her "thrilling technique" and "dark plush romantic violin sound," Tatiana Chulochnikova enjoys an international career as a violin soloist, recitalist, concertmaster, chamber musician, recording artist, and educator. Highlights of the 2026–27 season include solo appearances with Folger Consort, American Bach, Washington Bach Consort, and Pratum Integrum. She has performed at Carnegie Hall's Weill Hall and the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, and collaborated with conductors including Pierre Boulez, Christopher Hogwood, Philippe Herreweghe, and William Christie. Her acclaimed recordings include albums released by Steinway & Sons and Toccata Classics. Tatiana holds degrees from Juilliard, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and Oberlin Conservatory.

Agnes Coakley Cox 

Soprano

British American soprano Agnes Coakley Cox is a specialist in the performance of early Baroque music and a sought-after ensemble musician. Agnes' desire to bring early music to life has led her to become an expert in the historical performance practice of singing. She is co-founder of In Stile Moderno, New England's ensemble for 17th-century music, and has appeared recently with early music and choral ensembles such as Arcadia Players, the New Consort, the Handel & Haydn Society, Upper Valley Baroque, and the Zenith Ensemble. Agnes lives in Greenfield, MA. Visit Agnes online at www.agnescoakley.com.

Joseph Gascho

Harpischord

Harpsichordist and conductor Joseph Gascho has performed across the world, from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center to Paris, Tokyo, and Taipei. In 2020, he released a recording of harpsichord works by Dietrich Buxtehude. He teaches at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance and co-directs the Baroque Chamber Orchestra. He was recently appointed Director of the Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments. He has guest-conducted and performed concerti with Apollo's Fire, and served as conductor with Opera Vivente, the Maryland Opera Studio, and the Peabody Institute. Gascho is distinguished as an accomplished recording producer. Since 2008, he has taught and mentored students at the Baroque Performance Institute at Oberlin College. Gascho holds masters and doctoral degrees in harpsichord from the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Maryland.

Aisslinn Nosky

Violin

Violinist Aisslinn Nosky is concertmaster of the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston and co-artistic leader of Bach Charlotte in North Carolina. Nosky was a member of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra from 2005 to 2016, previously served as principal guest conductor of the Niagara Symphony, and was principal guest artist with Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. She has collaborated with international ensembles such as the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and Holland Baroque. A passionate educator, Aisslinn has been on faculty at Amherst Early Music Festival, Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, Mount Holyoke College, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

William Simms

Theorbo, Guitar

William Simms is an active performer of early music. He regularly performs with Apollo's Fire, the Washington Bach Consort, Tempesta di Mare, Modern Musick, Ensemble Vermillian, Heartland Baroque, and Three Notch'd Road. He has performed numerous operas, cantatas, and oratorios with ensembles such as the Washington National Opera, the Cleveland Opera, Opera Lafayette, Opera Philadelphia, and American Opera Theater. Simms received his Bachelor of Music from the College of Wooster in Ohio and his Master of Music from the Peabody Conservatory. He is instructor of guitar at Mount St. Mary's University and Hood College, where he is founder and Director of the Hood College Early Music Ensemble.

About Folger Shakespeare Library

The Folger Shakespeare Library makes Shakespeare's stories and the world in which he lived accessible. Anchored by the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the Folger is a cultural organization where curiosity and creativity are embraced, and conversation is always encouraged. Visitors to the Folger can choose in what way they want to experience the arts and humanities, from interactive exhibitions to captivating performances, and from path-breaking research to transformative educational programming. The Folger welcomes everyone to connect in their own way—from communities throughout Washington, DC, to communities across the globe. Learn more at www.folger.edu.

About Folger Consort

For 50 seasons as the early music ensemble-in-residence at the Folger Shakespeare Library, Folger Consort has delighted audiences with a stunning repertoire of early music spanning roughly 800 years and into the present day. With world-class guest artists, from virtuoso soloists to large choirs and period orchestras, Folger Consort has performed masterpieces of the most renowned composers and hidden treasures from those who might otherwise be lost to history. Performing in the intimate setting of the Folger's Elizabethan-styled Theatre, as well as such grand spaces as Washington National Cathedral, Strathmore Hall, and the Kennedy Center, Folger Consort has also toured nationally and internationally to Shakespeare's Globe and other prestigious venues. Among other awards and critical acclaim for its performances and recordings, Folger Consort has received Best Classical Chamber Ensemble from the Washington Area Music Awards multiple times. For more on Folger Consort, please visit www.folger.edu/folger-consort.

Folger Consort recordings are available for purchase and digital download at iTunes and available for streaming on Spotify.

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SOURCE Folger Shakespeare Library