Soloists' Biographies

Tessa Roos

Despite strong ties to the life and surroundings of Cape Town, South Africa, mezzo-soprano Tessa Roos moved to Europe in order to focus on Early Music. After having studied in Barcelona for a year, Tessa relocated to Basel in 2016 for a Vocal Masters at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Evelyn Tubb. She simultaneously took part in their Advanced Vocal Ensemble Studies programme headed by Anthony Rooley, and loved delving into the world of 16thand 17thcentury madrigals. Until 2020, Tessa focused on Renaissance music at SCB and also greatly appreciated the opportunity to explore the worlds of Gregorian chant and Medieval song. She has a duo with viola da gambist Mathilde Gomas, working with English songs of around 1600 for voice and Lyra viol. Also a choral conductor, Tessa has always been closely linked to a capella repertoires and has greatly appreciated getting to know various cultures and stories through this music.

She has been working with ensembles such as La Cetra Vocal Ensemble, Vox Luminis (Lionel Meunier), Le Miroir de Musique (Baptiste Romain), and is a founding member of vocal ensemble InVocare.

Upcoming Concerts

13 August 2023
Lviv, Ukraine (Mirror Hall, Opera)
The Wanderer - Medieval songs of travel

15 August 2023
Kyiv, Ukraine (Hall at the Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Art of Ukraine)
The Wanderer - Medieval songs of travel

20 August 2023
Jarosław, Poland
The Wanderer - Medieval songs of travel

See full concert schedule

News

Benjamin Bagby's teaching activities in 2019

In March 2019, Benjamin will give two weekend courses on the solo songs of Philippe le Chancelier (d. 1236). The courses are being hosted by the Centre de Musique Médiévale de Paris. Dates: 9-10 and 30-31 March.
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After retiring from his teaching position at the University of Paris - Sorbonne, where he taught between 2005 and 2018 in the professional masters program, Benjamin Bagby continues to travel widely in 2019 to teach practical workshops for young professionals:

Folkwang Universität der Künste (Essen-Werden, Germany).
Benjamin has joined the faculty of this renowned masters program for liturgical chant performance and medieval music. The dates of his courses in 2019: 5-7 April; 26-28 April; 17-19 May; 30 May–01 June.
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For the second year in a row, Benjamin will teach an intensive course in the 8th International Course on Medieval Music Performance (Besalú, Spain): Songs of the troubadours (for singers and instrumentalists).
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Amherst Early Music Festival (Connecticut College, New London CT) 21-28 July:
An intensive course on the solo cansos of the Occitan troubadours, with a focus on songs from the great Milan songbook Bibl. Ambr. R71 sup. (for singers and instrumentalists).
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