The Voice of the Viol

At the historic St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Alexandria, VA

In this special program entitled Chelys (the ancient Greek lyre of Apollo), Violist da gamba Stephen Moran brings to life unaccompanied works for the viol by Sainte-Colombe le Fils, Marin Marais, and Johannes Schenck, concluding with Moran’s own transcription of J.S. Bach’s Violin Partita No. 1, BWV 1002.

This program explores the vast range of capabilities and potential of the solo viol as well as its repertories in the first decades of the 18th century.

***Tickets are at a special Columbia discount off the box office price, but they are limited.***

If you are interested in a pre-performance drink and social, you are welcome to join us at 6:20 pm at Casa Luna Bar (5-minute walk to St. Paul's)

Stephen Moran is an American cellist and viol player who enjoys performing a wide range of repertoire, from 16th-century music to contemporary works and American folk music. Stephen focuses primarily on the historically informed performance of music from the Renaissance to the 19th Century. He strives to combine knowledge from historical sources, contemporary instruments, and vivid storytelling into compelling and thought-provoking interpretations. A highly sought-after collaborator, Stephen's ensembles pseudonym and Fleet Street Revival can be heard frequently in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, with performances broadcast on radio by the BBC (UK), Concertzender (NL), and SRF (CH).

In addition to his concert activities, Stephen is also a dedicated educator. During his studies at Stony Brook University in New York he was an assistant to Colin Carr. Since moving to Switzerland, he has continued to teach cello as well as viola da gamba privately.

Stephen holds a Bachelor’s from McGill University in Montreal, where he studied cello with Brian Manker and baroque cello with Susie Napper. He continued his studies with Colin Carr at Stony Brook University, where he received a Master and a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree. He received a Master of Performance and is currently completing a Master of Pedagogy  studying with Paolo Pandolfo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis.

The son of a Baroque cellist and a Baroque violinist, Stephen has been closely acquainted with the textured sound of gut strings since birth, and as a result has an instinctive and innate affinity for early music.

Washington Bach Consort (WBC) is the nation's premier baroque chorus and orchestra dedicated to historically informed performances of 18th-century music on period instruments under the direction of Dana Marsh.