Sarah Cunningham
Performance Faculty: Viola Da Gamba & Baroque Cello
"The viola da gamba is often described as the closest instrument to the human voice. It is perfectly human-scaled; it is immediately accessible yet offers a unique and rich range of eloquence and expressivity. Its repertoire stretches from the late 15th century to the 21st."
Sarah Cunningham is recognized as one of the foremost performers on the viola da gamba worldwide. As a soloist and chamber musician she has performed and recorded throughout Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. After many years living abroad in London and then Ireland she has returned to the US and is also on the faculty of The Juilliard School's new Historical Performance department.
Education
Long School of Music, with teacher Gian Lyman Silbiger.
Royal Conservatory, The Hague, Holland, with Wieland Kuijken.
Baroque cello studies with Wouter Moller, Amsterdam.
BA from Bryn Mawr College in Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance.
Recordings
Play this Passionate, music for solo bass viol, Virgin Classics/EMI
Marin Marais: Pieces de Viole, ASV Records
Telemann: Les Plaisirs Chamber Concertos, Harmonia Mundi USA
Bach Music for Flute, James Galway, RCA Victor
Telemann Paris Quartets, Trio Sonnerie, Virgin/EMI
F. Couperin: Les Nations, Juilliard Baroque, Naxos
A Portrait of Love, Sonnerie with Nancy Argenta, Harmonia Mundi
John Dowland: Lachrimae, The Dowland Consort, Bis Records
J.S. Bach, Musical Offering, Ensemble Sonnerie, Virgin/EMI
Cima, Fontana, Turini, Ensemble Sonnerie, Virgin/EMI
Performance Highlights
Founding member of baroque ensemble Sonnerie, with violinist Monica Huggett. Solo recitals at many festivals including Helsinki, London's Wigmore Hall, Utrecht (Holland), Vancouver, Sligo (Ireland), New York, Boston. US and European tours with flutist James Galway.
Recognition & Awards
Erwin Bodky Award for Early Music (1971)