In the spring of 2022 the artistic direction of Baroque & Beyond passed to Stephanie Vial from its founder, Beverly Biggs.
Founder of the series is freelance harpsichordist Beverly Biggs. Beverly earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory and a Master of Music degree from Southern Methodist University. Post-graduate study was done with harpsichordists Margaret Irwin-Brandon and Alan Curtis in the United States, and with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam.
In late 2004, Beverly moved back home to North Carolina after spending many years in the Pacific Northwest. While based in Spokane, Washington, she performed, recorded, toured, and served as artistic director of two period music organizations, producing and performing an average of 60 concerts per season. A founding director of both Connoisseur Concerts and Allegro, Bev specializes in period music of the baroque era. Accomplishments include founding the Northwest Bach Festival, the Royal Fireworks Festival & Concert™, Allegro’s Viennese Ball, Music in Historic Homes, and Period Music at The Met.
Awards include the Washington State Governor’s Arts Award & the City of Spokane Arts Award for her organizations. Individual awards include the Pioneer Award, given to leaders in arts, medicine, government and other fields, to individuals who made ‘an indelible impact’ on the Inland Northwest over the past 125 years. Of her various recordings, Age of Elegance in the American West was named one of the best new albums of the year. Her musical ensemble was for many years the only classical duo on the WESTAF touring roster in the Western United States.
Bev’s primary performing instrument is a double-manual French harpsichord. Her collection also includes early pianos, an Italian virginal and a single-manual Flemish harpsichord.
For more complete information: www.beverlybiggsharpsichord.com
Beverly Biggs – Discography
Age of Elegance David Dutton, oboe; Beverly Biggs, fortepiano. Music of Fauconier, Delibes, Mozart, Rubinstein, S. Foster, Lailliet, others. As researched in concert programs from the late 1800’s.
Musette – French Baroque Favorites David Dutton, oboe & musette; Beverly Biggs, harpsichord. Music of F. Couperin, Delalande, Lully, Marais, Rameau, Philidor, de Lavigne
Christmas with Biggs & Dutton David Dutton, oboe; Beverly Biggs, harpsichord & fortepiano; Ann Fennessy, soprano; Wayne Smith, cello. Music of Leclair, Telemann, Bach, Balbastre, and others (includes traditional)
Parisian Nights Beverly Biggs, fortepiano; William Davis, bassoon; David Dutton, oboe. Music of Rossini, Donizetti, Gatterman, Jancourt and Brod, as heard in Paris in the early 1800’s.
