Makaris specializes in Celtic music from the age of the Enlightenment, as well as new and old repertoire from or influenced by traditional music of the British Isles. 2019 saw the release of its first disc, Wisps in the Dell, an album of Scotch and Irish folk song arranged by composers of the Viennese school, to critical international acclaim. (“Absolutely wonderful … one of the very best releases of 2019” --MusicWeb International; “Delightful … a winning combination”--Early Music Review.)
The ensemble’s second recording was the EP Tam Lin, a modern fairytale folk opera based on an ancient Scottish ballad composed by Fiona Gillespie and Elliot Cole, which premiered in a semi-staged performance with the Five Boroughs Music Festival.
Their third disc, The Gallant David Rizzio, released in 2022, presented folk songs arranged during the Baroque era, ("...beguiling energy and integrity..."--Early Music Review; "...a beautiful intersection of folk melodies and dance rhythms with the airy textures, refined gestures, and virtuosic asides of the Galant style."--Early Music America; "You can't help but feel like you've suddenly traveled back in time and are enjoying a tankard of old Scottish ale inside a seedy establishment."--Classical Music Sentinel).
In 2025 Makaris is set to release the modern premier recording of Allan Ramsay's 1725 ballad opera, The Gentle Shepherd.
Based in and around New York City, Makaris maintains a roster of early, contemporary,
and Celtic folk music specialists from around the country, tailored to the needs of each project.
~
A makar (pl. makaris) was a royal court troubadour of medieval Scotland; the term was resurrected centuries later and is used now to describe a Scottish bard or poet.
The ensemble’s second recording was the EP Tam Lin, a modern fairytale folk opera based on an ancient Scottish ballad composed by Fiona Gillespie and Elliot Cole, which premiered in a semi-staged performance with the Five Boroughs Music Festival.
Their third disc, The Gallant David Rizzio, released in 2022, presented folk songs arranged during the Baroque era, ("...beguiling energy and integrity..."--Early Music Review; "...a beautiful intersection of folk melodies and dance rhythms with the airy textures, refined gestures, and virtuosic asides of the Galant style."--Early Music America; "You can't help but feel like you've suddenly traveled back in time and are enjoying a tankard of old Scottish ale inside a seedy establishment."--Classical Music Sentinel).
In 2025 Makaris is set to release the modern premier recording of Allan Ramsay's 1725 ballad opera, The Gentle Shepherd.
Based in and around New York City, Makaris maintains a roster of early, contemporary,
and Celtic folk music specialists from around the country, tailored to the needs of each project.
~
A makar (pl. makaris) was a royal court troubadour of medieval Scotland; the term was resurrected centuries later and is used now to describe a Scottish bard or poet.
upcoming
| western_isles_lyrics.pdf |
PhilaLandmark Early Music Series | Friday March 15, 7:00 pm | Powel House: 244 S. 3rd St. Philadelphia
TICKETS
Gotham Early Music Scene | Saturday March 16, 7:30pm | St. Ignatius Antioch: 552 West End Ave. NYC
TICKETS
Close Encounters with Music | Sunday, March 17, 4:00pm | Mahaiwe PAC: 14 Castle St. Great Barrington
TICKETS
TICKETS
Gotham Early Music Scene | Saturday March 16, 7:30pm | St. Ignatius Antioch: 552 West End Ave. NYC
TICKETS
Close Encounters with Music | Sunday, March 17, 4:00pm | Mahaiwe PAC: 14 Castle St. Great Barrington
TICKETS
inquiries: [email protected]