The Marais Project
The Marais Project is a celebration of music for the viola da gamba inspired by Marin Marais, the great French virtuoso viola da gamba performer and composer. Formed by Jennifer Eriksson in 2000, the ensemble’s original aim was to perform the complete viola da gamba works of Marais – a monumental task which is more than 85% complete.
Widely acknowledged for their focus on French baroque music – presented with an Australian flavour – they have extended their repertoire over the years to folk, mediaeval and renaissance music, 19th-century Australian songs, and many newly commissioned Australian works. The ensemble has released ten albums, was the 2019–20 Ensemble in Residence at Fine Music 102.5, and has broadcast regularly on the ABC and Australian Digital Concert Hall.
They have toured Australia, New Zealand and Sweden, including an invitation-only concert at the Australian Embassy in Stockholm in 2023. Exquisite Harmonies (MCD 676) presents a curated exploration of viol and harpsichord music from the French and German baroque.
The Marais Project is featured on the following titles
Exquisite Harmonies
Exquisite Harmonies features works for viola da gamba and harpsichord, and several harpsichord solos, largely from the French Baroque. The exceptions are Telemann, Abel and Australian composer Troy Russell. A nice treat is an improvised harpsichord fantasia in the style of Telemann.
Nordic Moods & Baroque Echoes
A collaboration between Duo Langborn/Wendel and The Marais Project, this album blends baroque repertoire, new compositions and arrangements, and folk music from Australia and Sweden.
Australian Monody
The Marais Project is joined by countertenor Russell Harcourt for a collection of largely Australian songs and instrumental works, spanning light and darkness, love and loss.
Two
Two brings together Marais Project founding members Jennifer Eriksson, viola da gamba, and Tommie Andersson, gallichon, theorbo and baroque guitar. Each plays alternate brackets of solos before they join in a splendid suite by Marin Marais.
The Garden Party
The Marais Project’s anniversary disc The Garden Party has a festive flavour, mixing world-premiere Marais arrangements and Eriksson’s title track with earlier Move recordings across French baroque, Swedish folk and South American song.
Spinning Forth
The title points to music still to come. The programme gathers French baroque viola da gamba repertoire with Swedish roots and newly commissioned Australian works, spinning forth in fresh directions.
Smörgåsbord
The Marais Project’s fifth disc gathers Swedish folk, Bellman songs, Roman and Marais chamber works, a jazz pavane and even ABBA, all heard for the first time in Australia on period instruments.
Lady Sings the Viol
The concept behind Lady Sings the Viol was a CD of “covers”: five singers, alone and together, take songs from 1300 to the present, from Piaf and Schubert to John Paul Jones and Elena Kats-Chernin.
Love Reconciled
A landmark in Australian early-music performance, The Marais Project’s Love Reconciled is a recording to return to often and savour deeply.
Members of The Marais Project
Jennifer Eriksson
Jennifer Eriksson completed her initial musical studies at the Sydney Conservatorium before moving to the Netherlands for three years of viola da gamba tuition with Jaap ter Linden at Rotterdam Conservatorium.
Tommie Andersson
Tommie Andersson was born in Sweden and has been based in Sydney since 1984. He is regarded as Australia's leading specialist in lutes and early guitars, and as a continuo player and soloist across the early-music repertoire.
Susie Bishop
Susie Bishop is an Australian singer and violinist whose work moves freely between opera, early music, jazz, folk and world fusion. She writes and arranges as well as performs.
Belinda Montgomery
Belinda Montgomery is a Sydney-based soprano and early music specialist whose freelance work spans baroque consort programmes, contemporary chamber music and the concert stage.
Fiona Ziegler
Fiona Ziegler Fiona began her violin and piano studies at the age of five with her mother, Sydney violinist, Eva Kelly. At the Conservatorium High School she studied violin with Christopher Kimber and Harry Curby, piano with Nancy Salas and cello with Lois Simpson, attending master classes with Valery Klimov, Igor Ozim and the Quartetto Beethoven di Roma.
Daniel Yeadon
Daniel Yeadon has a worldwide career as a cellist and viola da gamba player; his repertoire ranges from renaissance to contemporary. In addition to the Marais Project his regular chamber music collaborators in Australia include Neal Peres Da Costa, Genevieve Lacey, Ironwood, Romanza, Kammer, Elision and The Collective.
Catherine Upex
Catherine Upex is an Australian cellist and viola da gamba player. Trained in Sydney, she is a long-standing member of The Marais Project and plays viol with Josie and the Emeralds.
Anthony Abouhamad
Anthony Abouhamad is a harpsichordist, continuo organist and composer. His work centres on French and German baroque repertoire and newly written pieces for early instruments.