Since its founding in 1972, the New York Consort of Viols has championed th… Read Full Bio ↴Since its founding in 1972, the New York Consort of Viols has championed the beauty and breadth of music written expressly for or especially suited to the viol. Acclaimed as a foremost ensemble for its dynamic Renaissance and Baroque repertoires, the Consort also performs medieval music on such instruments as the rebec and vielle. The group commissions contemporary works as well.

The Consort has performed for enthusiastic audiences on campuses and in concert series throughout North America. These include such notable venues as Milwaukee's Early Music Now, the Berkeley Festival, and New York's Music Before 1800. In 1992 the Consort traveled to Turkey to perform in Istanbul and Ankara. The Consort has also collaborated with many accomplished early music ensembles such as Pomerium, Zephyrus, the Boston Viol Consort, the Yukimi Kambe Viol Consort, the Waverly Consort, the Ensemble for Early Music and Music For A While.

The Consort’s members are in great demand as soloists, teachers and coaches. In addition, they conduct an ongoing program of workshops and residencies for amateur and pre-professional gambists, and they have developed outreach programs for children and seniors at schools and community centers. The Consort can be heard on several CDs, including: Dances and Canzonas of Holborne and Brade (Classic Masters), Illicita Cosa (MHS), Music of William Byrd (Lyrichord) and The Sweet Power of Musicke (NYCV Recordings).

The members of the New York Consort of Viols are Judith Davidoff, Lucy Bardo, Marie Dalby, and Larry Lipnik.