DUO Maya Homburger/Barry Guy

MAYA HOMBURGER baroque violin

BARRY GUY double bass

New compositions, improvisations and baroque masterpieces. Barry Guy, one of the most virtuosic and imaginative improvisers, joins forces with his partner Maya Homburger, whose interpretation of solo violin sonatas is very much inspired by his freedom and creativity.

Barry Guy is an innovative bass player and composer whose creative diversity in the fields of jazz improvisation, chamber and orchestral performance and solo recitals is the outcome both of an unusually varied training and a zest for experimentation, underpinned by a dedication to the double bass and the ideal of musical communication.

He is founder and Artistic Director of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra for which he has written several extended works. His concert works for chamber orchestras, chamber groups and soloists have been widely performed and his skilful and inventive writing has resulted in an exceptional series of compositions.

Barry Guy continues to give solo recitals throughout Europe and the USA as well as performing with Evan Parker/Paul Lytton trio, Marilyn Crispell and Gerry Hemingway, the Bill Dixon quartet, in Duos with Barre Phillips, Irène Schweizer, Paul Plimley, in projects with American pianist Cecil Taylor, the Californian based group Room with Larry Ochs and others.

Maya Homburger, born and educated in Switzerland, moved to England in 1986 to join J.E. Gardiner's English Baroque Soloists, Trevor Pinnock's The English Concert and other period instrument groups.

Ever since meeting Barry Guy – on the occasion of an extended concert tour with Christopher Hogwood's Academy of Ancient Music – she has devoted her time between managing his London Jazz Composers Orchestra, running their CD label MAYA Recordings and developing her own personal style on the baroque violin, specialising more and more on chamber music and solo performance.

She is leader of the groups The Chandos Baroque Players and Trio Virtuoso. In 1993 she recorded the twelve fantasies for solo violin by G.Ph.Telemann. Having been invited to play Telemann for the Jazz Festival in Rive de Gier (France) she shared the concert with Barry Guy combining baroque compositions and improvisations. For this occasion they commissioned Buxton Orr and Giles Swayne to write pieces for baroque violin and double bass.

Other new works include Barry Guy's composition Celebration for solo violin and Ceremony for violin and tape. 1995 she recorded the six sonatas for harpsichord and violin by J.S.Bach together with the Irish harpsichordist Malcolm Proud.

She plays on an Italian baroque violin by Antonio dalla Costa, Treviso 1740 which is in its original condition. Barry Guy and Maya Homburger now live in Ireland where they contribute both to the baroque and the contemporary music scene.

Selection of programmes

MAYA HOMBURGER (baroque violin)

BARRY GUY (bass)

MAYA HOMBURGER (baroque violin)

BARRY GUY (bass)

Other possible combinations with the new tape and violin/bass piece:

H.I.F. Biber (1644–1704)		1. movement "The Annunciation" from the Mystery Sonatas (c.3')
Barry Guy		"Interlude" Improvisation for solo bass (c.3')
J.S. Bach		Adagio from Sonata No.1 g-minor (c.4')
Barry Guy		"Immeasurable Sky" 4 songs for baroque violin and double bass (c.12') "Dakryon" for bass, violin and tape (c.10') "Still" Improvisation for solo bass (5') "Ceremony" for baroque violin and tape (17')
2)
H.I.F. Biber (1644–1704)		1. movement "The Annunciation" from the Mystery Sonatas (c.3')
Barry Guy		"Immeasurable Sky" 4 songs for baroque violin and double bass (c.12')
H.I.F. Biber		Passacaglia for solo violin (c. 10')
Barry Guy		"Dakryon" for bass, violin and tape (c.10') "Five Pieces" Improvisation for solo bass (c.7') "Breathing Earth" for baroque violin and bass (c.6') or "Celebration" for violin and bass (c.6')
3)
H.I.F. Biber (1644–1704)		1. movement "The Annunciation" from the Mystery Sonatas (c.3')
Barry Guy		"Immeasurable Sky" 4 songs for baroque violin and double bass (c.12') "Dakryon" for bass, violin and tape (c.10') "Still" Improvisation for solo bass (5') "Ceremony" for baroque violin and tape (17')