The ninth round of grants will help support concerts and recording projects of early music across the UK, bringing the total amount of funding to £950,000 since the foundation’s inception in 2021
The Continuo Foundation has announced its ninth round of grants, distributing £100,000 of funding to a record 31 period instrument ensembles across the UK.
The awards support concerts and recording projects, spanning 800 years of music - performed on period instruments - in an aim to shine a light on the UK’s early music scene, bring musicians’ ideas to life, and to serve often-underserved communities and venues with live performances.
Since the first round of grants awarded in Spring 2021, the latest round takes the total amount of funding raised and distributed by Continuo Foundation to £950,000.
The ninth round of grants will support seven emerging groups - formed since 2020 - and 24 established ensembles to undertake a total of 80 performances in 50 locations across the UK.
The London-based Serpentine Trio, formed in 2022, is one of the emerging awardees. Featuring works by Marais, Forqueray, Couperin, and d’Hervelois, and inspired by ‘Le Grotto de Versailles’, the trio’s audiovisual project will have a narrative structure influenced by Homer’s Odyssey, echoing Louis XIV’s love of Greek antiquity, and will aim to reach a wide audience through strategic digital promotion efforts.
’This grant will be transformative for Serpentine Trio, enabling us to bring our artistic vision to life at the highest level,’ says viol player Özgür Kaya. “With this support, we can produce a visually and sonically stunning film that reinterprets French Baroque music for a modern audience, bridging the worlds of historical performance and contemporary culture.
’Most importantly, this grant empowers us as emerging artists, giving us the platform to experiment, innovate, and share our passion for early music in a way that resonates with today’s listeners,’ Kaya adds.
’We are deeply grateful for this opportunity and for Foundation’s belief in our project — Continuo’s support is not just funding a film; it is helping shape the future of historically informed performance.’
Founder and chief executive of Continuo Foundation, Tina Vadaneaux commented: ’Since launching in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Continuo has been dedicated to ensuring that Early and Baroque Music performances flourish in diverse communities, from major cultural centres to underserved regions across the UK.
’This round has attracted a volume of applications we haven’t seen since 2021, and we are thrilled to be able to support a record number of projects. We are immensely grateful to our donors for making this possible and congratulate all the grantees who will bring these exciting projects to life.’
A full list of grantees can be viewed here. A list of performances can be found via the Continuo Connect website.
Read: Midori receives 2025 ASTA Artist Teacher Award
Read: Violinist Leonidas Kavakos ‘thrown off balance’ by JD Vance booing at the Kennedy Center
The number one source for playing and teaching books, guides, CDs, calendars and back issues of the magazine.
In The Best of Technique you’ll discover the top playing tips of the world’s leading string players and teachers. It’s packed full of exercises for students, plus examples from the standard repertoire to show you how to integrate the technique into your playing.
The Strad’s Masterclass series brings together the finest string players with some of the greatest string works ever written. Always one of our most popular sections, Masterclass has been an invaluable aid to aspiring soloists, chamber musicians and string teachers since the 1990s.
The Canada Council of the Arts’ Musical Instrument Bank is 40 years old in 2025. This year’s calendar celebrates some its treasures, including four instruments by Antonio Stradivari and priceless works by Montagnana, Gagliano, Pressenda and David Tecchler.
No comments yet