Baroque Music Festival

Written By Jean Allen

Baroque Music Festival, Institut Français d’Écosse

 Thursday 9 - Saturday 18 April 2026

 The Institut Français d’Écosse, situated in a striking Victorian building on West Parliament Square, is a powerhouse of Gallic culture in Edinburgh, offering French language courses, films, a library, and concerts of all genres of music. It also houses a great restaurant called, naturellement, ‘Le Bistrot’.

 In April the Second Baroque Festival organised by the Institut presents five concerts, taking us on a musical journey through the great Baroque traditions of France, England, Scotland, Germany, and Italy.

 The Festival begins with a solo recital from the young Irish guitarist Alexander Krylov, currently studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. The concert includes works by Bach, Scarlatti and Couperin.  

 ‘Blessed Echoes’, from the French instrumental and vocal group Ensemble Près de votre oreille, is a programme of lesser-known English lute songs for four voices and four instruments.

 In their first Scottish concert Ensemble Amarillis (flute, bass viol, and harpsichord) present ‘Jeux de Dames’, a portrait of love.

 The Director of the Dunedin Consort John Butt leads a musical tour of Italy, France, England, and Germany on the harpsichord. Very fitting, as the predecessor of the Baroque Music Festival was a series of annual festivals centred on the harpsichord called ‘Harpsichord en Fête’.

 The Festival ends with a two part Italian evening, in partnership with the Italian Consulate and the Italian Institute of Culture in Edinburgh. A solo recital by the young Scots-Italian keyboard player Monika D’Ermo is followed by the Italian group Cenacoco Musicale with a programme of vocal and instrumental works, including works by the 18th century Italian composer Francesco Barsanti who was employed by the Edinburgh Musical Society.

 The Baroque Music Festival is a great European addition to the musical life of Edinburgh. Vive la France, and Viva l’Italia!

 For further details and tickets: https://www.ifecosse.org.uk/festivals-and-series/baroque-music-festival-2026/#/

 

 Photo: Institut Français d’Écosse

Jean Allen

Jean fell in love with music at her state primary school, where every pupil was encouraged to be in a choir, play a recorder, and learn a stringed instrument. As part of a varied career in librarianship, she was Music Librarian at Nottingham University. She is on the committee of the Friends of St Cecilia’s Hall and Museum.

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