For audiences new to bel canto and early Baroque music, what can they expect?

Eleanor: Expect to be swept up in the drama. Despite being written centuries ago, this music is immediately relatable – it deals in universal human emotions that haven’t dated at all. I had a great time selecting this repertoire. It’s music that rewards a first-time listener just as much as someone who has spent a lifetime in the concert hall.

Tom: This may be a new experience for many – it’s quite different from mainstream opera or choral concerts. Five voices, each functioning as a soloist while remaining sensitive to the ensemble. It’s accessible, beautiful music, and an absolute joy to perform.

What role does the continuo (cello and harpsichord) play?

Eleanor: Dan Curro and Andrej Kouznetsov provide the harmonic foundation, the “Basso Continuo” on which the singers can play – almost like a contemporary backing track, but one that breathes and responds in real time.

Tom: They also need to be extraordinarily responsive, noticing even a slightly longer breath. They’re reading from “figured bass”, which has an improvisatory element, and both are tasteful, experienced musicians who can really ramp up the drama when the moment calls for it.

When you’re not performing, what’s your go-to way to relax and recharge?

Eleanor: Sewing and reading. I’ve been on a Dickens bender for the past couple of years and always have multiple half-finished sewing projects on the go.

Tom: Cooking and coding – I’m a software engineer by day. I recently bought a sous vide cooker, so Eleanor has been the willing recipient of my home fine-dining experiments.

What do you hope audiences take away from The Birth of Bel Canto?

Eleanor: I hope people are swept away from the everyday mundane for sixty minutes – sitting still, phones down, drinking in live music in a beautiful space. That experience is something modern life or AI will never be able to replace.

Tom: Brisbane audiences rarely get the chance to encounter early music at this level (Thanks to OQ for making it possible!) it’s the kind of concert you’d more readily find in London or Amsterdam. I hope people discover just how accessible and immediate madrigals can be, and leave wanting more.

What other Brisbane Bel Canto festival event are you most excited about?

Eleanor: My sewing and designing can’t get past the costumes for La Cenerentola – the music is wonderful, of course, but those sets and costumes are worth the ticket alone.

Tom: Also La Cenerentola. My early training was in opera, and however deep into oratorio and choral work I get, nothing quite matches the energy and buzz of a fully staged production.