The Sebastians: Brandenburg Concertos

The Sebastians are a dynamic and vital musical ensemble specializing in music of the baroque and classical eras. Lauded as “everywhere sharp-edged and engaging” (The New York Times), the Sebastians have also been praised for their “well-thought-out articulation and phrasing” (Early Music Review) and “elegant string playing… immaculate in tuning and balance” (Early Music Today).

Their 2018 unconducted St. Matthew Passion with TENET Vocal Artists was called “shattering” and “a performance of uncommon naturalness and transparency” (The New York Times).

Known for their passionate and historically informed performances, the Sebastians have appeared at major festivals and series across the country, including the Princeton Festival, Emerald City Music, Gretna Music Festival, Early Music at Saint James, Music Before 1800, and the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments. Other notable appearances include performances at Trinity Wall Street’s Twelfth Night Festival and Concerts@One series, Early Music in Columbus, the Renaissance and Baroque Society of Pittsburgh, the Academy of Early Music, and Houston Early Music. Their dedication to engaging performances has brought them to audiences in intimate chamber settings as well as larger-scale productions of baroque masterworks.

Recent seasons have included dozens of innovative programs, including collaborations with poets, choreographers, and actors; a musical installation in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine; explorations of musical “immigration” and nationalism; and major works of J.S. Bach. Future plans include a one-per-part Bach Mass in B Minor, collaborations with drag artists and projection designers, educational programs for young musicians, and new video productions—building on the success of their 2018 video of Vivaldi’s La folia, which has garnered over 211,000 views.

Keyboardist and conductor Jeffrey Grossman specializes in vital, engaging performances of music of the past, through processes that are intensely collaborative and historically informed. As the artistic director of the acclaimed baroque ensemble the Sebastians, in recent seasons Jeffrey directed concerts including Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions and Handel’s Messiah from the organ and harpsichord, in collaboration with TENET Vocal Artists. Jeffrey is a frequent performer with TENET, the Green Mountain Project, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and numerous other ensembles across the country. He was musical director for the 2019 Boston Early Music Festival Young Artists Training Program, where he conducted Handel’s Orlando from the harpsichord. For thirteen seasons, he toured portions of the rural United States with artists of the Piatigorsky Foundation, performing outreach concerts to underserved communities. Jeffrey can be heard on the Avie, Gothic, Naxos, Albany, Soundspells, Métier, and MSR Classics record labels. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he holds degrees from Harvard College, the Juilliard School, and Carnegie Mellon University. Jeffrey teaches performance practice at Yale University.

Praised as an “excellent” and “evocative” violinist (The New York Times), Nicholas DiEugenio leads a versatile performing life as a chamber musician, leader, and soloist in music ranging from early baroque to current commissions. Together with pianist Mimi Solomon, Nicholas has recorded the albums Into the Silence (2017) and Unraveling Beethoven (2018) on the New Focus label. His award-winning recording of the complete Schumann violin sonatas with fortepiano is available on the Musica Omnia label. Regarded as an inspiring teacher, Nicholas is currently Assistant Professor of Violin at UNC Chapel Hill. Nicholas holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music (B.M, M.M) and the Yale School of Music (D.M.A., A.D.). As a core member of the Sebastians, Nicholas performs on a violin made by Karl Dennis in 2011, and also on a 1734 violin made by Dom Nicolo Amati.

Hailed for his “scampering virtuosity” (American Record Guide) and “superb” playing (The New York Times), cellist Ezra Seltzer is the principal cellist of the Trinity Baroque Orchestra, New York Baroque Incorporated, and Early Music New York and a founding member of the Sebastians. He has frequently appeared as guest principal cellist of Musica Angelica and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, where he earned praise for his “delicate elegance and rambunctious spirit” (Twin Cities Pioneer Press) in performances of all six Brandenburg Concertos. Other performances with the SPCO include Handel’s Messiah with Jonathan Cohen and J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Paul McCreesh. With Musica Angelica, he appeared in performances of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion in Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and also performed in an international tour with soprano Emma Kirkby and countertenor Daniel Taylor. This summer he will be the associate principal cellist at the Carmel Bach Festival and will also appear as a soloist with Apollo’s Fire in concerts in Cleveland and New York. He attended Yale University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in history and Master of Music in cello, and graduated from the inaugural class of Juilliard’s historical performance program.

Praised for his “ravishing vehemence” and “soulful performance” (The New York Times), violinist Daniel S. Lee has appeared as a soloist and leader with Early Music New York, Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Quodlibet Ensemble, and Yale Schola Cantorum, among others. He is the founding director of the critically-acclaimed period ensemble, the Sebastians. He has given lectures and masterclasses at Connecticut College, Manhattan School of Music, Purchase College (SUNY), University of Kansas, and UNC Chapel Hill. He is currently on the faculty at Yale School of Music.