Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Stumpf and Daniel Ryan.
Suzanne and Daniel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
We founded our chamber music ensemble back in the late 1980’s. When we first met, we were already specialists in historical performance and had already had separate experiences playing Baroque and Classical music on period instruments in historic buildings in Europe. When we were planning to give concerts in the Boston area, we decided it might be very meaningful for audiences here to experience the unification of historical music, instruments, and architecture in New England. On a hunch that the old Boston Post Road was a very old travel route from the 18th century, we decided to research and trace its route in search of historical buildings for our concerts. We hit the jackpot, finding terrific venues in Boston and many communities stretching out through MetroWest to Worcester. We are now in the 29th season of our subscription concert series. We also have been invited to perform concerts at music festivals from New England to Mexico to Germany and have eight commercial CD recordings in our discography.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
At the beginning of this concert series project, our enthusiasm led us to overstretch ourselves! In our second season, we traced the old Post Road all the way down through Connecticut and were trying to manage far too many concert sites across both Massachusetts and Connecticut. We soon learned that we would be more successful at developing our following by concentrating on a smaller number of venues. Hence, we have chosen to limit sites to communities from Boston to Worcester. Even this scope of venues is much broader than most presenting ensembles.
Please tell us about Musicians of the Old Post Road.
Musicians of the Old Post Road is a Boston-based chamber ensemble that specializes in the period instrument performance of dynamic and diverse music from the Baroque to early Romantic eras. We take our name from our acclaimed concert series, begun in 1989. The concert series brings period instrument performances to historical buildings in communities along the route of the old Boston Post Road, the first thoroughfare connecting Boston and New York City beginning in the 1670s. Our programming takes audiences on a journey full of history, imagination, and discovery. We specialize in finding and premiering works that have remained unheard for centuries, presenting these works in fascinating thematic programs. Our programming has garnered awards from the American Musicological Society, Chamber Music America, and the US-Mexico Fund for Culture.
Pricing:
- Three- and four-concert subscription packages starting at $81
- Single ticket prices: $35 Prioroty seating; $30 General admission
- College students $10 with ID
Contact Info:
- Address: 318 Bear Hill Road, Suite 9
Waltham, MA 02451 - Website: www.oldpostroad.org
- Phone: 781.466.6694
- Email: musicians@oldpostroad.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musiciansoftheoldpostroad/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Musicians-of-the-Old-Post-Road/120828520467
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/musiciansopr
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/musiciansopr/feed
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
