Thomas Folan, Artistic Director

Thomas Folan is a specialist in the music of the Baroque. At home with the repertoire from the 16^th to the 18^th Centuries, he is an expert in the music of J. S. Bach, particularly the large-scale choral works. Thomas Folan is the Artistic Director and conductor of Publick Musick, a nationally recognized baroque orchestra and chorus. The distinguished German musicologist, Alfred Mann, Professor Emeritus of the Eastman School of Music, and Frieder Bernius, director of the Kammerchor Stuttgart, are among his mentors. Thomas Folan, holds degrees from Oberlin College, Ithaca College, and a Doctorate in Conducting (2003) from the Eastman School of Music.

Publick Musick is an award-winning orchestra and choir devoted to performing the masterworks of the Baroque era. Founded in 1995, the Publick Musick is based in Rochester, New York and appears regularly throughout the Northeastern United States. The ensemble comprises musicians from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences who perform their core repertoire with attention to performance practice and on period instruments. The founder music director of the ensemble is Thomas Folan. Publick Musick invests equal importance in both its vocal and instrumental personnel. All vocal soloists are drawn from the chorus, which gives Publick Musick’s sound a uniquely homogenous combination of clarity and strength, Publick Musick has appeared at Boston Early Music Festival, Bloomington Early Music Festival and Rochester Bach Festival, and has also made several national and international concert tours. In addition to this debut recording of Bach’s four Missae breves, BWV 233-236, Publick Musick has also recorded cantatas BWV 45, Es ist dir gesagt; BWV 62, Nun komm der Heiden Heiland; BWV 140, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme and BWV 192, Nun danket alle Gott.

Future releases with Publick Musick: