Princeton – Cut Circle Renaissance Vocal Ensemble

CUT CIRCLE presents “gravity-defying” performances of Renaissance polyphony. Our bold, confident singing is informed by deep knowledge of the music’s twists and turns, as well as cutting-edge research that relies on primary documents to unlock questions of performance practice. As a non-profit organization we give concerts and lecture-recitals, organize workshops, and publish recordings for students, scholars, and general audiences alike. The ensemble has performed at venues throughout the United States and in Europe, with recent festival appearances at Musica Sacra (Maastricht, The Netherlands) and Laus Polyphoniae (Antwerp, Belgium).

Founded in 2003 by Jesse Rodin (Artistic Director), the ensemble has been praised for its “masterful,” “driving,” and “expressive” performances of music by Guillaume Du Fay, Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin des Prez, and their contemporaries. Cut Circle is the 2010 recipient of the Noah Greenberg Award (American Musicological Society), which recognizes outstanding contributions to historical performing practices. Our recordings are available from Musique en Wallonie. Current projects include an album of courtly love songs by Antoine Busnoys and Johannes Ockeghem, and a new series of medieval feasting events.

The ensemble is named for a symbol that in the fifteenth century functioned as both a time signature and a tempo marking—and indeed we take seriously the tempo implications of signs such as “Cut Circle.”