A colorful and charismatic figure in the glittering world of Baroque Venice, Antonio Vivaldi was one of the most influential musicians of the 18th century. Known for his fiery temperament and dazzling virtuosity on the violin, he captivated audiences across Europe and transformed the landscape of instrumental music.
This holiday season, YouTube stars Voices of Music celebrates with the radiant sounds of Vivaldi—music full of brilliance, warmth, and joy—featuring an all-star roster of soloists: Elizabeth Blumenstock, YuEun Kim, Isabelle Seula Lee, Augusta McKay Lodge, Eva Lymenstull, Hanneke van Proosdij, and Shelby Yamin. Performed on period instruments, this program captures the sparkling vitality and expressive depth of Vivaldi’s most beloved works.
At the heart of the concert is The Four Seasons, celebrating its 300th anniversary—Vivaldi’s most celebrated and enduring masterpiece. Each of the four concertos—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—paints a vivid portrait of nature’s changing moods, from singing birds and murmuring brooks to rolling thunder and icy winds. With astonishing imagination, Vivaldi transforms the natural world into music that continues to inspire wonder three centuries later. The colorful detail and emotional immediacy of The Four Seasons reveal not only Vivaldi’s genius for tone painting but also his ability to connect sound with the cycles of human life and the seasons of the heart.
The Recorder Concerto in C Major, RV 444 sparkles with playful brilliance, its quicksilver lines darting with festive spirit. In contrast, the Cello Concerto in A Minor, RV 419 explores a more introspective sound world—lyrical, expressive, and rich with emotional depth, culminating in a thrilling ground-bass variation. Rounding out the program, the Concerto for Four Violins in B Minor RV 580 dazzles with exhilarating ensemble virtuosity as four soloists weave a lively tapestry of counterpoint and conversation.
Together, these works offer a luminous celebration of the holidays—music that captures both the splendor of Baroque Venice and the enduring spirit of joy, renewal and light.