New Baroque Orchestra
Early Music is for everyone! Are you interested in studying and playing Baroque music? The New Baroque Orchestra (NBO) is a community-driven ensemble that is open to instrumentalists of all levels and backgrounds.
With the caring guidance of NBO Director and seasoned performer and teaching artist, Stef Creswell, NBO offers a supportive environment for musicians of all levels to delve into the beauty of Baroque music and the joys of shared ensemble experiences. Amateur and professional musicians are welcome, as are all types of period instruments and modern violins, violas and cellos (as long as your instrument can tune to A = 415). No audition is required.
Offered in seasonal sessions during the Fall and Winter/Spring, participants can enroll from session to session, which consists of:
- 7 rehearsals
- 1 dress rehearsal
- One concert
Enrollment is $200 per session; however, no one is turned away due to financial constraints.
Fall 2026 Session
All activities will be held at Trinity Parish Church (609 8th Ave – Seattle, WA 98104) in the Parish Hall.
- Rehearsals: September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 10, 17, 24 (10am – 12pm)
- Dress Rehearsal: October 31 (10am – 12pm)
- Concert: November 1 (3pm)
For registration or financial aid questions, please contact Jessi Harvey. For programmatic and repertoire questions, contact NBO Director, Stef Creswell.
About the Repertoire
Past programs include works by Bach, Scarlatti, Telemann, Hanel, Albinoni, Graupner and others.
About the Instruments
Amateur and professional musicians welcome! Baroque violin, viola de gamba, recorder, flute, double reeds, contrabass, plucked instruments (Baroque guitar, lute, theorbo), modern violin, viola, cello, percussion – just tune to A=415! Inquire about brass.
About the Director
Stef Creswell is an enthusiastic proponent of both chamber music and baroque orchestras. His lifelong participation in both, and long affiliation with Seattle institutions, allow him the confidence to take on the directorship of the New Baroque Orchestra. He has played with members of the Lafayette Quartet, studied with the Juilliard and Borodin quartets, and performed as a member of the Alighieri Quartet and the Alder Quartet. Stef has attended International String Quartet competitions and several workshops. Since 1986, he also has been a student of early music. His first teacher in these endeavors was Stanley Ritchie, at Indiana University. Thereafter he has worked with August Wenzinger, Gustav Leonhardt, Phoebe Carrai, and Jean Lamon, among others, having studied at the Amherst and Oberlin summer institutes, and also performed and recorded with Tafelmusik. Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, Stef has played solos with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra and Seattle Baroque Orchestra, been a founding member of the Seattle New Music Ensemble, taught chamber music in the schools for 12 years through the Seattle Chamber Music Society, and recently completed his third year as Chamber Music Program Coordinator at Summer Strings, the Cascade Youth Orchestra’s day-camp for young musicians.
The New Baroque Orchestra is a refulgent star in the firmament of Seattle’s glittering community orchestra scene. We explore the inexhaustibly rich baroque orchestra repertoire in a supportive atmosphere that allows our membership the opportunity to experiment with baroque techniques and styles, and to bring the music to life! All playing levels are welcome, and for that matter, so are all instruments, provided you’re willing to experiment a little. Providing space for over 25 years, NBO is currently led by Stef Creswell. The group typically rehearses once weekly for a couple of months, leading up to a cathartic show…and then it all starts again a couple of months later! Come play! Learn some new party tricks! Swing some eighth notes (quavers)! Propitiate both Apollo and Dionysus! Get to know some fun folks and go deep into the metaphysics of what it means to play music authentically!
