FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Philadelphia, PA – Piffaro, the Renaissance Band proudly unveils its 41st season, a year that balances virtuosic and sensitive instrumental performances with dynamic collaborations featuring exceptional vocalists. All concerts will be performed live in Philadelphia and Wilmington, DE, and professionally filmed for online streaming, ensuring access for audiences worldwide. December and May’s concerts will also be performed in New York City. For tickets, program details, and streaming information, visit www.piffaro.org/tix.
October and March concert programs showcase the ensemble’s mastery of its extraordinary collection of period instruments: shawms, dulcians, krumhorns, douçaines, Deutsche schalmeis, recorders, flutes, bagpipes, sackbuts, slide trumpets, lutes, guitars, hurdy-gurdies, and all manner of percussion.
In December, the band reunites with TENET Vocal Artists in a joyous celebration of German Christmas music from Michael Praetorius and his contemporaries.
The season concludes in May with “Eagle & Empire: Music of Colonial Mexico,” a historically rich program exploring the cultural friction and fusion of European and indigenous musical traditions in colonial-era Mexico. Piffaro will be joined by an esteemed roster of vocalists: sopranos Nell Snaidas and Estelí Gomez, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Duarte, tenor Jonatan Alvarado, and bass-baritone Andrew Padgett.
For this ambitious project, funded by a grant from the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Piffaro partners with Brujo de la Mancha, co-founder of Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac (OYC), Philadelphia’s first Aztec dance troupe and a leading advocate for preserving Mexicayotl traditions. The Friday performance at Esperanza Arts Center’s Teatro Esperanza will feature Aztec dance and traditional indigenous foods prepared by OYC.
“I began dreaming of this concert almost as soon as I stepped into my role three years ago,” says Herreid. “It’s music of profound beauty and complexity, born of cultural encounter, confrontation, and transformation.”
Community Engagement and Education
Piffaro’s relationship with Esperanza Arts Center, a key institution in Philadelphia’s Latino arts community, continues to grow. “We’re especially excited about deepening this partnership,” says Executive Director Shannon Cline. “A 2023 residency sparked a dialogue that led to May’s concert and the development of a new youth education initiative.”
Launching this fall, a free flauta dulce (recorder) class will be offered through Esperanza’s after-school music program. Designed and taught by longtime music educator and Piffaro board member Miriam Arbelo, the class is supported by generous grants from The Presser Foundation and the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia.
“The recorder is an ideal tool for developing love of and aptitude for music,” says Herreid. “I smile every time I think of the students in this new class—I can’t wait to see how it blossoms.”
Piffaro’s beloved Recorder Fest also returns on March 7 in Philadelphia—a free, family-friendly event that celebrates one of the world’s most accessible and enjoyable instruments.
2025/2026 DATES
Tools of the Trade: Exploring a Renaissance Musicians’ Arsenal
- October 10 – Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Sq., Philadelphia
- October 11 – Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
- October 12 – Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington
- Streaming online October 25–November 7
Ein Kind Geborn: A German Christmas
- December 4 – Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, Manhattan
- December 5 – Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Sq., Philadelphia
- December 6 – Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Philadelphia
- December 7 – Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wilmington
- Streaming online December 19–January 1
Recorder Fest!
- March 7 in Philadelphia
Ferrara: Splendor of the Renaissance
- March 13 – Church of the Holy Trinity, Rittenhouse Sq., Philadelphia
- March 14 – Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
- March 15 – Christ Church Christiana Hundred, Wilmington
- Streaming online Mar 27–April 9
Eagle & Empire: Music of Colonial Mexico
- May 8 – Teatro Esperanza, Philadelphia
- May 9 – Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia
- May 10 – Westminster Presbyterian Church, Wilmington
- May 12 – Venue TBA, New York City
- Streaming online May 22–June 4
