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Duo Dorado
'Duo Dorado have a Midas touch'
'The mesmerising sounds of the harpsichord and baroque violin blended together in exquisite harmonies. The evening was truly a delight.’
Duo - Instrumental
Instrumentation
- Hazel Brooks - baroque violin, viola d'amore
- David Pollock - harpsichord
Repertoire
We are specialists in baroque repertoire for violin and harpsichord.
Our programmes generally comprise a mix of famous baroque names, such as Bach, Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi, with captivating little-known gems by composers such as Matteis, Finger, and Croft. These are very popular with audiences. We can also offer more specialist programmes. Programmes can be tailored in length and content to suit a particular audience, theme or venue. We present the music to the audience with spoken introductions between pieces.
We generally bring our own harpsichord and some programmes include viola d'amore as well as violin.
For more information and programme ideas, please visit our website.
Biography
Duo Dorado is formed of two prize-winning period-instrument specialists, with a shared passion for performing baroque repertoire and bringing it to a wider audience. Since becoming Making Music selected artists in 2015-16, Duo Dorado has appeared extensively across the UK and beyond. They have been praised for their colourful and dynamic presentation of a wide spectrum of early music, from Bach, Vivaldi and other familiar masters to works which are almost completely unknown.
Both Hazel and David are fascinated by the historical background of the music and enjoy the process of turning dusty old manuscripts into living performances. They have an ongoing project exploring seventeenth-century British repertoire, which has led to a number of ground-breaking recordings. The latest is 'A Bohemian in London: Violin Sonatas by Gottfried Finger' on the Chandos label, which received international acclaim and was awarded five stars by BBC Music Magazine.
Within the UK, the duo has played at major venues including the South Bank Centre (London), St David’s Hall (Cardiff), The Fairfield Halls (Croydon) and St George’s Brandon Hill (Bristol), as well as in festivals from Devon to Scotland. Duo Dorado is also keen to promote baroque music beyond the formal setting of traditional concert halls, and has performed in museums, castles, schools, village halls, libraries and even a Roman villa! They also offer informal recitals in private houses.