Ars Antigua to perform concert at Byron Colby Barn

Ars Antigua performs "A Baroque Bestiary" at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Byron Colby Barn in Grayslake. Admission is $18 for adults and is available at the door only (cash or check). To inspire early appreciation for the arts, children younger than 16 are admitted free.

This performance is part of the 12th annual Early Music Series, featuring highly acclaimed musicians performing music from the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. Season tickets to all 6 performances in the Early Music Series are available for $90 per person at www.prairiecrossing.com/bcbarn. Audience members are welcome to bring a bottle of wine to share with friends during performances.

The Nov. 10 “A Baroque Bestiary” performance by Ars Antigua commemorates the famous Baroque Menagerie in Vienna's Belvedere Park. Built by the Hapsburg emperor Charles III in 1716, the Menagerie caused a sensation with exotic animals including white bears, giraffes, leopards, hyenas, lions, cheetahs, camels and monkeys.

Ars Antigua (William Bauer and Brandi Berry, violins; Susan Rozendaal, viola; Anna Steinhoff, violoncello; Jeff Noonan, lute and theorbo; Jerry Fuller, violone) pays homage to the Animal Kingdom as seen through the lens of William Byrd, Antonio Vivaldi, Marco Uccellini, Henry Purcell and others. Ars Antigua believes that music is most profound when performed using techniques and instruments from the time period when it was composed. Their performances are critically acclaimed for technical excellence, emotional impact, and historical scholarship.

Joel Spears is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Early Music Series, and an active lutenist and guitarist based in the Chicago area. He has performed as a soloist and with ensembles including Lyric Opera of Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Bella Voce, and Music of the Baroque. Joel is currently Lute Instructor at the Music Institute of Chicago.

Incredible music and architectural beauty combine to create a unique concert experience at the Byron Colby Barn. The Byron Colby Barn is located at 1561 Jones Point Road in Grayslake, inside the Prairie Crossing conservation community. From I-94, exit Route 120 west, turn south at Route 45, then right at Jones Point Road. Ample free parking is located adjacent to the Barn. Information about upcoming performances is at www.prairiecrossing.com/bcbarn.