Continuo Foundation awards over £100,000 in second round of grants

The Continuo Foundation, a charity created in 2020 to preserve and support the historical performance sector in the UK, has announced the 23 recipients of its second round of grants.

More than £100,000 will be awarded to period-instrument ensembles to support artistic projects engaging 488 performing artists, both instrumentalists and vocalists, over the next six months.

Additionally, support is being extended to 14 new ensembles and nine who also received a first round grant.

The applicants were assessed on artistic merit, as well as access to alternative funding, live performances and touring, particularly outside of London.

Continuo trustee Hannah French comments: 'We were delighted that some outstandingly creative projects were proposed by groups we had not supported yet. It is great to extend our grantee community to include a total of thirty-seven UK period-instrument ensembles.'

The 23 grant recipients are:

• Academy of Ancient Music
• Amyas, Bach Club Soloists
• The Brook Street Band
• Chelys Consort of Viols
• Concerto Caledonia
• The Early Opera Company Ltd
• The English Concert
• Ensemble Augelletti
• Ex Cathedra
• Feinstein Ensemble
• Florilegium
• Fontanella
• Fretwork
• Gabrieli Consort & Players
• Instruments of Time and Truth
• Istante Collective
• The Mozartists
• Passacaglia Trio
• Pocket Sinfonia
• Rautio Piano Trio
• Sounds Baroque,
• The Telling.

Full details on the ensembles and projects supported in this second round of grants will be made available soon here.