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    • Publicity 
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      • ZAREKtrio

        inspiration

        Passion

        ZAREKtrio capture the joy and thrill of live chamber music. We cherish the process as much as the result, connecting with the music, each other, the audience, places, people and ideas.

        HIP

        Performing on period instruments is at the heart of it all - and the ZAREKtrio is keen to share this sound with connoisseurs and the curious alike. (HIP - historically informed performance)

        the Story

        ZAREK was named after Jan Zahourek's great uncle Emil Zahourek, who, as a dancer in Hollywood movies, became Emil Zarek... for stage name purposes. "This greatly angered the rest of the family, who felt betrayed by the change in name. Nonetheless, Emil later moved heaven and earth to rescue his family from war-torn Europe and was in many ways a remarkable and artistic human being. ZAREK is partly dedicated to my idea of him, and his commitment to the arts and friends and family.” (Jan Zahourek)

      • About

        early music - a fresh approach

        Every day we feel lucky and excited to be delving into music we love. We are passionate about bringing these works to life, exploring and sharing them with as many people as might like to listen.

        We aim to develop a wide new territory of performance venues around the UK and abroad, bringing the rich repertoire for violin, viola da gamba and keyboard to diverse audiences hitherto unfamiliar with classical music of any kind.

        Individually, our stories have chapters that inspire our way of communicating and collaborating. Apart from being musicians with all our hearts we also are a plumber, electrician, writer, visual artist, immigrant, brewer, parent, and more. Our musical and extra-musical experiences combined have led us to a point where we desire to prioritise a chamber music practice grounded in respectful, unhurried rehearsal, which, as experienced performers, we know to be irreplaceable in the pursuit of musical excellence.

        violinist Rebecca Harris

        Rebecca Harris

        violin

        Violinist Rebecca Harris performs on period and modern instruments. Her career is a love letter to the rich history of the violin, from work with leading early music ensembles in both the United States and Europe to collaborations on new repertoire.

        gamba player and Zarek founder  Jan Zahourek

        Jan Zahourek

        gamba, violone, double bass

        Like his two fellow musicians, Jan has performed and recorded with many of the UK's leading early music ensembles. Being part of a trio offers him the luxury and freedom of a deep dive into his chosen repertoire together with his friends and colleagues.

        Oliver John Ruthven at the harpsichord

        Oliver John Ruthven

        harpsichord

        Oliver John is an early keyboards specialist and conductor. Equally at home at the harpsichord, chamber organ or conducting, he is making a name for himself as a versatile and dynamic interpreter of early music.

        *you can find the Trio bio and our individual CVs here

        In 2024, we performed at an eclectic mix of venues, including Kino-Teatr in St Leonards-on-Sea; Rocket Van in Lambeth; St John's in Upper Norwood; Beer Lab in Brixton; Heath Street Baptist Church in Hampstead; and the Stroud Arts Festival. Playing for new audiences and seasoned concert-goers in such a diverse range of spaces—from churches to breweries, from barns to community hubs—is central to our mission and identity.


        2025 brings further performances of ‘Bs & Bees’ at the Thüringen Bachwochen, a partnership with If Opera in a staged presentation of works by Carissimi and Monteverdi, and a coaching residency at Benslow Music amongst other engagements.

        "An intimate, atmospheric evening with ZAREKtrio - a rare blend of relaxed ambience, unique sound, and masterful musicianship"

        (an amalgamation of audience feedback at Stroud Arts Festival)
      • Concert Diary

        2025

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        Whales, Warriors, and Love Lost, Sunday 17 August

        Church Farm, Wingfield - IF Opera

        A Baroque Double Feature of Passion and Drama with music by Giacomo Carissimi and Claudio Monteverdi
        Early Baroque composer Carissimi's Historia Jonae tells the dramatic story of Jonah and the whale, followed by a semi-staging of Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, written for the Venetian carnival of 1624 and adapted from an episode in Tasso’s epic, where the Christian knight Tancredi unknowingly battles his beloved Clorinda, a Saracen warrior, leading to a tragic revelation of love and loss.

        For this concert, we are joining forces with the repertory ensemble of IF Opera. Set in the medieval church of St Mary’s, Wingfield, these intimate performances, brought to life on early instruments, offer a rare and memorable experience.

        Tickets
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        Baroque Trios, Monday 18 - Thursday 21 August

        Benslow Music Course, Hertfordshire

        The Baroque Trio Sonata yields a wealth of music from Europe and beyond. This course invites you to explore the joys of chamber music, led by the ZAREKtrio

        Join us in a course focused on the baroque trio sonata. Whether you are an experienced Baroque instrumentalist already part of an ensemble or someone new to Baroque chamber music, this course is for you. We welcome violinists, flautists, recorder players, oboists, cellists, viola da gambists, and harpsichordists.

        Apply
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        MUDlark! Saturday 25 October

        Amersham Concert Club

        Weird. Poignant. Wonderful.

        MUDlark! is a cabinet of curiosities, thieveries, and musical mysteries from the English Baroque and beyond, with music by Purcell, Playford, Hume, Handel,

        Gibbons, and other treasures from the Thames.

        Info
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        Bs & Bees Wednesday 23 April 7.00pm

        Stadtkirche St Peter und Paul, Weimar - Thüringer Bachwochen

        Hier blüht Ihnen was – der floral verzierte Stil des deutschen Hochbarock von Dietrich Buxtehude und Johann Sebastian Bach.
        Für die drei Musiker haben die beiden großen „B“ des Barock und Bienen viel gemeinsam: Die Harmonie im Bienenstock, die Geometrie des Wabenwerks, der dynamische Bienentanz – all das finden sie in der Kammermusik von Bach und Buxtehude wieder. Und auch deren wechselseitige Befruchtung sorgt dafür, dass etwas zum Blühen kommt – der expressive, floral verzierte Stil des deutschen Hochbarock. Ein Konzert zum Mitsummen.

        Tickets
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        Bs & Bees Tuesday 22 April 7.30pm

        Bachhaus, Eisenach - Thüringer Bachwochen

        Hier blüht Ihnen was – der floral verzierte Stil des deutschen Hochbarock von Dietrich Buxtehude und Johann Sebastian Bach.
        Für die drei Musiker haben die beiden großen „B“ des Barock und Bienen viel gemeinsam: Die Harmonie im Bienenstock, die Geometrie des Wabenwerks, der dynamische Bienentanz – all das finden sie in der Kammermusik von Bach und Buxtehude wieder. Und auch deren wechselseitige Befruchtung sorgt dafür, dass etwas zum Blühen kommt – der expressive, floral verzierte Stil des deutschen Hochbarock. Ein Konzert zum Mitsummen.

        Tickets
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        Mudlark Saturday, 8 February 7-8pm

        St Nicolas Church, Guildford, GU2 4AW

        Weird. Poignant. Wonderful.
        MUDlark! is a cabinet of curiosities, thieveries, and musical mysteries from the English Baroque and beyond, with music by Purcell, Playford, Hume, Handel, Gibbons, Byrd, and other treasures from the Thames.

        Tickets
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        Mudlark Friday, 7 February 6pm

        Brasenose College, Oxford

        Weird. Poignant. Wonderful.
        MUDlark! is a cabinet of curiosities, thieveries, and musical mysteries from the English Baroque and beyond, with music by Purcell, Playford, Hume, Handel, Gibbons, Byrd, and other treasures from the Thames.

        2024

        27 October Bs & Bees Heath Street Baptist Church, Hampstead

        26 October Bs & Bees Stroud Arts Festival

        1 September Bs & Bees Kino Theatr, St Leonards-on-Sea

        7 September Bs & Bees, Beer Lab, Brixton

        25 July Bs & Bees, Rocket Van, Lambeth

        26 July Bs & Bees St John's, Upper Norwood

        19 January Giro d'Italia St John's, Upper Norwood

        18 January Giro d'Italia Beer Lab, Brixton

      • Projects

        Explore our most recent projects listed below. We are currently touring with Bs&Bees, and having great fun searching for and digging up treasures for a new programme, inspired by mudlarking.

        Though designed as 60-80 min concerts, lengths, intervals etc can all be discussed and adjusted to the audience and venues. We are open to programme ideas and we do like to experiment.

        Promoters, please download our EPK

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        Weird. Poignant. Wonderful.
        MUDlark! is a cabinet of curiosities, thieveries, and musical mysteries from the English Baroque and beyond, with music by
        Purcell, Playford, Hume, Handel, Gibbons,

        and other treasures from the Thames.

        *mudlarks scour the banks of the tidal river for fragments of London's past, well-trained in the art of seeking.

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        B's and Bees - poster for Buxtehude and Bach concert showing a bee

        Bs&Bees

        Music by Bach and Buxtehude with a decisive nod towards a world that inspires and sustains us.

        Buxtehude trio sonata in a minor, op 1 no 3

        Buxtehude suite for harpsichord no 4 BuxWV 231

        Bach sonata in D for viola da gamba and harpsichord

        Buxtehude trio sonata op 2 no 1 in Bb major

        Bach Violin sonata in e minor BWV 1023 for violin and continuo

        Bach trio sonata in G for violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027 arr. Zarek)

         

        pdf programme 

        Proudly supported by the Continuo Foundation

        poster for Giro d'Italia concert poster

        Giro d'Italia

        A tour through Renaissance and Early Baroque Italy with music by

         

        Diego Ortiz (1510-1570) Naples,

        Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583 - 1643) Rome,

        Dario Castello (1602 - 1631) Venice,

        Biagio Marini (1594 - 1663) Venice,

        Giovanni Batista Bovicelli (1550 - 1594) Milan,

        Giovanni Bassano (1561 - 1617) Venice,

        Arcangelo Corelli (1653 - 1713) Rome


         pdf programme

        Zarek Trio photo

        Tour de Baroque

        through France and Germany with music by
         

        Marin Marais (1656-1728) Paris

        Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) Dijon

        Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767) Hamburg

        Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787) Cöthen/London

        Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) Leipzig

         

         

      •  

        Get in touch with  Jan Zahourek  

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      email

      Jan Zahourek

      (founder/manager)

      email

      Dr Kirsten Fehring (communication)

      Newsletter: Concerts dates and behind-the-scene insights

      find all our concerts listed on Continuo Connect

      webdesign Kirsten Fehring ©2025

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