New compositions, improvisations and baroque masterpieces
Maya Homburger, baroque violin and Barry Guy, bass
Double bassist and composer Barry Guy, one of the most virtuosic and inventive voices in improvised music, joins forces with baroque violinist Maya Homburger, whose distinctive approach to early music is deeply informed by the freedom and creativity of improvisation. Since meeting on an Academy of Ancient Music tour in 1988, the duo have developed a unique musical partnership, bringing together their shared passions for early music, contemporary composition and spontaneous creation. The music of the Homburger/Guy Duo creates a conduit through which music from the 17th century and earlier can mingle effortlessly with contemporary music and improvisations.
Maya Homburger moved to England to perform with leading early music ensembles and became a principal member of Sir John Eliot Gardiner’s English Baroque Soloists. Since meeting composer and double bassist Barry Guy during a tour with Christopher Hogwood’s Academy of Ancient Music in 1988, she has developed a distinctive artistic practice that bridges baroque performance, improvisation, and contemporary music. Alongside directing new music projects and running her label, Maya Recordings, she is particularly renowned for her interpretations of Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber’s Mystery Sonatas and the chamber music and cantatas of J.S. Bach.
Barry Guy is an internationally acclaimed double bassist and composer whose work spans jazz improvisation, contemporary composition, chamber music, orchestral performance, and solo recitals. Founder and Artistic Director of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra and the Barry Guy New Orchestra (BGNO), he has created a substantial body of work for ensembles, chamber groups, and soloists. His major projects include The Blue Shroud (2014), inspired by Picasso’s Guernica and featuring texts by Irish poet Kerry Hardie, and a 2019 commission for the Kronos Quartet’s 50 for the Future series. Honoured with an Honorary Doctorate from Middlesex University and an Honorary Professorship at Copenhagen’s Rhythmic Conservatory, Guy continues to perform extensively across Europe.
The Homburger/Guy Duo emerged from a shared interest in bringing baroque repertoire into dialogue with free improvisation and newly commissioned works. Together they have appeared at major jazz, contemporary music, and early music festivals throughout Europe and Canada. After nine years living in Ireland, where they contributed significantly to both the early and contemporary music scenes, Maya and Barry moved to Switzerland in 2006. Their connection with Ireland remains strong: from 2011–2017 they directed the Barrow River Arts Festival (BRAF), and they continue to perform regularly at Irish festivals and concert series, including with Camerata Kilkenny.