Tutti Bassi
Biography Tutti Bassi
Sarah Freiberg
is a tenured member of the Handel and Haydn Society. Cellist for Blue Hill Bach, the Kennebec Early Music Festival, Newton Baroque, and Music at Eden’s Edge, she has also performed with many of the country’s most prestigious early music orchestras, including Boston Baroque, the New York Collegium, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (San Francisco), Portland Baroque (Oregon), Seattle Baroque, and the Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra. Sarah also frequently plays in the duo “Tutti Bassi” with Colleen McGary-Smith, exploring the rich repertoire of baroque cello sonatas and duos. As a corresponding editor for STRINGS magazine, she has contributed dozens of articles and reviews on a wide range of subjects. Ms. Freiberg edited the long forgotten Guerini cello sonatas for both PRB Productions and Broude Brothers, and recorded both Guerini and Laurenti cello sonatas for Centaur. As well as teaching in the Historical Performance department at Boston University, she is Co-Chair of Strings at the Powers Music School in Belmont and often teaches at the Amherst Early Music Festival. Sarah received her D.M.A. and M.M. degrees from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and holds degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory, Brown University (in American Civilization) and the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Ms. Freiberg can be heard on numerous recordings.
Colleen McGary-Smith
A versatile and adventurous performer, Colleen McGary-Smith appears throughout New England on historical and modern cellos as well as viola da gamba. Colleen is a member of both Boston Baroque and the Handel and Haydn Society, with whom she has recorded on the Linn Records, Coro, and Telarc labels.
Past seasons include performances with The Berry Collective, Les Bostonades, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera, Newton Baroque, Columbus Symphony (Ohio), Erie Philharmonic (PA), and the Washington Bach Consort.
Tutti Bassi, Colleen’s duo with baroque cellist Sarah Freiberg, explores the rich repertoire of baroque cello Sonatas and duos. Colleen has also performed on viola gamba with NYC renaissance ensemble Sonnambula.
Colleen is a dedicated cello teacher and enthusiastic chamber music instructor. She currently teaches at Concord Academy, and the Acton Public Schools. She also maintains a very lively private studio in Littleton, MA. Previous positions include teaching appointments at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Department, Cleveland Institute of Music Preparatory Department and the Community Music School of Boston. Colleen believes that music is for everyone and accepts students of all levels – ages 3 to 103!
Born into a musical family, Colleen began her cello studies at the age of 5 in St. Catherines, Ontario Canada. She attended classes at the Eastman School of Music Preparatory Department and went on to receive her Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with renowned pedagogue Alan Harris. After graduation, Colleen continued her studies with Alan Harris and Richard Aaron while teaching in the Preparatory Department of CIM. She received her Master of Music degree from Boston University where her primary instructors were Andres Diaz on modern cello and Alice Robbins on baroque cello and viola da gamba. Other influential instructors include Jane Hershey, Phoebe Carrai, Timothy Eddy, John Hsu and Suzanne Wijsman.
