Michael Fields, lute, archlute, chitarrone/theorbo,
baroque guitar, harp & director, was born
in Hawaii, with the song of the surf and the rhythm
of ukeleles making a lasting impression on him.
He began his musical journey playing folk, rock
and jazz in California and Australia, until a
romantic interest in older music took him to England
in 1974 to study classical guitar and lute. His
career as a performer, opera director and teacher
has since taken him back around the world several
times, and has led to many rewarding and interesting
collaborations along the way, including directing
a performance of Dido & Aeneas in Belgrade
in 1996 with Predrag Gosta as the Sorceress and
Evelyn Tubb as Dido. Recent highlights have been
characteristically diverse, and included being
the guitar soloist in Rodrigo’s "Concerto
de Aranjuez" with the Camden Chamber Orchestra
in London, giving a guitar recital in a Benedictine
Monastery in Big Sur, California, playing guitar
and harmonica on a CD promoting organic breakfast
cereals and playing the lute on Van Morrison’s
latest CD! He directs the medieval vocal ensemble,
Vox Animae, whose CD and video recording of Ordo
Virtutum by Hildegard of Bingen has received international
acclaim. Michael is also a popular teacher, teaching
courses in many parts of the world, including
Finland, Latvia, Poland and Italy, as well as
England. His extra-musical interests include painting,
carpentry, Tai chi, psychology and philosophy.
Since meeting as students, Evelyn and Michael
have enjoyed a fruitful partnership exploring
music from folk-song to their own compositions,
but have specialised in Renaissance, Baroque and
early Romantic songs to the lute or guitar. They
have achieved an empathy and communication with
each other, the music and the audience which has
found followers from Japan and Australia to Europe.
Critics have praised “the absolute affinity
between voice and instrument” achieved by
the duo. To date they have recorded five CDs together
- three of English Ayres, one of Italian baroque
arias by Sigismondo D’India, and a collection
of Lieder with 19th century guitar. Their most
recent recording is a critically acclaimed CD
with their ensemble, Sprezzatura, of music by
Daniel Purcell (Henry’s younger brother).
Photo credit: Richard Calmes