Sala: Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts: Performance Hall, Chicago

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot...” Each New Year’s Day, thousands of people join in traditional chorus to this hallowed strain, yet very few are aware of the origin of these beloved lyrics – the pen of Robert Burns.

Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante – tour de force superstars in the world of historically-informed performance. Ever since I had first purchased their CD of Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico as a youngster, I have been in totally awe of the sheer brilliance of their playing. No longer were the familiar Vivaldi concertos mundane Suzuki student pieces; now they were living, breathing virtuosic showpieces.