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The Malaysian harpsichordist, Anastasia Binti Abu Bakar, obtained her Bachelor of Music in Harpsichord from Hochschule für Musik Freiburg (2007-2012); her Master of Music (ERASMUS) degree in Harpsichord from Conservatorio Statale di Musica 'Luigi Cherubini' in Florence (2012); and her Master of Music degree in Harpsichord from Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main (2012-2014). Her teachers in these institutes included Robert Hill, Alfonso Fedi, and Eva Maria Pollerus, also working closely with Jesper Christensen.
Anastasia Abu Bakar has appeared as soloist with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (2002), Janus Ensemble Freiburg, Tactus, Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, and various other period-instrument ensembles. She has given recitals at venues including the Museo San Marco (Florence), Florentine “Notte Bianca” Festival, and Schlosskonzerte Bad Krozingen, cited by the Jungfrau Zeitung for “technical brilliance and extraordinary virtuosity”, and, in 2019, J.S. Bach's complete Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) at Oklahoma City University.
As chamber musician Anastasia Abu Bakar has collaborated with principals or leaders of such ensembles as the Freiburger Barockorchester, European Union Baroque Orchestra, La Stagione Frankfurt, Apollo's Fire, and Cölner Barockorchester as well as faculty of institutions including the Longy School of Music and the conservatories of Amsterdam, Freiburg, and Frankfurt. Her chamber music partners have been Friedemann Immer, Michael Schneider (recorder), and a host of young artists of her generation, including Tabea Debus (recorder), Lorenzo Gabriele, and Steuart Pincombe. She also performs regularly with (Baroque) violinist Benjamin Shute as the Highlands Duo, with whom she has performed at institutions including Dickinson College, Wheaton College Conservatory of Music, Oklahoma Baptist University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, and the Music School of Delaware. In addition to recitals of Baroque repertoire, the duo has premiered original reconstructions of J.S. Bach’s lost D-minor violin concerto (BWV 1052R) and incompletely surviving D Major sinfonia (BWV 1045) as well as new music for violin and harpsichord. Orchestral continuo experience includes opera/oratorio performances for the Rheingau Musik Festival and Schlossfestspiele Marburg as well as collaborations with the Janus Ensemble Freiburg, Tactus (Oklahoma City), and the Oklahoma Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra. She has also served as a répétiteur for theater and oratorio productions including Alessandro Scarlatti’s La Colpa, il Pentimento, la Grazia for the 2013 Rheingau Musik Festival.
Recording include partipation as soloist in a CD project produced by the Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts commemorating the 50th anniversary of Paul Hindemith's death (December 2013), and live performances broadcast on Classical KUCO radio.
As an educator, Anastasia Abu Bakar worked at Delaware State University (Staff Accompanist: January-June 2016) and has held residencies with Baroque violinist Benjamin Shute at institutions including Wheaton Conservatory, Dickinson College, and Ouachita Baptist University. Since August 2018, she serves as Adjunct Instructor of Harpsichord and Director of Oklahoma City University Early Music Ensemble.
A specialist in the various national styles of basso continuo, her publications include historically informed continuo realizations for Blavet’s six Sonatas mêlées de pièces, Op. 2 (2018); J.S. Bach's D-major sinfonia, BWV 1045 (2017); and J.S. Bach's youthful G-minor fugue for violin and continuo, BWV 1026 (1018), all though PRB Productions. |
