Margaret Little (Viola da gamba, Baroque Viola)

Born: Montréal, Quebéc, Canada

The Canadian viola da gamba and viola player, Margaret Little, was born and raised in Montreal in a musical family, playing violin, piano, recorder and guitar as a child. She discovered the viola da gamba at the age of 11 and fell in love instantly with the instrument and early music repertoire. She studied at Régionale de Tilly, Québec. After studying science and then visual arts at Université de Montréal, she came back to music and the viol in her early twenties.

Margaret Little has been performing since 1975 as a soloist and a chamber musician on the viola da gamba and baroque viola with various Montreal-based groups including the Studio de Musique ancienne de Montréal, Les Voix Baroques, Les Boréades, Masques, La Nef and Arion Baroque Orchestra. She founded the viola da gamba duo and consort Les Voix humaines with her colleague Susie Napper in 1985. Together they have toured the world, received critical acclaim and prestigious awards. She also loves to perform as a duo with Sylvain Bergeron, lutenist.

Margaret Little has been invited to perform with many early music groups as a gambist and Baroque violist in Canada and abroad (such as Cappricio Stravagante, Fuocco e Cenere, Rebel, Four Nations, Trinity Consort, Aradia Ensemble, The Publick Musick, Les Violons du Roy (Director: Bernard Labadie), Montréal Baroque (Director: Eric J. Milnes), Theatre of Early Music (Director: Daniel Taylor), Montreal Symphony Orchestra, etc.) and has toured in North America, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Israel and Europe. She can be heard regularly on the SRC and CBC networks. She has also performed for Radio-France, the Spanish radio and the BBC, and has recorded over 100 discs for the Damzell, UMMUS, Naxos, CBC Records labels, and most notably for the ATMA label. Her first solo CD on viola da gamba, «Senza Continuo», was nominated for an Opus Award. Her most recent solo CD, "Doulce Mémoire", features the Art of Diminutions with Sylvain Bergeron.

Margaret Little teaches the viola da gamba at the Faculty of Music, Université de Montréal. She also has a private teaching studio in Montreal and enjoys teaching all levels. She currently lives in Montreal, Quebec.

“Margaret Little continues to prove that she is one of the best gambists on the early music scene today.” - Frédéric Cardin, La Scena Musicale

Sources:
Margaret Little Website & Facebook profile
Photo 01: Étienne Bergeron
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (September 2017)

Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works

Conductor

As

Works

Matthew Larkin

Viola, Viola da gamba

Member of Baroque Orchestra:
[V21-04] (2021, Video): BWV 245

Eric J. Milnes

Viola, Viola da gamba

Member of Montréal Baroque:
Cantatas Vol. 1 (2004): BWV 7, BWV 30, BWV 167
Cantatas Vol. 2 (2005): BWV 130, BWV 19, BWV 149
Cantatas Vol. 3 (2006): BWV 147, BWV 82, BWV 1
Cantatas Vol. 4 (2007): BWV 61, BWV 122, BWV 123, BWV 182
Cantatas Vol. 5 (2010): BWV 72, BWV 81, BWV 155, BWV 156
Cantatas Vol. 6 (2009): BWV 68, BWV 173, BWV 174, BWV 184
Cantatas Vol. 7 (2014): BWV 4, BWV 106, BWV 9, BWV 181
CV-1 (2014, Video): BWV 4, BWV 9, BWV 18, BWV 106, BWV 181

Daniel Taylor

Viola, Viola da gamba

Member of Theatre of Early Music:
C-2 (2001): BWV 53
C-3 (2001): BWV 131, BWV 152, BWV 161
C-4 (2002):BWV 106, BWV 200

Alexander Weimann

Viola, Viola da gamba

Member of Académie Baroque de Montréal:
C-1 (2001): Selections from BWV 84, BWV 182

Alexander Weimann

Viola, Viola da gamba

Member of Tempo Rubato:
C-1 (2011): BWV 54

Recordings of Bach’s Instrumental Works

Conductor

As

Works

Jaap ter Linden

Viola, Viola da gamba

Member of Arion Ensemble:
O-4 (2001): Concerto for flute, violin, harpsichord (Triple Concerto) BWV 1044; Concerto for 3 harpsichords & strings BWV 1061; Orchestral Suite No. 1 BWV 1066 [20:06]; Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 BWV 1050

Recordings of Arrangements/Transcriptions of Bach's Works

Conductor

As

Works

Eric J. Milnes

Viola, Viola da gamba

Bach-B. Haynes: New Brandenburg ConcertoS No. 7-12

Links to other Sites

Margaret Little, viole de gambe / viola da gamba (Official Website) [French/English]
Margaret Little on Facebook
Margaret Little (Les Voix Humaines)