Duo Pathopoeia
London based HP Duo specialising in 17th-century repertoire.
Matthew Millkey, violin
Kiele Sacco, keyboard
About Duo Pathopoeia
Duo Pathopoeia, named after the eponymous musical-rhetorical figure defined in Joachim Burmeister’s Musica Poetica (1606), is a violin-keyboard duo specialising in the performance of 17th century repertoire. Violinist Matthew Millkey and historical keyboardist Kiele Sacco began collaborating while studying at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and have since curated several recital programmes, particularly highlighting the stylus phantasticus. With a keen interest in research, the duo endeavors both to bring forgotten works to the concert stage and to present new interpretations of well-known staples of the repertoire. Recent projects include the recording of four different versions of JP von Westhoff’s Sonata “la Guerra”, each one performed in the style of a different well-known violinist of the Baroque period. Based in London, Matthew and Kiele are both founding members of The Great Bear Ensemble.
Matthew Millkey
British-American Baroque violinist, Matthew Millkey, is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. He has preformed with numerous Early Music ensembles around England, including the Academy of Ancient Music, Florilegium, the BBC Singers, Endelienta Baroque (as a guest principal player), Noxwode Baroque, and Ensemble OrQuesta. Matthew has participated in multiple live radio broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, and has appeared in music festivals including the Boston Early Music Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, and the Tilford Bach Festival. As a modern violinist, Matthew has performed with orchestras including the Evansville Philharmonic, Owensboro Symphony, and Richmond Symphony. Matthew is also currently a PhD candidate at the Royal College of Music, where his research investigates violin technique in the period 1630-1700, specifically the practice of holding the violin against the chest. Matthew plays on a Baroque violin by Hugh Saville, kindly on loan to him from the Royal College of Music.
Kiele Sacco
Kiele (Ki) Sacco is an American harpsichordist and MMUS graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied with James Johnstone and Nicholas Parle. She holds dual Bachelor's degrees in harpsichord and computer science from Indiana University, where she also pursued secondary studies in organ, carillon, recorder, and viola da gamba. Recent performances include appearances at Prangins Baroque in Switzerland with The Great Bear Ensemble, The Music Summer School and Festival, Benslow Music, The London International Festival of Early Music, and The Dartington Summer School. Ki has worked with renowned musicians such as Steven Devine, Bojan Cicic, Emma Kirkby, John Butt, Rachel Podger, and Nigel North. In addition to performing, she is passionate about early keyboard tuning, temperaments, and instrument maintenance.