Our Work

Cut Circle presents “masterful,” “driving,” and “expressive” performances of Renaissance polyphony. Our bold, confident singing is informed by deep knowledge of the music’s twists and turns as well as cutting-edge research that uses on primary documents to unlock questions of performance practice. As a non-profit organization we give concerts and lecture-recitals, organize workshops, and publish recordings for students, scholars, and general audiences alike. The ensemble has performed at venues throughout the United States and in Europe, with recent festival appearances at Musica Sacra (Maastricht, The Netherlands), Laus Polyphoniae (Antwerp, Belgium), and the Tage Alter Musik (Regensburg, Germany).

Founded in 2003 by Jesse Rodin (Director), Cut Circle specializes in the music of Guillaume Du Fay, Johannes Ockeghem, Josquin des Prez, and their contemporaries. In 2010 the ensemble received the Noah Greenberg Award (American Musicological Society), which recognizes outstanding contributions to historical performing practices. Cut Circle has also received the Prix Olivier Messiaen, Editor’s Choice (Gramophone), and a Diapason d’Or. Current projects include a series of recordings devoted to the songs of Johannes Ockeghem and his contemporaries as well as a new series of medieval feasting events. We record for the Belgian label Musique en Wallonie.

Our Name

The ensemble is named for a symbol that in the fifteenth century functioned as both a time signature and a tempo marking—and indeed we take seriously the tempo implications of signs such as “Cut Circle.”