Calliope (band)

Calliope is a New York City-based band which plays Renaissance music and modern music using early musical instruments, such as the sackbut, shawm, viol, and the hurdy-gurdy.

Calliope won the Naumburg Chamber Music Award in 1975. The band performed at the 1977 U.S. Presidential inauguration and later contributed to the soundtrack for R O Blechman's 1978 PBS holiday special Simple Gifts.

The band released three albums: Calliope Dances: A Renaissance Revel (Nonesuch, 1982); Calliope Festival (Nonesuch, 1984); and Diversions (Summit, 1990). The band recorded Peter Schickele's composition Bestiary in 1984.

Members

 * Lucy Bardo – viola, vielle, rebec
 * Lawrence Benz – sackbut, lute, recorder, crumhorn
 * Allan Dean – cornetto, sackbut, recorder, crumhorn
 * Ben Harms – viol, pipe, tabor, recorder, crumhorn, percussion