At the Winter International Arts Festival of Yuri Bashmet, the Italian ensemble La Venexiana will perform. Works about love by outstanding Venetian composers who worked at the intersection of the Renaissance and Baroque - Claudio Monteverdi, Barbara Strozzi, and Tarquinio Merula - will be featured. Venice in the early 17th century is alive with anticipation of the Baroque. Soon, opera theaters will open, and the genre of instrumental concert will emerge. During this time, Venetian composers and performers create many beautiful compositions about love. The program includes madrigals by Claudio Monteverdi from his last, eighth book of madrigals, published in Venice in 1638. A madrigal is a vocal work set to lyrics of a love-lyrical nature. Songs by Barbara Strozzi, a contemporary of Monteverdi, will also be performed. Additionally, guests of the evening will hear dances by Tarquinio Merula, a composer of the Venetian school. The program will be performed by the Italian ensemble La Venexiana. Founded in 1997, the ensemble specializes in performing Italian Baroque and Renaissance music. The ensemble's tours are successfully held in Europe and the USA, and its recordings have received prestigious awards. The ensemble is led by lutenist and conductor Gabriele Palomba. For more details, please visit the official website.