L'Accademia Testudine is an ensemble specializing in Italian, French and German music of the 17th and 18th centuries with the core members being Pat O'Brien, Kamran Bayegan and Dennis Cinelli. Their dedication to the early guitar and lute repertory has brought them together to perform rarely heard masterpieces. The ensemble's varied programs include trios for baroque guitars with theorbo; two chitarrones and baroque guitar; mandolino with baroque guitar and theorbo or duets for two baroque lutes and mandolino with archlute.

"The great talent of these performers ... was brilliant and elegant ..."
France - Amérique

Patrick O'Brien has taught guitar, lute and early harp in his native New York City for over thirty years. Active as a continuo lutenist, guitarist and theorboist, he has performed throughout Europe and North America with the Harp Consort, Baltimore Consort, Schola Antiqua, New York City Opera; and at the Caramoor, Spoleto and Boston Early Music festivals. He serves on the faculties of the Mannes College of Music, the State University of New York and the annual Lute Society of America's Seminar. Recently, Mr. O'Brien has made several recordings with the Harp Consort, The King's Noyse and Paul O'Dette.

Dennis Cinelli is active as a soloist and chamber musician on early guitars, lutes and mandolins. He has performed with the American Symphony, The Bach Aria Group, Artek, the American Virtuosi, Ars Antigua, the New York Collegium, Lord Chamberlain's Consort, The Ivory Consort and his own Cinelli Duo (with wife Janet, soprano) playing concerts throughout the United States and Europe. He has appeared on artists' series at Yale, Ohio, Wake Forest and Appalachian State Universities. Presented in recitals sponsored by the Philadelphia, Piedmont and Mobile Classical Guitar Societies, Mr. Cinelli has also accompanied Robert Osborne, Louise Wohlafka, Jeffrey Gall and Pino de Vittorio on lutes and early guitars.

Featured in concerts at the Festival de Wallonie in Belgium and the Caramoor and Boston Early Music Festivals, Mr. Cinelli has also spent summers teaching and performing at the International Toscanini Early Guitar Festival/Competition in Stresa, Italy and the Lute Society of America's Summer Seminar.

Kamran Bayegan, founder and co-director of the New York Early Music Series, plays a variety of plucked instruments, specializing in Baroque lute, theorbo and Baroque guitar. He has studied lute and performance practice with Pat O'Brien and formed the early music ensemble L'Accademia Testudine with both Mr. O'Brien and Dennis Cinelli.

Mr. Bayegan is also a member of the New York Continuo Collective, which explores the performance practices of the 17th century. With the NYCC, he has performed Italian and Spanish Baroque music in many concerts series in New York City. His performances as an ensemble musician include recitals at the Alliance Francaise, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, the Church of the Resurrection and Corpus Christi Church (joining the ensemble ARTEK). Mr. Bayegan has given many solo and duo Baroque lute recitals with Pat O'Brien. Recently forming the ensemble Mediterranea with soprano Amy Bartran, Virginia Kaycoff, viola da gamba and harpist Holly Mentzer, Kamran has also played with the Mannes Collegium and performed in master classes coached by Andrew Lawrence-King and Stephen Stubbs.