Life
Miguel Serdoura, also known professionally as Miguel Yisrael, was born on March 31, 1973, in Lisbon, Portugal. He earned a diploma in classical guitar in 1994, then studied lute at the Paris Conservatoire with Claire Antonini before completing his training with Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel between 1999 and 2004. As a soloist he has given recitals across France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, China and the United States, and recorded four solo albums for Brilliant Classics, winning a Diapason d’Or Découverte for The Court of Bayreuth. He published a Method for the Baroque Lute in 2008 and founded the instrument-making and publishing company Le Luth Doré in 2015.
Impact
Hailed by Hopkinson Smith as a poet on his instrument, Serdoura has been central to reviving French baroque lute repertoire by Gallot, Gautier, Pinel, Kellner and de Visée on record, and to codifying its technique through his widely used Method for the Baroque Lute. Through Le Luth Doré he now combines instrument-making, urtext editions and performance, giving contemporary lutenists direct access to scores and tools that support the wider revival of the historical plucked-string repertoire.
Repertoire
Chaconne in A minor by Robert de Visée
Robert de Visée (c.1665-1732/3) – Chaconne, in A minor | Miguel Serdoura, 11c Baroque lute
Tombeau du Vieux Gallot by Robert de Visée
Robert de Visée (c.1665-1732/3) – Tombeau du Vieux Gallot | Miguel Serdoura, 11c Baroque lute
Chaconne in G minor by Germain Pinel
Germain Pinel (c.1600-1661) – Chaconne, in G minor | Miguel Serdoura, 11c Baroque lute
La Cascade, Chaconne in F major by Ennemond Gaultier
Ennemond Gaultier (1575-1651) – La Cascade, Chaconne in F major |Miguel Serdoura, 11c Baroque lute
La Montfermeil: Rondeau by Robert de Visée
Robert de Visée (c.1665-1732/3) – La Montfermeil: Rondeau | Miguel Serdoura, 11c Baroque lute