Johann Sebastian Bach excelled as a player on several instruments, but the lute was not one of them. Even today, this renders his works for solo lute unique in the instrument’s vast repertoire where playing the lute has otherwise been a prerequistite to composing for it.

As such, they pose unique challenges and dilemmas for players who want to present this music in the best light. Inspired by his teacher, Rolf Lislevand, Jadran Duncumb eschews the well-thumbed pages of Bach’s own manuscripts and sets out on a different path.

Instead, following manuscripts by lutenists contemporary with Bach that take advantage of the instrument’s inherent strengths, he arrives at startling new conclusions. Jadran Duncumb is of English and Croatian origins, although from the age of nine he grew up near Oslo in Norway. He made his mind up to study music when he won the String Category and thus reached the final of the “BBC Young Musician of the Year”.

Jadran began to explore baroque music during his studies at the Royal College of Music (where he studied guitar under Gary Ryan and lute under Jakob Lindberg) in London and has since been very active as a continuo player performing with various European ensembles as well as being in demand as a soloist specialising mainly in repertoire for the baroque lute and baroque guitar.