RICHARD STONE (lute, archlute, and theorbo) has performed in solo recitals, music series and festivals worldwide. The New York Times described his playing as both "beautiful" and "lustrously melancholy," while a reviewer in England responded, "the crown of laurel leaves must surely go to Richard Stone for his playing of the baroque lute, which held us entranced." His performance of baroque lute repertoire won him a prize at the 1990 Festival of Flanders in Bruges. He is one of the most highly regarded baroque vocal accompanists in the United States and is in constant demand as a continuo player on lute, archlute and theorbo. Conducting credits include Monteverdi's Poppea, Steffani's Stabat Mater and Handel's Judas Maccabeus, which he led from the archlute and theorbo. Recording and broadcast credits include Deutsche Grammaphon, PolyGram, Lyrichord, Musical Heritage, NPR, the BBC and Czech Radio, along with his most recent solo CD, Lute Works of Silvius Leopold Weiss, on Titanic. Stone is Director of the Swarthmore College Baroque Ensemble. He studied lute with Nigel North as a Fulbright Lusk Fellow at the Guildhall School in London, and with Patrick O'Brien at the Mannes College of Music in New York.