Theresia Bothe was born in Canada to an Irish mother and German father, and grew up in Mexico. Early on she developed a passion for singing, particularly popular and traditional music. She began formal voice studies in Mexico City, continued in London, in Trossingen, Germany and at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, in Switzerland, specializing in music of earlier periods. She has performed frequently in Mexico and throughout Europe as a soloist, in ensembles or accompanying herself with guitar or lute. She enjoys performing all sorts of styles of music, from ancient Greek, through medieval, baroque, classical, opera, contemporary to folk, jazz or just free improvisation in formal and informal situations. Theresia Bothe now lives in Switzerland, where she also teaches voice and directs choirs and a-capella vocal ensembles. In addition to teaching and performing, she has founded M-CC (Music - a Chance for Change), an organization which intends to help integrate music into the work of human rights organizations and related independent projects.  www.m-cc.org

Peter Croton grew up in the USA and presently lives in Switzerland. As a child of six he began performing as a folk guitarist and singer. Peter’s musical roots in folk and jazz were supplemented by studies of the lute and classical guitar with Loris Chobanian at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music (USA), and with Eugen Dombois and Hopkinson Smith at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. In 1984 he won first prize at the "Erwin Bodky" competition for Early Music in Boston, and has also won prizes at the international lute competition "Guitar '84" in Toronto and at the international competition "Concert Artists' Guild" in New York City. He is an active performer in Europe and the USA as a soloist and chamber musician, and his musical spectrum reaches from early music to folk, jazz, and popular idioms. Peter teaches lute, historical performance practice, and guitar continuo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis and the Conservatories of Music in Basel and Bern. Since 1984 he has been involved in numerous CD (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, Virgin, Channel Classics, Musicaphon, Balance and Proprius). radio and television productions. His upcoming solo-recording "Bach On The Italian Lute" will be released in Spring 2008 by Guild. In 2001 six of his compositions were published by the German Lute Society, and his tutor, "Figured Bass on the Classical Guitar" has recently been published by Amadeus in Switzerland.  
www.peter-croton.com

Selections from concert reviews of the Bothe/Croton Duo

"Quality music has no borders...the two artists impressively proved this during the evening...Already with the first notes it was clear how tremendous this evening would be...The singer’s voice was crystal-clear and rich...The duo successfully  portrayed the emotions in the music...A new, surprising and often wild type of composing gained acceptance in the late 16th century in Italy.  The toccata of Kapsberger is a good example of this style, and the lutenist demonstrated his impressive talents with this solo...This program offered everything, from sadness through joy, to dreamy love poems. An unbelievable charisma radiated from both musicians, which was transmitted to the audience.  The thunderous applause at the end was not only for their musical brilliance but also for their charming stage presence."
   Zürichsee Zeitung

 "Theresia Bothe and Peter Croton presented an afternoon of pure musical beauty for a large audience...With the music of Monteverdi, the public was treated to timeless masterpieces, transported by the lively and  radiant voice of Theresia Bothe...In his interpretation of the Sonatina by  Mauro Giuliani, Peter Croton showed his total virtuosity, and fully demonstrated the possibilities of the romantic guitar, which although fairly small, managed to fill the room with its full and harmonious sonorities...The musician, who is a teacher at the famous Schola Cantorum Basiliensis in Basel, showed in the interpretations of his own works the richness of his  inspiration as a composer...On this rainy Sunday, this recital was a occasion  of relaxation, pleasure and astonishment."
   Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace

"The communicative verve of Theresia Bothe rejuvenates this music, making it alive and accessible.  Their style of performance lends a naturalness and delicacy emphasized by the colors of the lute..."
   L'Impartial, La Chaux-de-Fonds

 "This concert was full of lively and stylistic interpretations of composers from different epochs, notably works by Monteverdi, Purcell, Frescobaldi, Weber, and Croton himself, who revealed his great talent as a composer.  The large audience was treated to a concert of the highest quality."
   L’Alsace Le Pays

 "Theresia Bothe und Peter Croton gave a superb concert. The first half was dominated by Early Music, in the second half the duo gave a convincing jazzy performance."
   Märkische Allgemeine, Brandenburg

Selections from CD reviews of the Bothe/Croton Duo

"Ms. Bothe's light, flexible soprano and her interpretative insight into the texts are well-suited to these songs of exquisite longing for love and the exquisite pain that it brings. She and her partner are attuned to the tender "complaints" (as the word was then understood) in the songs "Can she excuse my wrongs?" and "Come away" by John Dowland. In Spain, by contrast, the major composers did not write love songs; that was left to our old friend, Anonymous. Consequently, songs such as "Vestros ojos" (Your eyes) and "Quien quiere entrar" (Who wants to go with me) have an earthier, more popular flavor, which Ms. Bothe captures very successfully."

"There follow a charming 19^th century Night of carousing song, "Meet me by moonlight" by J. Augustine Wade, three spirited Italian songs and two guitar pieces by Mauro Giuliani, and four original songs by Peter Croton, the artist heard on this CD. Three of the titles "Come away, Death," "Sing no more, ladies," and "In darkness let me dwell" are the composer's homage to the age of Dowland and Shakespeare in a modern sensibility. Three handsome folk traditionals, "The garden where the praties grow," "The water is wide," and "Black is the color of my true love's hair" afford Theresia Bothe the opportunity to show her considerable talent as a folk singer."
   ATLANTA AUDIO SOCIETY

"Here is a delightful exploration of nearly 500 years' worth of love songs…Bothe and Croton are a dynamic duo. Ms. Bothe brings much energy and expression to the songs: I especially liked the non-sentimental rendition of Dowland's "Can she excuse my wrongs?"…I enjoy folk music from nearly all traditions, so I think this is a lovely addition to the many recordings of love songs…Nor does the recording disappoint at the end as it becomes increasingly modern. Croton's compositions are tonal and fit well, though they are somewhat darker than the rest, showing great sensitivity for the lyrics"
   AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE