Georg Frideric Handel: Concerto Op. 4, No. 6 for organ, two recorders, and strings
Sheli Nan: Suite pour Julie Elizabeth (2022)
Johann Michael Nicolai: Sonata a tre viol da gamba
Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto 3 (arr. Jonathan Salzedo)
The Festival
This concert is part of California Festival: A Celebration of New Music, a statewide new music festival during November featuring 100 organizations and 140 composers.www.cafestival.org
The Composer
Sheli Nan composes music that defies boundaries. Her Baroque and Classical training coupled with having lived all over the world produces a unique sound: a 21st-century harmony. Giving credit to earlier musical iterations, what she composes is fresh, invigorating, accessible, and moving. Her music is performed locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. She composes from solo harpsichord and piano up to string quartets, chamber music, and orchestra. Her choral music encompasses opera (and librettos), Oratorios and Requiems. www.shelinan.com
The Ensemble
1974 was a fairly bleak time for Early Music in London. Orchestras were modern, thick, and heavy; historically informed performances were a rarity, and often not very precise. Against this backdrop, Jonathan Salzedo, Marion Rubinstein, and a few friends formed The Albany Consort with the usual ideals – lively performances and no financial worries, but they would eventually become rich and famous. Things rarely go as planned. Today, Jonathan is constantly surprised that the group still exists, still runs on a shoestring, still fuels his creative personality, and still provides the best musical experiences for performers and listeners.
Over the years, some 500 musicians have taken part in as many concerts on both sides of the Atlantic. With the broadest repertoire of any early music group, they tackle everything from the 18th century, from the largest to the smallest groupings, sometimes with period instruments, sometimes with a modern setup. Jonathan’s view is that many different approaches to music are possible, and he aims to bring together musicians who can work together and create a terrific result.
After an initial concert series at Christ Church, Albany Street, London (hence the group’s name, which causes much delightful confusion in the USA), the group performed regularly in England until Jonathan moved to California in 1981. Since then, The Albany Consort has been a fixture of Bay Area music-making. www.albanyconsort.com
The Musicians
Alisa Rata Stutzbach performs baroque and classical viola as a soloist and chamber musician with period instrument ensembles throughout the U.S. She has performed and recorded with Barthold Kuijken and the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra (The Lully Effect, The Versailles Revolution (Naxos)) and has been a featured soloist with the Dallas Bach Society. She has also performed with the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra and the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado. In the San Francisco Bay Area, she has performed with the Archetti Baroque String Ensemble, Jubilate Baroque Orchestra, Albany Consort, and the Virtu Ensemble. After receiving a B.M. from Southern Methodist University, Alisa received master’s degrees in musicology and library science from Indiana University, Bloomington, where she studied with Stanley Ritchie. Outside of music, Alisa enjoys raising her two children, hiking, camping, and working as an elementary school librarian to encourage a new generation of literate humans.
Amy Brodo (cello and gamba) performed for many years in Italy, Israel, and England before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area, with positions including assistant principal cellist of the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Italy, and cellist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. As a freelancer in Europe, she performed with Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Players, the Norskbarok Orchester, the Hanover Band, the Royal Philharmonic, D’Oyly Cart Opera, and the City of Valencia Symphonic Orchestra. In the Bay Area, Ms. Brodo has performed on viola da gamba and Baroque cello with groups that include California Bach Society, Lux Musica, Sex Chordae Consort of Viols, Magnificat Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, El Mundo, Musica Angelica, Driftwood Ensemble, Archetti and Albany Consort. She has performed at Festivals including the Santa Cruz Baroque, Berkeley Early Music, the Beaunne, France, and the San Luis Obispo Mozart and has recorded for CDI, Centaur, Sony, Golden Horn, Koch, Helicon, Kleos, MRS, and New Albion. Amy plays principal cello with the Livermore Opera Company. She was the Music Director of the Junior Bach Festival. Ms. Brodo is an active teacher, a member of the Persephone Chamber Ensemble, and the founder of Harmonia Felice.
David H. Miller is a musicologist, a performer, and an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of California, Berkeley. On Baroque and modern double bass, viola da gamba, and violone, David has appeared with The Handel and Haydn Society, Arcadia Players, Trinity Wall Street, Music at Marsh Chapel, New York Baroque Incorporated, and Seven Times Salt. He holds a Ph.D. in musicology from Cornell University, and his research has been featured in the Journal of the American Musicological Society, the Journal of Musicology, the Indiana Theory Review, and Transposition. David writes on issues surrounding the performance and reception of modernist music and early music.
Imaging specialist, mathematician, and color scientist Dominic Glynn leads Pixar Animation Studios’ image and audio next-generation technologies and mastering. He has delivered 22 films, countless short films, and series for the studio.
A transplant from Australia, Dominic studied violin at the University of Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium before specializing in historically informed performance and playing with Australia’s premiere early music ensembles, including the Orchestra of the Antipodes, Pinchgut Opera, Adelaide Baroque.
He has presented courses for youth in color science via Khan Academy, delivered lectures at universities and conferences around the world, and appeared in books and wired articles on the intersection of color, physiology, perception & cognition.
Dominic plays a 2004 violin of Guarneri by luthier Simon Brown.
Erika Miranda Violin/Viola: Trained in the USA, (San Francisco Conservatory of Music and St Louis Conservatory of Music), UK (Anglo-American Chamber Music for Strings in England and private studies with Kato Havas, Monica Huggett, and Catherine Macintosh), Canada (Johanessen International School for the Arts) and France (European Community Baroque Orchestra). For seven years, Erika was Principal for the English Festival Opera as well as a section first violin for orchestras such as London Schubert Players, London Apollo Orchestra, and the City of Oxford Orchestra and Soloists, touring and recording with these ensembles.
While living in Oxford she became a Founder/Director of her own ensemble (Ensemble Capriccio) and established two highly successful baroque and romantic concert series in collaboration with the Oxford City Council and local businesses and has also adjudicated for concertmaster auditions at Oxford University.
In the USA Erika is also Principal Second Violin for the Sacramento Opera as well as the Sacramento Choral Society. She also continues to play with orchestral and chamber music ensembles throughout the Bay Area including musicals & shows as well as performing with celebrity artists.
Herbert Myers is Lecturer in Renaissance Winds at Stanford University, from which he holds BA, MA, and DMA degrees; he is also curator of Stanford’s collections of musical instruments. A founding member of the renaissance band The Whole Noyse, as a member of the New York Pro Musica from 1970 to 1973 he toured extensively throughout North and South America, performing on a variety of early winds and strings. He is well known as a contributor of articles and reviews to various scholarly journals.
Hasan Marwan Abualhaj is a San Francisco-based Palestinian modern and historical cellist. Hasan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cello Performance from Portland State University studying cello with Hamilton Cheifetz, a Master’s degree in Historical Cello and Performance from Indiana University studying with Joanna Blendulf and Stanley Ritchie, and a Professional Certificate degree from San Francisco Conservatory of Music working with Elisabeth Reed and Corey Jameson. As a freelance modern cellist, Hasan has performed with the Bay Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Oregon East Symphony Orchestra, the McCall Music Festival Orchestra, the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, and the Columbus Philharmonic Orchestra. In the field of historically informed performance, Hasan has worked with the California Bach Society, the Bloomington Bach Cantata Project, Las Aves, and the Portland Baroque Orchestra. As Early Music America’s “Faces of EMA featured artist” of February 2021, they mention their musical credo as “Early music allows us to be able to tell the story of European art music through an academic lens that is much more diverse and inclusive. I believe that the act of historical performances attempting to recreate what music may have sounded like provides us insight into the actual experiences of people by humanizing their history”.
Concertmaster of the Santa Rosa Symphony since 1997, Joe Edelberg has had the distinct honor of leading this outstanding orchestra under the batons of four inspiring SRS Music Directors. For many years, when not onstage at Weill Hall, he has played with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony, as well as in the Bay Area early music scene, with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, and Magnificat Baroque. His guest leader appearances include the Berkeley, California, and Marin symphonies. He has also appeared at the Grand Teton Music Festival in Wyoming, as concertmaster at the Summer Festival Orchestras of Mendocino and San Luis Obispo, and, farther afield, as guest principal second violin of the Bavarian State Opera.
Edelberg plays with the string quartet StringCircle, and new music with Earplay and Composers, Inc. His solo performances, in addition to those with Santa Rosa Symphony, include the symphonies of Berkeley and Oakland. He has recorded with the aforementioned baroque orchestras, the Berkeley Symphony, Chanticleer, Earplay, and the Skywalker Symphony. A Massachusetts native, Edelberg graduated from Amherst College and studied with Philipp Naegele, Felix Galimir, and Adolf Bruk.
Since moving to California in 1981, British-born harpsichordist Jonathan Salzedo has become a popular Freeway Philharmonic collaborator with organizations including Jubilate, San Francisco Symphony, Symphony Silicon Valley, and Black Box Baroque. He performs new music with violinist Karen Bentley Pollick, using the harpsichord in unusual contexts. Once a maker of instruments, Jonathan still enjoys voicing and repair work. He also considers moving harpsichords (generally single-handedly) and tuning them (he is an expert on early tuning systems) to be cherished parts of a harpsichordist’s life. Jonathan has two grown-up children who are both fine musicians. In his spare time, he sings at Congregation Etz Chayim, Palo Alto, teaches Alexander Technique, and runs a software consulting business.
Newly appointed Music Director of Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Laura Jeannin performs regularly on period and modern instruments in the United States and around the world. She has appeared as a soloist with Juilliard415 and New York Baroque Inc. and has performed under Nicholas McGegan, Masaaki Suzuki, William Christie, Richard Egarr, Jordi Savall, Monica Huggett, Mark Morris, Manfredo Kraemer, and Jeffrey Thomas. Mrs. Jeannin’s violin concerto performance in New Zealand was praised by the Otago Times for its “excellent pace, and its exciting and forward motion”.
Mrs. Jeannin has performed with Portland Baroque Orchestra, Bach Collegium San Diego, Juilliard415, New York Baroque Inc, Archetti, Clarion Music Society, Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Ars Minserva, Lyra Baroque Orchestra (under Jacques Ogg), San Jose Baroque Orchestra, San Francisco Bach Choir, UC Berkeley Chorus, and many more. Her summer festival appearances include the Lake Tahoe Music Festival (as concertmaster), American Bach Soloists Festival, the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, Berkeley Festival and Exhibition, and the Bear Valley Music Festival.
Maria Caswell is a Sonoma County-based performer and teacher of both violin and viola. She has specialized in the historically informed performance of baroque music. She is a founding member of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (1982-present), and a member of Voices of Music. In addition, she performs with the Live Oak Baroque Orchestra in Sonoma County. When not fiddling she likes to birdwatch, quilt, garden, and drink tea.
Marion Rubinstein, recorder/organ, received her training in performance and musicology at Stanford, where she studied with Margaret Fabrizio and George Houle, and also at King’s College, London University. She performs frequently on organ and harpsichord as well as on recorders. She was a founder and has been co-director of the Albany Consort (now in its 42nd season), and plays as soloist and accompanist for the Santa Cruz Chamber Players, Soli Deo Gloria, Jubilate, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, Santa Clara Chorale, Whole Noyse, and other groups. She also greatly enjoys sharing her musical discoveries with her students.
Ondine Young is a violin/violist, musical director/conductor, and educator. She earned a doctoral degree from the University of Southern California in choral conducting and early music performance. Prior to living in the Bay Area, Ondine spearheaded the choral program at the University of San Diego.
Currently, she works with Piedmont Pianos/East Bay Children’s Chorus, the Crowden School of Music, Old First Concerts San Francisco, Superpower of the Song, and Notes Music Academy. Ondine performs with Philharmonia Baroque, Albany Consort, Sacramento Baroque, Berkeley Community Chorus and Orchestra, Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, Vallejo Symphony, Jubilate, San Francisco Early Music Society, Cantare, WAVE, Junior Bach, Arlington Arts, Juxtapositions, Dirty Cello, and Jazz Mafia. Ondine has been invited to guest conduct the Oakland Summer Reading Orchestra, Community Women’s Orchestra, Awesome Orchestra, Villa Sinfonia, Sacred and Profane, and MidAmerica at Carnegie Hall.
Ondine co-founded “Tea, Talks, and Treasures” at The Pacific Boychoir Academy. She has taught and conducted for Marin Girls Chorus, National Children’s Chorus, Golden State/California Youth Orchestras, Marin/Oakland Schools for the Arts, Sound Minds/California Symphony, Bentley School, Stern Grove, and the Carmel Bach Festival, San Francisco Boys’ and Girls’ Choruses, Kairos Youth Choirs, and many bell/Church choirs (CC, UMC, Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran).
Violinist Rachel Hurwitz has been active in the Bay Area’s historical performance community for 30 years, performing with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, California Bach Society, Jubilate Baroque Orchestra, Ars Minerva, Albany Consort, Sonoma Bach, Marin Baroque, Sacramento Baroque Soloists, Voices of Music, and the San Francisco Renaissance Voices. She also serves as Manager for the Jubilate Baroque Orchestra.
As a modern violinist, Rachel has freelanced with nearly every orchestra in the region and currently serves as tenured Principal Second Violin for the San Francisco Opera Center Orchestra. She also completed six national tours with San Francisco Opera’s Western Opera Theater.
Rachel is a native of Eugene, Oregon, where she has been a member of the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra for 35 years, and the Oregon Bach Festival Baroque Orchestra since its inception in 2014. She holds degrees in Violin Performance and English from Oberlin College and a M.Mus in Violin Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Roy Whelden, composer and performer on the viola da gamba, has been called “a key figure in the world of new music” (Early Music America). He has been profiled as a composer and gambist on Minnesota Public Radio. He has made many recordings including the award-winning Shock of the Old, and Galax – music for viola da gamba (New Albion 059) as well as Like a Passing River (New Albion 072). (These are available on iTunes and Amazon.com.) He has performed and recorded with many internationally known ensembles, including Sequentia, American Baroque, and Ensemble Alcatraz.
