Saturday, October 17 @ 2:00
Exploring the Viola da Gamba and Violone
Educational low-string lecture recital with cheese and wine
Julie Elhard, viola da gamba
Sara Thompson, violone
Join Lyra Baroque Orchestra’s gambist and violone player for a guided tour of the instruments that shaped expressive string playing in the 17th and early 18th centuries. In a salon-style setting, guests will experience the origins, colors, and voices of these remarkable instruments much as listeners did centuries ago: up close, conversationally, and with a sense of shared discovery.
Wine and cheese served.
October 17 @ 2:00-4:00 p.m.
The Baroque Room: 275 E 4th St. Saint Paul, MN 55101
Tickets sold at the below link and at the door.
Ticket price: $60 per person, includes wine and cheese
About the Artists
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Julie Elhard, gamba, appears regularly as a soloist and chamber musician and has made several appearances with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, including the St. Matthew Passion by Bach under the direction of Nicholas McGegan. Ms. Elhard was awarded a 2016 and 2012 Artist’s Initiative grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and a Jerome Foundation grant in 2002 to study with Margriet Tindemans. She received a Performing Artist Certificate from the Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague, Netherlands and has taught at workshops across North America. She teaches viola da gamba at Macalester college and has published a series of books for viola da gamba called, the Passamezzo Method. She served as Conclave Music Director for the Viola da gamba Society of America’s annual workshop from 2021-2024.
Sara Thompson, bass and violone, has been enthusiastically playing double bass since the age of eleven, after lackluster attempts at piano and violin. She performs on both modern and Baroque bass, as well as the G violone. This past year included performances with Lyra Baroque Orchestra, Madison Bach Musicians, La Grande Bande and Consortium Carissimi, as well as with Ground Bass, of which she is a founding member. She is looking forward to taking part this Fall in a performance of a new work for ballet by composer and harpsichordist Asako Hirabayashi.
