Jouyssance Early Music Ensemble will present a lavish polychoral concert of music by Venetian masters Claudio Monteverdi, Andrea Gabrieli and Giovanni Gabrieli. Other composers include Cipriano de Rore, Alessandro Grandi and Adrien Willaert, all considered avant garde in their time.
The June 11 concert will take place at 8 p.m. at St. Paul the Apostle Church, 1536 Selby Ave, in Westwood; the concert will repeat June 12 at 4 p.m. at Calvary Presbyterian Church, 1050 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena. Tickets are available in advance at www.jouyssance.org/current-season or at the door, at $25 (General Admission), $20 (Seniors/SCEMS members) or free for all students with I.D. All attendees must be fully vaccinated against COVID 19 and wear a mask while inside of the venue.
Jouyssance usually performs a cappella, or without instrumental accompaniment. This concert, funded in part by grants from the Los Angeles Dept. of Cultural Affairs and the Los Angeles County Dept. of Arts and Culture, will feature “period” or authentic instruments from the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. These include violas da gamba, sackbuts (early trombones) and cornettos. Considered early “brass” instruments, cornettos have a curved wooden body wrapped in leather with a trumpet-like mouthpiece.
Based in Los Angeles, Jouyssance is an auditioned, primarily vocal ensemble dedicated to revitalizing the music of the medieval, Renaissance and early Baroque periods. For over 50 years, Jouyssance and its predecessor ensembles have fostered artistry, education and innovation in early music performance. Jouyssance is the principal focus of the Foundation of the Neo-Renaissance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting the performance and scholarship of early music. For more information on Jouyssance visit www.jouyssance.org.
Dr. Nicole Baker, a noted choral director and professional singer, has served as Jouyssance’s Artistic Director since 1998. Recently retired from the music faculty at California State University, Fullerton, Dr. Baker also directs the choir at St. Philip the Apostle Church in Pasadena. She holds a master’s degree in vocal performance and a doctorate in musicology from UCLA.
For further information, please call 213-533-9922 or email nicole@jouyssance.org
