It’s the year 2020 and Ensemble Leonarda is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Isabella Leonarda, the Italian Ursuline nun / composer (born 1620), our namesake. We have a very special concert on Monday, March 2, 2020 at Marc A. Scorca Hall at The National Opera Center, entitled “Wonder Women”!
Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre was a contemporary of Francois Couperin; among her works were pieces for harpsichord, instrumental sonatas and 3 books of cantatas. She played for Louis XIV at a young age and was accepted at the French court, and her education supervised by Madame de Montespan. The cantata “Le Sommeil d’Ulisse” will be performed, with artwork by Victor Varnado (cartoonist for The New Yorker).
We are also pleased to collaborate with composer Elizabeth Brown in a preview performance of her new work for baroque band, voice, and shamisen. This piece, “A Glimpse at Dawn” will feature shamisen player & vocalist Yoko Reikano Kimura.
What is a shamisen? you may well ask. It is a traditional Japanese 3-stringed instrument. Did you know? Its strings are made of silk, which are dyed with turmeric. Also, it is played with a plectrum called a bachi.
Wonder Women of the Baroque…& beyond!
Come see for yourself on March 2nd !
Mon. March 2, 2020 at 8pm, Marc A. Scorca Hall at The National Opera Center, 330 Seventh Avenue, NYC
Tickets: $20/ $15