CAMERATA VENTAPANE BIOS
BARRETT SILLS, is a recognized artist on the modern cello,
baroque cello, and viola da gamba. Mr. Sills was a scholarship student
at Yale University. He has played with orchestras and gave solo recitals
in France and Germany. Mr. Sills has performed throughout South America as
an Artistic Ambassador under the auspices of the U. S. State Department,
and for three summers he toured Japan as a member of the New York Symphonic
Ensemble. Currently Mr. Sills is principal cellist with both the Houston
Ballet Orchestra and the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra. Mr. Sills performs
regularly with numerous Houston chamber music groups including Mercury Baroque,
Ars Lyrica Houston, Aquinas Ensemble, and the Houston Bach Society. He has
been Viola da gamba soloist with the Houston Symphony Orchestra and recitalist
at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Mr. Sills was a founding member
of the Eastwood Quartet and he is co-founder and Artistic Director of the
Camerata Ventapane.
ANA TREVIÑO-GODFREY, Captivating and versatile soprano Ana Treviño-Godfrey has participated in numerous opera performances and given solo recitals in many different cities in the United, States, Mexico, South America and Europe. She has won various vocal competitions and has proven equally proficient in music from many different styles and periods. Ana Treviño-Godfrey is choice soloist for different orchestras like the Houston Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra X. She is a founding member of the early music group Mercury Baroque Ensemble and is presently researching Mexican baroque music for her Phd at Rice University.
GREGORY EWER, Gregory Ewer, a native of Houston, Texas received a Bachelor's degree in music performance from the University of Houston, and a Master's degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, where he also worked as a teaching assistant to Professor Sergiu Luca. During his years as a student, Gregory was a member of the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, and performed regularly with the Houston Ballet Orchestra. In 2001 Gregory joined the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, and has subsequently performed with the OSO as a soloist. An enthusiast of early music, Gregory led the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra in HGO’s 1999 period production of Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, a first of its kind in Houston. He has collaborated with many early music specialists including Monica Huggett, Eric Milnes, John Holloway, and Sergiu Luca. A year before joining the Oregon Symphony, Gregory moved to Portland to help found the Magnolia Chamber Ensemble, a versatile group known for its period performances and commissions of new works. He continues to perform with many of the Northwest's premiere ensembles, including Portland Baroque Orchestra and Third Angle New Music Ensemble.
DANIEL ZULUAGA, Daniel Zuluaga, is native of Colombia, where he received his musical education. His interest in the early plucked-string instruments took him to the Early Music Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington, US, where he studied lute under the tutelage of Nigel North. His 6-year collaboration with the Colombian early music ensemble Musica Ficta focused on the research and performance of renaissance and baroque repertory from Spain and Latin America, and has taken him to concert halls in Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia and the Americas. He has appeared at numerous international music festivals including Tage Alte Musik Regensburg (Germany), Festival van Vlaanderen-Antwerpen (Belgium), Singapore Arts Festival, Festival Cervantino (Mexico), Il Canto delle Pietre (Italy), Jakarts Festival (Indonesia), Baroque Festival “Misiones de Chiquitos” (Bolivia) and Noches en los Jardines del Alcázar (Spain). His solo work has been praised for its “rhythmic vitality and a fine sense of color” (Joseph McLellan, Washington Post), and his style as an accompanist lauded as “exemplary” and full of “great inventiveness” (Joseph Sargent, San Francisco Classical Voice). Much in demand as a continuo player, he frequently collaborates with groups such as Ensemble Elyma, Belgium’s B’Rock, Musica Angelica of Los Angeles, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Al Ayre Español, La Monica, Concord Ensemble, Mercury Baroque, etc. He has worked under the direction of Richard Egarr, Gabriel Garrido, Monica Huggett, Eduardo López-Banzo Rachel Podger, Stanley Ritchie and Skip Sempé. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
SEBASTIAN KNEBEL, Sebastian Knebel, is one of the most sought-after Saxon specialists for organ and harpsichord music of the 17th und 18. And 18 Jahrhunderts der jüngeren Generation. Century. He belongs to the younger generation of early music players. Er wurde in Berlin geboren und begann schon frühzeitig mit Instrumentalunterricht. He was born in Berlin and began early with instrumental lessons. Sebastian Knebel absolvierte eine Lehre als Orgelbauer und war bereits während dieser Zeit als Organist an mehreren Berliner Kirchen tätig. Sebastian Knebel completed an apprenticeship as an organ builder, and during this time worked as organist at several churches in Berlin. Nach begonnenem Studium an der Dresdner Kirchenmusikschule setzte er seine Ausbildung an der Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt" in Weimar und an der Folkwang-Hochschule in Essen fort.Sebastian Knebel continued his studies at the Dresden church music school, and later at the University of Music "Franz Liszt" in Weimar and at the Folkwang School in Essen.Er ist Cembalist des Telemannischen Collegium Michaelstein und geht darüber hinaus einer umfangreichen solistischen Tätigkeit nach. He is a harpsichordist of the Collegium Telemannisches Michael Stone and goes beyond an extensive solo work. Er spielte mehrere CD-, Rundfunk- und Fernsehaufnahmen ein. He has recorded several CDs, and participated in radio and television productions.
DR. YVONNE KENDALL, Dr. Yvonne Kendall, earned her Master's Degree in flute performance at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston where she also studied with noted dance history scholar Julia Sutton. She received her doctorate in Early Music from Stanford University, specializing in historical dance and dance music. Her dissertation was the first translation of Cesare Negri's Italian dance treatise Le gratie d'amore (1602) into English. Her work has been published in Early Music, Music & Letters, and the Renaissance Quarterly, among others. Following Stanford, Dr. Kendall was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. A performer as well as scholar, she has performed with Ars Lyrica Houston, Houston Bach Society and Mercury Baroque, and has studied and performed at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute. Dr. Kendall is currently Associate Professor of Music at the University of Houston.
CAPELLA GUANAJUATENSIS
CUAUHTEMOC TREJO, Cuauhtemoc Trejo started his musical
studies in Mexico at the Escuela Nacional de Música and later continued studying
in the United Kingdom under well-known flute teachers Elena Durán, Robert Aiken,
Kurt Redel, Alain Marion, James Galway, Paul Davies and Trevor Wye. Mr. Trejo
is a full time professor at the University of Guanajuato and principal flute
player with the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Guanajuato. He is also
a founding member of the early music groups “Collegium Musicum de Guanajuato”
and “Capella Guanajuatensis”.
MIKHAIL ROVINSKI, Mikhail Rovinski started his musical studies at the Russian Academy of Music, becoming principal cellist of the J.S. Bach Musical Centre in Moscow. He moved to Mexico in 1991 and became a full time professor at the University of Guanajuato. He is the principal cellist for the Symphony Orchestra of the University of Guanajuato, and also a founding member of the early music group Capella Guanajuatensis, playing the Viola da Gamba. He has participated in numerous recitals and recordings playing both baroque cello and Viola da Gamba.
JOSÉ SUÁREZ, José Suárez studied composition and organ playing in Mexico and at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome. He has given numerous recitals in Mexico, Italy and the United States, with a repertory that covers from 16th century music to contemporary organ music. Mr. Suárez has also played continuo using harpsichord and organ with many orchestras around the world, such as Capella Cervantina, Gruppo di Roma, the Biber Quartet, the Mexico City Chamber Orchestra and the Compañia Musical de Americas. Since 1987 he has been playing harpsichord and organ with the early music group Capella Guanajuatensis.
JOYCE ALPER, Joyce Alper has played baroque oboe with the Boston Handel & Haydn Society, Boston Cecilia, Abendmusik, Cambridge Bach Ensemble, Schola Cantorum of Boston, St. Botolph's Town Bande, Longy Oboe Band, Harvard University Baroque Orchestra, Hartford Philharmonic Society, Genesee Baroque Players, Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, and the New Trinity Baroque. She has recently returned to Boston after nine years in Texas, where she played with the Dallas Bach Society, Texas Baroque Ensemble, Fort Worth Early Music, Denton Bach Society, Orchestra of New Spain, La Bande Ancienne, Concerto Antico, Incarnation Baroque Orchestra, Texas Early Music Project, Austin Handel-Haydn Society, Orchestra of St. David's, Texas Bach Collegium, La Folia, and Ars Lyrica Houston. She has taught baroque oboe at the University of North Texas for seven years and has given master classes and workshops at Louisiana State University, University of Houston, Texas Tech University, and the Texas Early Music Festival. In addition, she was the director of school programs for the Dallas Bach Society for three years, bringing early music and dance programs into Dallas public schools. In January, 2004, she will give a gallery talk about eighteenth century oboes at the musical instrument collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
WILLIAM BAUER, baroque viola & viola d'amore, comes from St. Louis. He began his baroque studies on the viola d’amore under Joseph Ceo (University of Rhode Island). Subsequently, he has studied baroque violin with Reinhard Goebel (Musica Antiqua Köln) and Richard Gwilt (London Baroque). He appeared at numerous concerts, and has been a soloist at the Iraklion International Festival (Crete), the Lisbon and Vancouver Early Music festivals. He has produced solo recordings for the well-known labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Polydor, Naxos, First Edition, Nannerl and Studio 115.
ELOY CRUZ, was born in Mexico City and studied guitar with Guillermo Flores and vihuela with Isabelle Villey becoming a specialist in renaissance and baroque music. He is founding member of La Fontegara, a Mexican group dedicated to baroque and early classical music, and he has played with early music groups in Mexico, the United States, Spain and Germany. He has also given solo recitals in the Americas, Europe and North Africa. He has participated in several recording projects for the international companies Erato Disques, Urtext Digital Classics and Meridian Records. Mr. Cruz is a professor at the National University of Mexico and is also the author of the book “LA Casa de los Once Muertos”. He is presently doing research on the baroque roots of the popular music of Veracruz.
VINCENT TOUZET, studied traverse flute at the Boulogne-Billancourt conservatory in his native France, where he obtained first prize both in flute and chamber music. He also studied baroque flute with H. d’Yvoire and B. Kuijken in Paris and Brissels. In 1998 he obtained first prize at the International Flute competition in Phoenix, Arizona. He gives solo recitals and frequently plays with ensembles like “la Simphonie du Marais”, Le Concert Spirituel, Swiss Consort, Il Gardelino and Capella Puebla. His recordings include the “Six Concertos a cinq flutes” de J.B. Boismontier which obtained the “Choc de la Musique” award in France. Mr. Touzet teaches baroque flute at the National School of Music of INBA in Mexico City.
CLAUDINE GÓMEZ-is a master performer of harpsichord music and carries out important work to promote baroque music in Mexico. Since the year 2003 she has coordinated the early music series at the Miguel Lerdo de Tejada National Library in Mexico City. She is a founding member of the Kairos Music Ensemble and also gives solo recitals in many Early Music Festivals in Mexico and Europe. She has recorded music by Forqueray, Couperin and Strozzi with excellent reviews and works as co-chairperson of the Chamber Music Department at ITAM in Mexico City.
CLAUDIA SHIUH, violinist and violist, has performed extensively throughout California as a chamber musician. Currently principal violist of the Fresno Philharmonic, Ms. Shiuh is the former principal violist of Paris' l'orchestre de chambre Paul Kuentz, touring in France. Ms. Shiuh has performed in Italy with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and as guest artist at the Ascoli Piceno Music Festival. She has given seminars and concerts in Austria and has been a faculty member at CSU Fresno. A past member of the Chamber Orchestra of America, Ms. Shiuh continues to perform yearly at the Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz, California.
ROBERTO RIVADENEYRA, started studying violin in his native Puebla when he was only 9 years old. He studied baroque violin with different instructors, and also studied composition, jazz performance and contemporary music. He has played with several groups from baroque to experimental music, and has participated in international festivals in Mexico and abroad.
JUAN LUIS GARCIA OROZCO was born in Mexico City and studied instrument making and conservation at ENCRM and Escuela de Laudería del INBA. He received a scholarship from the French Government to study harpsichord-building techniques from Laurent Soumagnac (1994-1995) and later became a specialist in construction and restoration of harpsichords, clavicords and pianofortes working with Marc Ducornet in Paris (1997-2001). He now builds instruments to order and participates in the maintenance of instruments owned by ´private collectors and institutions like Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museo Franz Mayer and the Guanajuato Conservatory.
ARMANDO MARTINEZ: Born in 1955, artist Armando Martinez has been painting since childhood. He has had no formal training and is totally self taught. Amazingly, he has never worked at anything other than his art, and he has come to enjoy great success. His oil paintings are almost always of women, but sometimes include male figures as in this painting, and occasionally children, typically clothed in Renaissance-style dress with much texture in the brocades and lace. He has been influenced by the Spanish Surrealist artist Remedios Varo. Martinez speaks of her with much admiration and esteem.