Infiorare
“awesome…
the instruments blended well, the duo phrased and pushed the momentum as one”
Journal of the
American Recorder Society, September 2003
infiorare, 1) To adorn, scatter or cover with flowers: 2) (fig.) To
render easy and pleasant: 3) (fig.) To ornament with wit and elegance: 4)
(refl.) To cover oneself or become full of flowers: 5) (refl.) To become pretty
or pleasing (to "bloom" or "blossom"): 6) (refl.) To nestle
or muck about among flowers
Blossoming from Jim Miller's New York cornetto
recital in 2002 at the Church of St. Francis, and from collaborations as
members of the New York Continuo Collective, Infiorare has appeared in numerous venues in New York,
the Boston Early Music Festival, Historic Brass Symposia at Yale, and at the New
York Brass Conference at SUNY Purchase. Recent performances include appearances
on the New York Early Music Series, The Church of
Saint Luke in the Fields, Immanuel Lutheran Church, and a fringe concert at
Boston Early Music Festival. The ensemble utilizes the unique colors of cornetto, harp, and voice, performing inventive
arrangements of medieval and baroque repertoire.
About the Performers
Soprano Grace Check
is a member of Infiorare, and the medieval trio Machicoti with Amy Bartram and Beth Cullinane.
She has performed in New York and Boston with the New York Collegium
under the direction of Andrew Parrott and with the New York Continuo Collective
under the direction of Grant Herreid, Patrick
O'Brien, Stephen Stubbs and Erin Headley. She has performed symphonic choral
works with the New York Philharmonic and sacred polyphony in Anglican churches
across Manhattan. She sings high holidays at Westchester Reform Temple in
Scarsdale. Grace received her BA cum laude in music from Smith College and her
Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Columbia University last fall.
Multi-instrumentalist Holly Mentzer received her B. Mus. and M. Mus. degrees in flute at the
Juilliard School of Music, and later studied early flutes with Stephen Preston
and Nancy Hadden. An interest in early harp drew her
to the New York Continuo Collective and on to further studies with Maxine Eilander while participating in L’Accademia d’Amore in
Bremen. Ms. Mentzer is a
founding member of Infiorare, and has performed with
Early Music New York, City of Ladies, Polyhymnia, and
ARTEK. She has appeared on many New York and Boston-based series including
SOHIP, the New York Early Music Series, Midtown Concerts, Music Before 1800,
and is also a section leader at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Larchmont, NY. She
recently received her M.A. degree in Music Therapy at New York University, and
is currently practicing as a music therapist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer
Center.
James Miller, cornetto. After a rewarding career on modern trumpet, which included
nine seasons as Principal Trumpet of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, James
Miller has shifted his performing interests to early music. A cornetto recital on the Music for the Spirit series at the
Church of St. Francis of Assisi led to the formation of Infiorare with harpist Holly Mentzer and soprano Grace Check. They have performed extensively in the New
York area and at the Boston Early Music Festival, sometimes collaborating with
the Choir of St. Luke in the Fields, and Polyhymnia.
As a soloist, Miller has recorded with the Washington Cornett and Sackbutt Ensemble and performed with Artek,
the Nieuw Amsterdam Consort, Spiritus
Collective, the NY Cornett and Sackbutts Ensemble,
and was a regularly featured soloist with the New York Continuo
Collective. He brought the cornetto into the 21st century joining forces
with the Cygnus to premiere Jonathan Dawe’s opera,
Prometheus, at the Guggenheim Museum and Wendy Steiner’s opera, The Loathly
Lady at the University of Pennsylvania. His performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers
of 1610 was described by the Washington Post as “a beautiful display of
virtuosity”. He recently was part of the highly-acclaimed ARTEK performances of
the 400th anniversary of that work in Washington DC, New York, and
was featured in a performance at the Morgan Library with Parthenia
- A Consort of Viols. He can be heard playing and singing nearly every week at
Immanuel Lutheran Church where he is also a section leader in the choir.
Upcoming performances include several more performances of Monteverdi’s Vespers
in New York, Colorado, and at Duke University.
Programs
“Dolce
Fortuna” (or “Doulce Memoire”)
vocal and instrumental music
from the 13th-17th Century; works by Bassano, Caccini, Campion, Cicconia, Merula, Monteverdi, Rossi, Tallis
Gordon Chapel, Old South Church, Boston, Boston
Early Music Festival, Friday, 13 June 2004
St.
Paul’s United Methodist Church, South Nyack, NY, June 28, 2004
“Club
Cornetto”
The Cornetto
in Several Languages; works
by Tallis, Ortiz, dalla
Casa, Bassano, Falconieri, Sances
and others
New York Early Music Series, Nour Foundation, March 13, 2004
“From
the Sacred to the Profane”
Instrumental
and vocal music from the 13th-17th centuries, exploring the seeming differences
and not-so- apparent similarities between music of these two genres.
Church of St. Luke in the Fields, New York
Early Music Celebration, October 3, 2004
Music of the Spirit,
May 25, 2005
“¡Vaya a España!”
Spanish music through the ages. The journey begins in
16th century Spain with works by Cabezon, Marín, Ortiz, and others, and features the historically
evocative Líricas Castellanas
by Joaquin Rodrigó composed for voice and early
instruments.
Music of the Spirit,
May January 31, 2007
Music at Our Saviour’s
Atonement, February 11, 2007
Emmanuel Church, Boston (Boston Early Music
Festival Fringe Event) June 15, 2007
“Musique sacrée et profane”
Machicoti and Infiorare perform
sacred and secular music from Medieval France from the 13th through 15th
centuries, including works by Dufay and Machaut.
New York
Early Music Celebration, The Church of Saint Luke in the Fields, October 19, 2007
“Sacred Music from Medieval France”
Contemplative
sacred French medieval music, including the serene Vergene
bella of Dufay, the sublime anonymous Messe de Toulouse, and their treatment of the poignant Planctus ante nescia
(Mary’s Lament at the Cross) of Godefroy de St. Victoire.
Midtown
Concerts, Immanuel Lutheran Church, March 31, 2010