Infiorare

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

“awesome… the instruments blended well, the duo phrased and pushed the momentum as one”

– Journal of the American Recorder Society, September 2003

 

Blossoming from Jim Miller's New York cornetto recital in 2002 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, 2002 Historic Brass Symposium at Yale University, Music for the Spirit, and at the New York Brass Conference at SUNY Purchase. The ensemble utilizes the unique colors of cornetto, harp, and voice performing inventive arrangements of medieval and baroque repertoire.

 

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 the New York Continuo Collective under the direction of Grant Herreid, Patrick O'Brien, Stephen Stubbs and Erin Headley.  She sings symphonic choral works with the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra and sacred polyphony in Anglican churches across Manhattan and at Westchester Reform Temple.  She may be heard on the Washington National Cathedral's recording of Ståle Kleiberg's Requiem, the New York Philharmonic's 5-volume release of its performances most fondly remembered by Kurt Mazur, and Schirmer's chestnut “The A Cappella Singer.”  Grace received her A.B. cum laude in music from Smith College and is in the doctoral program for Physical Therapy at Columbia University.  She is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists, and a student of Katherine Keyes.

 

Harpist 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 at the Edinburgh Flute Course. An interest in historical harp led her to the New York Continuo Collective, an ensemble devoted to the study of continuo accompaniment and improvisation in baroque performance practice. She has studied harp as a continuo instrument with Pat O'Brien and with Maxine Eilander while participating in L'Accademia d'Amore in Bremen. A versatile performer on early winds and strings, Ms. Mentzer has appeared on New York area concert series with Polyhymnia, ARTEK, Long Island Baroque, The Choir of St. Luke in the Fields, and Early Music New York. She has performed at the Boston Early Music Festival and on the SOHIP series with City of Ladies, and is increasingly sought after as a continuo player.

 

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. He gave a cornetto solo recital in November 2002 on the Music for the Spirit series at St. Francis of Assisi in New York and immediately formed the ensemble Infiorare with harpist Holly Mentzer, and later added soprano Grace Check. Infiorare has performed at several venues in the New York area and gave highly acclaimed performances at the 2003 Boston Early Music Festival, with the choir of St. Luke in the Fields, and on the New York Early Music Series. He is the cornettist and a frequently featured soloist with the New York Continuo Collective and has performed with ARTEK on the Music Before 1800 series, Polyhymnia, the New York Cornet and Sackbut Ensemble, the Nieuw Amsterdam Consort, and Spiritus Collective. Mr. Miller is a guest soloist with the Washington Cornet and Sackbut Ensemble, with whom he recently recorded works by Gabrieli, Victoria, Frescobaldi, and others at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Taking the cornetto into music of the 21st century, he joined forces with the contemporary music ensemble Cygnus to perform the world premiere of Jonathan Dawe’s opera Prometheus at the Guggenheim Museum in February, 2005. With Infiorare he has performed with the choir of St. Luke in the Fields, on the Music for the Spirit series at St. Francis, and as a soloist, can be heard nearly every week at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in New York where he also serves as a section leader in the choir.. His recent performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 was described by the Washington Post as “ a beautiful display of virtuosity”. 

 

Programs

 

“Dolce Fortuna”

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, 28 June 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, 13 March 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, 3 October 2004

Music of the Spirit, May 25, 2005

 

“¡Vaya a España!”

Early Music ensemble Infiorare presents a program of Spanish music through the ages. The journey begins in 16th century Spain with works by Cabezon, Maríin, 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

 

UPCOMING CONCERTS

“Musique sacrée et profane”

Joint concert with Machicoti

New York Early Music Celebration

The Church of Saint Luke in the Fields

487 Hudson Street

October 19, 2007 at 8 PM

 

http://www.nyemc.com/

 

Machicoti and Infiorare will perform sacred and secular music from Medieval France from the 13th through 15th centuries, including works by Dufay and Machaut.

 

For further information about Infiorare, please contact 914.441.4360 or infiorare@aol.com