Program:

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Trio Sonata in G Minor HWV 390: Larghetto - Allegro - Andante - Allegro

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)

Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major: Adagio - Allegro - Adagio - Allegro - Allegro (Gigue)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Suite for Solo Cello No. 3 in C Major : Prelude - Allemande - Bourrees I & II - Gigue

Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (1644-1704)

Violin Sonata in E Minor: Praeludium - Variation-Presto - Aria e Variation

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Violin Sonata in G Major BWV 1021 : Adagio - Vivace - Largo - Presto

Caroline Giassi (she/her), a native New Yorker, began her musical studies on a Cracker Jack box violin at the age of three. She soon switched to the oboe and later found her musical home in the world of performance practice and historical oboes. She performs with many top early music ensembles such as The Sebastians, The American Classical Orchestra, Handel & Haydn Society, Opera Lafayette,  Chatham Baroque, Pegasus Early Music, and is an American Fellow of the English Concert. In addition to performing, Caroline is a dedicated educator and  has worked with students ranging from second graders in New York City public schools to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Michigan where she is a continuing guest artist teaching baroque oboe and coaching performance practice.

Keyboardist and conductor Jeffrey Grossman specializes in vital, engaging performances of music of the past, through processes that are intensely collaborative and historically informed. As the artistic director of the acclaimed baroque ensemble the Sebastians, in recent seasons Jeffrey has directed concerts including Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions and Handel’s Messiah from the organ and harpsichord, in collaboration with TENET Vocal Artists. Jeffrey is a frequent performer with TENET, the Green Mountain Project, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and numerous other ensembles across the country. As musical director for the 2019 Boston Early Music Festival Young Artists Training Program, he conducted Handel’s Orlando from the harpsichord. For thirteen seasons, he toured portions of the rural United States with artists of the Piatigorsky Foundation, performing outreach concerts to underserved communities. Jeffrey can be heard on the Avie, Gothic, Naxos, Albany, Soundspells, Métier, and MSR Classics record labels. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he holds degrees from Harvard College, the Juilliard School, and Carnegie Mellon University. Jeffrey teaches performance practice at Yale University. www.jeffreygrossman.com

Praised for his “soulful performance” (The New York Times), violinist Daniel S. Lee performs as a soloist, leader, and educator. He is the founding director of the Sebastians and the concertmaster of Early Music New York, the Providence Baroque Orchestra, and the Washington National Cathedral Orchestra. As an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA), he is interested in the intersection between arts and spirituality. He teaches at Yale University.

A native of Winnipeg (Canada) Caroline Nicolas was first introduced to the cello by her mother, an elementary school music teacher. After falling in love with the expressive possibilities of gut strings, she studied with Phoebe Carrai at The Juilliard School and Christophe Coin and Paolo Pandolfo at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. She enjoys an active and multifaceted career as an acclaimed performer of music from the Renaissance to the Romantic eras. Noted for her “eloquent artistry and rich, vibrant sound” (Gainesville Times), she has been praised for her unique ability to combine emotionally rich interpretations with a historically inquisitive spirit. As the winner of The Juilliard School’s Historical Performance concerto competition, she made her solo debut in Alice Tully Hall, New York City. Ensembles she has worked with include Trinity Baroque Orchestra, Mercury Baroque Orchestra, Ars Lyrica, Juilliard Baroque, Kammerorchester Basel and Sinfonieorchester Liechtenstein. Her performances have been broadcast on KING FM in Washington, KUHF in Texas, WDIY in Pennsylvania, and CCTV in China.