Sunday, September 26th, 2021 at 3:00 pm - CLEVELAND, OHIO
REGINA CAELI LAETARE

The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist
1007 Superior Avenue in Cleveland
(216) 771-6666 for information
All concerts are FREE and open to the public; no tickets are required. A free-will offering will be taken. Free parking is available in the Cathedral Plaza Garage on the SE corner of Rockwell Ave and East 9th St.


Mignarda Ensemble, Cleveland's resident early music specialists, will sing sacred motets associated with the Nuptial Mass and four settings of the Marian antiphon Regina cæli lætare by Spanish composers Franciso Guerrero (c.1528 – 1599), Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500 – 1553), and Tomás Luis de Victoria (c.1548 – 1611).

In addition to a cappella polyphony, the sublime sound of one or more lutes features prominently in the concert program, as was quite common in 16th-century Spanish liturgical music.

Duo Mignarda, Donna Stewart and Ron Andrico, will be joined by local favorite, baritone José Gotera and the Chicago duo of Francy Acosta and José Luis Posada. Mignarda's three guest artists are all alumni of the Case Western Reserve program in Early Music.

Francy and José Luis, known as EnsAmble Ad-Hoc, are originally from Colombia, where they are well-known as exponents of early music as well as traditional music. Now based in the Chicago area, Francy and José Luis are making a rare Cleveland appearance in a concert not to be missed.



Quotes from Audiences, Colleagues & Critics

“I have always admired Stewart's beautiful voice but I thought she surpassed herself in this repertoire which obviously means a great deal to her. She captures the intense religious fervour of the music simply by letting the words speak for themselves with subtle variations in dynamics, ranging from an introspective pianissimo in the reflective pieces to some ecstatic alleluias in the more joyful ones.”

Stewart's ornamentation of the vocal line in Victoria's Ne timeas, Maria is exquisite and her interpretation brings out the intensity of religious devotion, but also subdued passion inherent in [the] poetry."
   - Monica Hall, Lute News (UK)

"Congratulations on a really exquisite rendering of your selection from 'Pilgrimes Solace'! The lovely open quality of Donna's voice I find really endearing, and so suitable for giving us the 'inner passion' of these marvelous texts. And such intelligence shines behind every word."
   - Anthony Rooley, Consort of Musicke

"I believe that you and Donna form the pre-eminent lute song duo of our time."

"I was transfixed by the clarity and musicality of the lute...and of course Donna's voice was absolutely beautiful. I can see why your CDs are being met with critical acclaim. I was enraptured."
   - Gregory Heislman, Director of Music at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (Cleveland, Ohio)

"Your concert was revelatory in several ways, especially as it challenged our ears and hearts to enter a realm difficult to access these days, where subtlety and elegance trump flash and flamboyance, and content, rather than effect, is primary." - Rev. Cullie Mowers, Rector, St. Thomas Episcopal Church (Slaterville Springs, NY)

About Mignarda

Cleveland natives Donna Stewart & Ron Andrico, better known as Duo Mignarda, are well-known to Cleveland audiences and one of the few professional lute song duos in the US. Dedicated to music of the 16th century, Mignarda's engaging approach has set a new standard for interpretation, authenticity and musicianship, offering thoughtful programming illuminating the vibrant mingling of renaissance music and poetry.

Noted for awakening modern audiences to an appreciation for historical music, their work encompasses concertizing, teaching and recording, with fourteen critically-acclaimed CDs. Mignarda's publications include a series of 16 music editions, scholarly articles, reviews and the internationally-popular blog, Unquiet Thoughts. The couple met in a schola providing liturgical music for the Latin Tridentine Mass, and they continue their dedication to historical sacred and secular music. Now in their 18th year as a duo, they have travelled tens of thousands of miles to share this music with audiences across the U.S.

The Lute Society (UK) has called their CD La Rota Fortuna "essential listening", and Au pres de vous their "lute disk of the year". Divine Amarillis, their recording of French music from the early 17th century, was awarded first place for Best Classical/Voice Album in the 2009 JPF awards. Their recordings have been featured on the internationally syndicated Millennium of Music, hosted by Robert Aubry Davis, and all are included among CD Baby's top 40 best-selling classical CDs. Mignarda was featured in a one-hour live concert produced by Binghamton, NY PBS affiliate WSKG TV, which has been rebroadcast frequently and is available from PBS.org on DVD.

full bios
100-word bio, links, & high resolution photos

About EnsAmble Ad-Hoc

Francy Acosta (soprano) and José Luis Posada (lute & Baroque guitar), originally from Bogotá, Colombia and currently based in the Chicago area, specialize in Italian and Spanish music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Performances have taken them from Bogotá, Colombia, to Mexico and across the US. Among their impressive roster of credentials, Francy and José Luis both hold advanced degrees from Case Western Reserve, with a concentration in Early Music.

Both active teachers as well as performers, Francy currently serves as adjunct faculty for the University of Chicago Graham School of General Studies, and José Luis, who also performs traditional Colombian music, was recently commissioned to create arrangements of traditional music for the Colombian Symphony Orchestra.

For more information about EnsAmble Ad-Hoc, visit their web site at ensambleadhoc.com/.

About José Gotera

José Gotera began singing at the age of eight at St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto. He completed degrees in Human Biology and Music History at the University of Toronto while singing with the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir. In Cleveland, he completed an M.A. in Early Music Performance Practices from Case Western Reserve University. José was an artist-in-residence with Cleveland Opera on Tour, and performed with Opera Circle and Opera per Tutti. He also performed with Apollo’s Fire and with Quire Cleveland for over a decade. More recently, he has collaborated with Duo Mignarda and is pleased to be singing with them again this year. José was an instructor at Hiram College for ten years where he taught voice, opera workshop, directed the Hiram Men's Chorus and co-directed the Hiram Community Chorus. He also taught voice and opera workshop at Cleveland State University for eight and a half years. José is currently back in school for nursing and cares for patients at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights.