Bios

Recorders

Called "the Jascha Heifetz of the recorder," Judith Linsenberg is one of the leading exponents of the recorder in the US and has been acclaimed for her "virtuosity," "expressivity," and "fearless playing." She has performed throughout the US and Europe, including solo appearances at the Hollywood Bowl and Lincoln Center; and has been featured with such leading ensembles as the San Francisco Symphony, the SF and Los Angeles Operas, the Oregon Symphony, LA Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque, American Bach Soloists, the Portland and Seattle Baroque Orchestras, the Oregon and Carmel Bach Festivals, among others. The winner of national performance awards, she has premiered several new works for the recorder and has recorded for Virgin Classics, Dorian, Solimar, Navona, harmonia mundi usa, Koch International, Reference Recordings, Musical Heritage Society, Drag City Records (with Joanna Newsom), and Hännsler Classics.  She holds a doctorate in early music from Stanford University, and has been a visiting professor at the Vienna Conservatory and Indiana University's Early Music Institute. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her dog, Jasper, and playing a bit of Klezmer clarinet. Website

Cello, Gamba, Dulcian and bassoons

Described by Early Music America as “a special artist with a brilliant future,” Alexa Haynes-Pilon has quickly established herself in the early music scene, performing on baroque cello, viola da gamba, baroque bassoon and dulcian.  She is principal cellist of Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, co-director and cellist/gambist of Musica Pacifica, and co-founder of Ensemble Bizarria. She has performed with American Bach Soloists, Albany Consort, Burning River Baroque, and more. Alexa’s passion is to create music and connect with members of the community, and because of this, she co-founded and is Artistic Co-Director of Los Angeles Baroque (LAB), a community baroque orchestra based in South Pasadena, CA. In addition, she has introduced thousands of elementary and secondary school students to Renaissance and baroque winds and viols through her work with the Crumhorn Collective, in collaboration with Ars Lyrica Houston’s outreach program in Houston. Alexa holds a doctorate in early music performance from University of Southern California and has been on faculty at numerous early music workshops along the west coast.  She has recorded on the American Bach Soloists and Musica Omnia. Website

Baroque Violin

Ingrid Matthews is well established as one of today’s most respected baroque violinists.  She won first prize in the prestigious Erwin Bodky International Competition for Early Music in 1989, and in 1990 joined Toronto’s Tafelmusik, with whom she performed extensively on three continents in venues such as the Proms and the Barbican Center of London, the Stuttgart and Festival, the Utrecht Festival, and the Mostly Mozart Festival of New York.

She has worked with many other leading  North American period-instrument ensembles as well, including Philharmonia Baroque of San Francisco, Joshua Rifkin’s Bach Ensemble of New York, and the American Bach Soloists of San Francisco, before founding the Seattle Baroque Orchestra in 1994 with harpsichordist Byron Schenkman. Website

Harpsichord

Charles Sherman is a current member of Emmanuel Music (Boston), performs with the Cantata Collective (SF) and has enjoyed long relationships with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra (SF), Musica Angelica (LA), and The Aulos Ensemble (NYC). Mr. Sherman is a frequent performer at Boston and Berkeley Early Music Festivals as well as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Marlboro Music, New England Bach Festival, Handel and Haydn Society, the Orchestra and Chamber Ensemble of St. Luke’s and other distinguished groups. Mr. Sherman has performed on many recordings with some of the above organizations as well as solo recordings and holds degrees from Juilliard, Stanford and The University of Chicago.