15 QUESTIONS TO ASTERIA
Winter, 2005 / Mouvement Nouveau (http://www.mouvement-nouveau.com) : Asteria seem to be full of tension and contradictions: On the one hand, there's Eric Radlinger, who studied 20th Century composing techniques and listens to his music almost exclusively in digital file format. And on the other, there's his musical partner Sylvia Rhyne, who already spent her baby years listening to Classical Music. On the one hand, their ensemble specialises on old, medieval compositions and on the other, they released their first album on Magnatune, an Internet-only label. Meanwhile, Eric loves the "polyphonics" just as much as current noise-rock bands and Sylvia feels both happy with "serious music" and Andrew-Lloyd Webber. The solution to this "dilemma" is easy: It's all in the mind! When listening to their sweeping live performances or their magnificent album, all contradictions disappear instantaneously: This is modern medieval music for fans of Classical and current sounds..”
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ASTERIA REACHES FOR THE STARS
Summer, 2005 / Early Music America (EMA) : Perhaps the stars had one fate in mind when Sylvia Rhyne first estab- lished herself as a singer of musical theater and when Eric Redlinger was drawn to the composition of atonal music. But the stars moved, bringing them both into the world of early music and guiding their duo Asteria to victory in Early Music America’s 2004 Medieval/Renaissance Music Competition.
In this event, the duo competed live against five other ensembles on October 6, 2004, in New York City, performing a program of 15th-century Burgundian songs by Guillaume Dufay and his con- temporaries. They received a $5,000 cash prize and will be presented in a performance sponsored by Early Music America at the Boston Early Music Festival on Friday, June 19.
...Asked what advice they would give other performers, Rhyne and Redlinger offered similar counsel. “Memorize everything so that you are absolutely ‘there’ with the audience,”says Redlinger. And from Rhyne: “Play or sing in such a way that expresses what you feel about this music.”
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From Early Music America
For Immediate Release
Contact: Mark Powell
206-720-6270; fax 206-720-6290
mpowell@earlymusic.orgASTERIA Wins EMA’s Medieval/Renaissance Music Competition
October 7, 2004. Seattle, Washington. Early Music America (EMA) is thrilled to announce ASTERIA as the winner of its 2004 Medieval/Renaissance music competition for North American artists. The purpose of the competition is to encourage the development of emerging artists in the performance of medieval and Renaissance music.
Asteria is a Renaissance duo comprised of Sylvia Rhyne, soprano and Eric Redlinger, tenor and lute. Their competition program featured 15th-century Burgundian songs by Guillaume Dufay and his contemporaries. Asteria was formed in 2002, seeking to bring a narrative quality and emotional immediacy to late-medieval vocal and instrumental music.
Competing against five other ensembles in a live concert on October 6 in New York City, Asteria receives a $5,000 cash prize and will be presented in a performance sponsored by Early Music America in June 2005 at the Boston Early Music Festival (the largest early music festival in North America).
“The level of musicianship was so high throughout the competition,” says Rhyne. “We were floored when they announced that we had won. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue exploring and sharing this beautiful repertoire next year in Boston.”
Sylvia Rhyne began life immersed in classical music and opera, and pursued her passion for early music at Carleton College, taking leading roles in operettas and small operas on her way to a degree in music. While in Minnesota she also studied with Wesley Balk at St. Olaf College and recorded with Dennis Russell Davies and the St Paul Chamber Orchestra. Arriving in New York, Sylvia began ongoing coaching with Marcy Lindheimer. She has sung with New York City Opera, starred internationally as Christine in Phantom of the Opera and on Broadway as Joanna in Sweeney Todd.
Eric Redlinger studied music as an undergraduate at Middlebury College. After graduation he spent a number of years immersing himself in the archives of The Hague, Basel, and Marburg, with post-graduate studies at the Frankfurt Conservatory of Music, studying medieval lute with Crawford Young and voice with Richard Levitt at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. Back in New York he studied voice with Drew Minter. In addition to his work with Sylvia Rhyne in Asteria, he regularly performs with the Renaissance Street Singers in New York City.
The competition was presented as part of the New York Early Music Celebration, which was made possible by support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, and generous individuals ( www.nyemc.org).
About Early Music America
Early Music America serves and strengthens the early music community in North America and raises public awareness of early music. EMA was founded in 1985 and provides its 3,000 members with publications, advocacy, and technical support. EMA publishes the quarterly magazine Early Music America. “Early music” includes western music from the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods, performed on period instruments in historically-informed styles. For more information, contact Early Music America at 206-720-6270 or 888-SACKBUT, or visit our web site at www.earlymusic.org.###
From Early Music America
For Immediate Release
Contact: Maria Coldwell
206-720-6270; fax 206-720-6290
mcoldwell@earlymusic.orgEMA Announces Finalists in Medieval/Renaissance Music Competition
July 7, 2004. Seattle, Washington. Early Music America (EMA) announces the six finalists in its new Medieval/Renaissance music competition for North American artists. The finalists will compete in a live concert in New York City on the evening of October 6, 2004. This event (at Corpus Christi Church) is part of the New York Early Music Celebration, a new festival. The winner of the competition will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a concert performance sponsored by EMA at the Boston Early Music Festival (the largest early music festival in America) in June 2005. The purpose of this competition is to encourage the development of emerging artists in the performance of medieval and Renaissance music.Finalists
The finalists are (in alphabetical order):
* Asteria (Sylvia Rhyne, soprano and Eric Redlinger, tenor and lute); their program features 15 th-century Burgundian songs by Dufay and his contemporaries; they are based in N.Y.
* Ciaramella (Adam Gilbert, Rotem Gilbert, Douglas Milliken, Debra Nagy, shawms and recorders; Greg Ingles, sackbut; Mahan Esfahani, organ); their program features wind music of late 15 th-century Germany; they are currently based in Mountain View, CA (Bay Area).
* Jennifer Ellis , soprano (with Richard Savino, guitar); her program features 16 th-century Spanish songs by Juan del Encina and his contemporaries; she is based in N.Y.
* Ensemble La Rota (Sarah Barnes, soprano and percussion; Tobie Miller, recorder, hurdy-gurdy, and voice; Emilie Brule, vielle; Esteban LaRotta, lute and voice); their program features 13 th-century secular music from France and Spain; they are based in Montreal, Quebec.
* Ensemble Lipzodes (Kathryn Montoya, Juan Carlos Arango, Keith Collins, and Anna Marsh, shawms and dulcians; Wolodymyr Smishkewych, tenor and percussion); their program features wind music from 16 th-century Guatemala; they are based in Bloomington, IN.
* Elizabeth Ronan-Silva , soprano (with Daniel Swenberg, lute, and Paul Shipper, percussion); her program features 16th-century Italian songs by Bottegari, Tromboncino, and others; she is based in Lubbock, Texas.###