Summer 2020 Programs » Baroque Opera Workshop » Christa Patton Bio
Christa Patton is an early harp specialist with a particular focus on the repertoire of the early 17th century. Her individual vocabulary of style in this genre emerged from her years of study in Northern Italy where the essence of this music speaks through its native environs. Her particular love of early opera has lead her to participate in productions of Monteverdi's Il Ritorno d'Ulisse in Patria, L'Incoronatione di Poppea, and L'Orfeo with the New York City Opera, Opera Vivente, Wolf Trap Opera, Tafelmusik, and Opera Atelier. She has also performed in Luigi Rossi's Orfeo with the Toronto Consort, and Francesco Cavalli's Il Giasone, with Opera Omnia. In addition, Christa has appeared as a guest with Apollo's Fire, King's Noyse, Toronto Consort, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, La Nef, Blue Heron, Folger Consort, Parthenia, ARTEK, Pegasus, New York State Baroque Orchestra among many others.
Christa received her Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from Stony Brook University, and her Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music. She is presently a Visiting Scholar at Rutgers University in New Brunswick where she lectures and directs early music ensembles and opera projects in seventeenth century repertoire.
As Musical Director and Co-Director of the Baroque Opera Workshop at Queens College, Christa leads a specialized course utilizing period sources to realize works of early seventeenth century composers in performance. Since the workshop's beginning in 2010, she has collaborated with vocalists Julianne Baird, Ellen Hargis, countertenor and stage director, Drew, Minter, and Commedia dell'Arte master, Antonio Fava to create artful performances based in sources of the 16th and 17th centuries.
In addition, Christa has directed vocal style and led the continuo section in productions of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo at Stony Brook University, Queens College, and Yale University's Baroque Opera Program (YBOP). She is also a faculty member of the New York Continuo Collective. As a clinician Christa has participated in workshops for the, Madison Early Music Festival, Pinewoods Early Music week, the Historical Harp Society and the Medieval Institute at Longy School of Music, and Amherst Early Music Festival. As a Lecturer she has presented topics ranging from ornamentation in the Faenza Codex to Spanish accompaniment in the 17th century.
Also a multi-instrumentalist, Christa has toured the Americas, Europe and Japan with Piffaro the Renaissance Band, Early Music New York directed by Fredrick Renz, Lipsodes, and Ex Umbris. Her recordings include "Istampitta" on the Lyrachord label, "Chacona" also on the Dorian label, "Trionfo d'Amore e della Morte" on the Dorian label, "Los Ministriles in the New World"on Navona Records, Nobile Donna on ATMA among others. Soon to be released will be a recording with Julianne Baird of mid-seventeenth century music composed by the Roman castrato, Marc'Antonio Pasqualini and will include many works by him not yet published or recorded.
As a Fulbright Scholar Christa studied the Italian Baroque harp at the Civica Scuola di Musica in Milan, Italy with historical harp specialist, Mara Galassi. While there she performed with the Laboratorio permanente sulla Musica vocale del XVII secolo at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, the Barbarini Palace in Rome and at the Tempio dell'Incoronata in Lodi under the direction of Monteverdi specialist and director of Ensemble Concerto, Roberto Gini.
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Summer 2020 Festivals and WorkshopsBaroque Opera Workshop |