Ensemble Mirable (Mirable - old French, meaning astonishing, strong, powerful)

With playing described as “stylish and full of fire,” Ensemble Mirable has captivated listeners throughout the United States since its founding at Indiana University’s Early Music Institute in 1996. The ensemble has appeared at the Berkeley Early Music Festival, Bloomington Early Music Festival, and San Francisco Early Music Society concert series; and has received awards from Early Music America, including for the ensemble’s world-premiere recording of the complete cello sonatas of Jean Zewalt Triemer.

Kati Kyme, Baroque Violin

Bill Skeen, Gamba & Baroque cello  

Kevin Cooper, Baroque Guitar & Theorbo  

JungHae Kim, Harpsichord

JungHae Kim

JungHae Kim is acclaimed for a distinctive style that blends sparkling virtuosity with a gentle, lyrical sensibility, making the harpsichord immediately engaging to modern audiences. New York Arts has described her playing as “impressive,” noting its “supple flow and expressiveness,” while La Folia praised her interpretations as “gallant and regal,” remarking on the rare pleasure of hearing d’Anglebert played with such intimacy and care.

Kim earned diplomas in harpsichord performance from the Peabody Institute, Oberlin Conservatory, and the Sweelinck Conservatorium, and completed her studies in Amsterdam with the legendary Gustav Leonhardt.

A versatile performer on historical keyboards, she has appeared as a soloist with period-instrument ensembles as well as with the San Francisco Symphony and New Century Chamber Orchestra. Her performances have been featured on NPR and national Korean television (KBS).

An active pedagogue and advocate for Historically Informed Performance, Kim is the director of MusicSources, through which she has brought leading early music artists to the San Francisco Bay Area. She is also founder and artistic director of Ensemble Mirable, recognized by Early Music America for its world-premiere recording of the complete cello sonatas of Jean Zewalt Triemer. Kim is Professor of Music Theory at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Instructor at College of San Mateo and Lecturer in Harpsichord at Stanford University.

William Skeen

William Skeen serves as Principal Cellist with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Voices of Music, and the new Seattle Bach Festival. He is a founding member of the New Esterházy Quartet, the Cantata Collective, and La Monica. William taught baroque cello and viola da gamba at the University of Southern California from 2000-2020. Mr. Skeen has appeared as continuo cellist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and San Diego Opera.

He’s been highlighted as viola da gamba soloist multiple times with the Dallas Symphony, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Carmel Bach Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, American Bach Soloists, and the Orquesta Nacional de México. He has performed and recorded with Musica Pacifica, Smithsonian Chamber Players, and Philharmonia Chamber Players.  Mr. Skeen has served on the faculty of the American Bach Soloists Academy, the Berwick Academy at the Oregon Bach Festival, the San Francisco Early Music Society’s Baroque the workshop and co-founded SFEMS Classical Workshop.

Kati Kyme

While an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, Kati Kyme was introduced to the amazing world of the Bach Cantatas, as led by California Bach Society director Ted Flath. As a graduate student at Yale University, she performed a dozen Cantatas with the New England Chamber Orchestra. For five years, she played a different Bach Cantata every day with Helmut Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival and in 1989 began her affiliation with the American Bach Soloists.

She has participated in Boston’s Emmanuel Church Sunday Cantata performances and has recorded more Cantata movements with the Pacific Boys Choir. As a member of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra for 35 years, she has continued her love affair with Bach. It is with the greatest pleasure that she joins her colleagues in Cantata Collective in its presentation of these works to Bay Area audiences.

Kevin Cooper

Kevin Cooper is a guitarist from central California and a founding member of the GRAMMY®-nominated early music group, Agave. He has performed with numerous groups including Ensemble Mirable, Musica Angelica, Musica Pacifica, Tesserae, Fresno Philharmonic, and Live Oak Baroque Orchestra. Gramophone has praised him saying, “Kevin Cooper excels,” while Early Music America and the San Francisco Classical Voice have said his playing is “stylish” and “a blast!” Kevin’s recent publications include original guitar compositions like Precious Stones and Sting of the Blood Orange (Doberman-Yppan). His recordings include several projects with Agave as well as Night of Four Moons, a CD of modern music with mezzo-soprano Catherine Cooper.

The Fresno Arts Council honored him with the 2022 President’s Award for exceptional cultural contribution to the community, and in 2006 he was named the Outstanding Doctoral Graduate in Music from the University of Southern California where he studied with William Kanengiser and James Tyler. Currently, he leads the guitar program at Fresno City College.

program

Trio Sonata in b minor  TWV 42:h6     Georg Philipp Telemann (1681 -1767)

1.Largo - Vivace                                  2.Andante 3.Allegro

Sonata Op 1, in a minor BuxWV 254                             Dietrich Buxtehude  (c.1637-1707)     

Preludio and Chiacona     Francesco Corbetta (1615-1680)

Sonata VIII à 3                                                                Jean-Marie Leclair (1697-1764)        

Fantasia in C William Byrd (1540-1623)

Sonata for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord         Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) g minor BWV 1029        

1.Vivace 2.Adagio 3.Allegro

Sonnerie de Saint Geneviève      Marin Marais du Mont-de-Paris (1656-1728)