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Gualala Arts
Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.
Archive of past events: 2004 through 2014
Cantiamo Sonoma vocal ensemble appeared at the 2006 Art in the Redwoods and was a smashing success. We are looking forward to their return performance. Cantiamo is a 15-member vocal ensemble directed by the acclaimed soprano soloist Carol Menke. The group's repertoire ranges from Medieval and Renaissance polyphony to recent work by contemporary composers. Cantiamo has performed throughout Northern California and is particularly well known for its bi-monthly Evensong services at local churches. 
The ensemble began in the early 1990s as the Schola Gregoriana, under the leadership of tenor Jeff Morse. The Schola focused on singing Gregorian chant and polyphonic masses and motets in their proper liturgical settings. After Menke became director in 2002, the group renamed itself Cantiamo and expanded its repertoire to include both sacred and secular works. About Our Director
Ms. Menke holds an M.A. in Vocal Performance from California State University, Chico. She is a member of the music faculty at Santa Rosa Junior College and directs the choir at the Church of the Incarnation in Santa Rosa. Ms. Menke also directed the Training and Intermediate Groups of the Santa Rosa Children's Chorus for eight years prior to becoming the group's artistic director in 1992. As well, she teaches at her private vocal studio in Santa Rosa. For more information about the group go to their website, CantiamoSonoma.org. Call Gualala Arts office at 707-884-1138 to order your tickets with Visa or Mastercard. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 day of show.
The Gualala Arts Center is located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA. |
Carol Menke joined Cantiamo as Director in 2002. Well known to Bay Area audiences, she studied at the Franz Schubert Institute in Austria and developed a passion for German lieder. She has been coached by some of Europe's finest recitalists, including Elly Ameling, Jörg Demus, and Norman Shetler, and has devoted her vocal instruction and singing career to keeping this art alive. She has appeared in numerous chamber and solo recitals in universities, colleges, churches, and concert halls both here and abroad.