Melodia Mariposa presented an event where the timeless melodies of a Baroque ensemble, complemented by historical instruments, created an unforgettable ambiance.
We cannot write about this concert without mentioning the incredibly rare Cello malfunction. A loud crack rendered Morgan Little’s cello unusable in the first few moments of the concert and, in an amazing audience response, we had two replacement cellos in the hall within 20 minutes! Melodia Mariposa has a wonderful community!
After the intial excitement, a company of Shakespearean actors brought sonnets to life while ballet dancers added a graceful touch. This immersive experience was a celebration of love for Valentines month.
A post-concert Q&A session offered exclusive insights into rare and historic instruments.
This concert was dedicated to the late Pat Rosengren, Founder of Huntington Marketing & Association Management.
We extend our enduring gratitude to her for the remarkable vision and unwavering belief she bestowed upon Melodia Mariposa. The invaluable wisdom and guidance she provided have been instrumental in shaping the course of our journey.
–In memory of Pat Rosengren (January 31, 1948 ~ September 2, 2023)
Program
Alessandro Stradella: Sonata a Violino solo, Cello e Basso
Joel Pargman, Morgan Little, Jason Yoshida
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 130
Miguel Perez, Jason Yoshida
John Dowland: “Flow My Tears”
Hannah Little, Joel Pargman, Morgan Little, Jason Yoshida
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 113
Christy Gonzalez & Jason Yoshida
Henry Purcell: “Bess of Bedlam”
Hannah Little, Morgan Little, Jason Yoshida
Anon: “Scotch Airs”
Joel Pargman, Morgan Little
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 89
Rebekah Side
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier: Trio Sonata No. 6, Largo
Joel Pargman, Morgan Little, Jason Yoshida, Damara Titmus & Eduard Sargsyan (ballet duo)
John Dowland: “Come Again, Sweet Love”
Hannah Little, Joel Pargman, Morgan Little, Jason Yoshida
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 86
Casey Alcoser
Anthony Holborne: “The Honie-Suckle”
Joel Pargman, Morgan Little, Jason Yoshida
William Shakespeare: Sonnet 43
Ahash Francis
David Mell and Signior Balshar: Divisions on “John come kiss me now”
Joel Pargman, Morgan Little
The Shakespeare Quintet
The Shakespeare Quintet was formed in 2023 by a group of actors devoted to the preservation of the classics, especially Shakespeare. In the Group are Ahash Francis, a graduate of UC Davis and The Art of Acting Studi; Rebekah Side who recently directed “So You’re Cooking” for the Leo Rising Theatre; Christy Gonzalez who is a resident member of the esteemed Tierra Blanca Arts Center, and Casey Alcoser who recently scored a big success at the Hollywood Fringe Festival with his one-person show entitled Coffee, Tea and Gin. The quintet is led by Miguel Perez, who is an actor with 40 years of experience with appearances in films including Blow, Oceans 11, and AI: Artificial Intelligence, on Television in Fear the Walking Dead, The Rookie, Madame Secretary, and many others.
Ahash Francis
Rebekah Side
Christy Gonzalez
Casey Alcoser
Miguel Perez
Our Performers
Joel Pargman, Violin
Violinist Joel Pargman has been a frequent performer on Southern California concert stages for the past twenty years as a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, New West Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, Denali Quartet, and the Fiato Quartet, and as Associate Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra. His performing career has also taken him on concert tours of the U.S., Europe, Japan, and South America. He also records music for film and television.
Mr. Pargman has performed as featured soloist with Musica Angelica, the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, Musicians Emeritus Symphony Orchestra, Tacoma Youth Symphony, and Bremerton Symphony.
For three summers, Joel was a fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center, most recently as a member of its resident new-music quartet, the New Fromm Players. He has also spent summers at the Aspen Music Festival, the Encore School for Strings, the Indiana University String Academy and the Académie Musicale de Villecroze.
Morgan Little, Cello
Morgan Little, a cellist and historical performance enthusiast from Los Angeles, developed a passion for historical performance during studies at DePaul University in Chicago.
After graduating from The Juilliard School graduate on a full-tuition scholarship, Morgan has performed internationally at Festival Dans les Jardins de William Christie, on tour with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra in the U.K. and Amsterdam, and has been invited to perform with Oregon Bach Festival, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and other local historical performance ensembles.
Morgan was most recently found performing under the baton of Richard Egarr with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and will be joining them for their 2023-2024 season to play the Brandenburg concertos, Mendelssohn and Beethoven, and other works in NYC, San Francisco, and Berkeley.
Brook Iva Lohman - Soprano
Recent roles include Lucia, Zerbinetta, Gilda, the Queen of the Night, Olympia, Adele, Monica, Alice in the premiere of Alice in Wonderland by Brooke deRosa, and Ticie in On Gold Mountain by Nathan Wang and Lisa See. A champion of new music, Brooke has premiered multiple contemporary works and continues to collaborate with living composers.
Most recently, Brooke sang the role of Jennie in The Yellow Wallpaper with Lyric Opera of Orange County, the soprano solos in Orff’s Carmina Burana, scenes from Lakmé with LA Opera Connects at The Huntington Library and Gardens, and was featured in the world premiere of Sherry Blevins’ The Turning Point, a work centered on climate change.
Brooke lives in Altadena, California, with her husband and three cats.
Jason Yoshida, Lute, Guitar
Praised as “eloquent and serious,” in a Los Angeles Times review, Jason Yoshida specializes in solo and continuo performance on lutes and historical guitars. He has performed with groups including Ciaramella, Musica Angelica, Les Surprises Baroques, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Los Angeles Opera.
Yoshida received a Bachelor of Music from UC Santa Barbara, a Master of Music in classical guitar, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Early Music from the USC Thornton School of Music.
He is currently on the faculty of the Early Music Department at USC Thornton School of Music.
This Event was Generously Sponsored by
