$15 youth, $25 Senior/Student, $30 general admission
Tickets available through Eventbrite.
Experience traditional baroque music and dance from the plays of Molière and the ‘Court of Louis XIV this Mother's Day!
Music and Dance from the plays of Molière and the ’Court of Louis XIV
“Music and dancing, music and dancing, that is all that’s necessary.”
Bourgeois Gentilhomme- Molière
Featuring incidental music and dances from Moliere’s plays “La Mariage Forcé” (1664) and “La Malade Imaginaire “(1673) Nash Baroque performs with guest dancer from the New York Baroque dance company, Irenie Melin-Gompper’ and soprano, Caroline Armitage, music from the court pf Louis XIV by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, Michele De La Barre, Elisabeth Jacquet de Guerre, Antoine Forqueray, and newly discovered works for flute by Marin Marais.
From La Bourgeois Gentilhomme- Molière:
Dancing Master: Music and dancing, music and dancing, that’s all that’s necessary.
Music Master: There’s nothing so useful in a state as music.
Dancing Master: There’s nothing so necessary to men as dancing.
Music Master: Without music, a state cannot subsist.
Dancing Master: Without the dance, a man can do nothing.
Music Master: All the disorders, all the wars one sees in the world happen only from not learning music.
Dancing Master: All the misfortunes of mankind, all the dreadful disasters that fill the history books, the blunders of politicians and the faults of omission of great commanders, all this comes from not knowing how to dance.
Artist Profiles
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Soprano Caroline Jou Armitage is known for her “absolutely beautiful” performances sung with “pitch-perfect clarity and affecting intensity” (San Francisco Classical Voice). As a member of Vajra Voices, an all-female medieval vocal ensemble, her solo voice appears in the opening credits on the soundtrack of the feature film Outerlands. She has been a featured soprano soloist with the California Bach Society, Chora Nova, UC Alumni Chorus, Harmonia Felice, Bay Choral Guild, Berkeley Baroque Strings, and LA Baroque. As a Baroque violinist, she performs with Jubilate Baroque Orchestra and Albany Consort. As a modern violinist, she plays for the Bay Area Country Dance Society. Caroline has also appeared as a Baroque dancer at the Amherst Early Music Festival in several operas, and most recently, in a showcase in Japan.
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JungHae Kim’s unique style blends a sparkling virtuoso technique with a gentle and lyrical sensibility that makes the harpsichord instantly accessible to the modern ear. New York Arts described her playing as “impressive” and characterized by “a supple flow and expressiveness.” La Folia raved, “I have never listened as closely or enjoyed d’Anglebert as much. Kim’s playing is gallant and regal.”
A versatile musician on historical keyboard instruments, Kim has appeared as a soloist with period-instrument ensembles as well as the San Francisco Symphony and New Century Chamber Orchestra. She has been featured on NPR and national Korean television (KBS). A sought-after pedagogue, Kim has taught and performed at festivals around the world, including the Bloomington Early Music Festival, Berkeley Early Music Festival, Madison Bach Musicians Workshop, Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Assisi Music Festival (Italy), Midsommer Baroque Music Festival (Denmark), and Chuncheon International Early Music Festival (Korea).
In addition to teaching private lessons, lecturing, and giving masterclasses, Kim is a Professor of Music Theory and Musicianship at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Lecturer in Harpsichord at Stanford University.
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Vicki Melin Baroque and Renaissance Flutes, has performed in early music groups throughout the Bay Area and Southern California such as the American Bach Soloists, with the ABS Academy; Ars Minerva, Voices of Music, Musica Angelica, Bach Collegium San Diego, California Bach Society, Opera Neo Festival Orchestra, Jubilate Orchestra, and as artistic director of her ensemble, Nash Baroque. Ms Melin attended Boston University for her Masters of Music studying with Christopher Krueger and The Royal Conservatory of Music in Den Hague, The Netherlands, receiving the Advanced Diploma in Performance studying with Wilbert Hazelzet. She has performed with early music orchestras and chamber ensembles in the United States and is a frequent guest soloist with International Organ and Chamber Music Festivals in Poland. Ms. Melin lives in San Francisco and teaches baroque flute privately and at UC Berkeley.
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Irenie Melin-Gompper is a graduate of the Alvin Ailey Professional Division Program in NYC. Her formal training includes six years at the San Francisco Ballet School and Bolshoi Academy Intensive Programs. She currently lives in New City where she has assisted choreographers such as Christopher Huggins and Peiju Chien Pott and is a soloist with the New York Baroque Dance Company. She has performed Alvin Ailey works such as “Flight Time” and appeared in ‘Memoria’ during Alvin Ailey’s City Center Season. Last Spring
She made her dance debut in Boston Early Music’s Festival acclaimed production of ‘Octavia’ and is now a continuing member of the Festival Company. She works with Company XIV in Brooklyn as both lead and ensemble member, appearing in the 2026 season’s production of ‘Petite Rouge’.
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Farley Pearce is a San Francisco freelance musician who plays cello, viols, violone, and contrabass. He has played with the baroque orchestras of Vancouver, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and is a member of the Voices of Music ensemble and the Sex Chordae Consort of Viols. He also has appeared with ABS, Archetti, Magnificat!, Musica Pacifica, Marin Baroque, and the Albany Consort, as well as symphony orchestras in the Bay Area. His frequent recitals have featured old and new music for period contrabass as well as late 18th century music for viol and fortepiano. He also performs often on the church bass, most recently on a Music Sources program with Sigiswald Kuijken.