Music Mondays start Oct. 11

Cornell College will host Music Mondays with four performances starting Oct. 11.

Each concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in King Chapel, the centerpiece of the historic Cornell College campus. General admission for each concert is $10 ($5 for students) at the door. No advance ticket sales, no reserved seating. Admission is free to Cornell students, faculty, staff, emeriti faculty, and retired staff, and to Purple Pass holders.

The dates and performances are as follows:

Oct. 11 Ensemble 415

Founded in 1981 and based in France, Ensemble 415 is named after the pitch to which baroque instruments were tuned. The chamber group is a gathering of baroque violinists and violists supported by a continuo group of Italian inspiration. Led by founder and Swiss violinist Chiara Banchini, Ensemble 415 will present masterworks of Corelli, Vivaldi, Boccherini, and Mozart.

Nov. 15 Stephen Marchionda

An emerging performer on the international concert scene, Stephen Marchionda combines the expressive, colorist playing of the past with a modern technique, flair, imagination, and scholarship. He has won several international prizes including the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Solo, the Segovia International, and the Manuel de Falla. Works by Scarlatti, Albeniz, Rodrigo, and José will showcase Marchionda’s technical skill and musical individuality.

Dec. 11  Holiday Concert

A Cornell tradition returns, featuring the combined Cornell Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Orchestra under the direction of Drs. Lisa and Martin Hearne. The program will feature Rutter’s 1990 Magnificat, which is based on Bach’s Magnificat in its scale and dimension but uses Gregorian themes in a more contemporary harmonic language. Lisa Hearne will be the soprano soloist.

Feb. 21, 2011 D’anna Fortunato

Grammy-nominated mezzo-soprano D’Anna Fortunato will perform a gala vocal chamber concert with flutist Peter H. Bloom and pianist Mary Jane Rupert. In this vivid program of fascinating contrasts, the ensemble will perform selections from Handel’s exquisite German arias; “Una voce poco fa” (Rosina’s famous aria from Rossini’s “Barber of Seville”); songs for voice, flute and piano by Ravel and Saint-Saëns; English folk song settings by Benjamin Britten; “Vowels” (1993) by Daniel Pinkham; and Schubert’s masterpiece “Shepherd on the Rock.”