The Other Side of the Story:

Untold Perspectives on Familiar Tales

Society’s collective understanding of history is biased toward the perspectives of those with the privilege and power to preserve their stories. The Other Side of the Story looks beyond this power imbalance to shed light on characters whose viewpoints are underrepresented. Drawing from ancient mythology, literature, and Biblical passages, this program of dramatic music highlights issues and themes raised by the #metoo campaign. From the Book of Judith (which is excluded from some canonical versions of the Bible) to the story of a Siren from her own perspective, we will show the ways in which ancient tales resonate in our communities today. In our continued commitment to promoting new works for baroque instruments, this program for soprano, flute, cello, and harpsichord melds baroque repertoire with a medieval work and the premiere of Honey sweet we sing for you, a cantata by Aaron Grad and Jennifer Bullis.

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Malina Rauschenfels, soprano

Paula Maust, harpsichord 

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GUEST ARTISTS

Sarah Lynn, baroque flute

Glenna Curren, baroque cello​

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Saturday, March 16, 2019

Workshop with 

Renee Jones Empowerment Center Community

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Tuesday, March 19, 2019

House Concert in Fairlawn, OH

arrive 7:30pm, music 8-9:30pm

Suggested Donation $10–20 + bottle of wine

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Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Featured Artist Residency with Fresh Perspectives:

Doors open 6:30, music 7:30

Poetry call!

2460 Lakeside Ave

Cleveland, OH 44114

sliding scale tickets at door

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Thursday, March 21, 2019

School Performance and Workshop

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Thursday, March 21, 2019 ~ 7pm

St. Alban Episcopal Church

2555 Euclid Heights Blvd

Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

$10-20 suggested donation

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Friday, March 22, 2019 ~ 7 pm

St. John's Episcopal Church

323 Wick Ave

Youngstown, OH 44503

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Saturday, March 23, 2019

Workshop and Performance with 

Renee Jones Empowerment Center Community

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Saturday, March 23, 2019 ~ 7pm

Lakewood Congregational Church

1375 West Clifton Blvd

Lakewood, OH 44107

$10-20 suggested donation

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Sunday, March 24, 2019 ~ 2pm

Lincoln Hall

42 S Palmer St.

Foxburg, PA 16036

Adults $25, ARCA Members $20, Students $5

www.alleghenyriverstone.org

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These concerts were made possible in part through grants from the Ohio Arts Council, Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, The Cleveland Foundation, and Early Music America.  

Destructive Desires

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The profound worldwide impact of the #MeToo campaign was a striking beginning to what will hopefully be a continued dialogue about the abuse of power and consent in all types of relationships. In reading the countless stories of sexually-assaulted men and women, several general trends emerge. While abuse happens in countless forms between all combinations of genders, we cannot ignore the fact that in far too many instances women are victimized by men. Frequently, these men behave in ways that make it seem as though they feel that they are entitled to anyone they fancy or that they are simply incapable of controlling their desires. Our program looks beyond contemporary narratives of consent and the abuse of power, and focuses on stories old enough to be in our collective unconsciousness including the Bible,  Greek mythology, and the implied power of Cupid. The ideas perpetuated by these myths have continued to be acceptable for millennia and have not only destroyed countless women’s lives but have also demeaned men. We see change as starting with the acknowledgement of the ludicrous nature of these timeless stories, which is what our program aims to do.

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Malina Rauschenfels, voice and baroque cello

Paula Maust, harpsichord

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Friday, August 17, 2018 

school concert and workshop

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Friday, August 17, 2018 ~ 7:30pm

Cleveland Heights, OH, house concert

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Saturday, August 18, 2018 ~ 2pm

Yellow Springs, OH, house concert

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Friday, October 19, 2018

Arrive at 7:30pm; Music at 8pm

Cleveland Heights House Concert with Limited Seating

Suggested donation $20

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Saturday, October 20, 2018 ~ 7:30pm

St. Alban Episcopal Church

2555 Euclid Heights Blvd

Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

Suggested donation $10-20​​​​​​​​

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SUNDAY's Proceeds will benefit YWCA Greater Cleveland.

We thank you for your support!

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Sunday, October 21, 2018 ~ 2pm

Lakewood Congregational Church - Sanctuary

1375 W Clifton Blvd

Lakewood, OH 44107

Suggested donation $10-20

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These concerts were made possible in part through grants from the Ohio Arts Council and The Cleveland Foundation.

At a Crossroad:

Will You Live, Love, or Die?

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Wednesday, August 9th, 2017

Stone Oven Bakery Cafe, 2267 Lee Rd

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

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Thursday, August 10th, 2017

Yellow Springs Senior Center, 227 Xenia Ave.

Yellow Springs, OH 45387

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Friday, August 11th, 2017

Old Bag of Nails, 24 N State St

Westerville, OH 43081

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Friday, August 11th, 2017

St Alban Episcopal Church, 2555 Euclid Heights Blvd

Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

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Wednesday, Dec 20, 2017

Chatham Village Clubhouse, 655 Penridge Rd

Pittsburgh, PA 15211

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Friday, May 18, 2018

The Institute at St. John's Ohio City, 2600 Church Ave

Cleveland OH 44113

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Saturday, May 19, 2018

Heights Arts, 2175 Lee Rd

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

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Sunday, May 20, 2018

Mary Queen of Peace, 4423 Pearl Rd

Cleveland, OH 44109

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Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Christian Science Organization, 2601 Durant Ave.

Berkeley, CA 94704

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Join Burning River Baroque for a diverse concert full of epic plot twists and compelling questions about how we interact with others in relationships. This intriguing program of French cantatas and harpsichord solos by Élisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, Julie Pinel, and Nicolas Racot de Grandval urges audience members to choose their own adventure while engaging with the characters. Can Sémele live to see her lover appear as a god? How do our reactions to the snapshot of her story in Jacquet de la Guerre’s cantata parallel our judgments of issues and people portrayed in the media? In Pinel’s cantata, we examine issues of consent in relationships and see a classic example of a lover pining after a disinterested beloved. In this refreshing story, the pursuer does not conquer his beloved nor force her to turn into a tree to escape; instead, he implores the nightingales to sing her a heartwarming song. In Grandval's epic parody, one soprano plays six different characters in an extraordinarily comedic rendition of "The Widow from Ephesus." On a more serious note, we witness a culture's view of widowhood and contemplate what we owe the deceased. Ultimately, we must each find the balance between pursuing our own happiness and pleasing others. This captivating hour of exquisite music will raise questions, challenge beliefs, and provide an excellent side of humor for good measure.

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano & baroque violin

Paula Maust, harpsichord 

Suppressed Voices: Music of the Banished

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Wednesday, March 21st, 2018

A Pastiche of European Wine and Music Pairings

The Wine Spot

2271 Lee Rd

Cleveland Hts, OH 44118

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Thursday, March 22nd, 2018

Stow/Munroe Falls Public Library

3512 Darrow Rd.  Stow, OH 44224

More information

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 Friday, March 23rd, 2018 

Lakewood Congregational Church - Chapel

1375 W Clifton Blvd

Lakewood, OH 44107

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Saturday, March 24th, 2018

St Alban Episcopal Church

2555 Euclid Heights Blvd

Cleveland Heights, OH 44106

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Saturday, March 24, 2018

Banish Your Cares Away!

Intimate house concert + fundraiser in Cleveland Heights

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Music has long offered a space for outsiders to find a voice, and classical composers have often been at the forefront of political and social change. Suppressed Voices is a compelling program that showcases characters and composers who were banished from their homelands. From the character of Agrippina, a political exile in G.F. Handel’s cantata, to composers like Johann Rosenmüller, Evaristo Felice dall’Abaco, and Peter Philips who were forced to flee their homelands for various social, political, and religious reasons, this program will challenge audiences’ expectations and highlight the accomplishments of those who overcame great adversity.  

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Malina Rauschenfels, soprano

Paula Maust, harpsichord 

With guest artists:

Sarah Elizabeth Cranor, baroque violin

Reynaldo Patiño, baroque violin

Jessica Korotkin, baroque cello

On the Brink of Insanity: Portrayals of Women as Crazy, Mad, and Unhinged

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

BrownBag Concerts at Music and Art at Trinity Cathedral

Women in Music: Love, Rage and Inspiration

2230 Euclid Ave

Cleveland, OH 44115

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Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Lakewood Presbyterian Church, chapel

14502 Detroit Ave

Lakewood, OH 44107

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Thursday, March 23, 2017

The Stone Oven

2267 Lee Rd

Cleveland Hts, OH 44118

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Friday, March 24th, 2017

St. Mary's Episcopal Church

306 S Prospect Ave

Park Ridge, IL 60068

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Saturday, March 25th, 2017

Luther Memorial Church

2500 W Wilson Ave

Chicago, IL 60625

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Dramatic musical works often contain scenes of overwhelming emotion in which male characters are frequently portrayed as being consumed by power. When women are overcome with emotion, however, male composers often attribute madness or craziness to them. Burning River Baroque will present a selection of works by George Frideric Handel, John Eccles, and Henry Purcell where women’s passions and emotional expressions render them as unhinged in the eyes of their creators. In a new move for the ensemble, the program will feature an original work by Malina Rauschenfels using texts from the Salem witch trial of Bridget Bishop. This fusion of new and old works will shed light on how the ways we describe those who are different from us can have very real and long-lasting effects on the community at large.

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Malina Rauschenfels, soprano 

Barbara Krumdieck, baroque cello

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Forces of Good and Evil: Seasonal Works by Musical Saints and Sinners

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Monday, December 26, 2016

Duluth Congregational Church

Duluth, MN

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

The Baroque Room

St. Paul, MN

Thursday, December 29, 2016

St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church

New York, NY

Midtown Concerts is a project of the

Gotham Early Music Scene

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It can be easy to presume that the extraordinarily talented classical composers we know and love led personal lives that were as pristine as their professional successes. Even the greatest artists, however, must live with the human condition. In a program that parallels the goodness found in music with the inevitable nefariousness that exists in the world, Burning River Baroque will explore seasonal music by composers whose lives were colored with drama and scandal, alongside of works by those who led more honorable lives. Regardless of whether their behavior is deemed as questionable or virtuous by us today, their music remains exquisite enough to stand the test of time.

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Malina Rauschenfels, soprano and baroque violin
Paula Maust, harpsichord

Twisted Fate: Famed and Forgotten Female Composers

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Friday, September 16, 2016

Susan Wagner's Art Studio - House Concert

Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday, September 17, 2016

St Alban Episcopal Church

Cleveland Hts, OH

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Sunday, September 18, 2016

Music from the Western Reserve series

Hudson, OH

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Friday, November 4, 2016

Music Institute of Chicago series

Evanston, IL

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Saturday, November 5, 2016

Emmanuel Episcopal Church

La Grange,  IL

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The history of western art music predominantly focuses on the lives and works of male teachers, composers, and performers. In eras when women rarely had access to the same educational and professional opportunities as their male colleagues, it can be easy to presume that women were simply not as productive and successful in the field. A closer look at history, however, reveals that some women in the past were able to rise above the gender restrictions placed on them and achieved great success as professional musicians. Others led more private professional lives cloistered in abbeys and composing for their fellow sisters. Burning River Baroque will present a program that blends works of both the famous and forgotten female composers from antiquity to the present, including Hildegard von Bingen, Jacquet de la Guerre, Princess Anna Amalia, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, Barbara Strozzi, Isabella Leonarda, and Martha Bishop. “Twisted Fate: Famed and Forgotten Female Composers” will explore the ways in which historical circumstances twisted the lives of some women into the spotlight and others into the shadows as well as their diverse portrayals of female characters.

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Malina Rauschenfels and Josefien Stoppelenburg, sopranos
Phillip W. Serna, viola da gamba
Paula Maust, harpsichord

On the Brink of Insanity: Portrayals of Women as Crazy, Mad, and Unhinged

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Made possible, in part, by a generous grant from the
Open Meadows Foundation

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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

BOP STOP @ The Music Settlement

Cleveland, OH

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Stow/Munroe Falls Library

Stow, OH

Friday, May 27, 2016

Friedens Lutheran Church

Friedens, PA

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Saturday, May 28, 2016

Java Central Coffee House

Westerville, OH

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Dramatic musical works often contain scenes of overwhelming emotion in which male characters are frequently portrayed as being consumed by power. When women are overcome with emotion, however, male composers often attribute madness or craziness to them. Burning River Baroque will present a selection of works by George Frideric Handel, John Eccles, and Henry Purcell where women’s passions and emotional expressions render them as unhinged in the eyes of their creators. In a new move for the ensemble, the program will feature an original work by Malina Rauschenfels using texts from the Salem witch trial of Bridget Bishop. This fusion of new and old works will shed light on how the ways we describe those who are different from us can have very real and long-lasting effects on the community at large.

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Malina Rauschenfels, soprano 

Barbara Krumdieck, baroque cello

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Forces of Good and Evil: The Colorful Lives of Composers

Saturday, January 16, 2016

An die Musik LIVE!

Baltimore, MD

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Bigelow Conference Center

Pittsburgh, PA

Saturday, January 23, 2016

St. Alban Episcopal Church

Cleveland Heights, OH

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Mary Queen of Peace

Cleveland, OH

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It can be easy to presume that the extraordinarily talented classical composers we know and love led personal lives that were as pristine as their professional successes. Even the greatest artists, however, must live with the human condition. In a program that parallels the goodness found in music with the inevitable nefariousness that exists in the world, Burning River Baroque will explore music by composers whose lives were colored with drama and scandal, alongside of works by those who led more honorable lives. Regardless of whether their behavior is deemed as questionable or virtuous by us today, their music remains exquisite enough to stand the test of time.

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Malina Rauschenfels, soprano and baroque cello

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Amore: Italian Songs of Adoration, Desire & Remorse

Friday, September 18th, 2015

Lakewood Congregational Church

1375 W. Clifton Blvd

Lakewood, OH

Saturday, September 19th, 2015

Hammer Baroque

Rock on Locke - St. John the Evangelist Church

320 Charlton Ave West

Hamilton, Ontario

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Join Burning River Baroque for two performances of exquisite and dynamic 17th-century Italian vocal works. Malina Rauschenfels (soprano, baroque violin) and Paula Maust (harpsichord, mezzo-soprano) will be joined by Canadian guest artist Bud Roach (tenor and baroque guitar) for a program of music and texts from Northern Italy that explores the various facets of love. Beloved songs of Monteverdi and Merula, rare works by Marini and Borlasca, a playful Sances dialogue, and exciting Frescobaldi duets will be seamlessly woven into an extraordinary and dramatic hour.

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano and baroque violin

Paula Maust, harpsichord and mezzo-soprano

Bud Roach, tenor and baroque guitar

Comédie et Caffé: Irreverent 18th-Century French

Chamber Music

Tuesday, June 9th, 2015

Emmanuel Church, Lindsey Chapel

Boston, MA

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A witty and satirical program of cantatas and instrumental works by Bernier, Rameau, Corrette, and Grandval. Join us for an unforgettable staged experience that unfolds the drama of 18th-century Parisian salon works one laugh at a time.

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano and baroque violin

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Luke Conklin, baroque flute and oboe

Phillip Serna, viola da gamba

Bach's 330th Birthday Bash!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Trinity Cathedral

Cleveland, OH

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Friday, March 20, 2015

Trinity Episcopal Church

Columbus, OH
 

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Java Central

Westerville, OH

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Columbus and Westerville concerts are sponsored by St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Westerville and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio.

Commemorate the 330th birthday of J.S. Bach in style! Hear an eclectic variety of music by the acclaimed composer and his influential contemporaries G.P. Telemann and G.F. Handel. Each celebratory piece on the program appropriately complements a merry occasion: a cantata for the New Year by Telemann, selections from Bach’s birthday and wedding cantatas, and a festive trio sonata by Handel, together combined into a joyous celebration!

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Luke Conklin, baroque flute and oboe

Marilyn Fung, violone

Comedy & Coffee: Irreverent 18th-Century French Chamber Music

Thursday, March 26th - various public schools

Friday, March 27, 2015

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

Akron, OH

Saturday, March 28th, 2015

Trinity Lutheran Church

Cleveland, OH

Sunday, March 29, 2015

St Alban Episcopal Church

Cleveland Heights, OH

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The witty and satirical side of 18th-century French salons is explored in four diverse musical selections: Bernier’s playful ode to the wonders of coffee, Corrette’s tasteful quoting of Rameau’s operas in a ‘Concerto Comique’, one of Rameau’s charming and unique Pièces de clavecin en concerts, and Grandval’s tongue-in-cheek parody of the most popular cantatas of the day.

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano and baroque violin

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Luke Conklin, baroque flute

Phillip Serna, viola da gamba

A Voice in the Wilderness

Sacred Music of the German Baroque

Friday, Oct. 17th, 2014

Trinity Lutheran Church

Cleveland, OH

Saturday, Oct. 18th, 2014

St. Alban Episcopal Church

Cleveland Heights, OH

Sunday, Oct. 19th, 2014

Peace Community Church

Oberlin, OH

Part of FIRST Music Series

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Search for the Divine Voice that inspired transcendent music of the German Baroque. Sacred cantatas and instrumental music by J.S. Bach, Biber, Buxtehude, Klein, Kuhnau & Telemann.

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano, baroque cello

Peter Lekx, violin

Paula Maust, organ

** BENEFIT for First Lutheran Church Lorain for post-fire reconstruction

J.S. Bach in Focus

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Saturday, Oct. 18th, 2014

Severance Hall, Reinberger Chamber Hall

Cleveland, OH

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Join us at Severance Hall as part of The Cleveland Orchestra's two week celebration of the music of J.S.Bach! Various groups from the region will be performing, with Burning River Baroque presenting a concert of selections from various vocal cantatas, instrumental sonatas, solo suites & partitas.

Peter Lekx, violin & viola

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano & cello

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Obsession & Unrequited Love

Friday, Oct. 3, 2014

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Medina, OH

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Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014

Christ Episcopal Church

Shaker Heights, OH

Sunday, Oct. 5, 2014

Lakewood Congregational Church

Lakewood, OH

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Experience the passion & tyranny of unrequited love in 18th century Italian cantatas by Giovanni Bononcini, Antonio Vivaldi, and Domenico Scarlatti. These are matched in intensity and virtuosity with violin and cello sonatas by Nicola Porpora, Arcangelo Corelli, Scarlatti & Francesco Maria Veracini. Burning River Baroque invites you to join them in unfolding the drama of these innovative triumphs of the Italian Baroque!

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano & baroque cello

Paula Maust, harpsichord

BURNING RIVER BAROQUE IN BOSTON

Desperation & Desire

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday July 22–24, 2014

St. Peter's Church; The Chapel at West Parish; Lindsey Chapel

Boston, MA

This program uses the music of English Restoration composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695) as the starting point for exploring the music that flourished in his lifetime. Purcell exhibited unparalleled genius for setting the English language to song, and is often revered as the greatest English opera composer. Every song on this program demonstrates his unerring depiction of human passions and desires. To put these songs in perspective, also included are other pieces from the period that were heard on the street and in the tavern, as well as in the courts. You will hear instrumental music by John Jenkins and Christopher Simpson, and melodies found in John Playford's highly successful editions of English dance tunes. Each piece is chosen for its rich emotional content, with the instrumental works mirroring Purcell's depiction of the human psyche.

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano

Peter Lekx, violin

David Ellis, viola da gamba

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Obsession & Unrequited Love

Friday, June 6, 2014

St. Mark's Episcopal Church - Parish Hall

A Berkeley Early Music Festival Fringe Concert

Berkeley, CA

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Experience the passion & tyranny of unrequited love in 18th century Italian cantatas by Giovanni Bononcini, Nicola Porpora and Domenico Scarlatti. These are matched in intensity and virtuosity with violin and cello sonatas by Porpora, Scarlatti & Francesco Maria Veracini. Burning River Baroque invites you to join them in unfolding the drama of these innovative triumphs of the Italian Baroque!

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano & baroque cello

Barbara Blaker Krumdieck, baroque cello

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Anthony Harvey, Theorbo

Obsession & Unrequited Love

Friday, May 30, 2014

Lakewood Presbyterian Church

Lakewood, OH

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Saint Alban Episcopal Church

Cleveland Heights, OH

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Trinity Cathedral

Cleveland OH

Ariane: Abandoned & Adored

Friday, February 7, 2014

St. Peter's Parish

Cleveland, OH

Saturday, February 8, 2014

St. Albans Episcopal Church

Cleveland Heights, OH

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Lakewood Presbyterian Church

Lakewood, OH

Monday, March 10, 2014

St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church

New York, NY

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Burning River Baroque invites you to come experience the drama of Ariane! Several French cantata settings of her heartbreak and glorious transformation - by Bourgeois, Courbois & Montéclair. Also with lush instrumental music by Clérambault and Couperin.

Malina Rauschenfels , soprano

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

Luke Conklin, baroque oboe & traverso

David Ellis, viola da gamba

Paula Maust, harpsichord

Desperation & Desire:

Music of Henry Purcell and His English Contemporaries

Friday, Sept 27, 2013

Lakewood Presbyterian Church

Lakewood, OH

Friday, Sept 28th, 2013

St. Albans Episcopal Church

Cleveland Heights, OH

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Burning River Baroque and hūmAnómali together present music of late 17th century England: Featuring Purcell's songs for soprano, divisions for violin & viola da gamba, with courtly dance music interludes & instrumental fantasias.

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

David Ellis, viola da gamba

Paula Maust, harpsichord

The Passion & Fury of Medea

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Beacon Hill Friends House

Boston, MA

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Burning River Baroque presents: two interpretations of the tempestuous tale of Medea... Cantatas by Clérambault and Bernier portray the smoldering fury and undying love of the betrayed woman. Come experience the passion of the French Baroque!

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Malina Rauschenfels, soprano

Peter Lekx, violin

John Romey, bass viol

Eric Tinkerhess, bass viol

Wesley Hall, harpsichord

A Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Concert

Soli Deo Gloria

Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul

Boston, MA

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Burning River Baroque presents: sacred cantatas and instrumental works by Bach, Biber & Buxtehude.

Malina Rauschenfels, soprano & baroque cello

Shannon Rose McAuliffe, soprano

Peter Lekx, baroque violin

Karen Burciaga, baroque violin

David Ellis, baroque cello

Eric Tinkerhess, viola da gamba

Wesley Hall, harpsichord

A Boston Early Music Festival Fringe Concert