our organization
mission
The mission of Lyrica Baroque is to support a diverse community of students, teachers, artists, institutions and audiences of all ages through education, collaboration and performance. Lyrica Baroque seeks to promote the extraordinary classical musical history of New Orleans by performing accessible chamber music at the highest level of artistic excellence.
We are called Lyrica Baroque because the earliest documented classical music in New Orleans came from the Baroque period (1600s-1700s). Classical music, including chamber music, was a unifying force for the diverse ethnicities that were part of Louisiana’s earliest days. Louisiana’s rich classical music tradition dates back to the Baroque period, with classical musical performance and education being an integral part of the state’s cultural heritage.
Lyrica Baroque is committed to continuing this New Orleans longstanding tradition of uniting communities through chamber music.
timeline
2009
In 2009, the group performs a program of Baroque music as a trio of oboe, violin, and harpsichord for the first time at St. Mary’s Church in the Old Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter. Ensemble expands to include voice, a rich continuo section of cello and bassoon, and begins performing custom arrangements for the group crafted by Benjamin Atherholt.
2015
In 2015, Lyrica Baroque becomes a non-profit organization, expanding their performances and mission to include unique programs for New Orleans children and a chamber music competition. It is also the year Lyrica Baroque begins performing its annual Christmas concert at Christ Church Cathedral on St. Charles Avenue for the New Orleans community.
2018
The first Power of Language residency is presented in its inaugural workshop in 2018 for fourth graders at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy of Global Studies in New Orleans. Lyrica Baroque holds its 2nd annual fundraiser gala honoring Drs. Ranney and Emel Songu Mize with Lyrica Baroque’s first Maestro Award.
2020
2020 comes with acknowledgement of the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pause of in-person gatherings and programming create space to strengthen our administrative foundation, evaluate our structure, and identify areas for improvement to better support our organization for sustainability and growth. We present NOLA Chamber Fest 2020 virtually reaching more students and engaging a broader audience than ever before, welcome five new team members to Lyrica Baroque, and present Winterreise 2020 in our first ever live stream format streamed from the University of New Orleans Recital Hall.
2022
2022 showcases growth. We successfully doubled our budget, increased staff and expanded programming. An unforgettable collaboration with Grammy Award winning Harlem Quartet, our first side-by-side Community Concert with students and teachers from our Community Partner organizations, pilot programs of our social-emotional learning program with KID smART in schools across New Orleans and our first ever Creativity Day partnering with The Roots of Music, Palacios House of Arts and Crescent City String Academy are a few of the highlights. Read our 2022 Annual Report to learn more!
2014
A performance at the Louis Cathedral in 2014 estables the ensemble as a tight-knit group that can come together and instantly play with a high level of cohesion, musicianship, and artistry.
2016
Performances in 2016 include collaborations with the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Catholic Cultural Heritage Society and the New Orleans Museum of Art
2019
Growth, community and outreach continue in 2019 with developed curriculum reaching more students than ever through the Power of Language program and a performance of Opera Fusion at the esteemed Chautauqua Institution. NOLA Chamber Fest reaches its fifth season and Lyrica Baroque celebrates by honoring Margaret Shields and Jonathan McCall with its 2019 Maestro Award.
2021
2021 is spent creatively serving our community despite the challenges of the pandemic with our first ever porch concert Latin American Soundscapes and a hybrid performance of Winterreise featuring Isabella Leonarda’s Sonata Terza and Schubert’s Winterreise in its entirety. NOLA Chamber Fest is presented online for the second year in a row including livestream performances and a national competition. Our Power of Language program evolves as we establish a new partnership with KID smART using chamber music to teach their social emotional learning curriculum With Feeling in New Orleans schools.
Baroque & Classical Music in New Orleans
1736 Spiritual Songs from the Ursuline Convent were Baroque remixes of popular tunes by classical composers, with changed lyrics from secular to sacred so that women and the Catholic faithful could enjoy the pleasures of current music without compromising their virtue. These songs are the oldest known musical document in Louisiana history.
The Historic New Orleans Collection
1796
New Orleans is treated to Sylvain, the city’s first documented performance of opera (possibly the first in the territory that is now the United States). New Orleans Opera Association
2009
In 2009, the group performs a program of Baroque music as a trio of oboe, violin, and harpsichord for the first time at St. Mary’s Church in the Old Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter. Ensemble expands to include voice, a rich continuo section of cello and bassoon, and begins performing custom arrangements for the group crafted by Benjamin Atherholt.
2014
A performance at the Louis Cathedral in 2014 estables the ensemble as a tight-knit group that can come together and instantly play with a high level of cohesion, musicianship, and artistry.
2015
In 2015, Lyrica Baroque becomes a non-profit organization, expanding their performances and mission to include unique programs for New Orleans children and a chamber music competition. It is also the year Lyrica Baroque begins performing its annual Christmas concert at Christ Church Cathedral on St. Charles Avenue for the New Orleans community.
2016
Performances in 2016 include collaborations with the Historic New Orleans Collection, the Catholic Cultural Heritage Society and the New Orleans Museum of Art
2018
The first Power of Language residency is presented in its inaugural workshop in 2018 for fourth graders at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy of Global Studies in New Orleans. Lyrica Baroque holds its 2nd annual fundraiser gala honoring Drs. Ranney and Emel Songu Mize with Lyrica Baroque’s first Maestro Award.
2019
Growth, community and outreach continue in 2019 with developed curriculum reaching more students than ever through the Power of Language program and a performance of Opera Fusion at the esteemed Chautauqua Institution. NOLA Chamber Fest reaches its fifth season and Lyrica Baroque celebrates by honoring Margaret Shields and Jonathan McCall with its 2019 Maestro Award.
2020
2020 comes with acknowledgement of the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pause of in-person gatherings and programming create space to strengthen our administrative foundation, evaluate our structure, and identify areas for improvement to better support our organization for sustainability and growth. We present NOLA Chamber Fest 2020 virtually reaching more students and engaging a broader audience than ever before, welcome five new team members to Lyrica Baroque, and present Winterreise 2020 in our first ever live stream format streamed from the University of New Orleans Recital Hall.
2021
2021 is spent creatively serving our community despite the challenges of the pandemic with our first ever porch concert Latin American Soundscapes and a hybrid performance of Winterreise featuring Isabella Leonarda’s Sonata Terza and Schubert’s Winterreise in its entirety. NOLA Chamber Fest is presented online for the second year in a row including livestream performances and a national competition. Our Power of Language program evolves as we establish a new partnership with KID smART using chamber music to teach their social emotional learning curriculum With Feeling in New Orleans schools.
2022
2022 showcases growth. We successfully doubled our budget, increased staff and expanded programming. An unforgettable collaboration with Grammy Award winning Harlem Quartet, our first side-by-side Community Concert with students and teachers from our Community Partner organizations, pilot programs of our social-emotional learning program with KID smART in schools across New Orleans and our first ever Creativity Day partnering with The Roots of Music, Palacios House of Arts and Crescent City String Academy are a few of the highlights. Read our 2022 Annual Report to learn more!
who we are
our team
our collaborators
Christ Church Cathedral
Pel Hughes Printing
N.O. Vative Printing
The Roots of Music
KID smART
New Orleans Friends of Music
The Tchoup Yard
Crescent City String Academy
Palacios House of Arts
University of New Orleans
Smallcode
Langston Hughes Academy
Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra
The Willow School
St. Katharine Drexel Prep
YAYA Arts Center
herWARD Consulting
our board
our advisors
