Sylvan Consort

Sarah Cunningham is recognized as one of the foremost viola da gambists worldwide.  She trained at Harvard University, the Longy School of Music, and the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, Holland.  She was co-founder, with Monica Huggett, of Trio Sonnerie, with whom she recorded most of the important chamber music for violin and viol, and toured on four continents in the last twentieth century.  She was invited by Sir James Galway to collaborate on his recordings of Bach's flute music, and toured with him in Europe and the USA.  Sarah's solo recordings were released on ASV, and EMI/Virgin Classics, and she has appeared as recitalist from Helsinki to Vancouver.  As concerto soloist she recorded works by Telemann with many well-known baroque chamber orchestras.  She has also performed with viol consorts Les Filles de Sainte Colombe, Fretwork, Phantasm, Hesperion XX, and Parthenia as well as the medieval ensembles Sequentia and Virelai. Sarah currently teaches in the Historical Performance Department at the Juilliard School, was professor of viola da gamba in Bremen, Germany, and has taught at numerous summer academies and masterclasses worldwide.

Donna Fournier plays viola da gamba and cello with Brandywine Baroque, La Bernardinia and La Fiocco and has performed with such groups as Mélomanie, Bach Collegium Philadelphia, Gamut Bach Ensemble, Opera Lafayette, Tempesta di Mare, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and The Philadelphia Classical Symphony.  The Philadelphia Inquirer acclaimed her solo work as "poised, soulful... [and] played with particular depth."  Donna has recorded Buxtehude cantatas for PGM, Telemann and Boismortier trio sonatas for A Casa Discos, Jacquet de La Guerre and Bousset cantatas for Plectra Music, and new music for baroque ensemble for Meyers Music and Furious Artisans.  She has also served as faculty teaching viol players at Temple University, Amhearst Early Music, and local and national gamba workshops.

Gretchen Gettes earned an undergraduate degree from Duke Univeristy and a Masters of Music in cello performance as a student of Lynn Harrell at the University of Southern California.  She has been on the faculty of Baltimore School for the Arts, Peabody Preparatory, and Goucher College and held playing positions in the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, Baltimore Opera orchestra, Orchestra of Saint Johns's and Bach in Baltimore orchestra.  She recently performed with the Curtis Opera Theater to sold out audiences as continuo gambist for their production of The Comet / Poppea.

Elena Kauffman maintains an active career as a performing and teaching artist. She is the cellist and manager of Blue Line Quartet, and she performs frequently with Fairmount String Quartet, Elysium String Quartet, and many other chamber ensembles in the Philadelphia area. She is the principal cellist and personnel manager of the Wayne Oratorio Society, Haverford-Bryn Mawr Chorale Orchestra, Germantown Oratorio Choir Orchestra, and she serves as the personnel manager and is a section cellist for the West Jersey Chamber Orchestra. Elena has performed with the Philadelphia Ballet Orchestra, Reading Symphony, Bay Atlantic Symphony, and Riverside Symphonia.  Praised for her “customary acuity and beauty” (Broad Street Review), Elena has a passion for historical string instruments, and she performs regularly on baroque cello and viola da gamba. She has appeared on tour with Venice Baroque Orchestra, and she was the viola da gamba soloist in New York City Opera’s production of Los Elementos by Antonio Literes. She has participated in the American Bach Soloists Academy in San Francisco, the International Masterclasses Festival in Gaming, Austria, and Juilliard at Piccola Accademia in Montisi, Italy. Elena is a founding member of Filament, and has appeared as a guest with Tempesta di Mare, The Thirteen Chamber Choir Baroque Orchestra, Bach Collegium Philadelphia, Gamut Bach Ensemble, Crescendo Period Instrument Orchestra, Ex Umbris, and Elm City Consort. She has studied with Sarah Cunningham, Phoebe Carrai, and has performed in masterclass for Thomas Fritzsch and Paolo Pandolfo. A dedicated educator, Elena maintains a private studio and is the Orchestra Operations Director and Lower Strings Specialist at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Southwest Philadelphia. Elena is a graduate of Temple University, where she studied with Jeffrey Solow. 

Margaret Humphrey maintains a vibrant freelance schedule as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra member performing in ensembles in the US and Europe.  She plays violin regularly with the Lyra Baroque Orchestra, Tempesta di Mare, and as concertmaster of the Bach Society of Minnesota.  A founding member of Belladonna Baroque quartet, she has toured throughout the US, Europe, and Brazil.  Cerulean Fire, her most recent ensemble collaborates with dancers and percussionists crossing over genres to create dynamic performance experiences. Ms. Humphrey is also a member of the Kingsbury Ensemble in St. Louis as well as soloing yearly in the Ancient Music Series in St. Savin France.  She has recorded on the Chandos, Dorian, Ten Thousand Lakes, and Naxos labels.

Rebecca Humphrey is an active freelance cellist performing with many US early music ensembles.  A Bach continuo specialist, she has played frequently with Washington Bach Consort, Cantate Chamber Singers, Bethesda, Trinity Church, NY and Choral Arts Philadlephia, to name a few.  She has been principal cellist with Tempesta di Mare, Lyra Concert, Kammerensemble Luzern and Capriccio Basel.  Rebecca is founding member of many chamber groups including the Franklin Quartet, Kleine Kammermusik, Night Music, and Belladonna Baroque Quartet.  She has coached at the Aspen Music Festival and School and was a faculty member at Curtis Institue where she taught baroque cello.