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Mr. Jones & the Engines of Destruction

Basile Theater at the Glick Indiana History Center
Indianapolis, IN

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Mr. Jones & the Engines of Destruction

Daniel Swenberg with Nell Snaidas, "the superb soprano." New York Times

Mr. Jones & the Engines of Destruction : In 1605 famed-English architect Inigo Jones brought the newly-developed Theorbo from Italy into England. But, at Dover, customs impounded the instrument fearing it was some engine from the popish lands brought to destroy the king. The group emphasizes fun, lascivious, and dramatic programs. Programming also promotes rarely heardensembles for the plucked instrument family: lutes, theorbos, and guitars, as well as, their half-sister, the viola da gamba.

Daniel Swenberg specializes in historical plucked strings: Renaissance and Baroque lutes, theorbos, and baroque and 19th-century guitars, and baroque mandolinoand yes, it takes a lot of time tuning. He performs regularly throughout North America with ensembles: ARTEK, REBEL, The Metropolitan Opera, the Carmel Bach Festival, Mr. Jones & the Engines of Destruction, Ensemble Viscera, New York City Opera. Daniel received awards from the Belgian American Educational Foundation (2000) for a study of 18th century chamber music for the lute, and a Fulbright Scholarship (1997) to study in Bremen, Germany at the Hochschule für Künste (studying with Stephen Stubbs and Andrew Lawrence King). He studied classical guitar at the North Carolina School of the Arts, and musicology at Washington University (St. Louis).

Nell Snaidas (a long-time Indianapolis favorite) has been praised by the New York Times for her "beautiful soprano voice, melting passion" and "vocally ravishing" performances. Her voice has also been described as "remarkably pure with glints of rich sensuality" (Vancouver Sun); and she has been called "a model of luminous timbre and emotional intensity" (Cleveland Plain Dealer).

Of Uruguayan-American descent, Nell began her career singing leading roles in zarzuelas at New York City's Repertorio Español.
Specialization in Latin American and Spanish Baroque music has taken her all over Europe, North and Latin America. She has been invited to join many leading Early Music ensembles in the capacity of soloist, guitarist, and Iberian/New World language and repertoire consultant. These groups include Apollo's Fire, The Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Ex Umbris, Ensemble Viscera, El Mundo, Chatham Baroque and at Music Festivals from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Italy, to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. She has recorded for Sony Classical, Koch, Naxos and Dorian (for whom she served as language coach and soloist on 3 Spanish/New World Baroque cds). She has also recorded this repertoire with premiere Costa Rican Baroque Ensemble, Ganassi, with whom she toured in the Costa Rican International Music Festival as a soloist singing the Colonial Repertoire of Central and Latin America. Her latest cd as a featured soloist with El Mundo in this same repertoire has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Small Ensemble category.

Nell was on faculty at the Madison Early Music Festival at the University of Wisconsin teaching classes on 17th/ 18th century Song Interpretation of the Spanish Dominions and has served as 15th -21st century Spanish and Latin American language coach for individuals and ensembles including NYC's Trinity Wall Street Choir and the New York Continuo Collective and the Rose Ensemble.