Phillip W. Serna, Viola da Gamba

Description

Double bassist and collaborative artist PHILLIP W. SERNA has emerged among our nation's leading advocates of the viola da gamba. Co-founding Black Tulip, New Comma Baroque, ViolMedium and the Spirit of Gambo - a Chicago Consort of Viols, he’s collaborated with a myriad of distinguished historical-performance ensembles, most notably the Bella Voce Sinfonia, Burning River Baroque, the Chicago Early Music Consort, Les Touches and the Newberry Consort. He can be heard on WFMT Chicago, Wisconsin Public Radio, Milwaukee Public Radio, and on releases from Clarion, Cedille, and Varèse Sarabande Records. Holding degrees from Northwestern University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Dr. Serna teaches at Valparaiso University, North Central College, the Music Institute of Chicago and served as co-director Illinois' first public-school period-instrument program at Adlai E. Stevenson High School. Furthermore, he serves as music director of Viols in Our Schools, an education initiative that earned him Early Music America's 2010 Laurette Goldberg Award for Early Music outreach. Phillip’s online virtual viol consort project - Consorts-Minus-One - has been recognized in major string music publications the world over.

Work Sample

Shattered Glass: New Music for Viola da Gamba by Women Composers

In collaboration with composers Sarah Angliss, Martha Bishop , Eliza Brown, Alice Chance, Emily Doolittle, Lynn Gumert, Helen Hé, Malina Rauschenfels, Lauren Redhead, Rebecca Rowe, Heather Spence & Patricia Wallinga, Phillip Serna presents a recital of contemporary music for viola da gamba based around the CD project of the same name.

Somewhere in Time: Telemann's ‘Lost’ 1735 Fantasias for Solo Viola da Gamba

Located in 2014 by Thomas Fritzsch, a copy of Telemann’s self-published 1735 fantasias for viola da gamba survived near Hanover at Ledenburg Palace in the collection of Eleonore von Münster (née von Grothaus, 1734-1794). Dedicated to musical subscriber Mr. Pierre Chaunell (1703-1789) and published in a period when the viol’s popularity was waning in Europe, Telemann’s unique fantasias encompass a plethora of forms: inspired by the Polish and Moravian music of his early career, filled with techniques spanning fugal writing to elements of the rondo and concerto while straddling the High Baroque and the galant.  Join us as we explore Telemann’s self-published 1735 fantasias, the last great collection of virtuoso unaccompanied music for viola da gamba - missing since the 18th century!

A Souldiers Resolution - A Question of Love, Life, Deth for Captaine Hume

A program exploring the life and (war) times of Captaine Tobias Hume (1569-1645) in a dramatic program of viola da gamba music interspersed with song, poetry & readings from the mercenary musician.

Since the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic, I have been an active recording artist, performing and producing a myriad of recordings, some of which have been the 1st made of composers such as Leonora Duarte (1610-1678) & Claudia Francesca Rusca (1583​-​1676). recordings of my work appear on all the major streaming services including Amazon Music, Apple Music/ iTunes, Bandcamp/ Bandcamp Classical, Deezer, Pandora, Spotify, TIDAL & YouTube Music

History

As a double bassist and collaborative artist I've emerged among our nation's leading advocates of the viola da gamba. Co-founding Black Tulip, New Comma Baroque, ViolMedium and the Spirit of Gambo - a Chicago Consort of Viols, I've collaborated with a myriad of distinguished historical-performance ensembles, most notably the Bella Voce Sinfonia, Burning River Baroque, the Chicago Early Music Consort, Les Touches and the Newberry Consort. I can be heard on WFMT Chicago, Wisconsin Public Radio, Milwaukee Public Radio, and on releases from Clarion, Cedille, and Varèse Sarabande Records. Holding degrees from Northwestern University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, I teach at Valparaiso University, North Central College, the Music Institute of Chicago and served as co-director Illinois' first public-school period-instrument program at Adlai E. Stevenson High School. Furthermore, I've served as music director of Viols in Our Schools, an education initiative that earned me Early Music America's 2010 Laurette Goldberg Award for Early Music outreach. My online virtual viol consort project - Consorts-Minus-One - has been recognized in major string music publications the world over. For more information, visit https://www.phillipwserna.com/about

Artistic Vision

My goal is to promote not only historical music for violas da gamba, but also new music by under-represented composers in the field. While Early Music is heavily rooted in the study of culture & history, coupling it with new music can make our Classical Music field relevant to modern audiences where it is important not to shy away from the cultural challenges of our time. Relating music to the struggles of people and cultures in our communities is a way to connect our human stories.