ROSE ENSEMBLE:

The Rose Ensemble was an early-music group founded in St. Paul, Minnesota by Artistic Director Jordan Sramek in 1996. The organization’s mission states, “Uniting virtuosic vocal artistry with scholarly research, The Rose Ensemble creates musical performances and educational programs that connect audiences to compelling stories of human history, culture, and spirituality from around the world.” Over its 24 seasons, the group produced numerous concert programs, commercial recordings, commissioned works, and provided educational programs and outreach. Much of the music and educational programs produced by the Rose Ensemble were informed and developed through in-depth historical research conducted by the organization’s founder.

The group toured extensively throughout the Americas and Europe. The Rose Ensemble’s tour programs included: Il Poverello: The Life and Legacy of St. Francis of Assisi; Christmas in Baroque Malta: Italian Majesty at Mdina Cathedral; Land of Three Faiths: Voices of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, and Muslims; The Last Queen of Hawaii'i: Music from the Soul of the Hawaiian Saga; American Roots: Harmonies that Shaped a Nation; A Renaissance Requiem: Tomas-Luis de Victoria's Mass for the Departed; and Slavic Wonders: Feasts and Saints in Early Russia, Bohemia, Poland and Ukraine.

Its commercial recordings included: Seasons of angels: harmony of the spheres (2001); The Road to Compostela (2002); Celebremos el nino: Christmas delights from the Mexican Baroque (2005); Rosa das rosas: Cantigas de Santa Maria and other spiritual songs for the Virgin (2006); Slavic holiday: legends from ancient Czechoslovakia and Poland (2007); Nā Mele Hawaiʻi: A rediscovery of Hawaiian vocal music (2007); Fire of the soul: choral virtuosity in 17th-Century Russia and Poland (2007); And Glory shone around: early American carols, country dances, Southern harmony hymns, and Shaker spiritual songs (2008); Il Poverello: Medieval and Renaissance music for Saint Francis of Assisi (2009); Land of three faiths: voice of Ancient Mediterranean Jews, Christians, & Muslims (2011); A Toast to prohibition: all-American songs of temperance and temptation (2014); and Treasures from Baroque Malta (2017).

The Rose Ensemble commissioned works with the following artists and musicians: Carol E. Barnett, Eric Barnum, William Beckstrand, Abbie Betinis, Edie Hill, Linda Kachelmeier, Michael Karmon, Sergey Kvoshchinsky, J. David Moore, Stephen Paulus, John Rommereim, Timothy Takach, and Victor Zupanc.

The Rose Ensemble’s educational and outreach programs included coaching workshops, presentations, residencies, master classes, and lecture demonstrations that served students from the elementary school level to the university level, and similar outreach programs that served public libraries, senior homes, and community organizations.

The Rose Ensemble’s performances were frequently featured on American Public Media and the European Broadcasting Union. The group also received international recognition and accolades, including: the Chorus America's Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence (2005); winner of the sacred music category at the Tolosa International Choral Competition (2007); winner of the secular and sacred music categories at the Tolosa International Choral Competition (2012); and the Early Music America's Laurette Goldberg Award for Lifetime Achievement in Early Music Outreach (2018).

In 2018, citing dropping attendance and financial difficulties, the Board of Directors of the Rose Ensemble decided to disband the group following the 2018-2019 performance season. However, an outpouring of donations, increased commercial recording sales, and institutional financial support helped revive the organization for another season, and the Rose Ensemble gave their last performance in 2020.

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These papers are organized into the following sections:

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. The Rose Ensemble. Organizational Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Location of Master Files:

Digital masters are maintained on the Society's secure digital collections storage servers and are managed and preserved in accordance with archival best practices.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 17,751

Processing Information:

Processed by: Leif Kopietz, August 2024.

Catalog ID number: 9989864440104294

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Predominantly paper files containing administrative records, including: Art Director files and Board materials; commission information; grant and fundrasing information; education programming information; audience surveys; intern programming; copies of commercial recordings; reviews and press notices; auditing information; contracts; and concert programs. Also included are Artist Director Jordan Sramek's research and reference materials, including annotated printed scores and publications, and his research library.

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Digital archive that documents administrative functions and activities of the organization, including: Board records; education programming records; evaluation surveys of audiences; demographic information; letters to legislators; letters from fans; fundraising and grants; marketing and public relations; intern programming; personnel; contracts and commissions; press and season production materials; commercial recordings marketing, planning, and reviews; materials related to their tours, including blogs, reviews, and itineraries; and the organization’s website development.

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Digital archive containing audio files, video files, digital photographs, digital scores, and other digital files produced from the Rose Ensemble's commercial recordings, concert performances, tours, program planning and promotion, and research.

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Music -- Poland.

Music -- Czechoslovakia.

Music -- Malta -- 17th century.

Songs, Czech.

Songs, Polish.

Christmas music -- Mexico.

Sacred vocal music -- Spain -- 500-1400.

Sacred vocal music -- Spain -- 16th century.

Sacred vocal music -- Italy.

Pilgrimage music.

Carols, English -- United States.

Carols, Spanish.

Part songs, Spanish.

Choral music -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Choruses, Sacred (Mixed voices) with instrumental ensemble.

Choruses, Sacred (Mixed voices), Unaccompanied.

Concert programs -- Minnesota -- Saint Paul.

Country-dances (Music) -- United States.

Hymns, English.

Hymns, Latin.

Instrumental music -- United States.

Music -- United States -- 18th century.

Music -- United States -- 19th century.

Gregorian chants.

Masses (Men's voices)

Motets.

Magnificat (Music)

Laude.

Hymns, Hawaiian.

Folk songs, Hawaiian.

Songs, Hawaiian.

Temperance -- Songs and music.

Alcohol -- Songs and music.

Prohibition -- Songs and music.

Choruses, Secular.

Folk dance music -- Mediterranean Region -- 15th century.

Chants -- Mediterranean Region.

Persons:

Khvoshchinsky, Sergey, 1957-, composer.

Sramek, Jordan, author.

Zupanc, Victor, composer.

Beckstrand, William, composer.

Moore, J. David, composer.

Takach, Timothy C., composer.

Bitterman, John, performer.

Barnett, Carol, 1949-, composer.

Betinis, Abbie, 1980-, composer.

Karmon, Michael, 1969-, composer.

Barnum, Eric William, 1979-, composer.

Hill, Edie, composer.

Paulus, Stephen, composer.

Kachelmeier, Linda, composer.

Rommereim, John C., composer.

Sueoka, Kim, performer.

Mary -- Blessed Virgin, Saint -- Songs and music.

Francis, -- of Assisi, Saint, -- 1182-1226 -- Songs and music.

Hildegard, -- Saint, 1098-1179 -- Songs and music.

Organizations:

Shakers -- Hymns.

Document Types:

Digital files.

Digital photographs.

Files (digital files).

Photographs.

Scores (documents for music).

Sound recordings.

Video recordings.

Compact discs.

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