Taste of Portique

Lisette Kielson - Recorder & Flute Founder & Artistic Director of L'Ensemble Portique An active recitalist, Lisette Kielson has performed to acclaim on both recorder and flute in the United States and Europe. Enthralling audiences with her innovative programming and distinctive musicianship, she has been described by the media as "sparkling with life" (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) and with "dazzling natural technique and brilliant interpretation...performing with true character and style." (Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace) Lisette founded L'Ensemble Portique in 2002 as a means of expressing her passion for playing both early and contemporary chamber music, with a vision of creatively integrating the two. The ensemble has been invited to perform at such venues, including the North River Music Series in New York City, The Grand Montgomery Chamber Music Series in Montgomery, NY, the Norton Building Concert Series and Mostly Music at NEIU in Chicago, Sunday Afternoon Live in Madison, Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Independently, Lisette's guest appearances have included the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Jubilate Deo Orchestra in Alsace-France, Ars Antigua in partnership with The Chicago Humanities Festival, the University of Minnesota Bach Festival, the Midwestern Historical Keyboard Society, The American Bach Project, the Madison Early Music Festival, and the Ars Musica Contemporary Music Festival in Brussels, Belgium. Lisette has been a frequent guest on classical music radio and television broadcasts. Her recordings are played nationally from coast to coast and have received enthusiastic reviews from American Recorder. Her love of teaching and expertise in directing chamber music ensembles attracts frequent invitations to lead workshops and master classes throughout the country. Teaching positions have included The American School of The Hague, The Netherlands; Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Milwaukee, WI; and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Continuing Education. Currently, Lisette is on the faculty of the Whitewater Early Music Festival and serves on the board of the American Recorder Society. She has gained much inspiration, guidance and strength from her teachers and mentors. Recorder: Roberta Sweet, John Langfeld, Eva Legêne and Michael Barker. Flute: Nina Barwell, Mary-Louise Poor, Ernestine Whitman, Kate Lukas, James Pellerite and Peter Lloyd. Lisette holds Bachelor and Master Degrees in flute performance from Indiana University and a post-master's Diploma in recorder performance from The Royal Conservatory of The Hague, the Netherlands. Reviews for Taste of Portique 'True chamber music... [Kielson] has a real feeling for the range of contemporary styles. Intriguing, and well played... pure fun.' -Scott Paterson, American Recorder Reviews for Lisette Kielson and L'Ensemble Portique "In their performance of this difficult and expressionistic work, all three players were not only on top of their own game, but also were flawlessly in sync as an ensemble." -Marcus Kalipolites, Times Herald-Record, NY "Your performance was a true joy . . . The quality of your playing was of the highest order . . . The blending of instruments, the interaction among the three of you was indeed a marvel to behold." -Howard Garrett, Presenter The Grand Montgomery Chamber Music Series, NY "L'Ensemble Portique played the first concert in our second season of Prairie Crossing's Early Music Series. The piece they chose prior to intermission was La Follia by Corelli. Luckily this is a relatively lengthy piece as I have never been so moved by music before and did not want the music to end. I felt such great pleasure listening to the sounds of the recorder, cello and guitar. From the concert's setting in an old barn to the expertise of the musicians' skill and finally to the composer's timeless musical creation transmitted to me from centuries passed, I knew I was indeed a fortunate listener. This is music to savor!" -Stan Rosenberg, Event Manager Prairie Crossing Conservation Community, Grayslake IL "A virtuoso on the recorder and flute." -Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (France) "Dazzling natural technique and brilliant interpretation . . . a performance with true character and style." -Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (France) "Lisette Kielson (guest recorder player with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra) made every little wave and eddy of it sparkle with life." -Tom Strini, Classical Music Critic Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "The concert's two Telemann duets for recorders, sonatas in canon No. 2 and No. 3, were a combination of steel and velvet, the pitch of each note clearly heard but cradled in a softened edge." -Wynne Delacoma, Chief Classical Music Critic Chicago Sun Times "Excellent concert! Everything I expected . . . delightful." -Thallis Hoyt Drake, Founder Early Music Now.