Ars Minerva

'''Ars Minerva''' is a San Francisco-based performing arts organization that specializes in the revival of Baroque operas. It was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity in 2013 by Céline Ricci, who serves as the Founder and Executive Artistic Director. The organization's primary mission is to introduce new audiences to classical music, particularly through the innovative staging of forgotten Baroque operas.\n\nThe company has gained recognition for its dedication to resurrecting long-lost Venetian operas, offering modern world premieres in San Francisco. Since its founding, Ars Minerva has presented a series of notable productions, including \"La Cleopatra\" (composed by Daniele da Castrovillari, 1662) in March 2015, \"The Amazons in the Fortunate Isles\" (composed by Carlo Pallavicino, 1679) in May 2016, \"La Circe\" (composed by Pietro Andrea Ziani, 1665) in September 2017, \"Ifigenia in Aulide\" (composed by Giovanni Porta, 1738) in November/December 2018, \"Ermelinda\" (composed by Domenico Freschi, 1680) in November 2019, and \"Messalina\" (also by Carlo Pallavicino, 1679) in November 2021.\n\nIn 2020, Ars Minerva began a collaboration with the San Francisco Girls Chorus on \"Juditha - The Journey of a Warrior Woman,\" based on Vivaldi's \"Juditha Triumphans,\" with a full staged production planned for 2023. The organization has also partnered with various Bay Area entities, including Humanities West, The Museum of Performance Design, The Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life, and The Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco.\n\nArs Minerva has performed at significant venues, such as the historic Lick Observatory in July 2017 as part of the Music of the Spheres concert series. Furthermore, the organization is committed to educational outreach through initiatives like Baroque for Kids, which is designed to engage high school students, in collaboration with the Italian class of the Ruth Asawa School for the Arts.\n\nCéline Ricci, the driving force behind Ars Minerva, has directed several of its productions and is recognized for her contributions to the arts, both as a director and a performer. She has received critical acclaim and has been involved in numerous performances and projects internationally.\n\nThe governance of Ars Minerva is overseen by a Board of Directors, chaired by Béatrice Gomory, with Scott Manson serving as Treasurer and Ilana Walder-Biesanz as Secretary. The board also includes Dr. Linda Nakell, Dr. Christophe Peroz, Alex Chan, Céline Ricci, and Eman Isadiar. Additionally, the organization benefits from the guidance of an Advisory Council, which includes luminaries such as Frederica Von Stade, Verena Dobnik, Vivica Genaux, Dr. Paul Miller, Karen Kriendler-Nelson, Sheri Greenawald, and Dr. Patricia Lundberg.