About us
The Corelli Clash is an early music trio formed in the winter of 2001. Three amateur performers meet every other week to play early music on recorders and other period instruments.
The group is based in Colonie, NY, USA and performs locally.
Our name
The name Corelli Clash comes from a popular term of the 18th century defining a particular cadence devised by Arcangelo Corelli. This cadence is a combination of suspension and anticipation in two different parts, producing a very distinctive dissonant sound before the final note.
Members
Ole Christensen (b. 1936) started the Corelli Clash in 2001 and has acted as host having all rehearsals at his home. In his formative years he was a performer, soloist and teacher of music while still in high school. He started piano at five years old but switched to saxophone at 12, teaching himself until entering college. Mr. Christensen has been a performer and a music educator for more than 50 years.
Educated at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York and at the NY State University at Potsdam (majoring in Music Education with concentration in Clarinet), Mr. Christensen had a successful career as a music educator in the Greater Capital District of New York State. Along with the Corelli Clash, he performs with two additional local ensembles and is a member of the American Recorder Society. In his retirement Mr. Christensen has focused all his musical activities on early music and the recorder.
Allen Lescak (b. 1945) studied the piano at an early age then added brass instruments in high school and college. Ended the first leg of his musical junket playing piano and trombone in a college dance band.
Received degrees in English then after a stint in the army, another degree in Library Science. Retiring in 2005, he was employed as a systems analyst with a New York State agency for over 30 years.
In the late 1970's, discovered the recorder and the wonderful "noyse" of the early music repertoire. Enjoys playing the recorder, capped reeds, and a bit of wooden flute. He possesses a near maddening desire to play the cornetto with modest proficiency. Performed with several local ensembles over the past 20 years and more recently with the Corelli Clash. (2001).
John Wilson (b. 1965) started on the piano in 1972, then took up recorder playing in grade school, and switched from piano to harpsichord around 1980. He was a member of an early music consort at Concord Academy, the Rensselaer Consort at RPI, and the Frolicking Weasels at Bennington College, where he received a BA in Music (harpsichord) in 1991. He also has a BS in Computer and Systems Engineering from RPI, and works as a computer programmer when not playing music.