The New York Times describes their music as "meltingly beautiful," and this highly anticipated release from Sylvia Rhyne and Eric Redlinger, aka Asteria, reveals the full, quiet power and scope of their intimate performance style. Eighteen tracks explore the symbolism of the close of the medieval period in Europe, and a bonus track gives a preview of their upcoming album of early 16th century Parisian chansons. Full liner notes and fourteen scores from the album included with download.

Digital Audio Download Includes:
1 Lute Incipit
2 Ma Dame Trop Vous Mesprenes (Dux Burgensis)
3 Vergine Bella (Guillaume Dufay)
4 J'atendray Tant (Guillaume Dufay)
5 Tant Est Mignonne Ma Pensee (Guillaume Dufay)
6 Vit Encore (Jacques Vide)
7 Ma Doulce Amour (anon)
8 N'aurai-je jamais Mieux (Robert Morton)
9 Se Mon Cuer (anon)
10 Of A Rose Singe We (Lute) (anon)
11 Dueil Angoisseux (Gilles Binchois)
12 Of A Rose Singe We (anon)
13 Ne Je Ne Dors (Guillaume Dufay)
14 Soyes Loyal (anon)
15 Jamais Tante (Lute) (Gilles Binchois)
16 Seule Esgaree (Gilles Binchois)
17 There Is No Rose Of Such Virtue (anon)
18 Lute Exeunt
19 Encore

Asteria seeks to bring a narrative quality and emotional immediacy to their late-medieval vocal and instrumental music. Their historically informed settings are based on extensive archival research into original sources in Paris, The Hague and Basel, Switzerland.

Asteria (Sylvia Rhyne, soprano, and Eric Redlinger, tenor and lutenist) took first place in Early Music America's competition for Medieval and Renaissance music this Fall and will be presenting a concert at the Boston Early Music Festival in June, 2005. Since they came together in the autumn of 2002, Asteria has performed in the New York Metropolitan area, and by invitation in Vermont and Massachusetts.

Eric studied 20th century music composition techniques at Middlebury College but found himself continually turning back to the early medieval polyphonists for inspiration.

Following graduation from college, Eric spent several years immersing himself in the archives of the Hague, Basel and Marburg. During this time he also did post-graduate studies in composition and musicology at the Frankfurt Conservatory of Music and studied medieval lute with Crawford Young and voice with Richard Levitt at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis. He now makes his home in New York.

Sylvia began life immersed in classical music and opera. Her vocal skill was noticed at an early age, and led her to be included in the early music collegium at Reed College, under the direction of Virginia Hancock, while still attending high school. She pursued her passion for early music at Carleton College, participating in chamber and early music groups, and taking leading roles in operettas and small operas on her way to a degree in music. While in Minnesota, she studied with Wesley Balk at St. Olaf College and recorded with Dennis Russell Davies and the St Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Arriving in New York, Sylvia sang for two years with the New York City Opera, and began ongoing coaching with Marcy Lindheimer. She has starred internationally as Christine in "The Phantom of the Opera," and on Broadway as Joanna in "Sweeny Todd", with the personal direction of such renowned Broadway Artists as Harold Prince, Arthur Laurents, Susan Schulman and Stephen Sondheim. Now, she returns to her first love, presenting inspiring works of early music in Asteria with her partner, Eric Redlinger.