About us
Ensemble ONDAS is dedicated to vivid and historically grounded performances of medieval music from the 11th to 15th centuries. Having met in the master’s program in Music of the Middle Ages at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, the members of Ensemble ONDAS bring a close musical rapport as well as a deep understanding of historical sources and performance practices to their work.
Based in Bremen, Germany, Lisa Solomon (voice, percussion, harp) is a US-American soprano with a passion for storytelling and early music. Following her studies in comparative literature (B.A. Stanford University) and voice (B.A. University of Texas) in the United States, Lisa moved to Germany to pursue a degree in historical vocal performance at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen, followed by a master’s in Music of the Middle Ages at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.
In her artistic work, she combines musicological research with a strongly text-focused performance practice to develop distinctive and engaging concert programs. Her projects have received support through various scholarships and grants and have led, among other things, to performances at the Heinrich Schütz Music Festival. Alongside her concert work, she is a dedicated teacher of voice and historical performance practice. Since 2024, she has co-taught the Medieval Project with Benjamin Bagby at the Amherst Early Music Festival.
Valentina Bellanova is a recorder player and ney player. Born in Florence, she studied Early Music at the HMTM Hannover as well as music and the humanities in Italy. Since 2011, she has devoted herself intensively to the ney and the music of the Middle East, combining them with European early music and trans-cultural approaches.
She regularly performs with ensembles and in theater and opera productions, including at the Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and major opera houses. As a performer of contemporary music, she has performed Fazıl Say’s Istanbul Symphony on several occasions. Alongside her performing career, she also works as an editor; her most recent publications have appeared with Schott and Girolamo. In 2024, she completed her studies in Medieval Music at the Folkwang University of the Arts.
Born in Sweden, Pär Engstrand began his musical training on the recorder and oboe. He later studied jazz, specializing in double bass, and developed a strong interest in improvisation. His wide-ranging musical background eventually led him to classical and early music. He studied, among other places, in Gothenburg and Bremen, including viola da gamba with Hille Perl, and went on to complete a master’s degree in Music of the Middle Ages at the Folkwang University of the Arts in 2023.
Pär’s work is characterized by great instrumental versatility, bringing together historically informed performance practice with influences from folk music and improvisational traditions. He also builds replicas of historical instruments based on iconographic sources, many of which he uses in his performances.
Lisa Solomon, Soprano 