Nancy Froseth passed away on October 21, 2025 at the age of 89. She was a founding member of Lyra Baroque Orchestra, along with Cindy Marvin, Randy Bourne, Inger Dahlin and Paul Jacobson. She was a member of one of the the first professional Baroque chamber groups on original instruments in Minnesota, called Musica Primavera, where she performed on the the viola da gamba. 

 

Nancy studied viola da gamba in Basel, Switzerland. She performed in Concentus Musicus, a professional Renaissance music ensemble in St. Paul, MN for many years where she played various sizes of viols, recorders, shawms and crumhorns. During her many years performing with Lyra Baroque, she played the viola da gamba, the 16-foot violone and the baroque bassoon, retiring from that ensemble in 2000. 

 

Nancy was a member of many other local early music ensembles and encouraged countless people to take up these old instruments. She taught both recorder and viola da gamba at the MacPhail Conservatory of Music prior to it becoming part of the U. of M. Music Department. Nancy’s vast collection of early instruments, including several keyboards as well as a plethora of wind and string instruments, exemplified her love of early music, and her determination to pursue her interests as an early music performer.