BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Music Worcester - ECPv6.3.3.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Music Worcester X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.musicworcester.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Music Worcester REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20230101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240309T213000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152506 CREATED:20230510T192754Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240118T142712Z UID:10000135-1710014400-1710019800@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy DESCRIPTION:Adult: $49-$65Student & Youth: $25\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation through the The Hanover Theatre’s box office. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ANNUAL STODDARD CONCERT\n Hearing Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy speak reverentially about the fiddle\, which has propelled their dazzling careers since childhood while cementing their status as Canada’s reigning couple of Celtic music\, is almost as electrifying as hearing them play it. \nIndeed\, when MacMaster and Leahy married in 2002 — both were already stars in their own right — they could not have predicted their merger would recast what contemporary musical success looks like. Or that they would produce a large family and ensure their mantelpiece was jammed with JUNO and East Coast Music Awards while creating an inventory of achievements spanning the globe. \nThey certainly couldn’t have imagined capping off what they jokingly refer to as their combined 83 years as performers with milestones including another hotly anticipated Christmas tour\, an accompanying TV special\, a pending third installment of their Greenbridge Celtic Folk Fest\, a recent Road Gold Award from the Canadian Independent Music Association\, and last but certainly not least\, the arrival of Maria\, newest sib to Mary Frances\, Michael\, Clare\, Julia\, Alec\, and Sadie. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Natalie MacMaster\n “I’m continually amazed by what the fiddle has brought to my life…it has carried me through my childhood\, through my teens\, my young adult life\, my married life and now motherhood. And I still love it as much as ever. Same with Donnell. It’s unexpected and awesome.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Natalie MacMaster\nEnjoy MacMaster’s full collection of live performance videos and more on her YouTube channel: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/macmaster-leahy/ LOCATION:The Hanover Theatre\, 2 Southbridge Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:contemporary ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/nmdl-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240303T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240303T180000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152507 CREATED:20230510T192644Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240306T175254Z UID:10000136-1709481600-1709488800@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Orchestre Métropolitain DESCRIPTION:Adult: $45-$89Student: $25Youth: $25\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join us for a pre-concert talk from Fabienne Voisin & Alex Koutelias\, CEO & Philanthropy Manager of Orchestre Métropolitain\, at 3PM in Washburn Hall\, free and open to all ticket holders. \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Stasia B. Hovenesian Annual Endowed Concert\n \n\n\n\nOrchestre Métropolitain de Montréal\, one of Quebec’s leading cultural ambassadors\, was founded in 1981 on a bold gamble: that the best way to promote symphonic music is by creating strong ties with the public. \nOver the last 20 years\, the Orchestre has grown alongside its artistic director and principal conductor\, Yannick Nézet-Séguin\, whose career continues to reach new heights. In September 2019\, the OM announced that Nézet-Séguin had signed on for an exceptional lifetime contract. \n\n\n\nThe winner of multiple national awards\, the OM has recorded some 20 performances with the Canadian ATMA Classique label\, including Bruckner’s symphonies\, which were released in spring 2018. The Orchestre has also collaborated with Deutsche Grammophon to release two albums with renowned singers Rolando Villazón and Ildar Abdrazakov (Duets in 2017 and Verdi in 2019). \nMore recently\, the Orchestre performed all nine Beethoven symphonies for its Summer of Beethoven webcast series available exclusively on DG Stage. This initiative made the OM one of the first orchestras to come together again after the COVID-19 crisis forced ensembles across the globe to go on hiatus. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Cris DerksenControlled Burn\, for Orchestra(U.S. Premiere) \nRachmaninoffPiano Concerto No. 2 in C minorSibeliusSymphony No. 2 in D major \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Yannick Nézet-Séguin\, Artistic Director\n \nCanadian-born conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin became the Met’s Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director with the beginning of the 2018–19 season. He made his company debut in 2009 with a new production of Bizet’s Carmen and has since returned every season\, conducting 100 performances of 13 operas\, as well as numerous galas and Met Orchestra concerts at Carnegie Hall. During the 2021­–22 season\, he returns to our podium to conduct the Met premieres of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones\, Matthew Aucoin’s Eurydice\, and the French version of Verdi’s Don Carlos\, as well as revivals of Puccini’s Tosca and Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro and concerts with the Met Orchestra\, including a special performance of Verdi’s Requiem to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the attacks on September 11. \nHe has been music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra since 2012 and held the same position with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra—where he now serves as honorary conductor—between 2008 and 2018. Since 2000\, he has served as artistic director and principal conductor of Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain. During the 2019–20 season\, he was a Carnegie Hall Perspectives Artist. \nMaestro Nézet-Séguin has worked with many leading European ensembles and enjoys close collaborations with the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics\, Munich’s Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra\, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. From 2008 to 2014\, he was principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has appeared at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival and the BBC Proms\, as well as the festivals of Edinburgh\, Lucerne\, Grafenegg\, Lanaudière\, Vail\, and Saratoga. He made his Salzburg Festival debut in 2008 conducting a new production of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and returned in 2010 and 2011 for Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Other operatic appearances have included performances at La Scala\, Covent Garden\, the Dutch National Opera\, and the Vienna State Opera. In 2011\, he began a cycle of seven Mozart operas for the Festival Hall Baden-Baden\, which Deutsche Grammophon recorded live. \n \n \n \n \n \n Tony Siqi Yun\, piano soloist\n \nThe Canadian born pianist Tony Siqi Yun is currently based in New York. This season\, Tony will make his subscription debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra performing Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He first met Maestro Nézet-Séguin in the final round of the inaugural China International Music Competition in 2019\, where he went on to win First Prize and a Gold Medal. Recent concerto performances include the Philadelphia Orchestra (Robert Schumann)\, Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Clara Schumann) and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris (Beethoven). \nAs a solo recitalist\, recent and future highlights include his debuts at the Vancouver Recital Society\, Gilmore Rising Stars Series\, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie\, Gewandhaus in Leipzig\, and Rheingau Music Festival. \n \n \n \n \n \n Cris Derksen\, composer & cellist\n \nJuno nominated Cris Derksen is an Internationally respected Indigenous Cellist and Composer. In a world where almost everything — people\, music\, cultures — get labelled and slotted into simple categories\, Cris Derksen represents a challenge. Originally from Northern Alberta she comes from a line of chiefs from NorthTall Cree Reserve on her father’s side and a line of strong Mennonite homesteaders on her mother’s. Derksen braids the traditional and contemporary\, weaving her classical background and her Indigenous ancestry together with new school electronics to create genre-defying music. \nAs composer Derksen has a foot in many worlds\, 2020 Compositions include: Napi and the Rocks -A Symphonic story commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra\, Same Wave- An 8 Part Choral Piece\, commissioned by Camerata Nova Choir\, The Triumph of the Euro-Christ an 8 part choral piece commissioned by the Art Gallery of Ontario. 2019 compositions include: Maada’ookii Songlines- a Mass Choral piece for 250 singers Commissioned by Luminato Festival. Rebellion – a short symphonic piece commissioned by the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. Iron Peggy – a Theatre piece commissioned by the Vancouver Children’s Festival. A new performance art piece commissioned by the National Art Gallery of Canada\, Ikumagiialit. 2018 works include: DORA Award for Best Sound Design for Theatre 2018; Kiinalik: these sharp tools\, TIFF Premier Biidaaban (the dawn comes) Short Animation Film by Amanda Strong\, Ka:hawai Dance Company production of BloodTides\, Kamloopa Theatre production\, 2018 Banff Centre for the Arts String Quartet Residency White Mans Cattle And Wood Quintet International 5 bucks per head. \nAs a performer Derksen performs Nationally and Internationally solo and with some of Canada’s Finest Including; Tanya Tagaq\, Buffy Sainte Marie\, Naomi Klein\, and Leanne Simpson to name a few. Recent destinations include Hong Kong\, Australia\, Mongolia\, Sweden\, and a whole lot of Canada; the place Derksen refers to as home. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Yannick Nézet-Séguin\, conductor\n “One of Quebec’s leading cultural ambassadors\, the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal was founded in 1981 on a bold gamble: that the best way to promote symphonic music is by creating strong ties with the public.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Orchestre Métropolitain\nEnjoy Orchestre Métropolitain‘s full collection of live performance videos and more on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/orchestre-metropolitain/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,ensemble,orchestral ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-yannick-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240301T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240301T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152507 CREATED:20230510T192616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240306T174609Z UID:10000129-1709323200-1709330400@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Mnozil Brass DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39-$55Student: $17.50Youth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may choose their own assigned seats at Mechanics Hall for this presentation. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks Cornerstone Bank for its sponsorship of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following additional supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mnozil Brass\n Mnozil Brass has established itself as one of the world’s premier brass ensembles. With over 130 performances a year\, the group has sold out houses from the farthest reaches of the European continent to Israel\, China\, Taiwan\, Japan\, Australia\, Canada\, and the United States\, and has captivated audiences with their blend of immense virtuosity and theatrical wit. No wonder their videos have garnered millions of YouTube views and their fans have travelled countless miles to hear them play. \n\nThe group’s recent returns to North America were hailed as “seriously funny” and “whimsically brazen.” Their shows include Yes! Yes! Yes!\, which blends original compositions with classical favorites\, jazz standards\, and popular hits; Cirque\, where the musicians combat the monkey business of daily life with music and humor\, and transform the stage into a musical flea circus; Gold\, showcasing their greatest hits; and their latest Jubliee\, which celebrates their 30 years together with new works and Mnozil Brass favorites. A recording of Jubilee will be released in 2023 on Universal. As always\, the repertoire is presented with the group’s iconic humour and wit in scenes so clever that they would be worthy of Monty Python. \nMnozil Brass take their name from the “Gasthaus Mnozil\,” a restaurant across the street from the Vienna Conservatory\, where\, in 1992\, seven young brass musicians met and began playing at a monthly open-mic. Since then\, the group has embraced repertoire for all ages and stages of life: from folk to classical to jazz to pop; all executed with the same fearlessness\, immense technical skill\, and typical Viennese “schmäh” (almost impossible to find an English translation\, but best rendered as a kind of sarcastic charm!). \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Classicalite\n “Mnozil Brass is one of the funniest\, and most creative\, chamber groups on the planet.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Mnozil Brass\nEnjoy Mnozil Brass’s full collection of live performance videos and more on their YouTube channel: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/mnozil-brass/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:contemporary,ensemble ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/mnozil-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240225T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240225T180000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152507 CREATED:20230510T192516Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231214T153430Z UID:10000139-1708876800-1708884000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Voices of Eternal Light DESCRIPTION:Adult: $35Student: $17.50Youth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Ticket buyers may choose their own seats on a first-come-first-served basis for this general admission seating event. \n \n \n \n \n \n FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH WORCESTER111 Park Ave\, Worcester\, MA 01609 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following sponsors of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Chorus & Women's Ensemble\n Directed by Chris Shepard\, The Worcester Chorus is one of America’s oldest and longest-running choral ensembles. \nAssociate director and accompanist Mark Mummert directs The Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble as a featured performing group in this afternoon presentation at First Baptist Church Worcester at 111 Park Avenue. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PROGRAM\n PART 1 — THE WORCESTER CHORUS WOMEN’S ENSEMBLEDirected by Mark Mummert \nHaugenAnne Frank: A Living Voice \n \nPART 2 — THE WORCESTER CHORUSDirected by Chris Shepard \nLauridsenLux Aeterna \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Shepard\, director (The Worcester Chorus)\n \nNow in his fourteenth year as conductor of the Worcester Chorus\, Chris Shepard also serves as Artistic Director of the Connecticut Choral Artists (CONCORA)\, the state’s oldest professional choir\, and the Masterwork Chorus of New Jersey.  His choirs have collaborated with a number of orchestras\, such as the Juilliard Orchestra\, the Orquestra Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra\, in venues that include Carnegie Hall\, Lincoln Center and Radio City Music Hall in New York\, as well as the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.  Chris has prepared choirs for major international conductors\, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin\, Simone Young\, Carlos Miguel Prieto and William Boughton\, as well as for Broadway legend Patti Lupone and Ray Davies of the Kinks.  He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015\, and made his conducting debut with the New Haven Symphony in 2016. Chris returned to America in 2008 after a dozen years in Sydney\, Australia\, where he founded the Sydneian Bach Choir and Orchestra. \nHe led their BACH 2010\, a project to perform all of Bach’s choral cantatas.  Under his direction\, the ensemble performed over eighty cantatas\, as well as the two Passions\, B Minor Mass\, and Christmas Oratorio; they completed the cantata cycle in 2013.  In addition to the music of J.S. Bach\, Chris has conducted many staples of the choral-orchestral repertoire\, and he has commissioned and premiered a number of new choral works in both Australia and America.  He also leads two of the longest-running annual Messiah performances in America\, with the Worcester Chorus and at Carnegie Hall with the Masterwork Chorus. \nA committed music educator\, Chris has served on the faculty of the Taft School\, Sydney Grammar School\, Hotchkiss Summer Portals\, and Holy Cross College.  He founded the Litchfield County Children’s Choir in 1990\, and has conducted numerous middle and high school festival choirs in New England\, New York and Australia.  He presented two documentaries with SBS-TV\, an Australian national public television network\, and has given several presentations at conferences for American Choral Directors Association and Australian National Kodàly Association.  Chris has been a guest conductor at Emmanuel Church in Boston\, a church renowned for its four-decade Bach cantata project\, and he currently serves as Music Director of St John’s Episcopal Church in Stamford\, Connecticut.  He led the Dessoff Choir in New York City from 2010 to 2016. \nA pianist and keyboard continuist\, Chris holds degrees from the Hartt School\, the Yale School of Music (where he studied choral conducting with Marguerite Brooks) and the University of Sydney.  He researched the performance history of Bach’s B Minor Mass in New York City for his PhD in Musicology; his dissertation won the American Choral Directors Association’s 2012 Julius Herford Prize for outstanding doctoral thesis in choral music. \n \n \n \n \n \n Mark Mummert\, director (The Worcester Chorus Women's Ensemble)\n \nMark Mummert (b. 1965) is Cantor at Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA)\, Worcester\, MA where he leads the music in all worship services\, conducts the Trinity Choir\, Trinity Choristers\, Trinity Junior Choristers\, and is artistic director of the Music at Trinity fine arts series. \nMark is also the Assistant Director / Accompanist for The Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester\, Inc.\, (Dr. Chris Shepard\, Artistic Director) and the director of The Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble. \nPrior to moving to Worcester\, Mark was the 2015 Distinguished Visiting Cantor at the Lutheran TheologicalSeminary at Gettysburg. Mark served as the Director of Worship at Houston’s Christ the King Lutheran Church(2008-2015) and as Seminary Musician at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (1990-2008). \nMark is also a tenor chorister with CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists)\, a professional choral ensemble based in Hartford\, CT. \nMark is a composer of portions of the first musical setting of Holy Communion in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006)\, the commended worship book of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is the editor of Psalm Settings for the Church Year (2008\, Augsburg Fortress) and Music Sourcebook for Lent and Three Days (2010\, Augsburg Fortress). His numerous compositions for Christian worship are available from  Augsburg Fortress. \nMark’s recording Reformation Chorales Reformed (2017) includes organ works by J. S. Bach\, Mendelssohn\, Distler\, and Clarke. The album is available for download and for streaming on iTunes\, Spotify\, Amazon\, and Youtube. Numerous recordings are available at Mark’s Soundcloud site. \nMark was principal musician for the 2005 National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada\,the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and Worship Jubilee\, and visiting scholar for Emory University’s Candler School of Theology’s “The Singing Church” Project in 2012. \nAs a singer\, Mark has performed professionally with The Worcester Chorus\, Choral Arts Philadelphia\, the Bach Society Houston\, and the Houston Chamber Choir. Mark’s voice can be heard on the Grammy nominated recordings\, soft blink of amber light and Rothko Chapel. \nMark studied organ with Earl Ness and John Binsfeld and voice with Robert Grooters at Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music. He is currently pursuing vocal studies with Jane Shivick. Mark maintains an active private studio of voice\, piano\, and organ students. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Joyce Tamer\, Telegram & Gazette\n The Worcester Chorus is truly a local gem. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/voices-of-eternal-light/ LOCATION:First Baptist Church Worcester\, 111 Park Ave\, Worcester\, MA\, 01609\, United States CATEGORIES:choral,classical,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/chorus-3-slide-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240223T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240223T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152507 CREATED:20230510T192413Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240104T164358Z UID:10000138-1708718400-1708725600@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Jeanine De Bique\, soprano & Warren Jones\, piano DESCRIPTION:Adult: $55Student: $17.50Youth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n General admission seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis at Assumption University’s Curtis Performance Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester welcomes acclaimed soprano Jeanine De Bique and celebrated recitalist Warren Jones to Central Massachusetts for a program featuring lieder and songs by composers including Britten\, Hahn\, Burleigh\, and Caribbean Folk Songs. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jeanine De Bique\, soprano\n \nJeanine De Bique has been described as “one of the most exciting sopranos to catch onstage these days. Animated\, joyful\, and technically flawless\, the Trinidadian vocalist with the light\, starry voice that soars before landing on audiences’ ears like a musical meteor shower” (Operawire) and a “sheer endless wealth of colour and nuances[…] a radiant\, free-floating timbre.” (Opernwelt) \nHighlights in 2022-23\, Ms. De Bique returns to the Opéra National de Paris as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro\, to Salzburg Festival as Teculihuatzin / Dona Luisa in a Peter Sellars’ production of The Indian Queen\, to Theater an der Wien as Nicrotis in a new production of Handel’s Belshazzar by Marie-Eve Signeyrole and gives her house and role debut at Opernhaus Zurich as Isabel in George Benjamin’s Lessons in Love and Violence. \nMirrors\, Ms De Bique’s first solo-CD with Concerto Köln was released by Berlin Classics in 2021 to outstanding reviews. The album received the 2022 Opus Klassik Award for best solo recording Vocal\, an Edison Klassiek Award\, Diapason d’Or découverte and the Editor’s Choice award in Gramophone\, Fono Forum and Opera Magazines earlier this year. The program was presented in Europe and filmed for Arte Tv Concert. \n \n \n \n \n \n Warren Jones\, piano\n \n \nWARREN JONES—pianist\, master teacher\, chamber musician\, conductor\, and vocal coach—was born in Washington\, DC and grew up in North Carolina. A resident of New York City\, Mr. Jones is a former member of the Collaborative Piano Faculty at the Manhattan School of Music. He has served as Artist-in-Residence in Music at the Mason Gross School of Music at Rutgers University\, and Artist-in-Residence in Opera at New England Conservatory and at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. For many years he was the head of the Vocal Piano program during summers at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara\, CA. \n\n\nHis credentials as a musical jurist are impeccable: he was on the jury of the First China International Piano Competition in Beijing in 2019 as well as the Montreal International Vocal Competition in 2018\, and has served on the juries of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition\, the Naumberg Awards\, and the Metropolitan Opera Auditions. \nMr. Jones has been invited three times to the White House in Washington to perform at state dinners\, and he has been a guest at the United States Supreme Court for their annual musicales on three occasions. \n\n\nAs a conductor\, Mr. Jones has led opera performances of Mozart\, Rossini\, Donizetti\, Mascagni\, Bernstein\, and Menotti\, as well as the 2014 world premiere at Houston Grand Opera of Iain Bell’s setting of A Christmas Carol\, starring Jay Hunter Morris and directed by Simon Cowell. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Rondels | Reynaldo Hahn (1874 —1947)L’automneLes étoilesQuand je fus pris au pavillonL’airLe printemps \nFive songs of Laurence Hope | Henry. T. Burleigh (1866 -1949)WorthwhileThe jungle flowerKashmiri songAmong the fuchsiasTill I wake \n–Intermission– \nLes Illuminations | Benjamin Britten (1913 –1976)FanfareBilledPhrase and AntiqueRoyautéMarineInterludeBeing beauteousParadeDépart \nCaribbean folk songsEveningtimeRosebudCutie pakMorena OshaMangoes \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Opernwelt\n “sheer endless wealth of colour and nuances […] a radiant\, free-floating timbre.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Jeanine De Bique\nEnjoy Jeanine De Bique‘s full collection of live performance videos and more on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/jeanine-de-bique/ LOCATION:Curtis Performance Hall\, 500 Salisbury Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01609 CATEGORIES:classical ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/jdb-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240210T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240210T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152507 CREATED:20230510T192344Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231226T211211Z UID:10000128-1707595200-1707602400@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Voces8 DESCRIPTION:Adult: $41-$69Student: $17.50Youth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Voces8\n \nThe 2023 Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. Touring globally\, the group performs an extensive repertory both in its a cappella concerts and in collaborations with leading musicians\, orchestras\, conductors and soloists. Versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression are central to the ensemble’s performance and education ethos which is shared both online and in person. \nVOCES8 has performed at many notable venues since its inception in 2005 including Wigmore Hall\, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg\, Cité de la Musique Paris\, Vienna Konzerthaus\, Tokyo Opera City\, NCPA Beijing\, Sydney Opera House\, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall\, Victoria Concert Hall Singapore\, Palacio de Bellas Artes Mexico City amongst many others. This season they perform over 100 concerts in the UK and across Europe and visit the USA for 3 major tours. \nAlongside this online work on its own platforms VOCES8 is heard regularly on albums\, international television and radio. The ensemble is a Decca Classics artist and alongside that releases projects on its own label\, VOCES8 Records. The latest Decca Classics album is the Grammy Nominated “The Lost Birds” featuring music by Christopher Tin. New album projects for 2023 include albums with Eric Whitacre\, Paul Simon\, and Christmas arrangements for VOCES8 and orchestra by Taylor Scott Davis. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n VOCES8 MEMBERS\n Andrea Haines\, sopranoMolly Noon\, sopranoKatie Jeffries-Harris\, altoBarnaby Smith\, alto and artistic directorBlake Morgan\, tenorEuan Williamson\, tenorChristopher Moore\, baritoneJonathan Pacey\, bass \n \n \n \n \n \n PROGRAM: AFTER SILENCE\n “After silence\, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” — Aldous Huxley \nIn the essay from which the title After Silence is taken\, Aldous Huxley offers his thoughts on the essential force of music. The most profoundly significant constituents of our being\, he says\, include our responses to beauty\, pleasure\, pain\, ecstasy\, and death. These can best be ‘experienced\, not expressed’ through silence\, and after silence\, through music. The choral works in this 15th-anniversary programme (to accompany the ensemble’s compendium album release) are exalted\, vital\, and freed from their original contextual restraints and are distinguishable by their inexhaustible capacity to express the inexpressible. \nORLANDO GIBBONSDrop\, Drop\, Slow Tears \nARVO PÄRTThe Deer’s Cry \nTHOMAS TALLISO Nata Lux \nWILLIAM BYRDHaec Dies \nSERGEI RACHMANINOVBogoroditse Devo \nPAUL SMITHNunc Dimittis \nJAKE RUNESTADLet My Love Be Heard \nJ.S. BACHKomm\, Jesu\, Komm\, BWV 229 \nCLAUDIO MONTEVERDIBook VI: Lagrime D’Amante al Sepolcro Dell’Amata (Sestina Madrigals) \nÞORKELL SIGURBJÖRNSSONHeyr\, hymn smi∂ur \nMUMFORD & SONS\, arr. Jim ClementsTimshel \nBART HOWARD\, JIMMY VAN HEUSEN\, & SAMMY CAHN\, arr. Alexander L’EstrangeCome Fly with Me (To the Moon) \nKATE RUSBY\, arr. Jim ClementsUnderneath the Stars \nNAT ‘KING’ COLE\, arr. Jim ClementsStraighten Up and Fly Right \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gramophone\n “The singing of VOCES8 is impeccable in its quality of tone and balance. They bring a new dimension to the word ‘ensemble’ with meticulous timing and tuning.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Voces8\nEnjoy Voces8’s full collection of live performance videos and more on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/voces8/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:choral,ensemble ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/voces8-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240209T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240209T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152508 CREATED:20230510T192315Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240131T145151Z UID:10000127-1707508800-1707516000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine DESCRIPTION:Adult: $45-$89Student: $17.50Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PRE-CONCERT TALKJoin us in Washburn Hall at 7:00 PM for a pre-concert talk from choral conductor Oleksandr “Alex” Kreshchuk\, free and open to all ticket holders. \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Inaugural Arthur M. & Martha R. Pappas Foundation Concert\n Music Worcester welcomes the return of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine for its first post-pandemic performance in Worcester\, following their last appearance in Music Worcester’s 2019-2020 Season at historic Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n BEREZOVSKYSymphony No. 1 in C Major \nSAINT-SAENSPiano Concerto No. 2 in G minor\, op. 22 \nDVORAKSymphony No. 8\, op. 88\, B.163\, G major \nVolodymyr Sirenko\, conductorVolodymyr Vynnytsky\, piano soloist \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Volodymyr Sirenko\, artistic director & conductor\n \nBorn in the Poltava region of Ukraine\, Volodymyr Sirenko has been compared by the international press to other brilliant conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen and Simon Rattle.      His conducting debut took place at the Kyiv Philharmonic Hall in 1983 with works by Stravinsky\, Schoenberg and Boulez. In 1989 Sirenko graduated from the Kyiv Conservatoire where he studied conducting under Prof. Allin Vlasenko. In 1990\, he was a finalist at the International Conducting Competition in Prague. A year later\, he was appointed as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra\, a position which he held until 1999. During this period he made over 300 recordings that are kept in the funds of the Ukrainian Radio and include Mozart Symphonies Nos. 38 and 41\, Beethoven Symphony No. 9\, Brahms A German Requiem\, Rachmaninov Bells\, Dvorak Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9.      From 1999 he is the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Highlights among hundreds of programmes that he has performed with the orchestra since then were cycles Gustav Mahler Complete Symphonies\, Bach all four Passions and Mass in B Minor\, Lyatoshynsky Complete Symphonies. He recorded over 50 compact discs and the CD of Silvestrov’s Requiem for Larissa was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2005. He premiered many works by Ukrainian composers including Silvestrov’s Symphonies No. 7 and 8\, Stankovych’s Symphony No. 6.      Sirenko has toured Austria\, Bahrain\, Belgium\, Belarus\, Bulgaria\, Canada\, the Czech Republic\, Germany\, France\, Italy\, Japan\, Kazakhstan\, China\, Korea\, Lebanon\, the Netherlands\, Oman\, Poland\, Portugal\, Russia\, Slovakia\, Spain\, the United Arab Emirates\, the United Kingdom\, and the United States of America.      He has worked with many international orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra\, the Moscow and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic\, Sinfonia Warsovia\, NOSPR (Katowice)\, the Svetlanov Symphony Orchestra\, the Bratislava Radio Symphony\, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra\, the National Philharmonic of Russia\, the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Sirenko has appeared in numerous concert halls around the world\, including Concertgebouw (Amsterdam)\, Brucknerhaus (Linz)\, Barbican Hall and Cadogan Hall (London)\, Theatre des Champs-Elysees and Opera Comique (Paris)\, Seoul Art Center\, Palau de la Musica in Valencia and Centro Manuel de Falla in Granada\, Filharmonia Narodowa (Warsaw)\, the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory and the Great Hall of St. Petersburg Philharmonia\, the Roy Thomson Hall (Toronto)\, the Tokyo City Opera and the Osaka Symphony Hall\, Beijing Concert Hall\, Shanghai Oriental Center of Performing Arts.      Volodymyr Sirenko is a People’s Artist of Ukraine and laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize\, Ukraine’s most prestigious award. He is Professor of the opera and symphonic conducting at the National Music Academy of Ukraine.  \n \n \n \n \n \n Volodymyr Vynnytsky\, piano\n \nDescribed by critics as possessing “incredible technique and deep musical understanding”\, “The pianist is simply superb!”\, “The phenomenon in concert is a rare one”\, “Mystically powerful pianist”\, “A grand display of skill and precision that was breathtaking”\, Volodymyr Vynnytsky has performed in recital in such countries as USA\, France\, England\, Denmark\, Sweden\, Czech Republic\, Poland\, Ukraine\, Russia\, Brazil\, Canada\, South Africa among many others. \nInternationally renowned pianist Volodymyr Vynnytsky is laureate of the Margueritte Long-Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition in Paris. Vynnytsky has performed with leading orchestras and appeared in solo recitals in many prestigious concert halls\, including Carnegie Hall\, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall\, Merkin Concert Hall\, Steinway Hall\, the Phillips Gallery in Washington D.C.\, the Great (Bolshoi) Hall at the Moscow Conservatory\, Théatre des Champs-Elysées (Paris\, France)\, Amphitheatre Richelieu de la Sorbonne\, Salons de Boffrand de la Presidence du Senat in Paris\, St. John’s Smith Square in London\, Philharmonic Big Hall of Columns (Kyiv)\, Lviv Philharmonic Hall Odesa Philharmonic Theatre in Ukraine\, Dunken Kulturhus (Helsingborg\, Sweden)\, The Queen’s Hall (the Dronningesalen Auditorium\, Copenhagen\, Denmark)\, Salle de Concert Marie-Stephane (École de musique Vincent d’Indy\, Montreal\, Canada)\, Teatro de Santa Isabel in Recife (Brazil)\,  Linder Auditorium in Johannesburg and Baxter Theatre Centre Concert Hall in Cape Town (South Africa)\, Tsai Performance Center (Boston)\, Sacrest Auditorium (Zanesville OH)\, Hylton Performing Arts Center (George Mason University\, VA)\, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre (VA)\, Moss Arts Center (Virginia Tech University)\, Schar Center (Elon University\, NC)\, State Theatre New Jersey (New Brunswick)\, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall (NY)\, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State Eisenhower Auditorium (Pennsylvania State University)\, Millard Auditorium(University of Hartford\, CT)\, Herbert Zipper Concert Hall (Los Angeles\, CA)\, Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts\, Scottsdale (AZ)\, Hill Auditorium (UofM\, Ann Arbor\, MI)\, Carpenter Theatre Dominion Energy Center (Richmond\, VA) among many others. \nA popular television and radio guest\, he has also been featured on NHK-TV (Japan) and in the United States on WQXR-FM in New York\, and nationally on NPR. \nRecital and chamber music appearances have included guest invitations in numerous International Festivals in Ukraine (Kyiv Music Fest\, “Virtuosi”\, “Contrasts”\, “Bridge of Alexandre III”)\, France (Masters de Pontlevoy\, “Les MusiCimes”\, “DSCH”)\, Brazil  (“Virtuosi”)\, Curacao (Art in Avila)\, Canada (Niagara International Chamber Music Festival)\, Czech Republic (“American Spring” Festival) and USA (Artosphere Arts Festival\, Chamber Players International\, LWMF\, Mohonk Festival of the Arts\, Windham Chamber Music Festival\, Southampton Festival of the Arts\, Lake San Marcos Chamber Music Society\, Music Mountain in Connecticut\, Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston \, Rachmaninoff International Festival in Los Angeles\, “Music at the Institute” in New York and Art Center of Greene County. \nBorn in Lviv\, Ukraine\, Volodymyr Vynnytsky studied at the Lviv Music School for Gifted Children and later at the Moscow Conservatory. After earning his doctorate from the Moscow Conservatory under the direction of Yevgeny Malinin\, he taught at the Kyiv Conservatory and concertized extensively throughout the world. \nVolodymyr Vynnytsky has been a visiting member of the piano faculty in SUNY at Purchase\, NY and at the University of Connecticut. \nVolodymyr served as a Chairman of the Jury of the Emil Gilels International Piano Competition in Odesa\, Ukraine. \nVolodymyr Vynnytsky have made an extensive North American tour in February of 2020 as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine\, one of the finest Symphony Orchestras in Europe. This tour was managed by Columbia Artists\, a legendary organization in the performing arts industry\, a global leader in artist management. \nVolodymyr Vynnytsky is an Honorary Professor of Lviv State Academy of Music\, Odesa State Music Academy and Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine (Kyiv Conservatory). He is Director of Chamber Music at the College of Charleston\, Charleston\, SC and Music Director of the Music and Art Center of Greene County\, New York. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n NSOU\nEnjoy more videos of NSOU recordings and performances on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/nsou/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,ensemble,orchestral ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-nsou-slide-web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240124T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240124T210000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152508 CREATED:20230510T192002Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231020T190822Z UID:10000122-1706124600-1706130000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Tchaikovsky\, Paganini\, & Gershwin DESCRIPTION:Adult: $55Student: $17.50Youth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n This presentation offers general admission seating on a first-come-first-served basis. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Tchaikovsky Trio\n Pianist Andrew Armstrong returns to Music Worcester for a Piano Trio performance at Worcester’s BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Performing Arts Center following his acclaimed virtual performance in our 2020-2021 Season. \nArmstrong is joined by friends Jan Vogler (cello) and Kevin Zhu (violin) for this spectacular chamber music program featuring Tchaikovsky’s Trio in A Minor as well as various selections for solo violin\, cello\, and piano. \nPROGRAM\n\nBACHCello Suite No. 1 in G Major \n\n\nPAGANINISelected Caprices for violin solo \n\n\nMANCINIMoon River (arranged for cello and piano) \n\n\nGERSHWINRhapsody in Blue for piano solo \n\nTCHAIKOVSKYTrio in A minor\n  \nRead more about each performer below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Andrew Armstrong\, piano\n \nPianist Andrew Armstrong has performed across Asia\, Europe\, Latin America\, Canada\, and the United States\, including performances at Alice Tully Hall\, Carnegie Hall\, the Kennedy Center\, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory\, and Warsaw’s National Philharmonic. Armstrong’s orchestral engagements have seen him perform more than 50 concertos with orchestra. He has appeared in solo recitals and in chamber music concerts with the Elias\, Alexander\, American\, and Manhattan String Quartets\, and also as a member of the Caramoor Virtuosi\, Boston Chamber Music Society\, and the Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players. He has released several award winning recordings with his longtime recital partner\, James Ehnes. He is devoted to outreach programs and playing for children. Armstrong was recently appointed Artistic Director of Chamber Music on Main at the Columbia Museum in Columbia\, SC. \n \n \n \n \n \n Kevin Zhu\, violin\n \nAmerican violinist Kevin Zhu has amassed an outstanding record of concert performances and competition wins since he began playing violin at age three. Praised for his “awesome technical command and maturity” (The Strad) and “absolute virtuosity\, almost blinding in its incredible purity” (L’ape musicale)\, Kevin has performed on the world’s largest stages\, ranging from Carnegie Hall in New York to London’s Royal Festival Hall to the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Initially coming to international attention after winning the 2018 Paganini Competition and 2012 Yehudi Menuhin Competition\, he has established himself as a leading figure among the next generation of musicians\, astonishing audiences with his peerless technical mastery and inimitable artistic voice.​ \nIn the 2022-23 season\, Kevin will make concerto debuts with the Des Moines Symphony and at the Auditorio Nacional in Madrid\, and embarks on a project to record the 24 Paganini Caprices on Paganini’s famed violin ‘Il Cannone’\, something never done before in history. He performs the complete Caprices in Italy\, Singapore\, and Germany\, and makes his Merkin Hall recital debut with a program inspired by ballet and operatic masterpieces. \nRecent performing highlights include concerto appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra\, Moscow Virtuosi\, and China Philharmonic Orchestra. A highly sought-after recitalist\, he has toured across the United States and Europe with repertoire ranging from Beethoven to contemporary commissions. Kevin is also a passionate chamber musician\, collaborating with artists such as Itzhak Perlman\, Lawrence Power\, and Jan Vogler. \nIn addition to his efforts on stage\, Kevin serves as a Culture Ambassador of the Lin Yao Ji Music Foundation of China. He has been featured on ABC Eyewitness News\, BBC Radio 3\, and RAI Radio 3\, and is the recipient of a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant and Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant. \nKevin holds a Bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School\, where he studied with Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin. Kevin performs on the c1722 “Lord Wandsworth” Antonio Stradivari violin\, which is on loan from the Ryuji Ueno Foundation and Rare Violins In Consortium\, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative. \nLearn more on Kevin’s website. \n \n \n \n \n \n Jan Vogler\, cello\n \nCellist Jan Vogler’s distinguished career has brought him together with renowned conductors and internationally acclaimed orchestras around the world\, such as New York Philharmonic\, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra\, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and London Philharmonic Orchestra. His great ability allowed him to explore the sound boundaries of the cello and to establish an intensive dialogue with contemporary composers and artists. This includes regular world premieres\, including works by Tigran Mansurian (with WDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov)\, John Harbison (with Mira Wang and the Boston Symphony Orchestra)\, Udo Zimmermann (Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra)\, Wolfgang Rihm (Double Concerto with Mira Wang)\, Jörg Widman (Cello Concerto Dunkle Saiten\, dedicated to Jan Vogler himself) and Nico Muhly\, Sven Helbig and Zhou-Long (Drei Kontinente – Konzert für Cello und Orchester\, composed for Jan Vogler). The New York Times praises his “soulful\, richly hued playing” and the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung grants him the ability “to make his cello speak like a singing voice”. \nLearn more at www.janvogler.com/en-us \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The New Yorker\n “Vogler’s intense and febrile sound is restrained by classical discipline and enriched by a searching musical intelligence.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Tchaikovsky Trio\nEnjoy the Tchaikovsky Trio on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/tchaikovsky-trio/ LOCATION:JMAC\, 20 Franklin St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/tchaik-trio-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231217T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231217T170000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152508 CREATED:20220616T213730Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231205T191221Z UID:10000105-1702828800-1702832400@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:The Worcester Chorus Women's Ensemble Holiday Concert DESCRIPTION:Adult: $25Student: $17.50Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may claim general admission seating on a first-come-first-served basis.  \n \n \n \n \n \n TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH\n \n \n \n \n \n 72 Lancaster St\, Worcester\, MA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Chorus Women's Ensemble\n The Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble returns to the stage at Worcester’s Trinity Lutheran Church for their annual holiday concert on Sunday\, December 17 at 4PM. \nDirected by Worcester Chorus Associate Director Mark Mummert\, this program features Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols as well as a delightful selection of Christmas classics and holiday sing-alongs. Seating is general admission on a first-come-first-served basis. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Britten Ceremony of CarolsRutter Dancing Day: A cycle of traditional Christmas carols Various Christmas songs and sing-alongs (to be announced) \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n MARK MUMMERT\, DIRECTOR\n \nMark Mummert (b. 1965) is Cantor at Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA)\, Worcester\, MA where he leads the music in all worship services\, conducts the Trinity Choir\, Trinity Choristers\, Trinity Junior Choristers\, and is artistic director of the Music at Trinity fine arts series. \nMark is also the Assistant Director / Accompanist for The Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester\, Inc.\, Dr. Chris Shepard\, Artistic Director. \nPrior to moving to Worcester\, Mark was the 2015 Distinguished Visiting Cantor at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. Mark served as the Director of Worship at Houston’s Christ the King Lutheran Church (2008-2015) and as Seminary Musician at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (1990-2008). \nMark is also a tenor chorister with CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists)\, a professional choral ensemble based in Hartford\, CT. \nMark is a composer of portions of the first musical setting of Holy Communion in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006)\, the commended worship book of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is the editor of Psalm Settings for the Church Year (2008\, Augsburg Fortress) and Music Sourcebook for Lent and Three Days (2010\, Augsburg Fortress). His numerous compositions for Christian worship are available from Augsburg Fortress. \nMark’s recording Reformation Chorales Reformed (2017) includes organ works by J. S. Bach\, Mendelssohn\, Distler\, and Clarke. The album is available for download and for streaming on iTunes\, Spotify\, Amazon\, and Youtube. Numerous recordings are available at Mark’s soundcloud site. \nMark was principal musician for the 2005 National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada\, the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and Worship Jubilee\, and visiting scholar for Emory University’s Candler School of Theology’s “The Singing Church” Project in 2012. \nAs a singer\, Mark has performed professionally with The Worcester Chorus\, Choral Arts Philadelphia\, the Bach Society Houston\, and the Houston Chamber Choir. Mark’s voice can be heard on the Grammy nominated recordings\, soft blink of amber light and Rothko Chapel. \nMark studied organ with Earl Ness and John Binsfeld and voice with Robert Grooters at Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music. He is currently pursuing vocal studies with Jane Shivick. \nMark maintains an active private studio of voice\, piano\, and organ students. For information on studying with Mark\, contact him at TakeLessons. \n \n \n \n \n \n YVONNE COX\, HARPIST\n \nYvonne Cox is a charismatic harpist influenced by various musical genres and artistic mediums. She strives to contribute and inspire creativity in the world through music\, both in performance and through collaborations. Cox is a versatile musician and frequently performs a diverse range of musical styles including solo\, orchestral\, chamber\, and contemporary works. \nMs. Cox has also had the pleasure of playing with orchestras throughout the United States and Canada: including the PRISMA Festival Institute Orchestra\, Henderson Symphony Orchestra\, Miami Classical Music Festival\, and Brevard Music Center Orchestra. \nYvonne obtained her M.M. from the New England Conservatory under the tutelage of Jessica Zhou\, Principal Harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and her B.M. from University of Arizona\, where she studied with Dr. Michelle Gott.  In her free time\, she enjoys gushing over any and all animals that cross her path and pretending to be a celebrity chef in her kitchen. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/holiday/ LOCATION:Trinity Lutheran Church\, 73 Lancaster St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01609 CATEGORIES:choral,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-wcwe-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20231205 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20240101 DTSTAMP:20240328T152508 CREATED:20231205T173124Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231205T173252Z UID:10000141-1701734400-1704067199@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:On Demand Video: The Worcester Chorus | Handel Messiah DESCRIPTION:ON DEMAND RENTAL: $17Unlimited viewing throughout December\n \n \n \n RENT ON DEMAND VIEWING\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following sponsors of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON DEMAND VIDEO RENTAL\n Click “RENT ON DEMAND VIEWING” to purchase access through the end of December 2023 to our recording of The Worcester Chorus’ performance of Handel Messiah at Mechancis Hall on December 2\, 2023. Program details below: \nDirected by Chris Shepard\, The Worcester Chorus is one of America’s oldest and longest-running choral ensembles. Attending their annual performance of Handel’s Messiah at historic Mechanics Hall on the first weekend of December each year is a holiday tradition for many families and choral music fans in the Greater Worcester community and beyond. \nThe chorus will be joined on stage by vocal soloists and the Worcester Festival Orchestra. Read below for more information on each soloist: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Chorus\n Directed by Chris Shepard\, The Worcester Chorus is one of America’s oldest and longest-running choral ensembles. Attending their annual performance of Handel’s Messiah at historic Mechanics Hall on the first weekend of December each year is a holiday tradition for many families and choral music fans in the Greater Worcester community and beyond. \nThe chorus will be joined on stage by vocal soloists (read more below) and the Worcester Festival Orchestra. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Carley DeFranco\, soprano\n \n\n \nCarley DeFranco is a Boston-based soprano known for her committed dramatic portrayals. This season brings performances with Emmanuel Music\, Lorelei Ensemble & Boston Ballet\, Blue Heron Renaissance Choir\, Voces8\, Symphony New Hampshire\, Con Brio Choral Society\, Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus\, True Concord Voices & Orchestra\, Boston Baroque\, Handel and Haydn Society\, Falmouth Chorale\, Oregon Bach Festival\, Monadnock Music\, the American Soloists Ensemble and the National Chorus of Korea. \nCarley is proud to have sung more than 80 cantatas with Emmanuel Music in their weekly Bach Cantata Series as well as the St. John Passion\, Magnifiat\, Mass in B Minor\, St. Matthew Passion\, St. Mark Passion\, Easter Oratorio\, John Harbison’s Chorale Cantata for soprano\, oboe\, violin and strings\, Supper at Emmaus\, Abraham\, Handel’s Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day and Angelo in the staged recording of La Resurrezione. Her solo cantata highlights from Emmanuel Music include Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen! BWV 51\, Selig ist der Mann BWV 57\, and Ach Gott wie manches Herzeleid\, BWV 58. This year brings regular appearances in the cantata series\, Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us\, Christmas Oratorio and Britten’s Les Illuminations. \nAn avid concert soloist\, Carley has appeared with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (Mozart’s Requiem)\, North Carolina Master Chorale (Handel’s Alexander’s Feast)\, Harvard Radcliffe Collegium Musicum (Monteverdi Vespers)\, Boston Cecilia (Rudoi Our Transcendental Passion)\, American Bach Soloists Academy (Laß\, Fürstin\, laß noch einen Strahl\, BWV 198)\, and Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra (Gounod’s Messe Solenelle\, Saint Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël\, Schubert’s Mass in Eb Major). This season she sings with Symphony New Hampshire (Mozart Requiem)\, Dedham Choral Society (Vivaldi Gloria)\, Heritage Chorale (Vaughn Williams Dona Nobis Pacem)\, Con Brio Choral Society (Mozart Requiem and Forrest Jubilate Deo)\, Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus (Beethoven Mass in C and Choral Fantasy) and the Falmouth Chorale (Brahms’ Requiem). \nCarley’s operatic credits include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with Boston Opera Collaborative and Greater Worcester Opera\, Lucy Lockit (The Beggar’s Opera) with Emmanuel Music\, The Rose (The Little Prince) with NEMPAC Opera Project\, the title role in Alcina with Opera del West\, Yvette (La Rondine) with Boston Opera Collaborative\, Nannetta (Falstaff) with Emerald City Opera and many world premieres in Boston Opera Collaborative’s critically-acclaimed annual festival of ten-minute operas: Opera Bites. She is known for her committed dramatic portrayals; Boston Musical Intelligencer called her performance as Lucy Lockit “a joy to watch and hear” and her performance in Boston Opera Collaborative’s staged Frauenliebe und Leben “almost filmic in its realism”. Last season\, she joined the Boston Lyric Opera Chorus for performances of Cavalleria Rusticana and Champion (Terence Blanchard). \nIn demand for her performances of new music by American composers\, Carley has given premieres at the Kennedy Center\, Fog X FLO on the Emerald Necklace\, New England Conservatory\, Middlesex Community College\, Mount Holyoke College\, Longy School of Music\, and American University. This year she was privileged to perform two new works by Mason Bynes with Boston Art Song Society: Dowland Impressions\, arranged for voice and electric guitar and Songs for the People for voice and piano. An ever-evolving musician\, Carley joins forces with Ben Schwendener in their duo Lyric\, performing improvisations based on natural geometric design and contemporary poetry. Carley’s a proud member of the Byrne Band\, founded by Corrine Byrne & co in 2022. \nWhile all performing is founded in community\, Carley finds special joy in singing at gatherings and community events. She has performed pop-up opera at the Roslindale Holiday Wander\, sung from the back of a pick-up truck with Mass Opera\, curated and performed concerts with Boston Opera Collaborative on the Emerald Necklace Series and throughout Boston\, hosted private Zoom concerts with Emmanuel Music’s Musical Conversations initiative and given many tailored programs at birthday parties\, wedding celebrations and holiday affairs. \nCarley was the 2018-19 Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow with Emmanuel Music\, a 2019 Fellow with American Bach Soloists\, and a third place winner of the American Prize (Professional Division) in Oratorio/Art song. She is a current soprano scholar with VOCES 8 and will perform on their American tour in 2023. Carley is the Director of After School Music at Dexter Southfield and a Voice Instructor in Harvard University’s Holden Voice Program. She offers private lessons (in-person or online) from her home in Somerville. \nLearn more on Carley’s website at carleydefranco.com \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Allison Messier\, mezzo-soprano\n \nMezzo-soprano Allison Messier shares her unique voice and spirit with the world by singing in a variety of genres including artsong\, operas\, oratorio and sacred music. \nIt was clear to Allison from her earliest days watching the opera singers on Sesame Street and the Muppet Show that she had to be a singer.  She made her professional debut at age 12 as the Third Spirit in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Since that early start\, she has travelled extensively around the world studying\, performing and perfecting her art. \nAs an oratorio soloist\, Allison has performed in numerous major works including the Duruflé Requiem with the Litchfield County Choral Union; Zelenka’s Te Deum with Con Brio Choral Society; the Rachmaninov Vespers with the Boston Russian Choir; the Bach Christmas Oratorio with the Greater New Bedford Choral Society; Dvorak’s Mass in D and Haydn’s Mass in Time of War with the Bermuda Chamber Choir; John Rutter’s Feel the Spirit\, Bach’s Magnificat and Händel’s Messiah with the Clearlakes Chorale\, as well as Vivaldi’s Dixit Dominus and Mozart’s Requiem with Portsmouth Pro Musica. \nAllison’s opera credits include Dido in Dido and Aeneas and La Zia Pricipessa in Suor Angelica with Piccola Opera NH; Marthe in Marie Magdaleine and The Abbess in Suor Angelica with Lakes Region Opera; Maman in L’Enfant et les Sortileges with Metro West Opera; and appearances with Opera Providence in the title roles of Carmen and The Romany Maid. She has also performed the role of Hansel in Hansel and Gretel for thousands of elementary school students with Opera New Hampshire’s outreach program. \nAllison was a founding member of the early music groups Cappella Clausura\, an all-female choir who performs music composed by women\, and Vox Consort\, a small ensemble dedicated to performing the works of J. S. Bach with only one voice on each part. \nBringing art song home. For almost a decade\, Allison has been presenting recitals and house concerts in private homes throughout the Northeast. She especially loves bringing art song back to the space in which it was born; the homes of music fans and supporters. Though her repertoire spans centuries and a wide variety of styles\, she has a particular fondness for French art song\, especially the late work of Gabriel Fauré. \nIn addition to offering the traditional art song repertoire\, she has expanded the song recital into new territory by combining the popular songs of Joni Mitchell\, Cat Stevens\, Björk\, and other contemporary artists with the Elizabethan and baroque works of John Dowland and Henry Purcell. She released her debut album\, ALLISON: Volume One\, in early 2016 and a second album\, ALLISON: Volume Two\, in early 2017. These albums are available on iTunes\, Amazon\, Google Play\, and Spotify. \nAllison received her Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory in 2007.  While at NEC\, she appeared as a soloist on the Jordan Hall stage a number of times in works by Scarlatti\, Brahms\, and Britten.  She also sang the roles of the Third Lady in the Magic Flute and the Announcer in Gallantry with the undergraduate opera. Allison continued her training in Florence\, Italy at the Bel Canto Institute and in British Columbia at the Vancouver International Song Institute. \nAllison makes her home in Little Compton\, Rhode Island\, where she maintains a private teaching studio\, Sakonnet Music\, with her partner\, conductor Jonathan Babbitt. \nLearn more on Allison’s website at allisonmessier.com \n \n \n \n \n \n Travis Benoit\, tenor\n \nTravis Benoit\, tenor\, from Worcester\, MA\, received his Master of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music in spring of 2020. Previous credits include Joseph Haydn’s The Creation (Uriel) with Providence Singers\, The Passion According to Saint Luke (The Evangelist)\, Composer William David Cooper’s New Work\, The Pirates of Penzance (Frederic) with The Valley light Opera Company\, and Die Zauberflöte (Tamino) with Nahant Music Festival as a vocal apprentice. A concert soloist and recitalist throughout New England\, he was selected to sing in Thomas Hampson Masterclass hosted by MSM in 2019. His current ensembles include CONCORA\, EnsembleNYC\, Providence Singers\, Worcester Chorus\, Vox Futura. Travis is adjunct vocal faculty with Phillips Academy in Andover as well as Choral Ensemble assistant at Endicott College in Beverly\, MA.\n \n \n \n \n \n John Salvi\, baritone\n \nAn accomplished singer on both the operatic and concert stage\, John Salvi’s clear and agile baritone voice has been hailed as “stentorian” by many and has been heard extensively throughout the Northeast United States as well as Washington\, D.C. and Montreal\, Canada. For over two decades\, John has appeared as a guest artist with opera companies and choral societies throughout New England including Connecticut Opera\, Opera Boston\, Opera North\, Commonwealth Opera\, Granite State Opera\, Arcadia Players\, Handel Society of Dartmouth College\, Hampshire Choral Society\, South Hadley Chorale\, The Keene Chorale\, and Assabet Valley Mastersingers. He has performed under the batons of many prominent conductors including Willie Anthony Waters\, Gil Rose\, Kevin Rhodes\, and Ian Watson. \nHighlights of Mr. Salvi’s past season performances include Fauré’s Requiem with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra\, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Quabbin Valley Pro Musica\, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Hampshire Choral Society\, Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht and Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten with The Keene Chorale\, Beethoven’s Mass in C with the South Hadley Chorale\, Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orléans with Odyssey Opera\, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Requiem with the Assabet Valley Mastersingers\, and Bach’s Matthäus-Passion at the 2019 University of Massachusetts at Amherst Bach Festival and Symposium. \nJohn earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he studied voice with Paulina Stark. In addition to maintaining an active performing schedule\, he is a music teacher and choral director at Haverhill High School in Haverhill\, Massachusetts.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n John Zeugner\, Telegram & Gazette\n In any event\, there was\, as always\, in Music Worcester’s presentation of Handel’s Messiah\, a soul healing\, community-building moment\, for all listeners. The stupendous sounds of that music in the soft blue-white silk of Mechanics Hall\, amid dark almost indistinguishable portraits on high\, is surely tonic to overcome the despicable antics of our national politics. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/messiah-on-demand/ LOCATION:ON DEMAND\, Pre-recorded concert with flexible viewing option(s). CATEGORIES:choral,classical,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/messiah-slide-1-copy.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231202T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231202T223000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152508 CREATED:20230510T191825Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240320T205532Z UID:10000126-1701547200-1701556200@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:The Worcester Chorus: Handel Messiah DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39-$69Student: $17.50Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n LIVE STREAM VIEWING: $17Includes On-Demand viewing during December\n \n \n \n Buy Live Stream Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following sponsors of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Chorus\n Directed by Chris Shepard\, The Worcester Chorus is one of America’s oldest and longest-running choral ensembles. Attending their annual performance of Handel’s Messiah at historic Mechanics Hall on the first weekend of December each year is a holiday tradition for many families and choral music fans in the Greater Worcester community and beyond. \nThe chorus will be joined on stage by vocal soloists (read more below) and the Worcester Festival Orchestra. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Carley DeFranco\, soprano\n \n\n \nCarley DeFranco is a Boston-based soprano known for her committed dramatic portrayals. This season brings performances with Emmanuel Music\, Lorelei Ensemble & Boston Ballet\, Blue Heron Renaissance Choir\, Voces8\, Symphony New Hampshire\, Con Brio Choral Society\, Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus\, True Concord Voices & Orchestra\, Boston Baroque\, Handel and Haydn Society\, Falmouth Chorale\, Oregon Bach Festival\, Monadnock Music\, the American Soloists Ensemble and the National Chorus of Korea. \nCarley is proud to have sung more than 80 cantatas with Emmanuel Music in their weekly Bach Cantata Series as well as the St. John Passion\, Magnifiat\, Mass in B Minor\, St. Matthew Passion\, St. Mark Passion\, Easter Oratorio\, John Harbison’s Chorale Cantata for soprano\, oboe\, violin and strings\, Supper at Emmaus\, Abraham\, Handel’s Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day and Angelo in the staged recording of La Resurrezione. Her solo cantata highlights from Emmanuel Music include Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen! BWV 51\, Selig ist der Mann BWV 57\, and Ach Gott wie manches Herzeleid\, BWV 58. This year brings regular appearances in the cantata series\, Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us\, Christmas Oratorio and Britten’s Les Illuminations. \nAn avid concert soloist\, Carley has appeared with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (Mozart’s Requiem)\, North Carolina Master Chorale (Handel’s Alexander’s Feast)\, Harvard Radcliffe Collegium Musicum (Monteverdi Vespers)\, Boston Cecilia (Rudoi Our Transcendental Passion)\, American Bach Soloists Academy (Laß\, Fürstin\, laß noch einen Strahl\, BWV 198)\, and Arlington Philharmonic Orchestra (Gounod’s Messe Solenelle\, Saint Saëns’ Oratorio de Noël\, Schubert’s Mass in Eb Major). This season she sings with Symphony New Hampshire (Mozart Requiem)\, Dedham Choral Society (Vivaldi Gloria)\, Heritage Chorale (Vaughn Williams Dona Nobis Pacem)\, Con Brio Choral Society (Mozart Requiem and Forrest Jubilate Deo)\, Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus (Beethoven Mass in C and Choral Fantasy) and the Falmouth Chorale (Brahms’ Requiem). \nCarley’s operatic credits include Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with Boston Opera Collaborative and Greater Worcester Opera\, Lucy Lockit (The Beggar’s Opera) with Emmanuel Music\, The Rose (The Little Prince) with NEMPAC Opera Project\, the title role in Alcina with Opera del West\, Yvette (La Rondine) with Boston Opera Collaborative\, Nannetta (Falstaff) with Emerald City Opera and many world premieres in Boston Opera Collaborative’s critically-acclaimed annual festival of ten-minute operas: Opera Bites. She is known for her committed dramatic portrayals; Boston Musical Intelligencer called her performance as Lucy Lockit “a joy to watch and hear” and her performance in Boston Opera Collaborative’s staged Frauenliebe und Leben “almost filmic in its realism”. Last season\, she joined the Boston Lyric Opera Chorus for performances of Cavalleria Rusticana and Champion (Terence Blanchard). \nIn demand for her performances of new music by American composers\, Carley has given premieres at the Kennedy Center\, Fog X FLO on the Emerald Necklace\, New England Conservatory\, Middlesex Community College\, Mount Holyoke College\, Longy School of Music\, and American University. This year she was privileged to perform two new works by Mason Bynes with Boston Art Song Society: Dowland Impressions\, arranged for voice and electric guitar and Songs for the People for voice and piano. An ever-evolving musician\, Carley joins forces with Ben Schwendener in their duo Lyric\, performing improvisations based on natural geometric design and contemporary poetry. Carley’s a proud member of the Byrne Band\, founded by Corrine Byrne & co in 2022. \nWhile all performing is founded in community\, Carley finds special joy in singing at gatherings and community events. She has performed pop-up opera at the Roslindale Holiday Wander\, sung from the back of a pick-up truck with Mass Opera\, curated and performed concerts with Boston Opera Collaborative on the Emerald Necklace Series and throughout Boston\, hosted private Zoom concerts with Emmanuel Music’s Musical Conversations initiative and given many tailored programs at birthday parties\, wedding celebrations and holiday affairs. \nCarley was the 2018-19 Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow with Emmanuel Music\, a 2019 Fellow with American Bach Soloists\, and a third place winner of the American Prize (Professional Division) in Oratorio/Art song. She is a current soprano scholar with VOCES 8 and will perform on their American tour in 2023. Carley is the Director of After School Music at Dexter Southfield and a Voice Instructor in Harvard University’s Holden Voice Program. She offers private lessons (in-person or online) from her home in Somerville. \nLearn more on Carley’s website at carleydefranco.com \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Allison Messier\, mezzo-soprano\n \nMezzo-soprano Allison Messier shares her unique voice and spirit with the world by singing in a variety of genres including artsong\, operas\, oratorio and sacred music. \nIt was clear to Allison from her earliest days watching the opera singers on Sesame Street and the Muppet Show that she had to be a singer.  She made her professional debut at age 12 as the Third Spirit in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Since that early start\, she has travelled extensively around the world studying\, performing and perfecting her art. \nAs an oratorio soloist\, Allison has performed in numerous major works including the Duruflé Requiem with the Litchfield County Choral Union; Zelenka’s Te Deum with Con Brio Choral Society; the Rachmaninov Vespers with the Boston Russian Choir; the Bach Christmas Oratorio with the Greater New Bedford Choral Society; Dvorak’s Mass in D and Haydn’s Mass in Time of War with the Bermuda Chamber Choir; John Rutter’s Feel the Spirit\, Bach’s Magnificat and Händel’s Messiah with the Clearlakes Chorale\, as well as Vivaldi’s Dixit Dominus and Mozart’s Requiem with Portsmouth Pro Musica. \nAllison’s opera credits include Dido in Dido and Aeneas and La Zia Pricipessa in Suor Angelica with Piccola Opera NH; Marthe in Marie Magdaleine and The Abbess in Suor Angelica with Lakes Region Opera; Maman in L’Enfant et les Sortileges with Metro West Opera; and appearances with Opera Providence in the title roles of Carmen and The Romany Maid. She has also performed the role of Hansel in Hansel and Gretel for thousands of elementary school students with Opera New Hampshire’s outreach program. \nAllison was a founding member of the early music groups Cappella Clausura\, an all-female choir who performs music composed by women\, and Vox Consort\, a small ensemble dedicated to performing the works of J. S. Bach with only one voice on each part. \nBringing art song home. For almost a decade\, Allison has been presenting recitals and house concerts in private homes throughout the Northeast. She especially loves bringing art song back to the space in which it was born; the homes of music fans and supporters. Though her repertoire spans centuries and a wide variety of styles\, she has a particular fondness for French art song\, especially the late work of Gabriel Fauré. \nIn addition to offering the traditional art song repertoire\, she has expanded the song recital into new territory by combining the popular songs of Joni Mitchell\, Cat Stevens\, Björk\, and other contemporary artists with the Elizabethan and baroque works of John Dowland and Henry Purcell. She released her debut album\, ALLISON: Volume One\, in early 2016 and a second album\, ALLISON: Volume Two\, in early 2017. These albums are available on iTunes\, Amazon\, Google Play\, and Spotify. \nAllison received her Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory in 2007.  While at NEC\, she appeared as a soloist on the Jordan Hall stage a number of times in works by Scarlatti\, Brahms\, and Britten.  She also sang the roles of the Third Lady in the Magic Flute and the Announcer in Gallantry with the undergraduate opera. Allison continued her training in Florence\, Italy at the Bel Canto Institute and in British Columbia at the Vancouver International Song Institute. \nAllison makes her home in Little Compton\, Rhode Island\, where she maintains a private teaching studio\, Sakonnet Music\, with her partner\, conductor Jonathan Babbitt. \nLearn more on Allison’s website at allisonmessier.com \n \n \n \n \n \n Travis Benoit\, tenor\n \nTravis Benoit\, tenor\, from Worcester\, MA\, received his Master of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music in spring of 2020. Previous credits include Joseph Haydn’s The Creation (Uriel) with Providence Singers\, The Passion According to Saint Luke (The Evangelist)\, Composer William David Cooper’s New Work\, The Pirates of Penzance (Frederic) with The Valley light Opera Company\, and Die Zauberflöte (Tamino) with Nahant Music Festival as a vocal apprentice. A concert soloist and recitalist throughout New England\, he was selected to sing in Thomas Hampson Masterclass hosted by MSM in 2019. His current ensembles include CONCORA\, EnsembleNYC\, Providence Singers\, Worcester Chorus\, Vox Futura. Travis is adjunct vocal faculty with Phillips Academy in Andover as well as Choral Ensemble assistant at Endicott College in Beverly\, MA. \n \n \n \n \n \n John Salvi\, baritone\n \nAn accomplished singer on both the operatic and concert stage\, John Salvi’s clear and agile baritone voice has been hailed as “stentorian” by many and has been heard extensively throughout the Northeast United States as well as Washington\, D.C. and Montreal\, Canada. For over two decades\, John has appeared as a guest artist with opera companies and choral societies throughout New England including Connecticut Opera\, Opera Boston\, Opera North\, Commonwealth Opera\, Granite State Opera\, Arcadia Players\, Handel Society of Dartmouth College\, Hampshire Choral Society\, South Hadley Chorale\, The Keene Chorale\, and Assabet Valley Mastersingers. He has performed under the batons of many prominent conductors including Willie Anthony Waters\, Gil Rose\, Kevin Rhodes\, and Ian Watson. \nHighlights of Mr. Salvi’s past season performances include Fauré’s Requiem with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra\, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Quabbin Valley Pro Musica\, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Hampshire Choral Society\, Mendelssohn’s Die Erste Walpurgisnacht and Haydn’s Die Jahreszeiten with The Keene Chorale\, Beethoven’s Mass in C with the South Hadley Chorale\, Tchaikovsky’s The Maid of Orléans with Odyssey Opera\, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Requiem with the Assabet Valley Mastersingers\, and Bach’s Matthäus-Passion at the 2019 University of Massachusetts at Amherst Bach Festival and Symposium. \nJohn earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he studied voice with Paulina Stark. In addition to maintaining an active performing schedule\, he is a music teacher and choral director at Haverhill High School in Haverhill\, Massachusetts. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n John Zeugner\, Telegram & Gazette\n In any event\, there was\, as always\, in Music Worcester’s presentation of Handel’s Messiah\, a soul healing\, community-building moment\, for all listeners. The stupendous sounds of that music in the soft blue-white silk of Mechanics Hall\, amid dark almost indistinguishable portraits on high\, is surely tonic to overcome the despicable antics of our national politics. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/chorus-messiah/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:bach,choral,classical,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/messiah-slide-1-copy.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231110T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231110T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152508 CREATED:20230510T191739Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231020T191338Z UID:10000125-1699646400-1699653600@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:This Love Between Us DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39-$59Student: $17.50 Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join us for a pre-concert lecture led by violinist Vijay Gupta and composer Reena Esmail\, artists-in-residence for this presentation. \n7:00PM in Washburn Hall \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n MARLENE & DAVID PERSKY\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n THIS LOVE BETWEEN US\n Music Worcester’s 2023 Artist-In-Residence\, Vijay Gupta\, directs this final public performance of his residency: a breathtaking collaboration of choral\, instrumental\, and dance ensembles featuring a program of works from composers Reena Esmail and J. S. Bach woven together for an unforgettable evening of music and dance. \nIn addition to The Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester\, this presentation features members of Hartford\, CT’s CONCORA choral group\, also directed by Chris Shepard. Vijay will also share the stage with members of Kritya Dance Company\, created by Kuchipudi dance artist and choreographer Yamini Kalluri. \nJoining Vijay for the final week of his residency and this presentation is wife and composer Reena Esmail\, who will deliver a joint pre-concert lecture with Vijay at 7:00PM in Washburn Hall\, free and open to all ticket holders.   \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n REENA ESMAILTuttarannaThis Love Between Us \nJ. S. BACHSinfonia in D MajorMagnificat \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ABOUT THE COMPOSER\n Read more about composer Reena Esmail and her works below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Reena Esmail\, composer\n \nIndian-American composer Reena Esmail works between the worlds of Indian and Western classical music\, and brings communities together through the creation of equitable musical spaces.  \nEsmail’s life and music was profiled on Season 3 of PBS Great Performances series Now Hear This\, as well as Frame of Mind\, a podcast from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. \nEsmail divides her attention evenly between orchestral\, chamber and choral work. She has written commissions for ensembles including the Los Angeles Master Chorale\,  Seattle Symphony\, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Kronos Quartet\, and her music has featured on multiple Grammy-nominated albums\, including The Singing Guitar by Conspirare\, BRUITS by Imani Winds\, and Healing Modes by Brooklyn Rider. Many of her choral works are published by Oxford University Press. \nEsmail is the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2020-2025 Swan Family Artist in Residence\, and was Seattle Symphony’s 2020-21 Composer-in-Residence. She also holds awards/fellowships from United States Artists\, the S&R Foundation\, the American Academy of Arts and Letters\, and the Kennedy Center. \nEsmail holds degrees in composition from The Juilliard School (BM’05) and the Yale School of Music (MM’11\, MMA’14\, DMA’18). Her primary teachers have included Susan Botti\, Aaron Jay Kernis\, Christopher Theofanidis\, Christopher Rouse and Samuel Adler. She received a Fulbright-Nehru grant to study Hindustani music in India. Her Hindustani music teachers include Srimati Lakshmi Shankar and Gaurav Mazumdar\, and she currently studies and collaborates with Saili Oak. Her doctoral thesis\, entitled Finding Common Ground: Uniting Practices in Hindustani and Western Art Musicians explores the methods and challenges of the collaborative process between Hindustani musicians and Western composers. \nEsmail was Composer-in-Residence for Street Symphony (2016-18) and is currently an Artistic Director of Shastra\, a non-profit organization that promotes cross-cultural music connecting music traditions of India and the West. \nShe currently resides in her hometown of Los Angeles\, California. \n \n \n \n \n \n Program Notes: Tuttaranna\n The title of this piece is a conglomeration of two words: the Italian word ‘tutti’\, means ‘all’ or ‘everyone’\, and the term ‘tarana’ designates a specific Hindustani (North Indian) musical form\, whose closest Western counterpart is the ‘scat’ in jazz. Made up of rhythmic syllables\, a tarana is the singer’s chance to display agility and dexterity. While a Hindustani tarana is a solo form\, I wanted to bring the tarana into an ensemble setting. \nTuttarana was commissioned by the Mount Holyoke College Glee Club for their 2014-15 season\, and has since been performed across the US\, also in arrangements for SATB and brass quintet. \nAn addendum: Three years after I wrote this piece\, the #metoo movement\, created by Tarana Burke broke on social media. It occurred to me that the title of this piece\, if read a different way\, literally means “We are all Tarana.” I couldn’t believe the incredible coincidence that this work\, a powerful 3-minute tidal wave of sound\, written for an all-female ensemble from the oldest women’s college in the country\, bore this name. I’m so grateful for what this movement has done to move the discussion forward about the horrors we face as women\, and how we can begin to change and heal our society. \n–Reena Esmail \nCLICK HERE to read more on Esmail’s website \n \n \n \n \n \n Program Notes: This Love Between Us\n This Love Between Us is a piece about unity. Its seven movements juxtapose the words of seven major religious traditions of India (Buddhism\, Sikhism\, Christianity\, Zoroastrianism\, Hinduism\, Jainism and Islam)\, and specifically how each of these traditions approaches the topic of unity\, of brotherhood\, of being kind to one another. The texts come either straight from canonical religious writings or from poets who write through the lens of their religion. Each text is itself a union: it is set simultaneously in English and in its original language (with the exception of the Christian text\, where the Malayalam is a translation)\, so you can hear the beauty of the original and grasp its meaning through translation. Each movement also contains a unique combination of Indian and Western classical styles\, running the continuum from the Christian movement\, which is rooted firmly in a baroque style\, to the Zoroastrian movement\, which is a Hindustani vilambit bandish. Each of the other movements live somewhere in between these two musical cultures in their techniques\, styles and forms. But even more than uniting musical practices\, this piece unites people from two different musical traditions: a sitar and tabla join the choir and baroque orchestra. Each of the musicians is asked to keep one hand firmly rooted in their own tradition and training\, while reaching the other hand outward to greet another musical culture. \nThis piece is also a union for me. The time I spent studying at both Yale and Juilliard have been the foundation of my career as a Western composer. And my Fulbright year\, studying Hindustani music in India opened my ears and mind to the world of Hindustani classical music. One day in late 2015\, after months of pleading with embassies\, government officials and agencies\, I finally lost the battle for the visa I needed to return to India\, simply because my grandfather had moved his family to Pakistan in the 1950s. I have never been more heartbroken in my life. The pain of being from two places is that\, wherever you are\, you always miss the other place. And somehow\, as if in answer to my despair\, the very next day I received the email asking me to write this piece — the one you will hear today. If it is impossible to be in both places at once\, or at all\, I have strived every day since then to create this hybrid\, united world in my music. \nI wrote This Love Between Us through some of the darkest times in our country and in our world. But my mind always returns to the last line of this piece\, the words of Rumi\, which are repeated like a mantra over affirming phrases from each religion\, as they wash over one another: “Concentrate on the Essence. Concentrate on the Light.” \n-Reena Esmail \nCLICK HERE to learn more on Esmail’s website \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ABOUT THE ARTISTS\n Read more about each artist below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Chorus\n \nThe Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester has the unique distinction of being one of the most outstanding on-going choral groups in the United States. Founded in 1858 to sing at the first annual Worcester Music Festival in the newly-built Mechanics Hall\, the 100-member group includes both amateur and professional singers from Worcester County\, northern Connecticut and the Boston area. Its repertoire includes not only choral masterpieces\, but also contemporary literature\, arrangements of American folk songs\, classics from musical theater and commissioned works. Each year the Chorus performs with orchestras and soloists in Mechanics Hall as part of Music Worcester’s main season\, including an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. The Worcester Chorus has also made guest appearances throughout the Northeast and overseas. \nThe Worcester Chorus has appeared with the Hartford Symphony\, the American Symphony at Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center\, and the Prague Symphony at Carnegie Hall. The Chorus performed at the 1992 American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Convention in Boston\, and has appeared at the Worcester Music Festival with the Philadelphia Orchestra\, The Rochester Philharmonic\, and the symphonies of Boston\, Baltimore\, and Detroit. View other events by the Worcester Chorus. \nArtistic Director Dr. Christopher Shepard has been with the Chorus since 2009. Mark Mummert joined the ensemble as Assistant Director in 2019. \n \n \n \n \n \n CONCORA\n \nAcknowledging that music transforms and enriches people’s lives\, CONCORA perpetuates and performs with excellence choral music of the highest quality for the broadest possible audience. \nUnder the direction of Chris Shepard\, Artistic Director\, the ensemble’s versatility is displayed in its wide range of repertoire and in the crafting of ensembles from among the choir’s roster of singers.​​CONCORA has been praised as “one of the premier musical forces in the state\,” “one of our region’s priceless musical assets\,” and “a model of choral artistry.” \nChoral music has the power to cross cultural boundaries and to move hearts; CONCORA’s mission to reach a broad and diverse audience extends not only to the choral aficionado\, but also to those who may be touched by the beauty of the choral art for the first time. \n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\, violin\n \nVijay Gupta is a violinist\, speaker and citizen-artist dedicated to creating spaces of wholeness through music. Vijay’s work embodies his belief that the work of artists and citizens is one: to make a sadhana – a daily practice – of the world we envision. Hailed by The New Yorker as a “visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music\,” Vijay leads a protean career as a thought leader\, performer\, collaborator and communicator. \nVijay is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony\, a community of musicians creating spaces of connection for people in reentry from homelessness\, addiction and incarceration in Los Angeles. Vijay is also a co-founder of the Skid Row Arts Alliance\, a consortium dedicated to creating art for – and with – the largest homeless community in America. For his work in “bringing beauty\, respite\, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society”\, Vijay was the recipient of a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship. \nA riveting speaker\, Vijay has shared his work with dozens of corporations\, campuses\, conferences and communities across America over the past 10 years\, including The Richmond Forum\, The Aspen Institute\, Hallmark\, Accenture\, Mayo Clinic\, US Psychiatric Congress\, American Planning Association\, and the League of American Orchestras\, just to name a few. Vijay delivered the 33rd annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy for Americans for the Arts and his 2010 TED Talk\, “Music is Medicine\, Music is Sanity”\, has garnered millions of views. \nVijay has performed as an international recitalist\, soloist\, chamber musician\, and orchestral musician for over 20 years\, playing his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. Vijay was a member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years\, and has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet\, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London\, Yo-Yo Ma\, and appears regularly with the Strings Festival in Steamboat Springs\, Colorado. \nA dynamic recording artist\, Vijay recently released Breathe\, an album of the piano chamber music of Reena Esmail\, under his own label. His solo violin album When the Violin\, a solo violin album featuring the music of Esmail\, J. S. Bach\, and Esa-Pekka Salonen will be available on Bandcamp in June 2021. Vijay currently serves as the Senior Artistic and Programs Advisor for Young Musicians Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Marist College\, and a Master’s in Music from the Yale School of Music. His principal teachers have included Ani Kavafian and Glenn Dicterow. Vijay plays a 2010 violin made by Los Angeles-based luthier Eric Benning\, and can be found on Instagram @guptaviolin. \n \n \n \n \n \n Kritya Dance Company\n \nKritya Dance Company founder Yamini Kalluri is a world-class professional Kuchipudi dancer based in New York City where she teaches\, performs and trains full time. She offers performances\, workshops\, intensives and production direction internationally with an aim to bring a new face and a bigger representation to Kuchipudi globally.​Raised in Hyderabad\, India\, Yamini Kalluri has been celebrated by the New York Times and BBC as being a Kuchipudi sensation. A disciple of legendary guru\, Padmasri Dr. Sobha Naidu\, Yamini began exhibiting signs of her extraordinary talent and dedication to dance at a very early age. At the age of 12 she not only began performing throughout India but also began teaching at Dr. Sobha Naidu’s School. She went on to complete a certification course in Kuchipudi from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University\, Hyderabad with distinctions in 2013 and further refined her style under the mentorship of the renowned Kuchipudi guru Vempati Ravi Shankar. At 18 she began performing internationally at various prestigious festivals\, offering workshops in the UK\, the US\, Russia\, Argentina and Canada. A world-class dancer\, Yamini is known for her grace\, agility and uncompromising perfection. Aiming to bring a new face to Kuchipudi\, her ambition and passion led her to move to New York where she now teaches\, performs and trains in ballet and modern dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary dance full time. In exploring various disciplines of dance and music in the west Yamini has not only developed her own unique style and technique but has also expanded and diversified her dance repertoire by collaborating with many talented musicians.​​Yamini has founded Kritya with the mission to empower up and coming artists to take Kuchipudi to global platforms. Yamini envisions a new school of thought for Kuchipudi with more awareness of the body\, mind and soul. She is taking several nuances from ballet and modern dance to find her own technique and bring about a new age of Kuchipudi which is more relevant to a newer and global generation. Vempati Chinnasatyam \, Rukmini Devi Arundale\, Akram Khan and Shantala Shivalingappa are some of her inspirations when it comes to innovation for evolution. Yamini sees Kritya as a budding conservatory and incubatory for challenging experimentation and also as a means for dancers to immerse themselves to find their truest form of expression. \nWhat is Kuchipudi? \nKuchipudi is one of the nine classical Indian dance styles. \n​Kuchipudi is named after the village it was founded and established in called Kuchipudi which is situated in South Indian state\, Andhra Pradesh. It was founded by Guru Siddhendra Yogi in the 15th century. Kuchipudi\, like other classical dance forms in India\, traces its roots to the Sanskrit Natya Shastra\, a foundational treatise on the performing arts. Its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE\, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. \nKuchipudi is known for its brisk rhythmic patterns and immense grace yet very vigorous movements. Kuchipudi is very grounded in the feet yet again very light when it comes to depicting Lasya (feminine grace) tone. Kuchipudi is known for its flowy and dynamic torso. One of the unique features of Kuchipudi is dancing on a brass plate. The use of a brass plate in kuchipudi has been symbolically viewed as a means of transport for the dancer to a divine destination or higher realm. \nKuchipudi was mainly a dance-drama/opera tradition where it was presented as big cast productions. Then it evolved more into a musical theatre form. But now Kuchipudi has been reshaped mostly into solo dance heavy tradition after imbibing and reviewing many elements from Natya Shastra. For this reason\, Kuchipudi wasn’t recognized as a classical dance until recently. It was only practiced by males in the initial period but in the modern era women were introduced to this dance style. Some of the notable contributors to this dance style are Vedantam Lakshmi Narayana Sastry\, Vempati Chinnasatyam\, Yamini Krishnamurthy and Sobha Naidu. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Joyce Tamer\, Telegram & Gazette\n “The Worcester Chorus is truly a local gem…” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n VIJAY GUTPA\nWatch more Vijay Gupta videos on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/this-love-between-us/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,contemporary,ensemble,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-slide-hi-res.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231103T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231103T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152509 CREATED:20230510T191659Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231020T191431Z UID:10000124-1699041600-1699048800@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Midori & Festival Strings Lucerne DESCRIPTION:Adult: $59-$89Student & Youth: $25\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Midori & Festival Strings Lucerne\n Internationally renowned violin soloist Midori joins The Festival Strings Lucerne\, an established string orchestra featuring Swiss conductor and violinist Rudolf Baumgartner. From the start\, the ensemble has been committed to developing the noble glow and warmth of the Austro-Hungarian string sound tradition. Currently led by the violinist Daniel Dodds\, who was appointed artistic director in 2012 and has particularly extended the scope of the ensemble\, the orchestra is led from the concertmaster’s chair.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Arthur Honegger (1892-1955)Pastorale d’été\, H. 31 (1920) \nRichard Dubugnon (b. 1968)Caprice IV\, “Es muss sein!”\, Op. 72\, No. 4 (2017) *US premiere \nRobert Schumann (1810-1856) Violin Concerto in D Minor\, WoO 23 (1853) I. In kräftigem\, nicht zu schnellem Tempo II. Langsam III. Lebhaft\, doch nicht schnellMidori\, violin \nLudwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Romance in F Major\, Op. 50 (1798)Midori\, violin \nLudwig van BeethovenSymphony No. 4 in Bb Major\, Op. 60 (1806)I. Adagio – Allegro vivaceII. Adagio III. Allegro vivaceIV. Allegro ma non troppo \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ABOUT THE ARTISTS\n Read more about each artist below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n MIDORI\n \nMidori is a visionary artist\, activist and educator who explores and builds connections between music and the human experience and breaks with traditional boundaries\, which makes her one of the most outstanding violinists of our time. She will mark the 40th anniversary of her professional debut this season\, celebrating a remarkable career that began in 1982\, when she debuted with the New York Philharmonic at age 11. \nIn concert around the world\, Midori transfixes audiences\, bringing together graceful precision and intimate expression.  Midori has performed with\, among others\, the London\, Chicago\, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras; the Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks; the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics; the Mahler Chamber Orchestra; and Festival Strings Lucerne. She has collaborated with such outstanding musicians as Claudio Abbado\, Emanuel Ax\, Leonard Bernstein\, Jonathan Biss\, Constantinos Carydis\, Christoph Eschenbach\, Daniel Harding\, Paavo Järvi\, Mariss Jansons\, Yo‑Yo Ma\, Susanna Mälkki\, Joana Mallwitz\, Antonello Manacorda\, Zubin Mehta\, Tarmo Peltokoski\, Donald Runnicles\, Jean-Yves Thibaudet\, and Omer Meir Wellber. \nThis anniversary season is marked by a new recording of the complete Beethoven sonatas for piano and violin performed by Midori and the celebrated pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet – a landmark recording of two artists at the height of their careers (Warner Classics).  Coinciding with the new release\, Midori and Thibaudet perform all ten sonatas over three concerts at Dartmouth College and a single concert of three of the sonatas in Chicago. Another highlight of the anniversary season is a project that combines two lifelong passions – the music of Bach and newly commissioned music – in a solo recital tour featuring Bach’s six sonatas and partitas for solo violin alongside works by contemporary composers; the tour includes a return to Carnegie Hall in February and concerts in Washington\, DC\, Seattle and Vancouver\, and in San Francisco\, Irvine and La Jolla in California.  Midori also appears this season with the Boston Symphony Orchestra\, National Symphony Orchestra\, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra\, Erie Philharmonic\, Toledo Symphony and Glacier Symphony (in Montana). \nMidori’s European engagements this season include Brahms’ Violin Concerto at the Moritzburg and Schleswig-Holstein Music Festivals; a residency with the Volksoper Wien Orchestra and an appearance with the Konzerthausorchester Berlin; chamber music concerts in Köln\, Hamburg and London; and solo Bach programs at major German festivals in Dresden\, Bonn and Ludwigsburg. In addition to other concerts in Europe and Asia\, she appears in residency at Suntory Hall in Tokyo in November. \nMidori’s diverse discography includes the 2020 recording with the Festival Strings Lucerne of Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and two Romances on Warner Classics; recordings on Sony Classical\, Ondine and Onyx include the music of Bloch\, Janáček and Shostakovich and a Grammy Award-winning recording of Hindemith’s Violin Concerto with Christoph Eschenbach conducting the NDR Symphony Orchestra as well as Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin filmed at Köthen Castle\, which was recorded also for DVD (Accentus). \nAs someone deeply committed to furthering humanitarian and educational goals\, she has founded several non-profit organizations\, and last season\, she was able to offer programs in person for the first time in two years. Midori & Friends\, celebrating its 30th year of service this season\, provides music programs for New York City youth and communities\, and MUSIC SHARING\, a Japan-based foundation\, brings both western classical and Japanese music traditions to children and adults in Japan and throughout Asia by presenting programs in schools\, institutions\, and hospitals. For her Orchestra Residencies Program (ORP)\, Midori commissioned composer Derek Bermel to write a new piece\, “Spring Cadenzas\,” which was premiered (mostly virtually) by student orchestras in 2021 and continues to be performed by ORP participants. Through Partners in Performance (PiP)\, Midori co-presents chamber music concerts around the U.S.\, focusing on smaller communities that are outside the radius of major urban centers and have limited resources. \nIn recognition of her work as an artist and humanitarian\, she serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace. Last season\, she participated in a panel discussion\, hosted by The Peace Studio\, about what music can teach us about peaceful communication\, alongside Joyce DiDonato and Wynton Marsalis; she delivered the Kim and Judy Davis Dean’s Lecture in the Humanities at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute (about non-profit leadership and volunteering); and she was awarded the Asian Cultural Council’s John D. Rockefeller 3rd Award for her contributions to the field of arts and cultural exchange. In 2022\, Midori was also awarded the Brahms Prize by the Schleswig-Holstein Brahms Society. In recognition of her lifetime of contributions to American culture\, Midori is a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and was celebrated by Yo-Yo Ma\, Bette Midler and John Lithgow\, among others\, during the May 2021 Honors ceremonies in Washington\, DC. \nLast season’s concert highlights included the premiere of Detlev Glanert’s Violin Concerto No. 2 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Midori’s appearance in Carnegie Hall’s benefit Concert for Ukraine. \nMidori was born in Osaka in 1971 and began her violin studies with her mother\, Setsu Goto\, at an early age. In 1982\, conductor Zubin Mehta invited the then 11-year-old Midori to perform with the New York Philharmonic in the orchestra’s annual New Year’s Eve concert\, where the foundation was laid for her following career. Midori is the Dorothy Richard Starling Chair in Violin Studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and is a Distinguished Visiting Artist at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. \nMidori plays the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesù ‘ex-Huberman’. She uses four bows – two by Dominique Peccatte\, one by François Peccatte and one by Paul Siefried. \nLearn more on Midori’s website at www.midori-violin.com \n \n \n \n \n \n FESTIVAL STRINGS LUCERNE\n \nThe Festival Strings Lucerne was founded in 1956\, quickly establishing itself among the most distinguished chamber orchestras in Europe and around the world. The orchestra made its debuts at the Salzburg Festival in 1957\, in New York in 1959\, in Mexico City in 1963\, in Tokyo in 1971\, and in Sydney 1977. \nThe orchestra offers a wide-ranging repertoire in its own concert series at the Lucerne KKL and as guest ensemble at the Lucerne Festival\, while regularly appearing at such European concert halls as Elbphilharmonie Hamburg\, Philharmonie Berlin\, Amsterdam’s Het Concertgebouw\, and the Vienna Musikverein. \nThe Festival Strings Lucerne\, currently led by the violinist Daniel Dodds\, was established as a string orchestra with harpsichord by the Viennese violin legend Wolfgang Schneiderhan and the Swiss conductor and violinist Rudolf Baumgartner. From the start\, the ensemble has been committed to developing the noble glow and warmth of the Austro-Hungarian string sound tradition. Dodds\, who was appointed artistic director in 2012\, leads the orchestra from the concertmaster’s chair\, continuing the example set by Baumgartner. Daniel Dodds has particularly extended the scope of the ensemble\, adding instruments as required\, to facilitate performances of midsize symphonic repertoire. \nThe orchestra\, whose repertoire ranges from baroque music to the contemporary\, has premiered over one hundred works by such composers as Jean Françaix\, Frank Martin\, Bohuslav Martinů\, Sándor Veress\, Iannis Xenakis\, Krzystof Penderecki\, Klaus Huber\, and Peter Ruzicka. The ensemble has recently collaborated with such leading musicians as Daniil Trifonov\, Bernard Haitink\, Rudolf Buchbinder\, Mischa Maisky\, and Midori. The Festival Strings Lucerne has a long history of distinguished recordings\, first on the Deutsche Grammophon label\, with later recordings released by Decca\, Eurodisc\, Denon\, Sony Classical\, Pentatone\, and Warner Classics. These include such memorable studio collaborations as with Clara Haskil performing Mozart\, Pierre Fournier performing Haydn\, and Zino Francescatti playing Bach. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Douglas H. Wheeler\, Washington Performing Arts President Emeritus\n “Perhaps no other artist of our time has had a more profound impact on the development of string musicians and audiences throughout the world. Midori’s supreme musicianship\, inspirational commitment to excellence\, and tireless advocacy for her chosen art form make this a must-see experience for all music lovers.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n MIDORI\nWatch more Midori videos on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/midori/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,contemporary,ensemble,orchestral ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/midori-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152509 CREATED:20230510T191513Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231024T134334Z UID:10000123-1698436800-1698444000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:The Knights with Chris Thile DESCRIPTION:Adult: $59-$89Student & Youth: $25\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Pre-concert Lecture from Taylor Ackley titled “The Power of Eight Little Strings: A History of The Mandolin in the United States” to take place in Washburn Hall at 7:15 PM\, free and open to all ticket holders.  \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Inaugural Annual Joseph & Joyce Tamer Concert\n THE KNIGHTS \nChris Thile\, mandolin and vocalsEric Jacobsen\, Artistic Director and conductorColin Jacobsen\, Artistic Director and violin solo \nThe Knights join forces with mandolinist\, composer\, and singer Chris Thile in an exploration of American music\, old and new (and a little Bach). Thile’s New Work for Mandolin\, Vocals\, and Orchestra will feature his brilliant songwriting and storytelling\, instrumental virtuosity\, and ever-present sense of humor. Thile also joins The Knights to sing a version of Caroline Shaw’s exquisite and poetic meditation on the nature of a rose. Dvorak’s famed “American” Quartet is re-imagined through the lens of violinist and composer Curtis Stewart as a chamber orchestra\, folk-inspired jam session\, and Colin Jacobsen’s Sheriff’s Freud brings together the world of Dvorak – in some ways a founding figure in the development of American music – with bluegrass idioms. And finally\, some Bach. Why? Because Bach is always a good idea… \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n J.S. BACH (transc. Chris Thile)Vivace from Double Violin Concerto in D minor\, BWV 1043Colin Jacobsen\, violinChris Thile\, mandolin \nCAROLINE SHAWAnd SoChris Thile\, mandolin and vocals \nANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (arr. Curtis Stewart)“Toward America” (arr. String Quartet No. 12 in F major\, Op. 96)enrouteinletsthe games we playprayer by train \nCOLIN JACOBSENSheriff’s Freud \nCHRIS THILEATTENTION!a narrative song cycle for extroverted mandolinist and orchestraAttentionLord StarbucksThe RooftopCarrie Freaking FisherChris Thile\, mandolin and vocalsClaire Coffee\, director \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ABOUT THE ARTISTS\n Read more about each artist below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n THE KNIGHTS\n \nThe Knights are a collective of adventurous musicians dedicated to transforming the orchestral experience and eliminating barriers between audiences and music. Driven by an open-minded spirit of camaraderie and exploration\, they inspire listeners with vibrant programs rooted in the classical tradition and passion for artistic discovery. The Knights evolved from late-night chamber music reading parties with friends at the home of violinist Colin Jacobsen and cellist Eric Jacobsen. The Jacobsen brothers together serve as artistic directors of The Knights\, with Eric Jacobsen as conductor. \nProud to be known as “one of Brooklyn’s sterling cultural products… known far beyond the borough for their relaxed virtuosity and expansive repertory” (The New Yorker)\, the orchestra has toured extensively across the United States and Europe since their founding in 2007. The Knights are celebrated globally\, appearing across the world’s most prestigious stages\, including those at Tanglewood Music Center\, Ravinia Music Festival\, the Kennedy Center\, the Vienna Musikverein\, and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. The orchestra has collaborated with many renowned soloists including Yo-Yo Ma\, Dawn Upshaw\, Béla Fleck\, and Gil Shaham. \nThe centerpiece of The Knights’ 2022-23 season is an eleven-stop European tour with dynamic violinist Ray Chen\, October 25 to November 6. The Knights also perform with longtime presenter partners closer to home\, including the Clark Art Institute\, the Ravinia Festival\, Temple Emanu-El\, and more. Artistic collaborators in the 2022-23 season include 2022 GRAMMY-winning countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo and genre-shattering pianist/composer Aaron Diehl\, with whom The Knights will release an album of Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite in 2023. For the latest updates on our season and a complete list of artistic partners and collaborative projects\, please visit our website: https://theknightsnyc.com/. \n \n \n \n \n \n CHRIS THILE\n \nMacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award-winning mandolinist\, singer\, songwriter Chris Thile\, who the Guardian calls “that rare being: an all-round musician who can settle into any style\, from bluegrass to classical\,” and NPR calls a “genre-defying musical genius\,” is a founding member of the critically acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek. For four years\, Thile hosted public radio favorite Live from Here with Chris Thile (formerly known as A Prairie Home Companion). With his broad outlook\, Thile creates a distinctly American canon and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike\, giving the listener “one joyous arc\, with the linear melody and vertical harmony blurring into a single web of gossamer beauty” (New York Times).Most recently\, Chris recorded Laysongs\, out June 4\, 2021 on Nonesuch. The album is his first truly solo album: just Thile\, his voice\, and his mandolin\, on new recordings of six original songs and three covers\, all of which contextualize and banter with his ideas about spirituality. Recorded in a converted upstate New York church during the pandemic\, Laysongs‘ centerpiece is the three-part “Salt (in the Wounds) of the Earth\,” which was inspired by C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. The album also features a song Thile wrote about Dionysus; a performance of the fourth movement of Béla Bartók’s Sonata for Solo Violin; “God Is Alive\, Magic Is Afoot” based on Buffy Sainte-Marie’s adaptation of a Leonard Cohen poem; a cover of bluegrass legend Hazel Dickens’ “Won’t You Come and Sing for Me\,” and “Ecclesiastes 2:24\,” original instrumental loosely modeled after the Prelude from J.S. Bach’s Partita for Solo Violin in E Major. \n \n \n \n \n \n ERIC JACOBSEN\n \nJust 40 years old and already well-established as one of classical music’s most exciting and innovative young conductors\, Eric Jacobsen combines fresh interpretations of the traditional canon with cutting-edge collaborations across musical genres. Hailed by the New York Times as “an interpretive dynamo\,” Eric\, as both a conductor and a cellist\, has built a reputation for engaging audiences with innovative and collaborative programming. \nEric is artistic director and co-founder of The Knights\, the uniquely adventurous NYC-based chamber orchestra. The ensemble\, founded with his brother\, violinist Colin Jacobsen\, grew out of late-night music reading parties with friends\, good food and drink\, and conversation. As conductor\, Jacobsen has led the “consistently inventive\, infectiously engaged indie ensemble” (New York Times) at venues throughout New York City and surrounding areas\, at major summer festivals\, and on tour nationally and internationally. Under Jacobsen’s baton\, The Knights have developed an extensive recording collection\, which includes the critically acclaimed albums Azul\, with longtime collaborator Yo-Yo Ma\, as well as a recent featuring Gil Shaham in performances of the Beethoven and Brahms Violin Concertos. \nEric is also Music Director of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra\, continuing to pioneer both orchestra’s programming and community engagement in new and exciting directions. \nEric brings joy\, storytelling\, and a touch of humor to what he describes as “musical conversations” that delight audiences around the world\, including those who don’t traditionally attend classical music concerts. Jacobsen is married to Grammy-winning\, singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan and they have a five-year-old daughter\, Ivy Jo. \n \n \n \n \n \n COLIN JACOBSEN\n \nViolinist and composer Colin Jacobsen is “one of the most interesting figures on the classical music scene” (Washington Post). Since the early 2000’s\, Jacobsen has forged an intriguing path in the cultural landscape of our time\, collaborating with an astonishingly wide range of artists across diverse traditions and disciplines while constantly looking for new ways to connect with audiences. For his work as a founding member of two innovative and influential ensembles – the string quartet Brooklyn Rider and orchestra The Knights – Jacobsen was selected from among the nation’s top visual\, performing\, media\, and literary artists to receive a prestigious and substantial United States Artists Fellowship. He is also active as an Avery Fisher Career Grant-winning soloist and has toured with the Silkroad Ensemble since its founding by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 2000 at Tanglewood. \nAs a composer he has written pieces for an eclectic mix of artists including pianist Emanuel Ax\, singers Anne-Sofie Von Otter and Jamie Barton\, banjo player Bela Fleck\, mandolinist Avi Avital\, clarinetist Kinan Azmeh\, choreographers John Heginbotham and Brian Brooks\, theater group Compagnia de’ Colombari and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. Starting in the 2022/23 season\, Jacobsen assumes the position of Artistic Director of Santa Fe Pro Musica\, an organization with which he has had a fruitful long-term association as a guest soloist and leader. \n \n \n \n \n \n TAYLOR ACKLEY\, PRE-CONCERT LECTURER\n \nTaylor Ackley is first and foremost a folk musician. Born into a working class family with a remarkable heritage of traditional American music\, his work grows directly out of a rich musical expression cultivated across the generations of pickers\, singers\, song writers and fiddlers that populate his family tree. His academic training began at Adelphi University\, and he continued his studies at Stony Brook University\, where he earned a Master’s Degree and a PhD in Composition as well as a Master’s Degree in Ethnomusicology. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Music at Brandeis University. \nAs a composer\, Taylor’s music has had works commissioned and performed by a number of soloists including Leon Dorsey and Matthew Lau\, chamber ensembles including Ensemble Connect\, choirs\, jazz bands and filmmakers. His music has been featured in concerts and festivals throughout the United States and Europe including the Chamber Music Silicon Valley Festival\, the International Media Festival of Wales\, the Cannes Film Festival\, the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival and the Long Island Bluegrass Festival. \nA scholar\, composer and performer of American Roots music\, Taylor’s research works to understand and analyze American Folk and Roots music as art grounded in the experiences of poor and working-class people. He has presented papers at a number of conferences and panels including the International Bluegrass Music Association\, the inaugural String Band Summit and the Society for Ethnomusicology. He is also in demand as a guest lecturer at colleges and public institutions. His writing has been published by the MIT Press with upcoming works from Equinox Publishing and in thejournal Popular Music. \nHe is the founder and director of the Deep Roots Ensemble\, a group which merges classical chamber music instrumentation and techniques with traditional American music performance practice into a refined and cohesive style. They have recorded two albums of Taylor’s music\, Songs from the Bitterroot (2018) and Hard Tellin’ (2020) both through the 4Tay Records label. Taylor recently released an album of duets with bluegrass mandolin master Buddy Merriam titled 26 Strings (2022). \nHis pre-concert lecture titled “The Power of Eight Little Strings: A History of The Mandolin in the United States” will be given before Friday’s presentation at 7:15PM in Washburn Hall on the 2nd floor of Mechanics Hall.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The New York Times\n “…Chris Thile gives his listeners one joyous arc\, with the linear melody and vertical harmony blurring into a single web of gossamer beauty…” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n THE KNIGHTS WITH CHRIS THILE\nWatch more on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/chris-thile/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,contemporary,ensemble,orchestral ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/thile-knights-slide-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231022T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231022T180000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152509 CREATED:20230510T191436Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240320T203228Z UID:10000121-1697990400-1697997600@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Avi Avital & Hanzhi Wang DESCRIPTION:Adult: $65Student: $17.50Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n This presentation offers general admission seating on a first-come-first-served basis. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Annual Jean McDonough Concert\n Music Worcester proudly presents Avi Avital & Hanzhi Wang as the Annual Jean McDonough Concert for our 2023-2024 Season\, taking place at the BrickBox Theater in downtown Worcester’s Jean McDonough Arts Center. \nThe first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy\, Avi Avital has appeared several times at Carnegie Hall\, and recently with many of the major orchestras throughout North America. Passionate and explosively charismatic in live performance\, he is a driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin repertory. Praised for her captivating stage presence and performances that are technically and musically masterful\, the groundbreaking young musician Hanzhi Wang is the first accordionist to win a place on the roster of Young Concert Artists in its 58-year history. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PROGRAM\n Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962)Praeludium and Allegro “in the Style of Pugnani” \nIgor Stravinsky Suite Italienne from Pulcinella1. Introduzione (Allegro moderato)2. Serenata (Larghetto)3.
Tarantella (Vivace)4. Minuetto e Finale (Moderato – Molto vivace) \nJ.S. BachChaconne from Partita No. 2 BWV 1004 in D minor (mandolin solo) \nJ.S. BachFrom Goldberg Variations: Aria and variations 1\, 7\, 14\, 18 & 29 (accordion solo) \nBéla Bartók (1881-1945) Romanian Folk Dances Jocul cu Bâtă | Brâul | Pe Loc | Buciumeana | Poarga Românească | Mărunţel  \nPablo de Sarasate Spanish Dances op.22 no.1 Romanza Andaluza  \nManuel de Falla (1876–1946) Danse Espagnole No. 1 from “La Vida Breve”   \nCamille Saint-SaënsIntroduction and Rondo Capriccioso \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ABOUT THE ARTISTS\n Read more about each performing artist below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Avi Avital\, mandolin\n \n“Much as Andres Segovia brought the classical guitar into the concert hall\, the Israeli virtuoso Avi Avital is doing the same with the mandolin.” — Los Angeles Times \n“The words “superstar” and “mandolinist” still look odd next to each other. Yet in the classical world they are starting to be joined with some frequency…. Avi Avital was nothing short of electric.” — The New York Times \nA pioneering artist and the first mandolin soloist to be nominated for a classical Grammy\, Avi Avital has been compared to Andres Segovia for his championship of his instrument and to Jascha Heifitz for his incredible virtuosity. Passionate and “explosively charismatic” (New York Times) in live performance\, he is a driving force behind the reinvigoration of the mandolin repertory\, which he has expanded not only with transcriptions of various pieces\, but by commissioning over 100 works for the mandolin. \nHighlights of the 2023/24 season see performances with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and Krzysztof Urbański\, Vancouver Symphony and Tianyi Lu\, Camerata Salzburg and Anja Bihlmaier as well as concerts with the Kammerakademie Potsdam alongside tours with Il Giardino Armonico with Giovanni Antonini\, CHAARTS and the Venice Baroque Orchestra. Avi Avital will also be on tour with Hanzhi Wang (accordion) through North America and will play recitals with Anneleen Lenaerts (harp)\, Omer Klein (Jazz piano) and Brooklyn Rider. He is Artist-in-Residence at the Schwetzinger SWR Festspiele and will come back to DeSingel Antwerp\, Wigmore Hall London\, Philharmonie Berlin\, Rheingau Musik Festival and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival. \nIn 2023\, Avi Avital launched his new venture\, the “Between Worlds Ensemble” with a three-part residency at the Boulez Saal in Berlin and concerts in Bucharest\, Warsaw\, Hamburg\, Ludwigshafen and Antwerp. The ensemble was formed to explore different genres\, cultures and musical worlds focusing on different geographical regions and in its first year featured traditional\, classical and folk music from the Iberian Peninsula\, the Black Sea and South Italy. \nAvital’s recent engagements include the Chicago Symphony\, Los Angeles Philharmonic\, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony\, Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia\, Zurich Tonhalle\, Deutsche Symphonie Orchester Berlin\, Orchestre National de Lyon\, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino\, Israel Philharmonic and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. \nAvi Avital’s versatility has led to features as “Portrait Artist” at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival\, BOZAR in Brussels\, the Dortmund Konzerthaus (Zeitinsel) and as Artist-in-Residence at the Bodensee Festival and La Jolla Music Society California. He is a regular presence at major festivals such as Aspen\, Salzburg\, Hollywood Bowl\, Tanglewood\, Ravenna\, MISA Shanghai\, Cheltenham\, Verbier\, Lucerne\, Bad Kissingen\, Rheingau\, Gstaad and Tsinandali. \nAn exclusive Deutsche Grammophon artist\, his seventh album “Concertos”\, recorded with Il Giardino Armonico and Giovanni Antonini\, features mandolin concertos by Vivaldi\, Hummel\, Bach\, Barbella and Paisiello. His album “The Art of the Mandolin” (2020) received outstanding international press reviews. Previous recordings “Bach” (2019)\, “Avital meets Avital” (2017)\, “Vivaldi” (2015)\, an album of Avital’s own transcriptions of Bach concertos (2012) and “Between Worlds” (2014). \nBorn in Be’er Sheva in southern Israel\, Avital began learning the mandolin at the age of eight and later studied at the Jerusalem Music Academy and the Conservatorio Cesare Pollini in Padua with Ugo Orlandi. \nHe plays a mandolin made by Israeli luthier Arik Kerman. \nLearn more on Avi’s website at www.aviavital.com \n \n \n \n \n \n Hanzhi Wang\, accordion\n \nIn 2017\, Hanzhi Wang became the very first accordionist to win First Prize at the YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions\, she has debuted in New York in The Peter Marino Concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall and her Washington\, DC debut opened the 40th Anniversary Young Concert Artists Series at the Kennedy Center\, co-presented with Washington Performing Arts. She holds the Ruth Laredo Prize and Mortimer Levitt Career Development Award for Women Artists of YCA. She has been named Musical America’s “New Artist of the Month” and featured on WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase. Her solo accordion CD\, “On the Path to H.C. Andersen” was Naxos’ first-ever solo accordion album and received critical acclaim including a nomination for the DR P2 Prize. \nHanzhi has performed at renowned venues and series\, including UC Santa Barbara’s Lively Arts\, the Candlelight Concert Society\, La Jolla Music Society\, The Morgan Library and the Artist Series in Sarasota. She has appeared as a soloist with the Oregon Music Festival\, Victoria Symphony\, Cantori\, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle\, Sinfonia Gulf Coast\, Iris Orchestra\, Reno Chamber Orchestra\, Erie Philharmonic and the Hawaii Symphony. Upcoming and recent highlights include her Tanglewood debut\, and a coast-to-coast tour with Avi Avital that includes a performance presented by the New York Philharmonic. \nHanzhi is committed to nurturing future accordionists through lectures\, masterclasses and new works that have been written for her by composers such as Martin Lohse\, James Black\, and Sophia Gubaidulina. She will debut a piece by YCA Alum Katie Balch at Wigmore Hall and premiere a new accordion concerto written for her by current YCA composer-in- Residence\, Nina Shekhar in January 2025. \nHanzhi earned her Bachelor’s degree at the China Central Conservatory of Music and completed her Master’s degree and Soloist Diploma at the Royal Danish Academy of Music under accordion professor Geir Draugsvoll. \nLearn more on Hanzhi’s website at www.hanzhiwang.org \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Los Angeles Times\n “MUCH AS ANDRES SEGOVIA BROUGHT THE CLASSICAL GUITAR INTO THE CONCERT HALL\, THE ISRAELI VIRTUOSO AVI AVITAL IS DOING THE SAME WITH THE MANDOLIN.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Avi Avital\nWatch Avi Avital’s videos on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/avital-wang/ LOCATION:JMAC\, 20 Franklin St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01608 CATEGORIES:bach,classical ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/aahw-new-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231015T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231015T180000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152509 CREATED:20230510T191351Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T162435Z UID:10000134-1697385600-1697392800@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Gavilán Brothers | Los Hermanos Film DESCRIPTION:Adult: $55Student: $17.50Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n General admission seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis. \n \n \n \n \n \n Robert R. Jay Performing Arts Center St. John’s High School378 Main St\, Shrewsbury\, MA 01545 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following sponsors of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n GAVILÁN BROTHERS: Aldo & Ilmar\n Ilmar and Aldo López-Gavilán are virtuoso Afro-Cuban musician brothers\, born in Havana in the 70s. At 14\, Ilmar outgrew his island teachers and was sent to the U.S.S.R. to study violin. He never lived in Cuba again\, ultimately establishing himself as a sought-after violinist and teacher in the U.S. \nYounger brother Aldo grew up mentored by Cuba’s impressive jazz and classical pianists\, his extraordinary talent achieving renown on the island\, but stymied elsewhere by the long-standing U.S. embargo. \nThough they see each other when family finances and visa restrictions allow\, they are still rarely able to collaborate musically on the same stage—something they are always seeking. \nTracking their parallel lives\, poignant reunion\, and momentous first performances together on stages across the U.S.\, LOS HERMANOS / THE BROTHERS is a nuanced\, intensely moving view of nations long estranged\, through the lens of music and family. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Los Hermanos (film screening – scroll down for preview clip at bottom of page) \nViolin and piano recital to follow \nRead more about each brother below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ALDO LÓPEZ-GAVILÁN\n \nPraised for his “dazzling technique and rhythmic fire” in the Seattle Times\, and dubbed a “formidable virtuoso” by The Times of London\, Cuban pianist and composer Aldo López-Gavilán excels in both the classical and jazz worlds as a recitalist\, concerto soloist\, chamber-music collaborator\, and performer of his own electrifying jazz compositions. He has appeared in such prestigious concert halls as the Amadeo Roldán (Cuba)\, Teresa Careño (Venezuela)\, Bellas Artes (Mexico)\, Royal Festival Hall (U.K.)\, Nybrokajen 11 (Sweden)\, The Hall of Music (Russia)\, and Duc de Lombard et Petit Journal Montparnasse (France)\, as well as venues in Canada\, Santo Domingo\, Colombia\, Spain\, Greece\, Hong Kong\, Burkina Faso\, Germany\, and Austria. \nAldo began his formal piano studies at the age of seven and made his professional debut in Cuba at the age of 12. He studied at the London Conservatory and returned to Cuba to compose\, perform\, and teach. Parallel to his classical abilities\, Aldo developed remarkable improvisational skills and a prodigious talent as a composer. He was invited to perform in the world-famous Havana Jazz Festival with the legendary Chucho Valdés\, who called him “simply a genius\, a star.” \nDuring the past decade\, López-Gavilán’s collaborators have included some of the greatest artists in the classical\, popular music\, and jazz fields. The late Claudio Abbado\, one of the world’s most celebrated and respected conductors\, invited him to perform with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela in 2006\, in a special concert dedicated to the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth. Maestro Abbado subsequently invited him to perform Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 1 in Caracas and Havana. In 2009 López-Gavilán was invited by Carlos Varela to join his band for a tour of Argentina\, Chile\, and Uruguay; his acoustic arrangements of the music won many accolades from critics and fans. In 2010 he joined the São Paulo Jazz Symphonic Orchestra to perform his music in a concert that was recorded and broadcast on national television in Brazil. His first album won the Grand Prix at Cubadisco. He has recorded recorded seven albums since\, and scored LOS HERMANOS/THE BROTHERS. \n \n \n \n \n \n ILMAR GAVILÁN\n \nRecognized as a child prodigy in Cuba\, Ilmar Gavilán has had a distinguished career playing for world leaders from the Obamas to Queen Sofía of Spain. Based in N.Y. for 20 years\, he won first place in the Sphinx Competition as a young adult\, and helped form the Harlem Quartet to mentor young classical musicians of color. Along the way\, Ilmar also developed improvisational skills and has performed and released albums with Paquito D’Rivera\, Eddie Palmieri and Gary Burton\, and Chick Corea\, with whom the Harlem Quartet won a Grammy. He continues to tour and teach with the HarlemQuartet\, who are currently in residence at London’s Royal College of Music. \nMr. Gavilán has performed with Itzhak Perlman\, Arnold Steinhardt\, Ida Kavafian\, Carter Brey\, Paul Katz\, Fred Sherry\, Anthony McGill and Misha Dicter. As a soloist\, Mr. Gavilán played concertos with the Atlanta\, New Jersey\, Baltimore\, Detroit\, Milwaukee\, St. Louis\, Hartford\, Nashville\, Ann Arbor\, Santa Monica\, Phoenix\, Denver\, Louisiana\, Anchorage\, Santa Fe\, Havana\, Mexico City\, and Venezuela Symphonies and recitals in England\, Russia\, Spain and Portugal. He has performed at numerous chamber music festivals including Tanglewood\, Ravinia\, and Angel Fire. \nJazz and Afro-Cuban music are also key to Mr. Gavilán’s musical life. In addition to Jazz legends Chick Corea and Gary Burton\, Mr. Gavilán has also performed and released albums with Paquito D’Rivera\, Eddie Palmieri and Dafnis Prieto. Other Jazz collaborations include performing with Stanley Clark\, Lee Konitz\, Henry Threadgill and Doc Severinsen. Mr. Gavilán has been presented in iconic Jazz venues such as The Blue Note in New York as well as International Montreal Jazz\, Detroit Jazz\, Panama Jazz and Saalfelden Jazz Festivals. \nAs a recording artist\, Mr. Gavilán has numerous recordings with the Harlem quartet. His U.S. Solo recording debut “Aires y Leyendas” and a solo album “Por el Mar” solely comprised of music composed by his father Guido López-Gavilán\, are available on Amazon and iTunes. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The New York Times\n ELECTRIFYING. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n LOS HERMANOS\nWatch more on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/gavilan/ LOCATION:Robert R. Jay Performing Arts Center at St. John’s High School\, 378 Main St\, Shrewsbury\, 01545\, United States CATEGORIES:classical,contemporary,ensemble,piano ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-slide-web-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230923T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230923T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152510 CREATED:20230510T191305Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T164956Z UID:10000132-1695499200-1695506400@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Darshan Trio: See Yourself DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39-$55 Student: $17.50 Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Tuckerman Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following sponsors of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Darshan Trio: See Yourself\n Darshan: “sight\, vision: a beholding of a sacred object\, and the sacred within. Another way of seeing and being seen.”\nDarshan Trio will present a new mosaic program at historic Tuckerman Hall in collaboration with dancer Yamini Kalluri as Music Worcester’s Opening Night of the 2023-2024 Season. \nIn addition to Vijay Gupta\, violinist and Music Worcester’s 2023 Artist-In-Residence\, Darshan Trio features cellist Yoshika Masuda and pianist Dominic Cheli. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PROGRAM\n \nESMAILSaans (Breath) (2017) \nMENDELSSOHNPiano Trio No. 1 Opus 49 – I. Molto Allegro Agitato \nBEETHOVEN Piano Trio Opus 97 “Archduke” – III. Andante cantabile\, ma però con moto \nVASKSEpisodi e Canto Perpetuo (1985) – VI. Burlesca II \nR. SCHUMANNSelections from Kinderszenen \nBRAHMSPiano Trio No. 1 Opus 8 \nC. SCHUMANNPiano Trio in G minor\, Opus 17\, III – Andante – più animato \n\n\nRead more about each performer below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\, violin\n \nVijay Gupta is a violinist\, speaker and citizen-artist dedicated to creating spaces of wholeness through music. Vijay’s work embodies his belief that the work of artists and citizens is one: to make a sadhana – a daily practice – of the world we envision. Hailed by The New Yorker as a “visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music\,” Vijay leads a protean career as a thought leader\, performer\, collaborator and communicator.  \nVijay is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony\, a community of musicians creating spaces of connection for people in reentry from homelessness\, addiction and incarceration in Los Angeles. Vijay is also a co-founder of the Skid Row Arts Alliance\, a consortium dedicated to creating art for – and with – the largest homeless community in America. For his work in “bringing beauty\, respite\, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society”\, Vijay was the recipient of a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship.  \nA riveting speaker\, Vijay has shared his work with dozens of corporations\, campuses\, conferences and communities across America over the past 10 years\, including The Richmond Forum\, The Aspen Institute\, Hallmark\, Accenture\, Mayo Clinic\, US Psychiatric Congress\, American Planning Association\, and the League of American Orchestras\, just to name a few. Vijay delivered the 33rd annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy for Americans for the Arts and his 2010 TED Talk\, “Music is Medicine\, Music is Sanity”\, has garnered millions of views.  \nVijay has performed as an international recitalist\, soloist\, chamber musician\, and orchestral musician for over 20 years\, playing his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. Vijay was a member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years\, and has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet\, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London\, Yo-Yo Ma\, and appears regularly with the Strings Festival in Steamboat Springs\, Colorado.  \nA dynamic recording artist\, Vijay recently released Breathe\, an album of the piano chamber music of Reena Esmail\, under his own label. His solo violin album When the Violin\, a solo violin album featuring the music of Esmail\, J. S. Bach\, and Esa-Pekka Salonen will be available on Bandcamp in June 2021. Vijay currently serves as the Senior Artistic and Programs Advisor for Young Musicians Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Marist College\, and a Master’s in Music from the Yale School of Music. His principal teachers have included Ani Kavafian and Glenn Dicterow. Vijay plays a 2010 violin made by Los Angeles-based luthier Eric Benning\, and can be found on Instagram @guptaviolin. \n \n \n \n \n \n Dominic Cheli\, piano\n \n“You can tell that his interests extend not just to playing the piano\, but to being an artist citizen.” (Ohio News)  \nDominic Cheli embraces the role of an artist-citizen in his multifaceted career as performer\, educator\, composer\, and director. He is described as an “inspired keyboardist” (artsfuse) whose playing is “spontaneous yet perfect\, the best of how a young person can play.” (Symphony Magazine). His rapidly advancing career included his Walt Disney Concert Hall Debut with the Colburn Orchestra where Dominic was “mesmerizing\, (he) transfixed the audience.” (LA Times). He gave his Carnegie Hall Recital Debut in 2019 and has had a busy performing and recording career ever since. He recorded his 2nd CD on the Naxos label of the music of Liszt/Schubert\, and was a performer/producer/editor on a 3rd CD of the music of Erwin Schulhoff for the Delos Label featuring his collaboration on Piano Concerto no.2 with Maestro James Conlon. He also recently completed work as a composer\, audio editor and performer on the documentary Defying Gravity (2021).  \nA native of St. Louis\, Dominic has performed with orchestras all across the country and abroad including the San Diego Symphony\, Sarasota Orchestra\, Indianapolis Symphony\, Columbus Symphony\, Princeton Symphony\, Colburn Orchestra\, Virginia Symphony\, Adrian Symphony\, and the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie (Germany). He has worked with conductors such as James Conlon\, Gerard Schwarz\, Valery Gergiev and many others. Dominic debuted at several major festivals across the United States including the Ravinia Festival\, Mostly Mozart Festival\, and the Virginia Arts Festival. Upcoming engagements include appearances with the Seattle Symphony\, a debut at Alice Tully Hall\, and his 4th appearance at Carnegie Hall.  \nAs a recording artist\, Cheli’s albums have been met with acclaim. Musicweb-international hailed Cheli’s 1st album\, featuring the music of Muzio Clementi\, as “definitive performances” and his 2021 album\, Liszt: Schubert transcriptions\, as “utterly brilliant”. Also in 2017\, Dominic was named 1st prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition in New York City.  \nWith a fascination and appreciation for the benefits of technology especially in our new virtual age\, Dominic was appointed LIVE Director of Tonebase Piano in 2021. As a result\, he is the host and presenter of numerous virtual lectures\, performances and workshops each month to the 5\,000+ subscribers on the platform. His mission is to share personal knowledge and invite guests to democratize high-level music education\, allowing everyone to learn from and be inspired by the best!  \nCommitted to engaging with his surrounding community\, Dominic regularly performs and brings curated programs/educational residencies to schools and retirement homes. He has performed as an artist for Project: Music Heals Us\, a non-profit organization that presents interactive classical music performances to diverse audiences in order to provide encouragement\, education\, and healing with a focus on elderly\, disabled\, rehabilitating\, incarcerated\, and homeless populations. He also performs with Street Symphony\, an organization centered in practices of relationship\, renewal\, re-entry\, and recovery\, presenting musical programs in Skid Row built on sustained relationships and partnerships with Skid Row organizations and community individuals. \nDominic has received degrees from the Manhattan School of Music\, Yale University\, and the Colburn School studying with Zena Ilyashov\, Andre-Michel Schub\, Peter Frankl\, and Fabio Bidini.  \nMr. Cheli is a Yamaha Artist and recently appointed faculty member of the Colburn Community Music School. \nIn his spare time\, Dominic enjoys cooking and training for Ironman triathlons. \n \n \n \n \n \n Yoshika Masuda\, cello\n \nDescribed by the press as “a remarkable ‘cellist who possesses both intellect and innate musicality… one of the finest cellists of his generation” (Chopin magazine Japan)\, Japanese ‘cellist YOSHIKA MASUDA has performed throughout Australia\, Japan\, China\, Mexico\, the USA\, the UK and much of western Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. He is the winner of national competitions in Australia\, Japan and the US\, and was also awarded the prestigious YAMAHA Music Foundation of Europe String Award. \nChamber music forms the core of Yoshika’s musical endeavours\, and he has performed alongside Peter Frankl\, Bruno Giuranna\, Gil Kalish\, Alissa Margulis\, Roger Tapping\, Don Weilerstein and Qian Zhou. He is the co-founder of the SAKURA cello quintet and resident cellist for Salastina LA\, and was also the former cellist of the award-winning Rolston Quartet with whom he toured Canada and Europe. Yoshika has performed at the festivals of Aldeburgh and Leicester in the UK\, Festival Amfiteatrof in Italy\, Kirishima Music Festival in Japan\, and the Yellow Barn Music Festival and Piatigorsky International Cello Festival in the USA. His performances were broadcast widely on ABC Classic FM (Australia)\, BBC Radio 3 (UK)\, Musiq’3 (Belgium)\, Klassik Radio (Germany)\, KUSC (USA) and Concertzender Radio (The Netherlands). \nA keen advocate of contemporary music\, Yoshika has given the US & world premieres of works by Reena Esmail\, Toshio Hosokawa\, Derrick Skye\, Bent Sørensen\, Nick Strimple and Jörg Widmann. \nHis interests outside of the classical genre have led him to perform with artists such as Ben Folds at the Sydney Opera House and Pink Martini at the Hollywood Bowl. Yoshika is also featured on Leonard Cohen’s last album ‘You Want It Darker’\, which was released in October 2016 on Columbia Records. \nBorn in Kobe\, Japan\, Yoshika first started playing the cello at the age of five but moved to Australia as a young child where he began his studies with Georg Pedersen at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He then studied extensively with Hannah Roberts and Ralph Kirshbaum\, whilst also receiving close musical guidance from Thomas Demenga and David Geringas. Yoshika graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK with distinction and received the Principal’s Prize along with the Leonard Rose Cello Award for outstanding achievement. He gained his D.M.A. from the USC Thornton School of Music. \nYoshika is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of young cellists – his students have had successes in both local and national competitions\, as well as being admitted to prestigious institutions such as Juilliard\, NEC\, and USC. Having previously taught at California Lutheran University\, Yoshika will be the new Assistant Professor of Cello and Director of String Studies at Chapman University Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music. He has also served on the summer faculty of the Montecito International Music Festival and the Yellow Barn Young Artist Program. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The New Yorker\n “…a visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music…” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\nWatch more Vijay Gupta videos on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/darshan-trio/ LOCATION:Tuckerman Hall\, 10 Tuckerman Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01609 CATEGORIES:classical,contemporary,ensemble ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-darshan-web-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230722T200000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230722T213000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152510 CREATED:20230316T150715Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230707T124543Z UID:10000119-1690056000-1690061400@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:John Pizzarelli DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39+ Student: $17.50 Youth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may choose between general admission floor seating at tables or assigned balcony seating.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n John Pizzarelli\n Guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has been hailed by the Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz.” Established as one of the prime contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook\, Pizzarelli has expanded that repertoire by including the music of Paul McCartney\, Joni Mitchell\, Neil Young\, Tom Waits\, Antônio Carlos Jobim and the Beatles. \nIn addition to being a bandleader and solo performer\, Pizzarelli has been a special guest on recordings for major pop names such as Natalie Cole\, Kristin Chenoweth\, Tom Wopat\, Rickie Lee Jones and Dave Van Ronk\, as well as leading jazz artists such as Rosemary Clooney\, Ruby Braff\, Johnny Frigo\, Buddy DeFranco\, Harry Allen and\, of course\, his father Bucky Pizzarelli. He won a Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category as co-producer of James Taylor’s American Standard in 2021. \nA radio personality who got his start in the medium in 1984\, Pizzarelli is co-host\, alongside wife Jessica Molaskey\, of Radio Deluxe with John Pizzarelli. He has performed on America’s most popular national television shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\, Conan\, and Great Performances\, as well as the talk shows of Jay Leno\, David Letterman\, Regis Philbin and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. \nBuyers may choose between general admission table seating on the floor or assigned seating in the balcony sections for this Mechanics Hall presentation. \nThis presentation will feature bassist Mike Karn and pianist Isaiah J. Thompson. Read more about each musician below: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Isaiah J. Thompson\, piano\n \nIsaiah J. Thompson is the winner of the 2023 American Pianists Awards and the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz of the American Pianists Association. Originally from West Orange\, New Jersey\, the pianist\, bandleader and composer began studying at The Calderone School of Music from an early age. Soon after\, Isaiah continued his studies with Jazz House Kids and NJPAC Jazz For Teens and was later admitted to The Juilliard School graduating with both his Bachelor’s in 2019 and Master’s of Music degrees in 2020. \nIsaiah has performed with major artists\, including Ron Carter\, John Pizzarelli\, Christian McBride\, Cécile McLorin Salvant\, Steve Turre and Buster Williams. His recording debut was featured on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records’ Handful of Keys album with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis\, and he has since released multiple recordings as a leader. \nHe worked on the Golden Globe nominated soundtrack for Motherless Brooklyn\, was named a Steinway Artist and has been awarded other accolades including\, the 2018 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award\, and second place in the 2018 Thelonious Monk Competition. As a performer\, Isaiah tries to emit love\, spirit and respect and convey his personal experiences through his artistry and his everlasting love of jazz. \n \n \n \n \n \n Mike Karn\, bass\n \nGrowing up in Rochester NY\, Mike Karn became obsessed with the tenor saxophone and in 1984 entered New York University’s jazz program to study with modern tenor great\, Joe Lovano. In 1988 Michael entered the New York scene\, and for more than 20 years worked with artists such as Ray Charles\, Harry Connick Jr.\, Charles Earland\, and Toshiko Akiyoshi while recording two albums as a leader on the Criss Cross Jazz label. \nIn 2007 Mike began to seriously pursue the bass and within a couple of years was working with some of New York’s best musicians\, including tenor great Lew Tabakin and with jazz vocal legend Jon Hendricks in a concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall. In 2010 Mike began playing with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (VJO) and quickly established himself as the band’s first call sub. In addition to numerous Monday nights at the Village Vanguard\, Mike has traveled with the VJO throughout the U.S.\, Canada\, Europe and Japan. In February 2012 Mike performed with NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Heath’s big band\, as part of a concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. Since then Michael has played with Jimmy and his equally legendary brother\, and fellow Jazz Master Albert “Tootie” Heath on numerous occasions including multiple engagements at the Blue Note\, the Village Vanguard\, and the 2013 Chicago Jazz Festival. In 2015 Mike had the opportunity to travel to Japan with yet another jazz legend\, vocalist/pianist Freddy Cole\, performing for a week at Tokyo’s Cotton Club. In 2018 Mike returned to Asia with Freddy\, playing again at the Cotton Club as well as the Blue Note in Beijing. In 2015 Mike joined the band of guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli and since then has appeared with him throughout the the U.S. and Canada\, as well as tours of Japan\, Brazil and multiple trips to Europe. He is also featured on Pizzarelli’s two most recent cds\, Sinatra and Jobim @ 50\, and the 2019 release For Centennial Reasons. With John and his wife\, singer Jessica Molaskey\, Mike has participated in several broadcasts on Pizzarelli and Molaskey’s syndicated radio show\, Radio Deluxe\, and he also appears on Molaskey’s Joni Mitchell themed CD\, Portraits of Joni. \nMike is a member of Reunion 7tet\, a jazz collective of musicians who have been good friends and musical colleagues for more than 20 years. The collective includes\, Joe Magnarelli\, Jerry Weldon\, Dave Schumacher\, Rob Bargad\, Mike Karn\, Daniel Sadownick\, and Jason Brown. Their debut CD\, A Field of You features original compositions by members of the band\, including Mike’s tune\, Lori. \nIn addition to these great artists Mike has performed/recorded with George Coleman\, Frank Wess\, Bob Wilber\, George Coleman\, Joe Lovano\, Bennie Wallace\, Walt Weiskopf\, Harry Allen\, Grant Stewart\, Eric Alexander\, Ken Peplowski\, Terrell Stafford\, Harold Mabern\, Barry Harris\, Johnny O’Neal\, Mike LeDonne\, Larry Goldings\, Helio Alves\, Alan Broadbent\, Bucky Pizzarelli\, Gene Bertoncini\, Peter Bernstein\, Jimmy Cobb\, Al Foster\, Victor Lewis\, Lewis Nash and Duduka Da Fonseca. \nFinally\, Mike is also active as a jazz educator. He has been a member of the jazz faculty at New School University for more than 20 years\, and his former pupils include Marcus Strickland\, John Ellis\, Keith Loftis\, Casey Benjamin and Dmitry Baevsky. He has also taught at New York University\, S.U.N.Y. Purchase\, and taught master classes at Emory University and the Big Apple in Nonoichi Festival in Kanazawa\, Japan. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Boston Globe\n “…he has reinvigorated the Great American Songbook and re-popularized jazz…“ \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON Youtube\n \n \n \n \n \n John Pizzarelli\nEnjoy Pizzarelli’s full collection of live performance videos and more on his YouTube channel:\n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/john-pizzarelli/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:contemporary,jazz ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/pizz-slide-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230721T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230721T213000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152510 CREATED:20230620T170351Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230720T122505Z UID:10000140-1689969600-1689975000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Cécile McLorin Salvant DESCRIPTION:Adult: $75\nStudent: $17.50\nYouth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n General admission seating is available on a first-come-first-served basis at the BrickBox Theater at the JMAC. \n“GA OBSTRUCTED VIEW” seating is limited to seats set up on the floor facing the stage from the side. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Cécile McLorin Salvant\n Cécile McLorin Salvant is a composer\, singer\, and visual artist. The late Jessye Norman described Salvant as “a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality\, which light up every note she sings”. \nSalvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections between vaudeville\, blues\, theater\, jazz\, baroque and folkloric music. Salvant is an eclectic curator\, unearthing rarely recorded\, forgotten songs with strong narratives\, interesting power dynamics\, unexpected twists\, and humor. \nSalvant won the Thelonious Monk competition in 2010. She has received three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album for “The Window”\, “Dreams and Daggers”\, and “For One To Love”\, and was nominated for the award in 2014 for her album “WomanChild”. In 2020\, Salvant received the MacArthur fellowship and the Doris Duke Artist Award. Nonesuch Records released “Ghost Song” in March 2022\, and has since gone onto receive two Grammy Nominations as well as appearing on a number of year end best lists for 2022. On March 24th\, 2023 Nonesuch Records released the highly anticipated follow up – “Mélusine”\, an album mostly sung in French\, along with Occitan\, English\, and Haitian Kreyòl. Born and raised in Miami\, Florida\, of a French mother and Haitian father\, she started classical piano studies at 5\, sang in a children’s choir at 8\, and started classical voice lessons as a teenager. \nSalvant received a bachelor’s in French law from the Université Pierre-Mendes France in Grenoble while also studying baroque music and jazz at the Darius Milhaud Music Conservatory in Aix-en-Provence\, France. \nSalvant’s latest work\, Ogresse\, is a musical fable in the form of a cantata that blends genres (folk\, baroque\, jazz\, country). Salvant wrote the story\, lyrics\, and music. It is arranged by Darcy James Argue for a thirteen-piece orchestra of multi-instrumentalists. Ogresse\, both a biomythography and an homage to the Erzulie (as painted by Gerard Fortune) and Sara Baartman\, explores fetishism\, hunger\, diaspora\, cycles of appropriation\, lies\, othering\, and ecology. It is in development to become an animated feature-length film\, which Salvant will direct. Salvant makes large-scale textile drawings. Her visual art can now be found at Picture Room in Brooklyn\, NY. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n JESSYE NORMAN\n “… a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality\, which light up every note she sings.” \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON Youtube\n \n \n \n \n \n Cécile McLorin Salvant\nEnjoy Salvant’s full collection of live performance videos and more on YouTube:\n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/cecile-mclorin-salvant/ LOCATION:JMAC\, 20 Franklin St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01608 CATEGORIES:contemporary,jazz ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/cms-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230609T200000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230609T213000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152510 CREATED:20230316T150628Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230605T155141Z UID:10000117-1686340800-1686346200@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Sam Bush DESCRIPTION:Adult: $28-48Student & Youth: $25\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may choose their own assigned seats at The Hanover Theatre. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sam Bush\n \n\n\n\n\nThere is only one consensus pick of peers and predecessors\, of the traditionalists\, the rebels\, and the next gen devotees\, for bluegrass music’s ultimate inside outsider (or is it outside insider?). There is only one Sam Bush. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe mandolin/fiddle/guitar-playing icon has taken the genre to new heights over a 50+ year career having worked with such legends as Leon Russell\, Emmylou Harris\, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones and Lyle Lovett. In 2009\, the Americana Music Association awarded Bush the Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist. Punch Brothers\, Steep Canyon Rangers and Greensky Bluegrass are just a few present-day bluegrass vanguards among so many musicians he’s influenced. His performances are annual highlights of the festival circuit\, with Bush’s joyous perennial appearances at the town’s famed bluegrass fest earning him the title\, “King of Telluride.” \nSam Bush’s Music Worcester performance at The Hanover Theatre on Friday\, June 9 will feature the bluegrass icon in live concert with his band. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/sam-bush/ LOCATION:The Hanover Theatre\, 2 Southbridge Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:contemporary ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/sam-bush-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230519T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230519T210000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152510 CREATED:20230316T150556Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230317T124808Z UID:10000120-1684524600-1684530000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Songs\, She Wrote: Music by Women\, Sung by Women DESCRIPTION:Free Admission\, RSVP required\n \n \n \n CLICK TO RSVP\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may claim general admission seating on a first-come-first-served basis. \n \n \n \n \n \n TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH\n \n \n \n \n \n 72 Lancaster St\, Worcester\, MA\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Worcester Chorus Women's Ensemble\n Directed by Worcester Chorus Associate Director Mark Mummert\, The Worcester Chorus Women’s Ensemble performs several times annually as part of Music Worcester’s season of events and features members of The Worcester Chorus.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Songs for Women’s VoicesMusic by Gwyneth WalkerPoems by May Swenson \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n About The Director\n \nMark Mummert (b. 1965) is Cantor at Trinity Lutheran Church (ELCA)\, Worcester\, MA where he leads the music in all worship services\, conducts the Trinity Choir\, Trinity Choristers\, Trinity Junior Choristers\, and is artistic director of the Music at Trinity fine arts series. \nMark is also the Assistant Director / Accompanist for The Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester\, Inc.\, Dr. Chris Shepard\, Artistic Director. \nPrior to moving to Worcester\, Mark was the 2015 Distinguished Visiting Cantor at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. Mark served as the Director of Worship at Houston’s Christ the King Lutheran Church (2008-2015) and as Seminary Musician at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (1990-2008). \nMark is also a tenor chorister with CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists)\, a professional choral ensemble based in Hartford\, CT. \nMark is a composer of portions of the first musical setting of Holy Communion in Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006)\, the commended worship book of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is the editor of Psalm Settings for the Church Year (2008\, Augsburg Fortress) and Music Sourcebook for Lent and Three Days (2010\, Augsburg Fortress). His numerous compositions for Christian worship are available from Augsburg Fortress. \nMark’s recording Reformation Chorales Reformed (2017) includes organ works by J. S. Bach\, Mendelssohn\, Distler\, and Clarke. The album is available for download and for streaming on iTunes\, Spotify\, Amazon\, and Youtube. Numerous recordings are available at Mark’s soundcloud site. \nMark was principal musician for the 2005 National Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada\, the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly and Worship Jubilee\, and visiting scholar for Emory University’s Candler School of Theology’s “The Singing Church” Project in 2012. \nAs a singer\, Mark has performed professionally with The Worcester Chorus\, Choral Arts Philadelphia\, the Bach Society Houston\, and the Houston Chamber Choir. Mark’s voice can be heard on the Grammy nominated recordings\, soft blink of amber light and Rothko Chapel. \nMark studied organ with Earl Ness and John Binsfeld and voice with Robert Grooters at Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music. He is currently pursuing vocal studies with Jane Shivick. \nMark maintains an active private studio of voice\, piano\, and organ students. For information on studying with Mark\, contact him at TakeLessons. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/songs-she-wrote/ LOCATION:Trinity Lutheran Church\, 73 Lancaster St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01609 CATEGORIES:choral,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/wcwe-new-1-copy.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230510T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230510T200000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152510 CREATED:20230118T162102Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240320T205615Z UID:10000116-1683745200-1683748800@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Vijay Gupta\, violinist in recital DESCRIPTION:Adult: $35 • Student & Youth: $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may claim general admission seating on a first-come-first-served basis. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 321 Main St\, Worcester\, MA \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n When The Violin\n \n“When the Violin\, the title of a poem by the Sufi mystic Hafiz on the power of forgiveness and new identities\, will present works by JS Bach and Reena Esmail in collaboration with dance artist and choreographer Yamini Kalluri. Opening with Bach’s 2nd Partita in D minor with its concluding “Ciacona” – considered an Everest for violinists – the program will present a new choreography of the preceding baroque dance movements of Bach’s Partita. Kalluri is trained as a classical Indian dancer as well as in the Martha Graham school of avant-garde ballet. \n\n\n\nFollowing the D minor Partita comes Esmail’s When The Violin\, originally written for choir and cello\, and a companion work to the 16th century Spanish composer Victoria’s O Vos Omnes. Esmail writes: “The text of O Vos Omnes is asking\, simply\, to be seen in a moment of sorrow — to be beheld through suffering and darkness. And Hafiz’s text responds in such a beautiful way — it moves through that darkness and begins to let those very first slivers of light in.” \n\n\nConcluding the program is Bach’s equally monumental 3rd Sonata in C major\, which is believed to have been written for the occasion of Pentecost. The Sonata’s 2nd movement\, a revolutionary 3- part fugue written for a four-stringed violin\, sets a Lutheran hymn “Komm\, Heiliger Geist” (Come\, Holy Spirit)\, and famously reverses the hymn subject in a feat of contrapuntal mastery.” \n–Vijay Gupta\, Music Worcester Artist-In-Residence 2023\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n \nWhen The Violin — Reena Esmail \n\n\nPartia II from Sei Solo — Johann Sebastian Bach BWV 1004\n– Allemande\n– Courante\n– Sarabande\n– Giga\n\n– Ciaconna \n\n\nSonata III from Sei Solo — Johann Sebastian Bach BWV 1005\n– Adagio\n– Fuga\n– Largo\n– Allegro Assai\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n About The Artists\n Read more about Vijay Gupta & Yamini Kalluri below:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\n Vijay Gupta is a violinist\, speaker and citizen-artist dedicated to creating spaces of wholeness and transformation through music. Hailed by The New Yorker as a “visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music\,” Vijay leads a protean career as a thought leader\, performer\, collaborator and communicator.  \nVijay is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony\, which provides thousands of musical experiences for people in reentry from homelessness\, addiction and incarceration in Los Angeles. A community of professional and community artists from a wide variety of genres\, Street Symphony has presented thousands of musical workshops\, performances and lessons in Los Angeles shelters\, clinics\, county jails and prisons\, creating art for – and with – the largest homeless community in America. For his work in “bringing beauty\, respite\, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society”\, Vijay was the recipient of a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship.  \nVijay is the 2023 Artist in Residence of the Massachusetts-based organization Music Worcester\, where he curates\, collaborates\, and performs in venues such as Mechanics Hall\, as well as in educational and incarceration settings. Vijay’s residency will present novel collaborations aimed to redefine the concert experience\, ranging from programs with cimbalom artist Chester Englander\, the works of JS Bach choreographed with Indian classical dancer Yamini Kalluri\, a piano trio ‘mosaic program’ with Darshan Trio\, and collaborations with the Worcester Choir.   \nVijay has performed as an international recitalist\, soloist\, chamber musician\, and orchestral musician for over 20 years\, playing his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. Vijay served as a member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years\, and has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet\, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London\, Yo-Yo Ma\, Rachel Podger\, and appears regularly with the Strings Festival in Steamboat Springs\, Colorado. In Los Angeles\, Vijay is a founding member of Darshan Trio\, and also appears regularly on baroque violin as a member of LA-based early music ensemble Tesserae. A dynamic recording artist\, Vijay’s critically acclaimed discography includes an array of chamber music and solo works. His solo violin albums When the Violin and Transcendent Night are available under his own label\, Vidya Projects.  \nA riveting speaker\, Vijay has shared his work with dozens of corporations\, campuses\, conferences and communities across America over the past 10 years\, including The Richmond Forum\, The Aspen Institute\, Hallmark\, Accenture\, Mayo Clinic\, US Psychiatric Congress\, American Planning Association\, and the League of American Orchestras\, just to name a few.  \nVijay holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Marist College\, and a Master’s in Music from the Yale School of Music. Vijay plays a 2010 violin made by Los Angeles-based luthier Eric Benning\, and an 18th century baroque violin from Mittenwald\, Germany. He can be found on Instagram @guptaviolin. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Yamini Kalluri\n Yamini Kalluri is a world-class professional Kuchipudi dancer based in New York City where she teaches\, performs and trains full time. She offers performances\, workshops\, intensives and production direction internationally with an aim to bring a new face and a bigger representation to Kuchipudi globally. ​Raised in Hyderabad\, India\, Yamini Kalluri has been celebrated by the New York Times and BBC as being a Kuchipudi sensation. A disciple of legendary guru\, Padmasri Dr. Sobha Naidu\, Yamini began exhibiting signs of her extraordinary talent and dedication to dance at a very early age. At the age of 12 she not only began performing throughout India but also began teaching at Dr. Sobha Naidu’s School. She went on to complete a certification course in Kuchipudi from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University\, Hyderabad with distinctions in 2013 and further refined her style under the mentorship of the renowned Kuchipudi guru Vempati Ravi Shankar. At 18 she began performing internationally at various prestigious festivals\, offering workshops in the UK\, the US\, Russia\, Argentina and Canada. A world-class dancer\, Yamini is known for her grace\, agility and uncompromising perfection. Aiming to bring a new face to Kuchipudi\, her ambition and passion led her to move to New York where she now teaches\, performs and trains in ballet and modern dance at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary dance full time. In exploring various disciplines of dance and music in the west Yamini has not only developed her own unique style and technique but has also expanded and diversified her dance repertoire by collaborating with many talented musicians. ​​Yamini has founded Kritya with the mission to empower up and coming artists to take Kuchipudi to global platforms. Yamini envisions a new school of thought for Kuchipudi with more awareness of the body\, mind and soul. She is taking several nuances from ballet and modern dance to find her own technique and bring about a new age of Kuchipudi which is more relevant to a newer and global generation. Vempati Chinnasatyam \, Rukmini Devi Arundale\, Akram Khan and Shantala Shivalingappa are some of her inspirations when it comes to innovation for evolution. Yamini sees Kritya as a budding conservatory and incubatory for challenging experimentation and also as a means for dancers to immerse themselves to find their truest form of expression. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Nancy Pelosi\, Nancy Hanks Lecture 2020\n We are all grateful for Mr. Gupta’s tireless work\,\nand I know his timely and important message will inspire and motivate you all. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube\n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\nEnjoy Vijay Gupta’s full collection of live performance videos and more on his YouTube channel:\n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/vijay-gupta-recital/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:bach,classical ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-new-vijay-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230504T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230504T213000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152511 CREATED:20220616T214821Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230502T151642Z UID:10000112-1683228600-1683235800@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Dance Theatre of Harlem: Sounds of Hazel DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39-$65 • Student & Youth: $25\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at The Hanover Theatre. \nFor phone assistance with your ticket order\, contact The Hanover Theatre box office at 877-571-7469. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks Jeffrey and Otti Levine for their generous support of this presentation. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dance Theatre of Harlem\n Now a singular presence in the ballet world\, the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company tours nationally and internationally\, presenting a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century. The 18-member\, multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics\, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland\, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to celebrate Arthur Mitchell’s belief that ballet belongs to everyone. Through performances\, community engagement and arts education\, the Company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem’s message of empowerment through the arts for all. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sounds of Hazel\n Music Worcester is thrilled to have joined six other arts presenters from across the United States as co-commissioners of Sounds of Hazel\, a brand new work by Dance Theatre of Harlem celebrating the life and legacy of jazz legend Hazel Scott. \nCurated with input from Scott’s son Adam Clayton Powell III and Scott biographer Karen Chilton\, The Hazel Scott Celebration is intended to introduce a new generation of music fans to this great American’s life and work and to help restore her rightful legacy as one of the great American artists of the 20th century. Originally designed as a Hazel Scott centennial tribute for performances in 2020 (Scott was born June 20\, 1920)\, the project was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. \n \n \n \n \n \n Learn More About Hazel Scott's Life and Legacy in The Washington Post\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sarah L. Kaufman\, The Washington Post\n McCarthyism silenced this Black icon. Now dancers are making noise. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Dance Theatre of Harlem\nEnjoy Dance Theatre of Harlem’s full collection of live performance videos and more on his YouTube channel: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/harlem/ LOCATION:The Hanover Theatre\, 2 Southbridge Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:contemporary,dance,jazz ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/dth-new-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230428T200000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230428T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152511 CREATED:20220616T214703Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230407T120801Z UID:10000111-1682712000-1682719200@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert DESCRIPTION:Adult: $29-$45 • Student: $17.50 • Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may choose their own assigned seats for this presentation. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester wishes to thank Janice Hitzhusen & James Pease for generously sponsoring this presentation. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert\n Duke Ellington called his Sacred Concert “the most important thing I’ve ever done” when it premiered in 1965 at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. \nAllmusic reviewer Richard S. Ginell awarded the concert recording 5 stars\, saying “the concert taps into Ellington’s roots in showbiz and African-American culture as well as his evidently deep religious faith\, throwing it all together in the spirit of universality and sealing everything with the stamps of his musical signatures.” \nEbony magazine called the piece “historic”\, situating it as part of a larger movement in the mid-60s that brought together jazz and religion. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n PART IDuke Ellington’s Sacred Concertarr. John Høybye & Peder Pederson \n\nPraise God\nHeaven\nFreedom Suite\nThe Shepherd\nMajesty of God\nCome Sunday\nDavid Danced\nAlmighty God\nT.G.T.T. (Too Good To Title)\nPraise God And Dance\n\nPART IIWhite Heat Swing OrchestraProgram To Be Announced From The Stage  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PERFORMING ENSEMBLES\n THE WORCESTER CHORUSdirected by Chris Shepard \nWHITE HEAT SWING ORCHESTRA \nCLARK UNIVERSITY CONCERT CHOIR \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Pre-Concert Lecture\n MORE SACRED THAN USUAL — A pre-concert lecture from Ben Young \n7:00-7:30 PMWashburn Hall \nJoin us for a pre-concert lecture on the program\, free and open to all ticket holders. General admission seating will be available on a first-come-first-served basis in Washburn Hall on the 2nd floor of Mechanics Hall. \nJazz scholar and educator Ben Young has spent 25 years doing first-person research into the history of jazz music\, as learned through direct contact with the musicians and the artifacts of their achievements. He was heard for nearly 25 years as a radio host on WKCR-FM in New York City\, where he hosted programs dealing with the gamut of Jazz and modern improvised music\, and spent a decade as the station’s first Director of Broadcasting and Operations. He has produced\, annotated or researched several hundred historical jazz reissues for major interests (Verve\, RCA/Bluebird\, Mosaic\, Savoy) and independent labels (Triple Point\, Revenant\, Intakt\, Cosmic Myth\, etc.)\, and has written a small number of monographs and articles documenting essential figures of the New York’s 20 th Century jazz scene. His forthcoming work is an exhaustive biography of pianist Cecil Taylor. Since 2009 he has been a staff lecturer in the Swing University program at Jazz at Lincoln Center\, teaching the Jazz 101/201/301 sequence\, and specialized courses on Third Stream music\, Free Jazz\, Ornette Coleman\, and others. Since 2021 he has directed the Jazz History Database at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Chorus\n The Worcester Chorus of Music Worcester has the unique distinction of being one of the most outstanding on-going choral groups in the United States. Founded in 1858 to sing at the first annual Worcester Music Festival in the newly-built Mechanics Hall\, the 100-member group includes both amateur and professional singers from Worcester County\, northern Connecticut and the Boston area. Its repertoire includes not only choral masterpieces\, but also contemporary literature\, arrangements of American folk songs\, classics from musical theater and commissioned works. Each year the Chorus performs with orchestras and soloists in Mechanics Hall as part of Music Worcester’s main season\, including an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. The Worcester Chorus has also made guest appearances throughout the Northeast and overseas. \nThe Worcester Chorus has appeared with the Hartford Symphony\, the American Symphony at Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center\, and the Prague Symphony at Carnegie Hall. The Chorus performed at the 1992 American Choral Directors Association Eastern Division Convention in Boston\, and has appeared at the Worcester Music Festival with the Philadelphia Orchestra\, The Rochester Philharmonic\, and the symphonies of Boston\, Baltimore\, and Detroit. \nArtistic Director Dr. Christopher Shepard has been with the Chorus since 2009. Mark Mummert joined the ensemble as Assistant Director in 2019. \n \n \n \n \n \n White Heat Swing Orchestra\n The full White Heat Swing Orchestra is a hot swing band with a national reputation that is a music landmark for visitors to the Boston area. It recorded for Warner Brothers\, Walt Disney Motion Pictures\, backed up Norah Jones\, Tony Bennett\, Cab Calloway\, Lou Rawls in concert\, and won Boston Magazine’s “Best Dance Band” award. In addition to energetic swing music\, WHSO also plays Rhythm and Blues and Motown\, Sinatra and salsa. It was the house band at the legendary Roxy in Boston for four years where it performed for near 2 million dancing patrons over a four year run\, featured at the Harvard Eliot House Spring Fete undergraduate dance from 2014-2019. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Janinah Burnett\, soprano soloist \n Raised in jazz music\, Janinah Burnett is the daughter of legendary jazz drummer Carl Burnett and writer/educator/artist Imani Constance. As a child\, Janinah was surrounded by Horace Silver\, Freddie Hubbard\, Eddie Harris\, Nancy Wilson\, George Cables\, Billy Higgins\, and many others who inspired her early musical beginnings. This innovative and exceptionally artistic beginning led to a myriad of musical activities throughout Janinah’s formative years. While in school at the Hamilton Music Academy in Los Angeles\, Janinah won the solo vocal jazz competition at Cal State Fullerton\, propelling her desire to serve her artistic muse and study vocal jazz music at Spelman College. Never wishing to be limited to any one genre\, Janinah was clear she wanted to be able use her voice to sing all styles. During her time at Spelman\, Janinah continued her jazz studies and was a member of the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble. Janinah participated in a host of private events and engagements including singing for Margaret Thatcher\, several performances with the Atlanta Symphony\, singing with the great Ray Charles\, and at a private birthday party celebration for Oprah Winfrey at the home of Maya Angelou. However\, she was intrigued and inspired by her classmates who excelled in classical music styles\, most specifically Art Song\, Sprituals\, and Opera. Her classmates’ excellence\, inspiration from role models of color who excelled in the field of classical music\, and many singing and performance opportunities allowed Janinah to get well acquainted with varying classical music styles. This encouraged Janinah to take the path toward Art Song and Opera. Janinah continued her music studies at the Eastman School of Music where she received a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance and Literature. Janinah’s experiences and opportunities while at Eastman were riveting. While there\, she studied with accomplished musicians who guided and instructed her immensely. Each summer while at Eastman\, Janinah studied Italian at the Centro Studi Di Italiani in Urbania as a participant in the Oberlin in Italy program. In the program she not only learned Italian but had many study and performance opportunities in opera. Her second year in Urbania\, Janinah learned and performed the role of Violetta in La Traviata with orchestra in two large opera houses. \nAnother major role Janinah learned and performed at Eastman was the role of Mimì in La Bohème. Directly following those performances and upon graduation from Eastman\, Janinah joined the cast of Baz Lurhmann’s La Bohème on Broadway as Mimì and thrilled audiences. Several exciting events occurred as a result of this show including her performances on the Tony Awards\, performances at esteemed events for Prada and Tiffany’s\, and her win of the LA Theater Alliance’s Ovation Award\, to name a few. Janinah was even featured in the National Enquirer! \nDirectly after the whirlwind that was La Bohème on Broadway\, Janinah joined an International tour of Porgy and Bess as Clara and Bess. On this tour she sang in several major opera houses in Austria\, Japan\, Italy\, Germany\, Sweden\, Denmark. Upon returning to the US\, Janinah sang the following leading roles: Violetta in La Traviata\, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni\, Norina in Don Pasquale\, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi\, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier\, Margru in Amistad\, Marguerite in Faust\, Leïla in Les Pecheurs de Perles\, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte\, Micaëla in Carmen\, Suzanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro\, Mimì in La Bohème\, and many others in over 25 international and domestic cites. \nJaninah’s brilliant technique and exceptional character interpretations led her to join the Metropolitan Opera Company for their productions of Carmen\, La Bohème\, Parsifal\, Le Nozze di Figaro\, La Rondine\, The Enchanted Island\, Iphigénie en Tauride\, Elektra\, and Manon. Janinah made her MET debut as Bianca in La Rondine and spent eight seasons singing at the MET. During this time\, Janinah performed with the likes of Plácido Domingo\, Susan Graham\, Paul Groves\, Angela Georgiu\, Roberto Alagna\, Dwayne Croft\, Samuel Ramey\, Jonas Kaufmann\, Ramón Vargus\, and many others. Also during this time\, Janinah sang the role of Lucy in Treemonisha with Grace Bumbry and Willard White. She also sang Leila in John Adams’ I was Looking at the Ceiling and Suddenly Saw the Sky\, both productions were performed at the Théatre du Châtélet in Paris which were huge successes featuring people of color and dealing with controversial socio-political themes. \nBuilding a career as a successful\, consistently working artist\, Janinah was called upon for many world premiers. The first being Three Mo’ Divas\, sister group to Three Mo’ Tenors\, in which she worked with the virtuosic pianist/producer/arranger Joseph Joubert. Janinah originated the role of “Diva” and enjoyed performing genres that inspired and influenced her\, including jazz and R&B. This foray into theater was more intimate and called for dancing and acting di erent from opera\, a challenge Janinah rose to meet. Her subsequent world premier presentation was starring as “Harriet Tubman” in Nkeiru Okoye’s opera Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed that Road to Freedom presented by American Opera Projects. \nAdditionally\, Janinah recreated the role of “Lolo\, the VooDoo Queen” in Harlem Renaissance composer Harry Lawrence Freeman’s revival of VooDoo to much acclaim\, earning her a glowing The New York Times review and feature. Janinah was also featured on the cover of the Arts Section of The Washington Post. Janinah is in high demand and has recently returned to Broadway\, where her professional career began. She is currently making appearances as “Carlotta Giudicelli” and “the Innkeeper’s Wife” in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Working on Phantom has been a welcomed gift allowing Janinah to make her home in NYC and focus on creative musical projects near and dear to her heart. Janinah currently produces her own solo concerts of diverse vocal styles. These diverse vocal stylings are presented on her debut album entitled Love the Color of Your Butterfly. Love the Color of Your Butterfly is a foray into the fusion of classical\, jazz\, and other popular idioms delivered with exceptional musicianship and emotional authenticity. This presentation of musical literature is reimagined by Janinah with the assistance of some of the world’s finest jazz musicians including Sullivan Fortner\, Christian Sands\, Casey Benjamin\, and Terreon Gully who produced the album. \nAdditionally\, Janinah produces performances of her own writings juxtaposed with photography\, art songs\, freedom songs\, and spirituals entitled I\, Too Sing America: A Lament for the Fallen which exists to provide quality performances rooted in education\, activism\, committed artistic expression\, and healing while honoring those who have been killed due to social injustice. Janinah’s artistry is far reaching and while she is moved to present the music of the past and present in innovative artful ways\, she is also inspired to assist the future generations of singing artists. In her vocal studio La Janinah Voice Studio she privately teaches some of today’s rising singing stars and regularly presents masterclasses to students at colleges across the US. www.janinahburnett.com \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Joyce Tamer\, Telegram & Gazette\n The Worcester Chorus is truly a local gem. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/ellington/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:choral,contemporary,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/apr-28-new-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230323T193000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230323T213000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152511 CREATED:20220616T214542Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230315T172013Z UID:10000110-1679599800-1679607000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Chineke! Orchestra DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39-$55 • Student: $17.50 • Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Chineke! Orchestra\n The Chineke! Foundation was created by Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE in 2015 to provide outstanding career opportunities to established and up-and-coming Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. Chineke!’s motto is: ‘Championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music’. The organisation aims to be a catalyst for change\, realising existing diversity targets within the industry by increasing the representation of Black and ethnically diverse musicians in British and European orchestras. \nThe Foundation’s flagship ensemble\, the Chineke! Orchestra\, comprises exceptional musicians from across the continent brought together multiple times per year. As Europe’s first majority Black and ethnically diverse orchestra\, the Chineke! Orchestra performs a mixture of standard orchestral repertoire along with the works of Black and ethnically diverse composers both past and present. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PRE-CONCERT LECTURE\n All ticket holders for this event are invited to attend a pre-concert lecture on the program at 6:30PM in Washburn Hall on Mechanics Hall’s 2nd floor. This half-hour event will be an interview of Chineke! founder and artistic director Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE conducted by Music Worcester executive director Adrien Finlay. Seating will be general admission on a first-come-first-served basis. \n6:30PM | Washburn HallFree admission for all ticket holders \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Carlos Simon: Fate Now ConquersSamuel Coleridge-Taylor: Violin Concerto in G minor\, Op. 20 (Soloist: Elena Urioste)Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor\, Op. 95 (From the New World) \nAndrew Grams\, conductorChi-chi Nwanoku CBE\, founder & artistic directorElena Urioste\, violin \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Andrew Grams\, conductor\n With a unique combination of intensity\, enthusiasm and technical clarity\, American conductor Andrew Grams has steadily built a reputation for his dynamic concerts\, ability to connect with audiences\, and long-term orchestra building.  He’s the winner of 2015 Conductor of the Year from the Illinois Council of Orchestras and has led orchestras throughout the United States including the Chicago Symphony\, Detroit Symphony\, National Symphony Orchestra\, St. Louis Symphony\, Cincinnati Symphony\, Baltimore Symphony\, Philadelphia Orchestra\, Dallas Symphony\, and the Houston Symphony. \nAndrew Grams became music director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra after an international search in 2013 and recently concluded his tenure there after 8 seasons. His charismatic conducting and easy accessibility have made him a favorite of Elgin Symphony audiences. A frequent traveler\, Mr. Grams has worked extensively with orchestras abroad\, including the symphony orchestras of Toronto\, Montreal\, and Vancouver\, the Orchestre National de France\, Hong Kong Philharmonic\, BBC Symphony Orchestra London\, the symphony orchestras of Sydney\, Melbourne\, and Adelaide\, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra\, the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra\, and Het Residentie Orchestra in The Hague\, Netherlands.  He has led multiple performances of New York City Ballet’s George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® and the first performances of the new production of The Nutcracker for the Norwegian National Ballet in Olso. Also an educator\, Mr. Grams has worked with orchestras at institutions such as the Curtis Institute of Music\, the Cleveland Institute of Music\, Indiana University\, Roosevelt University\, the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland\, and the Amsterdam Conservatorium. Born in Severn\, Maryland\, Mr. Grams began studying the violin when he was eight years old. In 1999 he received a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance from The Juilliard School\, and in 2003 he received a conducting degree from the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with Otto-Werner Mueller. He was selected to spend the summer of 2003 studying with David Zinman\, Murry Sidlin and Michael Stern at the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen and returned to that program again in 2004.  Mr. Grams served as Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra from 2004-2007 where he worked under the guidance of Franz Welser-Möst\, and has since returned for several engagements. As an accomplished violinist\, Mr. Grams was a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra from 1998-2004\, serving as acting associate principal second violin in 2002 and 2004. Additionally\, he has performed with ensembles including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra\, Orchestra of St. Luke’s\, Brooklyn Philharmonic\, and the New Jersey Symphony.\n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE\, founder & artistic director\n An ex-sprinter and half the size of her double bass\, Chi-chi Nwanoku has gained a reputation as one of the finest exponents of her instrument today. \nThe eldest of five children from Nigerian and Irish parents\, Chi-chi was seven when she discovered the piano at a neighbour’s. She returned to their house daily to play until the neighbours got so fed up they wheeled the piano up the road and gave it to her! Meanwhile\, she was spotted by an athletics coach and trained as a 100-metre sprinter\, eventually competing at National level. This career ended abruptly due to a knee injury aged 18\, which is when (and why) she took up the double bass and actively pursued a career in music. She studied at the Royal Academy of Music and with Franco Petracchi in Rome\, and soon found herself in demand internationally. \nChi-chi is the Founder\, Artistic and Executive Director of the Chineke! Foundation\, which supports\, inspires and encourages Black\, Asian and ethnically diverse classical musicians working in the UK and Europe. The Chineke! Foundation celebrates diversity in the classical music industry through its two orchestras\, the Chineke! Orchestra and Chineke! Junior Orchestra\, as well as its educational and Community engagement work. Ultimately\, the Chineke! Foundation aims to give Black\, Asian and ethnically diverse classical musicians a platform on which to excel\, and by such methods increase the representation of Asian\, Black and ethnically diverse musicians in British and European orchestras. \nChi-chi was a founder member of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and held the position of Principal double bass there for 30 years. She is Professor of Double Bass Historical Studies at the Royal Academy of Music\, where she was made a Fellow in 1998. \nChi-chi’s range of musical interests have resulted in a broad career performing and recording in a diversity of styles from authentic baroque through to 21st century and new commissions\, with many of Europe’s leading chamber orchestras and ensembles. Some of her notable chamber recordings include Schubert’s Trout Quintet (recorded three times)\, and Octet\, Beethoven Septet\, Hummel Piano quintet and Boccherini Sonatas. Her solo recording of Dittersdorf and Vanhal Concertos with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra (Hyperion) received critical acclaim. \nIn 2012 Barrie Gavin directed a documentary film about Chi-chi’s career\, called Tales from the Bass Line. \nAs a broadcaster\, Chi-chi presented BBC Radio 3 Requests for four years\, she guests for the TV Proms and was Jury member of BBC 2 TV Classical Star. She presented a two-part series for BBC Radio 4 in 2015 which brought to life the stories and music of black composers and musicians from the 18th century\, whose vivid presence on the classical music scene have slipped through the net. Chi-chi was also the ‘mentor’ for the 2016 BBC 4 TV series All Together Now\, the Great Orchestra Challenge. Chi-chi is featured in the BBC Radio 4 series Only Artists\, and was Kirsty Young’s guest on BBC Radio 4\, Desert Island Discs in February 2018. Beginning Sunday\, October 4\, 2020\, 9pm-10pm\, Chi-chi will present Chi-chi’s Classical Champions\, a 6-part series for Classic FM radio which will shine the spotlight on Black\, Asian & ethnically diverse composers and performers – those who have enjoyed success\, as well as those yet to receive recognition. \nChi-chi is a trustee of the London Music Fund\, Tertis Foundation a Council Member of the Royal Philharmonic Society. She served on the board of the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) from 2008–13 and National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 2000-18. She created the ABO/RPS Salomon Prize\, which celebrates the ‘unsung heroes’ working in the ranks of British orchestras. \nIn 2022 Chi-chi was awarded the CBE for Services to Music & Diversity in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours\, the OBE in 2017 and the MBE in 2001. She was one of the 100 – Happy List in the Independent on Sunday 2011. In 2016 she was appointed as an Honorary Fellow of Trinity Laban Conservatoire in recognition of her ‘pioneering contribution to music\, in particular the inspiration she provides\, the commitment she has shown\, and the contribution she has made to addressing inequalities within classical music in the UK\, most recently through the Chineke! Foundation’. Chi-chi is an Ambassador for the London Music Fund. \nChi-chi was awarded the Black British Business Awards\, Person of the Year 2016 and was the recipient of the ABO Award 2017\, which is awarded for ‘the most important contribution to the orchestral life of the UK’. She was named in the Top 10 of the BBC Woman’s Hour\, Women in Music Power List 2018 and\, in 2018\, was awarded the inaugural Commonwealth Cultural Enterprise Award for Women in the Arts at the Commonwealth Business Women’s Awards. Also in 2018 Chi-chi was made an Honorary Doctor Music at the University of Chichester. She is featured in the Royal Academy of Music exhibition ‘Hitting the Right Note: Amazing Women of the Academy’. She was awarded the Creative Industries Award at the Variety Catherine Awards 2018 and shortlisted for the Groucho Maverick Award. Chi-chi was voted to the ‘Powerlist of Britain’s 100 Most Influential Black People 2019. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Elena Urioste\, violin\n Elena Urioste is a musician\, yogi\, writer\, and entrepreneur\, as well as a lover of nature\, food\, animals\, and connecting with other human beings. \nAs a violinist\, Elena has given acclaimed performances as soloist with major orchestras throughout the United States\, including the Philadelphia\, Cleveland\, and Minnesota Orchestras; the New York\, Los Angeles\, and Buffalo Philharmonics; the Boston Pops; and the Chicago\, Boston\, Dallas\, San Francisco\, San Diego\, National\, Atlanta\, Baltimore\, and Detroit Symphony Orchestras\, among many others. Abroad\, Elena has appeared with the London Philharmonic\, Hallé\, Philharmonia\, CBSO\, Orchestra of Opera North\, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras; the BBC Symphony\, Philharmonic\, Scottish Symphony Orchestra\, and National Orchestra of Wales; as well as the Chineke! Orchestra\, Malaysian Philharmonic\, Orchestre National de Lille\, Edmonton Symphony\, Würzburg Philharmonic\, and Hungary’s Orchestra Dohnányi Budafok and MAV Orchestras. She has collaborated with celebrated conductors Sir Mark Elder\, Yannick Nézet-Séguin\, Vasily Petrenko\, Christoph Eschenbach\, Robert Spano\, Karina Canellakis\, and Gábor Takács-Nagy. She has performed as a featured soloist in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium\, the Concertgebouw\, and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall\, and has given recitals at the Wigmore Hall\, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall\, Kennedy Center\, Konzerthaus Berlin\, Sage Gateshead\, Bayerischer Rudfunk Munich\, and Mondavi Center. Elena is a former BBC New Generation Artist (2012-14) and has been featured on the covers of Strings\, Symphony\, and BBC Music magazines. \nRecent musical highlights include the release of two new studio albums with pianist Tom Poster\, THE JUKEBOX ALBUM and From Brighton to Brooklyn\, released on Orchid Classics and Chandos Records\, respectively; critically acclaimed debuts with the Dallas and San Diego Symphony Orchestras and with the CBSO at the BBC Proms; a residency at the Aldeburgh Festival; and a Norwegian debut at the Bergen International Music Festival. 2022 saw the release of two new studio albums for the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective: a disc of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Nonet\, Piano Trio\, and Piano Quintet; and an album of lesser-known chamber works by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn\, both for Chandos Records. Elena also features as soloist on Max Richter’s The New Four Seasons: Vivaldi Recomposed\, recorded on period instruments; and in Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto and Romance\, to be released on Chineke! Records this autumn. \nAn avid chamber musician\, Elena is the founder and Artistic Director of Chamber Music by the Sea\, an annual festival on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She has been a featured artist at the Marlboro\, Ravinia\, La Jolla\, Bridgehampton\, Moab\, and Sarasota Music Festivals\, as well as Open Chamber Music at Prussia Cove\, the Cheltenham Music Festival\, Switzerland’s Sion-Valais International Music Festival\, and the Verbier Festival’s winter residency at Schloss Elmau. Elena has collaborated with luminaries such as Mitsuko Uchida\, Kim Kashkashian\, and members of the Guarneri Quartet\, and performs extensively in recital with pianists Tom Poster and Michael Brown. She is the co-director of the Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective\, appointed Associate Ensemble at Wigmore Hall in 2020. \nElena is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School. Notable teachers and mentors include Joseph Silverstein\, David Cerone\, Ida Kavafian\, Pamela Frank\, Claude Frank\, Choong-Jin Chang\, Soovin Kim\, and Ferenc Rados. The outstanding instruments being used by Elena are an Alessandro Gagliano violin\, Naples c. 1706\, and a Nicolas Kittel bow\, both on generous extended loan from the private collection of Dr. Charles E. King through the Stradivari Society of Chicago. \nElena has been practicing yoga since 2009 and received her RYT-200 hour certification from the Kripalu Center in June 2019. She is the co-founder of Intermission\, a program that combines music\, movement\, and mindfulness\, aiming to make music-making a healthier\, more holistic practice for students and professionals alike through yoga and meditation. \nMiscellaneous accomplishments include first prizes at the Sphinx and Sion International Violin Competitions; an inaugural Sphinx Medal of Excellence presented by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (they immediately bonded over their matching red formalwear); a 2022 BBC Music Magazine Award for THE JUKEBOX ALBUM; spreads in Latina and La Revista Mujer magazines; a 2020 Royal Philharmonic Society “Inspiration Award” and a 2021 RPS Enterprise Fund Trailblazer Grant for her #UriPosteJukeBox project with Tom Poster; and the 2015 Brooklyn Film Festival’s Audience Choice and Best Original Score awards for But Not For Me\, the independent feature film in which Elena acted as the lead female role. Writing is another passion for Elena — you can find many of her musings on her website’s blog. \nIn addition to her love for hiking in lush forests\, swimming in the ocean\, and marveling at the stars\, Elena’s heart melts around corgis\, vibrant vegetarian and southern Italian cooking\, and beautifully crafted literature. She enjoys knitting the occasional scarf to keep her fingers busy on airplanes. Finally\, Elena believes that we should all strive to spend less time looking at screens\, that Oxford commas should be required\, and that people should clap whenever they feel moved to do so during concerts. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Sir Simon Rattle\n Chineke! is not only an exciting idea but a profoundly necessary one. The kind of idea which is so obvious that you wonder why it is not already in place. The kind of idea which could deepen and enrich classical music in the UK for generations. What a thrilling prospect! \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Chineke! Orchestra\nEnjoy Chineke! Orchestra’s full collection of live performance videos and more on his YouTube channel: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/chineke/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,contemporary,ensemble,orchestral ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/chineke-slide-web-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230302T190000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230302T200000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152511 CREATED:20230118T162336Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240320T203244Z UID:10000115-1677783600-1677787200@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Vijay Gupta\, violin & Chester Englander\, cimbalom DESCRIPTION:Adult: $35 • Student & Youth: $5\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may claim general admission seating on a first-come-first-served basis. \nBy completing a ticket purchase\, you agree that your information will be shared with these co-presenters. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Music Worcester thanks the following supporters of this presentation:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Mirror/Lens\n A special co-production between Music Worcester and the Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross to launch Vijay Gupta’s Residency\n\n\n“All music is a mirror and a lens: we see a reflection of ourselves – or who we hope to be – a kind of hopeful projection. But we also look through music\, a lens through which we perceive the world and each other. During the pandemic\, the mirror we held up to ourselves and the lives we used to know shattered. As we turned to the mirror/lens of ZOOM for human interaction\, we learned to see ourselves anew: as artists\, we held up reflections to each other of who we hoped to be\, and what our art could accomplish in a world which would be forever changed.\n\nI’m incredibly excited to play this opening program of my Music Worcester residency with my colleague and friend Chester Englander\, a leading concert cimbalom artist widely acclaimed for his prominent role in the works of the American composer John Adams. Chester and I will present a concert of reflective works written for cimbalom and violin by Hungarian composer György Kurtág and Arvo Pärt\, as well as works by Kaija Saariaho\, Reena Esmail\, and J.S. Bach.” \n\n—Vijay Gupta\, Music Worcester Artist-In-Residence 2023\n\n \n \n \n Learn More About MW's Artist-In-Residency\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n J.S. Bach | Partita III in E MajorGyörgy Kurtág | SzálkákArvo Pärt | Spiegel im Spiegel\nKaija Saariaho | NocturneReena Esmail | Darshan: I. BihagGyörgy Kurtág | Acht Duos for cimbalom and violin\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\, violinChester Englander\, cimbalomJohn Wayne Cormier Jr.\, narrator\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n About The Artists\n Read more about each performer below:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\n Music Worcester’s 2023 Artist-In-Residence Vijay Gupta is a violinist\, speaker and citizen-artist dedicated to creating spaces of wholeness through music. Vijay’s work embodies his belief that the work of artists and citizens is one: to make a sadhana – a daily practice – of the world we envision. Hailed by The New Yorker as a “visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music\,” Vijay leads a protean career as a thought leader\, performer\, collaborator and communicator. \nVijay is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony\, a community of musicians creating spaces of connection for people in reentry from homelessness\, addiction and incarceration in Los Angeles. Vijay is also a co-founder of the Skid Row Arts Alliance\, a consortium dedicated to creating art for – and with – the largest homeless community in America. For his work in “bringing beauty\, respite\, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society”\, Vijay was the recipient of a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship. \nA riveting speaker\, Vijay has shared his work with dozens of corporations\, campuses\, conferences and communities across America over the past 10 years\, including The Richmond Forum\, The Aspen Institute\, Hallmark\, Accenture\, Mayo Clinic\, US Psychiatric Congress\, American Planning Association\, and the League of American Orchestras\, just to name a few. Vijay delivered the 33rd annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy for Americans for the Arts and his 2010 TED Talk\, “Music is Medicine\, Music is Sanity”\, has garnered millions of views. \nVijay has performed as an international recitalist\, soloist\, chamber musician\, and orchestral musician for over 20 years\, playing his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. Vijay was a member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years\, and has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet\, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London\, Yo-Yo Ma\, and appears regularly with the Strings Festival in Steamboat Springs\, Colorado. \nA dynamic recording artist\, Vijay recently released Breathe\, an album of the piano chamber music of Reena Esmail\, under his own label. His solo violin album When the Violin\, featuring the music of Esmail\, J. S. Bach\, and Esa-Pekka Salonen will be available on Bandcamp in June 2021. Vijay currently serves as the Senior Artistic and Programs Advisor for Young Musicians Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Marist College\, and a Master’s in Music from the Yale School of Music. His principal teachers have included Ani Kavafian and Glenn Dicterow. Vijay plays a 2010 violin made by Los Angeles-based luthier Eric Benning\, and can be found on Instagram @guptaviolin. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n Chester Englander\n Acclaimed for his unnerving dexterity (San Francisco Chronicle)\, his boldly played (Los Angeles Times)\, vivid (The New York Times)\, and expert (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) performances as the solo cimbalom of John Adams Scheherazade.2\, and praised by the NYT for the brilliant clarity of his performance of the featured cimbalom part within Mr. Adams The Gospel According to the Other Mary\, Chester Englander has a thriving career as a percussionist and cimbalom artist with orchestras throughout the country. \nChester has performed on percussion and/or cimbalom with the Atlanta Symphony\, the Boston Symphony\, the Buffalo Philharmonic\, the Chicago Symphony\, the Cincinnati Symphony\, The Cleveland Orchestra\, the Iceland Symphony\, the Israel Philharmonic\, the Los Angeles Philharmonic\, the National Symphony\, the New World Symphony\, the New York Philharmonic\, the Oregon Symphony\, the Pittsburgh Symphony\, the Rochester Philharmonic\, the Saint Louis Symphony\, the San Diego Symphony\, the San Francisco Symphony\, the Seattle Symphony\, and the Toronto Symphony. He has taken part in multiple world and U.S. premiere performances of orchestral and chamber works by several composers including John Adams\, Thomas Ad s\, Louis Andriessen\, Unsuk Chin\, Peter E tv s\, Esa-Pekka Salonen\, Dmitri Shostakovich\, and Bernd Alois Zimmermann.  Additionally\, he directly collaborated with John Adams on the composition of the featured cimbalom parts for The Gospel According to the Other Mary and Scheherazade.2. \nChester can be heard on the Cantaloupe\, Capcom\, Deutsche Grammophon\, DisneyNature\, Interscope\, Naxos\, Nonesuch\, Seattle Symphony Media\, and Ubisoft labels. Chester is also Head of Percussion Studies at Cleveland State University. He and his lovely wife\, violinist Rachel Englander\, reside in Cleveland\, OH and are proud parents to their adorable daughters Charlotte and Alice. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n John Wayne Cormier Jr.\n John Wayne is not the actor who comes to mind\, at least\, not anymore. He decided to take the mask off January 11th\, 2019. Sobriety revealed his love for classical music\, poetic expression\, and musical performance. \nAs an inmate at the Worcester County House Of Corrections\, he earned the privilege to attend a song writing class called the “OpporTUNEity” program. His impact on the program found its way into the local section of the Worcester T&G from behind bars. Post release\, another part of his story was featured on the front page of the Worcester Magazine. \nToday\, he works for OppoTUNEity Music Connections at the same county jail as a Song Writing Instructor\, helping inmates to uncover their songs and providing them with the power or example. He is an artist who can carve his heart out of musical performance\, baring the scars of experience aesthetically \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Nancy Pelosi\, Nancy Hanks Lecture 2020\n We are all grateful for Mr. Gupta’s tireless work\,\nand I know his timely and important message will inspire and motivate you all. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n On Youtube\n \n \n \n \n \n Vijay Gupta\nEnjoy Vijay Gupta’s full collection of live performance videos and more on his YouTube channel:\n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/vijay-chester/ LOCATION:Prior Performing Arts Center\, College of the Holy Cross\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:bach,classical ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/vijay-chester-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230226T160000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230226T180000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152512 CREATED:20220616T214417Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230221T193525Z UID:10000109-1677427200-1677434400@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:An Afternoon at the Opera DESCRIPTION:Adult: $39-$55 • Student: $17.50 • Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may choose their own assigned seats for this presentation. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Featuring: \nThe Worcester ChorusChris Shepard\, artistic director \nNew England Repertory OrchestraCailin Marcel Manson\, artistic director \nMaster Singers of WorcesterEdward Tyler\, artistic director \nThe Worcester Children’s ChorusPamela Mindell\, artistic director \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n An Afternoon at the Opera\n An Afternoon at the Opera will feature a breathtaking program of choruses and arias from your favorite classic works of opera\, brought to our audience by the joined forces of some of New England’s foremost choral and instrumental ensembles. \nDirectors Chris Shepard (The Worcester Chorus)\, Cailin Marcel Manson (New England Repertory Orchestra)\, and Edward Tyler (Master Singers of Worcester) with Pamela Mindell (Worcester Children’s Chorus) will share the podium in conducting this spectacular collaboration of ensembles on stage at historic Mechanics Hall. \nClick each name below to read more about the incredible ensembles\, directors\, and soloists performing in this presentation: \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Chorus\n The Worcester Chorus\, under the sponsorship of Music Worcester\, Inc.\, has the unique distinction of being one of the most outstanding on-going choral groups in the United States. Founded in 1858 to sing at the first annual Worcester Music Festival in the newly-built Mechanics Hall\, the 100-member group includes both amateur and professional singers from Worcester County and throughout Southern New England. \nIts repertoire includes not only the western world’s finest choral masterpieces\, but also contemporary literature\, arrangements of American folk songs\, classics from the musical theater and commissioned works. Each year the Chorus performs with orchestras and soloists in Mechanics Hall and throughout Greater Worcester\, including an annual performance of Handel’s Messiah. The Worcester Chorus has also made guest appearances at world famous venues (including Carnegie Hall) throughout the Northeast and overseas. \n \n \n \n \n \n Chris Shepard\, Artistic Director (The Worcester Chorus)\n Now in his thirteenth year as conductor of the Worcester Chorus\, Chris Shepard also serves as Artistic Director of the Connecticut Choral Artists (CONCORA)\, the state’s oldest professional choir\, and the Masterwork Chorus of New Jersey.  His choirs have collaborated with a number of orchestras\, such as the Juilliard Orchestra\, the Orquestra Sinfónica Nacional de Mexico and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra\, in venues that include Carnegie Hall\, Lincoln Center and Radio City Music Hall in New York\, as well as the Royal Festival Hall in London and the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City.  Chris has prepared choirs for major international conductors\, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin\, Simone Young\, Carlos Miguel Prieto and William Boughton\, as well as for Broadway legend Patti Lupone and Ray Davies of the Kinks.  He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2015\, and made his conducting debut with the New Haven Symphony in 2016. Chris returned to America in 2008 after a dozen years in Sydney\, Australia\, where he founded the Sydneian Bach Choir and Orchestra. \nHe led their BACH 2010\, a project to perform all of Bach’s choral cantatas.  Under his direction\, the ensemble performed over eighty cantatas\, as well as the two Passions\, B Minor Mass\, and Christmas Oratorio; they completed the cantata cycle in 2013.  In addition to the music of J.S. Bach\, Chris has conducted many staples of the choral-orchestral repertoire\, and he has commissioned and premiered a number of new choral works in both Australia and America.  He also leads two of the longest-running annual Messiah performances in America\, with the Worcester Chorus and at Carnegie Hall with the Masterwork Chorus. \nA committed music educator\, Chris has served on the faculty of the Taft School\, Sydney Grammar School\, Hotchkiss Summer Portals\, and Holy Cross College.  He founded the Litchfield County Children’s Choir in 1990\, and has conducted numerous middle and high school festival choirs in New England\, New York and Australia.  He presented two documentaries with SBS-TV\, an Australian national public television network\, and has given several presentations at conferences for American Choral Directors Association and Australian National Kodàly Association.  Chris has been a guest conductor at Emmanuel Church in Boston\, a church renowned for its four-decade Bach cantata project\, and he currently serves as Music Director of St John’s Episcopal Church in Stamford\, Connecticut.  He led the Dessoff Choir in New York City from 2010 to 2016. \nA pianist and keyboard continuist\, Chris holds degrees from the Hartt School\, the Yale School of Music (where he studied choral conducting with Marguerite Brooks) and the University of Sydney.  He researched the performance history of Bach’s B Minor Mass in New York City for his PhD in Musicology; his dissertation won the American Choral Directors Association’s 2012 Julius Herford Prize for outstandingdoctoral thesis in choral music. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The New England Repertory Orchestra\n Founded during the global upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic\, the New England Repertory Orchestra is the result of a call amongst musicians in the region to a common purpose and a common love. Staffed with local professionals\, a core ensemble was formed with the goal of recruiting a roster of musicians more representative of the diversity we see in our society. \nNew England Repertory Orchestra knows that music can uplift and sustain hearts\, change minds\, and catalyze positive and restorative change.  \nNERO honors diverse voices through the performance of both new and past works by underrepresented composers\, while offering fresh performances and insights on repertoire by composers that are familiar\, as well as feature some of those artists’ historically neglected works. \nNERO is committed to being present in our community and engaging it in its programming. We create a place of belonging and a network for symphonic musicians — particularly artists of color — to have an artistic home year-round. \nWE are not only professional orchestral musicians — we are a connective part of the community\, working to be of greater service. \n \n \n \n \n \n Cailin Marcel Manson\, Artistic Director (New England Repertory Orchestra)\n Cailin Marcel Manson\, baritone and conductor\, a Philadelphia native\, has toured as a soloist and master teacher at major concert venues throughout the United States\, Europe and Asia with many organizations\, including the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart\, SWR Sinfonieorchester\, Taipei Philharmonic\, Bayerische Staatsoper – Münchner Opernfestspiele\, Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia\, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia\, Teatro La Fenice\, Teatro San Carlo\, Konservatorium Oslo\, and the Conservatoire de Luxembourg. \nHe has also been a guest cantor and soloist at some of the world’s most famous churches and cathedrals\, including Notre Dame\, Sacré-Coeur\, and La Madeleine in Paris\, San Marco in Venice\, Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence\, San Salvatore in Montalcino\, Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome\, Thomaskirche and Nikolaikirche in Leipzig\, and Wieskirche in Steingaden. Cailin has held positions as Music Director of the Vorarlberger Musikfest\, Music Director and Conductor Laureate of the Chamber Symphony of Atlantic City\, Artistic Director and Conductor of the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra\, Chair of Vocal Studies at the Hazleton Conservatory for the Performing Arts\, Director of Music at The Putney School\, and as Music Director of the Bennington County Choral Society. He has also served as a member of the faculty of the Vermont Governor’s Institute on the Arts and the Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary. He also founded and directed the Germantown Institute for the Vocal Arts and the Germantown Concert Chorus. \nCailin is a frequent guest conductor\, clinician\, presenter\, panelist\, and adjudicator for conventions\, conferences\, competitions\, and music festivals. Cailin studied voice performance at Temple University\, and opera performance and orchestral conducting at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Master Singers of Worcester\n The Master Singers of Worcester is dedicated to performing high quality choral music for the enjoyment and education of the performer and listener. \nFounded in 1976\, The Master Singers of Worcester\, Inc. (MSW) has distinguished itself through consistent\, high quality presentations of a wide range of great choral music spanning several centuries. Our repertoire includes not only more familiar masterworks\, but also lesser known sacred and secular choral works as well as many first performances and area premieres of works by contemporary composers. \nWe are a self-supporting\, non-profit\, volunteer-administered and professionally directed community chorus for men and women from young adult to senior.  MSW performs three to four concerts annually. The chorus numbers approximately 30 members from Worcester and surrounding communities as well as the newly formed Manchester\, CT chapter. Edward Tyler has directed the chorus since the fall of 2017. \nThe Master Singers of Worcester invite all interested singers to join our chorus.  Weekly rehearsals are held from 7 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday Evenings at the Manchester High School and Wednesday evenings at the Salem Covenant Church in Worcester\, and are generally open to the public for the first few rehearsals for each concert to give interested singers a chance to check us out. Membership is by audition\, and members pay annual dues\, purchase their own music\, and are expected to volunteer their time in serving various organizational needs. We welcome talented high school\, college and graduate school students for internships. \n \n \n \n \n \n Edward Tyler\, Artistic Director (Master Singers of Worcester)\n Edward Tyler\, a native of Auburn\, New York\, received his Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Connecticut\, where he served as Graduate Assistant to Dr. Peter Bagley. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Crane School of Music\, where he studied conducting with Brock McElheran & Calvin Gage\, and composition with Elliot DelBorgo. \nMr. Tyler is currently the Director of Choral Music and Drama at Manchester High School\, a position he has held for the past 32 years. At MHS\, he directs four choral ensembles and a handbell choir\, teaches courses in music theory\, piano\, digital music\, and theatrical design\, and directed the school’s dramatic and music theatre offerings for 26 years. Mr. Tyler has also taught music theory and ear training at The University of Connecticut and conducted the University Chorale at Central Connecticut State University. He has been a professional vocalist for his entire adult life\, as both a freelance soloist and as a member of The Woodland Scholars\, CONCORA (Connecticut Choral Artists)\, and several church choirs in the greater Hartford area. \nMr. Tyler is a composer of choral music with over 70 titles to his name\, and he has enjoyed performances of his works by groups across the United States and Canada. During a brief hiatus from writing music\, he turned his attention to educational materials and completed two textbooks: “Music Literacy for the High School Vocalist\, Volumes 1-4\,” and “A Comprehensive Study of Music Theory.” His music literacy books are currently being used by more than two dozen school districts in Connecticut\, New York\, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Tyler is a popular clinician\, lecturer\, and adjudicator\, and has presented programs throughout New England and New York. \nAway from the music world\, he finds respite in dogs\, travel\, golf\, and cooking. As a self-taught cook\, one of his “Bucket List” dreams is preparing a recipe on the Food Network. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The Worcester Children's Chorus\n The mission of the Worcester Children’s Chorus is to enrich the lives of children ages 8-18 by providing quality musical experiences through training in choral singing. WCC’s ensembles enhance young people’s lives\, helping them to develop qualities of self-reliance\, personal integrity\, compassion\, and confidence in their abilities. We are thrilled to be celebrating our 15th Anniversary this year and collaborating with the Worcester Chorus\, Master Singers of Worcester\, the Pakachoag School of Music\, Salisbury Singers\, and Assumption University.\nWCC ensembles will also be performing with Jazz Hamilton’s Carnevale at Mechanics Hall and Worcester Art Museum’s Flora in Winter. Highlights of past seasons include: Performances at Carnegie Hall (2015 and 2017); Concert tours to New Orleans\, LA (2016) and Canada (2018); Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion with the Worcester Chorus; Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem with several choruses in Central Massachusetts; James MacMillan’s Passion According to Saint Luke with WPI and Trinity Lutheran Church; and collaborations with several other area choruses and orchestras.\n \n \n \n \n \n Pamela Mindell\, Artistic Director (Worcester Children's Chorus)\n Pamela Mindell is Artistic Director of the Worcester Children’s Chorus\, where she directs the Bel Canto and Cantare ensembles. Under her direction\, the WCC singers have performed at Carnegie Hall in both 2015 and 2017 and have toured to New Orleans and Canada. In addition to her work with WCC\, Pamela is also Music Director of the Cambridge Community Chorus\, an adult chorus with 120 members. She has served on the faculties of Smith College\, Clark University\, and College of the Holy Cross. During her tenure\, the Holy Cross choirs traveled to Italy and Spain\, as well as throughout the Northeastern United States\, singing in such venues as Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. Other performance highlights include a concert of Sacred Latin American music with renowned soprano Dawn Upshaw\, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Pasion segun San Marco\, as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. Pamela served as Artistic Director of the Hotchkiss Summer Portals Vocal Chamber Program (CT) for high school singers for ten years. She has been active as guest conductor and adjudicator throughout New England. \n\nAs a soprano\, Pamela has performed in several recitals with mezzo-soprano Justina Golden. She has sung with The Boston Secession and Emmanuel Music in Boston. Pamela holds a doctorate in Choral Conducting from Yale University\, a master’s degree in Music Education with Kodàly Certification from The Hartt School\, and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Princeton University. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Janinah Burnett\, Soprano Soloist\n Raised in jazz music\, Janinah Burnett is the daughter of legendary jazz drummer Carl Burnett and writer/educator/artist Imani Constance. As a child\, Janinah was surrounded by Horace Silver\, Freddie Hubbard\, Eddie Harris\, Nancy Wilson\, George Cables\, Billy Higgins\, and many others who inspired her early musical beginnings. This innovative and exceptionally artistic beginning led to a myriad of musical activities throughout Janinah’s formative years. While in school at the Hamilton Music Academy in Los Angeles\, Janinah won the solo vocal jazz competition at Cal State Fullerton\, propelling her desire to serve her artistic muse and study vocal jazz music at Spelman College. Never wishing to be limited to any one genre\, Janinah was clear she wanted to be able use her voice to sing all styles. During her time at Spelman\, Janinah continued her jazz studies and was a member of the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble. Janinah participated in a host of private events and engagements including singing for Margaret Thatcher\, several performances with the Atlanta Symphony\, singing with the great Ray Charles\, and at a private birthday party celebration for Oprah Winfrey at the home of Maya Angelou. However\, she was intrigued and inspired by her classmates who excelled in classical music styles\, most specifically Art Song\, Sprituals\, and Opera. Her classmates’ excellence\, inspiration from role models of color who excelled in the field of classical music\, and many singing and performance opportunities allowed Janinah to get well acquainted with varying classical music styles. This encouraged Janinah to take the path toward Art Song and Opera. Janinah continued her music studies at the Eastman School of Music where she received a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance and Literature. Janinah’s experiences and opportunities while at Eastman were riveting. While there\, she studied with accomplished musicians who guided and instructed her immensely. Each summer while at Eastman\, Janinah studied Italian at the Centro Studi Di Italiani in Urbania as a participant in the Oberlin in Italy program. In the program she not only learned Italian but had many study and performance opportunities in opera. Her second year in Urbania\, Janinah learned and performed the role of Violetta in La Traviata with orchestra in two large opera houses. \nAnother major role Janinah learned and performed at Eastman was the role of Mimì in La Bohème. Directly following those performances and upon graduation from Eastman\, Janinah joined the cast of Baz Lurhmann’s La Bohème on Broadway as Mimì and thrilled audiences. Several exciting events occurred as a result of this show including her performances on the Tony Awards\, performances at esteemed events for Prada and Tiffany’s\, and her win of the LA Theater Alliance’s Ovation Award\, to name a few. Janinah was even featured in the National Enquirer! \nDirectly after the whirlwind that was La Bohème on Broadway\, Janinah joined an International tour of Porgy and Bess as Clara and Bess. On this tour she sang in several major opera houses in Austria\, Japan\, Italy\, Germany\, Sweden\, Denmark. Upon returning to the US\, Janinah sang the following leading roles: Violetta in La Traviata\, Donna Anna and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni\, Norina in Don Pasquale\, Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi\, Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier\, Margru in Amistad\, Marguerite in Faust\, Leïla in Les Pecheurs de Perles\, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte\, Micaëla in Carmen\, Suzanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro\, Mimì in La Bohème\, and many others in over 25 international and domestic cites. \nJaninah’s brilliant technique and exceptional character interpretations led her to join the Metropolitan Opera Company for their productions of Carmen\, La Bohème\, Parsifal\, Le Nozze di Figaro\, La Rondine\, The Enchanted Island\, Iphigénie en Tauride\, Elektra\, and Manon. Janinah made her MET debut as Bianca in La Rondine and spent eight seasons singing at the MET. During this time\, Janinah performed with the likes of Plácido Domingo\, Susan Graham\, Paul Groves\, Angela Georgiu\, Roberto Alagna\, Dwayne Croft\, Samuel Ramey\, Jonas Kaufmann\, Ramón Vargus\, and many others. Also during this time\, Janinah sang the role of Lucy in Treemonisha with Grace Bumbry and Willard White. She also sang Leila in John Adams’ I was Looking at the Ceiling and Suddenly Saw the Sky\, both productions were performed at the Théatre du Châtélet in Paris which were huge successes featuring people of color and dealing with controversial socio-political themes. \nBuilding a career as a successful\, consistently working artist\, Janinah was called upon for many world premiers. The first being Three Mo’ Divas\, sister group to Three Mo’ Tenors\, in which she worked with the virtuosic pianist/producer/arranger Joseph Joubert. Janinah originated the role of “Diva” and enjoyed performing genres that inspired and influenced her\, including jazz and R&B. This foray into theater was more intimate and called for dancing and acting di erent from opera\, a challenge Janinah rose to meet. Her subsequent world premier presentation was starring as “Harriet Tubman” in Nkeiru Okoye’s opera Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed that Road to Freedom presented by American Opera Projects. \nAdditionally\, Janinah recreated the role of “Lolo\, the VooDoo Queen” in Harlem Renaissance composer Harry Lawrence Freeman’s revival of VooDoo to much acclaim\, earning her a glowing The New York Times review and feature. Janinah was also featured on the cover of the Arts Section of The Washington Post. Janinah is in high demand and has recently returned to Broadway\, where her professional career began. She is currently making appearances as “Carlotta Giudicelli” and “the Innkeeper’s Wife” in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Working on Phantom has been a welcomed gift allowing Janinah to make her home in NYC and focus on creative musical projects near and dear to her heart. Janinah currently produces her own solo concerts of diverse vocal styles. These diverse vocal stylings are presented on her debut album entitled Love the Color of Your Butterfly. Love the Color of Your Butterfly is a foray into the fusion of classical\, jazz\, and other popular idioms delivered with exceptional musicianship and emotional authenticity. This presentation of musical literature is reimagined by Janinah with the assistance of some of the world’s finest jazz musicians including Sullivan Fortner\, Christian Sands\, Casey Benjamin\, and Terreon Gully who produced the album. \nAdditionally\, Janinah produces performances of her own writings juxtaposed with photography\, art songs\, freedom songs\, and spirituals entitled I\, Too Sing America: A Lament for the Fallen which exists to provide quality performances rooted in education\, activism\, committed artistic expression\, and healing while honoring those who have been killed due to social injustice. Janinah’s artistry is far reaching and while she is moved to present the music of the past and present in innovative artful ways\, she is also inspired to assist the future generations of singing artists. In her vocal studio La Janinah Voice Studio she privately teaches some of today’s rising singing stars and regularly presents masterclasses to students at colleges across the US. www.janinahburnett.com \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Albert Lee\, Tenor Soloist\n A native of New Haven\, Dr. Albert Lee was previously on the faculty at the University of Nevada\, Reno\, where he was associate professor of voice and opera and served as faculty adviser to the Black Student Organization and the Phi Beta chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. At the University of Nevada\, Reno\, he was also chair of the Faculty Diversity Committee and a member of the Academic Honesty and Conduct Review Board and the Chief Diversity Officer Advisory Board. \nLee has delivered lectures on American Art Song: Reframing and Reforming the Canon and The Musical Legacy of Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance at prestigious institutions throughout the United States\, and\, at the University of Nevada\, Reno\, in 2017\, gave a compelling TEDx presentation titled When I Sing the Anthem. His essay “All You Have Gotten is Tokenism” was published in Prejudice\, Stigma\, Privilege\, and Oppression: A Behavioral Health Handbook (Springer International Publishing\, 2020). \nA classically trained vocalist\, Lee has performed with such celebrated ensembles as the Cincinnati Opera\, Opera Las Vegas\, Opera Steamboat\, Palm Beach Opera\, and Philadelphia Orchestra. He appears as a soloist on Sinfonia da Camera’s 2013 recording\, on Albany Records\, of George Walker’s Lilacs\, for voice and orchestra\, which won the composer the 1996 Pulitzer Prize\, and has recorded with the American Spiritual Ensemble and the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh. \nAt the Yale School of Music\, Lee teaches in the academic-studies area and serves as Director of Equity\, Belonging\, and Student Life—­contributing to the development of the curriculum\, creating initiatives for students\, faculty\, and staff\, and overseeing student participation on University committees and in affinity groups and student government. \nLee earned his bachelor-of-music degree cum laude from the University of Connecticut\, his master-of-music degree from The Juilliard School\, and his doctor-of-music degree from Florida State University\, where his doctoral treatise examined The Poetic Voice of Langston Hughes in American Art Song.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n PROGRAM\n Verdi\, Overture (La forza del destino)Mascagni\, Easter Hymn (Cavalleria Rusticana)Bizet\, Habanera (Carmen)Bizet\, March of the Toreadors (Carmen)Verdi\, Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Nabucco)Verdi\, Anvil Chorus (Il trovatore)Verdi\, Brindisi (La traviata)Puccini\, Humming Chorus (Madama Butterfly)Wagner\, Bridal Chorus (Lohengrin)Walker\, Lilacs (Lilacs for voice & orchestra)Okoye\, Arias (Harriet Tubman)Humperdinck\, Evening Prayer (Hansel and Gretel)Handel\, Ombra mai fu (Xerxes) \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Joyce Tamer\, Telegram & Gazette\n The Worcester Chorus is truly a local gem. URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/opera/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:choral,classical,worcester_chorus_only ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/chorus-3-slide-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230218T200000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230218T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152512 CREATED:20220616T214303Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230214T145924Z UID:10000108-1676750400-1676757600@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Handel + Haydn Society DESCRIPTION:Adult: $35-$49 • Student: $17.50 • Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Handel + Haydn Society\n Boston’s Grammy-winning Handel and Haydn Society performs Baroque and Classical music with a freshness\, a vitality\, and a creativity that inspires all ages. H+H has been captivating audiences for 207 consecutive seasons (the most of any performing arts organization in the United States)\, speaking to its singular success at converting new audiences to this extraordinary music\, generation after generation. \nH+H performed the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s Messiah in its first concert in 1815\, gave the American premiere in 1818\, and ever since has been both a musical and a civic leader in the Boston community. During the Civil War\, H+H gave numerous concerts in support of the Union Army (H+H member Julia Ward Howe wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”) and on January 1\, 1863\, H+H performed at the Grand Jubilee Concert celebrating the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Two years later\, H+H performed at the memorial service for Abraham Lincoln. \nToday\, H+H’s Orchestra and Chorus delight more than 50\,000 listeners annually with a nine-week subscription series at Symphony Hall and other leading venues. Through the Karen S. and George D. Levy Education Program\, H+H supports seven youth choirs of singers in grades 2–12\, and provides thousands of complimentary tickets to students and communities throughout Boston\, ensuring the joy of music is accessible to all. H+H’s numerous free community concerts include an annual commemoration of the original 1863 Emancipation Proclamation concert on December 31 of every year\, in collaboration with the  Museum of African American History. H+H has released 15 CDs on the CORO label and has toured nationally and internationally. In all these ways\, H+H fulfills its mission to inspire the intellect\, touch the heart\, elevate the soul\, and connect all of us with our shared humanity through transformative experiences with Baroque and Classical music. \n  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Bach Brandenburg Concertos \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Pre-Concert Lecture\n Music Fit for a Margrave — a pre-concert lecture from Dr. Chris Shepard7:15-7:45PM in Washburn Hall (2nd floor of Mechanics Hall)Free entry for all ticket buyers \nDirector of The Worcester Chorus and Bach scholar Dr. Chris Shepard will deliver a pre-concert lecture on the program at 7:15PM in Washburn Hall on the 2nd floor of Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Aaron Keebaugh\, Boston Classical Review\n …the period-instrument orchestra’s accompaniment was marked by the full Baroque power and sensitivity one has come to expect from H+H… \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Handel + Haydn Society\nEnjoy Handel + Haydn Society’s full collection of live performance videos and more on his YouTube channel: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/handel-haydn/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,ensemble,orchestral ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/new-hh-slide.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230217T200000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230217T220000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152512 CREATED:20220616T214039Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221107T181150Z UID:10000107-1676664000-1676671200@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Czech National Symphony Orchestra DESCRIPTION:Adult: $45-$65 • Student: $17.50 • Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers choose their own assigned seats for this presentation at Mechanics Hall. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Czech National Symphony Orchestra\n Performing and continuously growing for 26 years\, the CNSO has earned an enviable reputation among both Czech and Europe’s top symphonic ensembles. Renowned for its versatility\, the orchestra annually presents a broad programme ranging from classical music concerts to contemporary genres\, film scores\, jazz and musicals. \nSince 2005 the Czech National Symphony Orchestra has also organised the summer Prague Proms Festival\, which with its impressive array of prominent international performers\, appeals to a diverse audience year in year out. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n Brahms Violin ConcertoBeethoven Symphony No. 7 \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Steven Mercurio\, conductor\n \nSteven Mercurio is a versatile\, esteemed conductor and arranger with experience from the MET as well as the world of jazz and pop. He has collaborated with Sting\, Murray F. Abraham as well as the Prague Proms 2018 along with the ČNSO and Chick Corea. \n \n \n \n \n \n Robert McDuffie\, violin\n \nGrammy-nominated violinist Robert McDuffie enjoys a dynamic and multifaceted career. In addition to appearing as soloist with the world’s foremost orchestras on five continents\, he has shared the stage with Rolling Stones pianist Chuck Leavell and the late Gregg Allman in Midnight Rider\, and with actress and playwright Anna Deavere Smith in Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. Philip Glass dedicated his Second Violin Concerto\, The American Four Seasons\, to Mr. McDuffie and he has performed it more than 100 times around the world. Mike Mills of the iconic band R.E.M. composed his Concerto for Violin\, Rock Band\, and String Orchestra for him. Mr. McDuffie has been performing both works throughout the United States and abroad and has recorded them on the Orange Mountain Music Label. His discography also includes acclaimed recordings on Telarc and EMI. \nThis season\, a performance of A Night of Georgia Music with Mike Mills\, Chuck Leavell\, rock band and the McDuffie Center for Strings ensemble was recorded live for broadcast on PBS stations around the country. His newest recording\, Icons\, with pianist Elizabeth Pridgen\, features sonatas of Philip Glass and John Corigliano as well as John Adams’ Road Movies\, and will be released this Fall. Also this season\, he will perform the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Munich Symphony on a 15-city U.S. tour\, including Carnegie Hall.  \nRobert McDuffie is the founder of the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy\, where he was awarded the Premio Simpatia by the mayor of Rome and the Premio delle Muse in Florence. He is the founder of the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in his hometown of Macon\, Georgia. \nMr. McDuffie plays a 1735 Guarneri del Gesù violin\, the “Ladenburg\,” which is owned by a limited partnership formed by Mr. McDuffie.  \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Czech National Symphony Orchestra\nEnjoy The Czech national Symphony Orchestra’s full collection of live performance videos and more on YouTube: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/cnso/ LOCATION:Mechanics Hall\, 321 Main Street\, Worcester\, Massachusetts\, 01608 CATEGORIES:classical,orchestral ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/cnso-slide-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20230212T160000 DTEND;TZID=UTC:20230212T173000 DTSTAMP:20240328T152512 CREATED:20220616T214005Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230109T145246Z UID:10000106-1676217600-1676223000@www.musicworcester.org SUMMARY:Katharine Dain\, Soprano DESCRIPTION:Adult: $49 • Student: $17.50 • Youth (18 & under): $7.50\n \n \n \n Buy Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n Buyers may claim general admission seating on a first-come-first-served basis.  \n \n \n \n \n \n RAZZO HALL AT CLARK UNIVERSITY\n \n \n \n \n \n 92 Downing St\, Worcester\, MA \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Katharine Dain\n Soprano Katharine Dain performs opera\, chamber music\, orchestral repertoire\, and oratorio on international stages. She is also a writer\, a curator of unusual programs\, and a probing collaborator on artistic projects of many kinds. \nHer lockdown disc Regards sur l’Infini with pianist Sam Armstrong\, featuring works of Messiaen\, Debussy\, and others\, won the 2021 Edison Klassiek for Best Debut Recording. Since its release\, it has been lavishly praised in the press: “fearless … beautifully controlled … exquisite” (Gramophone); “a stunning album … ecstatic pianism\, stratospheric outbursts\, sultry sighs and pure beauty … breathtaking” (NRC). \nHighlights of her 2021-22 season included the premiere of collectively-created production with the Dutch National Opera titled I Have Missed You Forever\, a tour of Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor with the Orchestra of the 18th Century under Kenneth Montgomery\, a Kaija Saariaho’s Emilie-Suite with the Tapiola Sinfonietta (who subsequently invited her to be their 2022-23 Artist-in-Residence)\, and Bach’s Matthäus-Passion with both the Rotterdam Philharmonic under Jan-Willem de Vriend and the Nederlands Kamerorkest under Jonathan Cohen. \nIn recent seasons\, Katharine has sung Mozart’s Die Entführung aus dem Serail (Konstanze) and Don Giovanni (Donna Anna) in the Netherlands\, Belgium\, France\, Hungary\, and Ecuador\, concert works and song cycles with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra\, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra\, and many others\, and chamber music and recitals at festivals throughout Europe. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Program\n With Sam Armstrong\, piano \n \nW. A. Mozart | Sei du mein Trost\, Als Luise die Briefe\, Abendempfindung \nClaude Debussy | Le jet d’eau\, Harmonie du soir  \nFrancis Poulenc | Métamorphoses  \nDebussy | Recueillement\, Harmonie du soir \nSamuel Barber | Promiscuity\, A nun takes the veil\, Secrets of the old\, Sure on this shining night\, Nocturne \nLili Boulanger | Clairières dans le ciel \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Dominy Clements\, MusicWeb International\n Katharine Dain is perfection itself. Her tone is light byt not insubstantial\, expressive and colourful\, with a natural vibrato that you can listen to forever. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ON Youtube \n \n \n \n \n \n Katharine Dain\nEnjoy Katharine Dain’s full collection of live performance videos and more on her YouTube channel: \n \n More on YouTube URL:https://www.musicworcester.org/event/katharine-dain/ LOCATION:Razzo Hall at Clark University\, 92 Downing St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:classical ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.musicworcester.org/wp-content/uploads/kd-new-slide.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR