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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 12, 2021
CONTACT: Bob Peskin, Minnesota Chorale
612.455.2298
Minnesota Chorale and Border CrosSing to Receive $25,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN—The Minnesota Chorale and Border CrosSing have been approved for a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support a new concert series,
“Reimagining the Choral Canon.” The series seeks to reimagine and reframe the established choral canon by amplifying the voices of artists of color. This joint program of the Chorale and Border CrosSing is among the more than 1,100 projects across America totaling nearly $27 million that were selected during the second round of the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2021 funding.
“We are thrilled to have received an NEA grant to help launch our ‘Reimagining the Choral Canon’ concert series,” said Minnesota Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey. “We look forward to exploring new directions in programming in collaboration with Border CrosSing and each of our guest conductors.”
“I am very excited for the opportunity to learn from four amazing colleagues and friends, and for our ensembles to experience these guest conductors’ leadership and energy,” said Border CrosSing founding director Ahmed Anzaldúa.
The concert experiences will be curated and directed over two seasons by four acclaimed conductors of color: Alexander Lloyd Blake, Anaida Carquez, Adrian Davis, and Anthony Trecek-King, who have distinguished themselves for their commitment to innovative programming, social justice issues, and community building. The series, to be performed in the Twin Cities, is intended to broaden the scope of repertoire presented by these two ensembles, while amplifying the voices of artists of racial and cultural identities that have been historically marginalized on the concert stage.
Conductor biographies:
Alexander Lloyd Blake (Los Angeles, CA) was recently named one of Musical America’s 30 Professionals of the Year. The annual report recognizes performing arts professionals who make significant contributions to the vitality of the performing arts world. Blake was also awarded Chorus America's 2021 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal for his work as director of the choral group Tonality, which he founded in 2016 while completing his DMA at USC Thornton. The group performs works about social justice issues, with the mission to promote unity and equity, and advance underrepresented voices in the genre. In addition to his work with Tonality, Blake has made his mark through a number of other accomplishments. Since his time at USC Thornton, he has held numerous positions, including Director of Classical Choirs at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and Principal Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus. As a singer, he has also sung for films such as “Us” and “The Lion King,” and has served as conductor and vocal contractor for three new film projects releasing this year.
Anaida Carquez (Miami, FL) is a Venezuelan choral conductor and vocal coach with an M.A. in Arts Management from Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. She studied choral conducting with internationally-acclaimed conductor María Guinand. As Vocal Coach and Assistant Conductor of the renowned Cantoría Alberto Grau and Schola Cantorum de Venezuela choirs, she was part of multiple concert tours of Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and the USA. Nominated for Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, Carquez also served on the staff of the Music to Grow Project, which uses music as a tool for social action and integration in Latin America. She was the founding conductor of “Coro Municipal El Hatillo” in Caracas, Venezuela, a mixed community ensemble that promotes music education in Venezuelan communities with limited resources. Carquez moved to the United States in 2016 and became the musical and artistic director of Amazonia Vocal Ensemble, an institution dedicated primarily to the performance, promotion, education and preservation of Latin American choral music.
Adrian Davis (Minneapolis, MN) received his M.M. in music education from the University of Saint Thomas and began his professional teaching career in 2000. His ensembles have been active performers in the Twin Cities community, and have received excellent and superior ratings in state, regional, and national festivals. Davis was a quarterfinalist in the Grammy Music Educator of the Year in 2014 and 2016, and was featured on Classical MPR in January 2014 for excellence in music education. He was also selected as a top educator in the Celebration of Teachers for Minneapolis Public Schools in 2016. Since establishing the music department at Roosevelt H.S. in 2013, he leads two choirs and a drumline ensemble there, and teaches classes in world music & music technology. He is an active musician and producer and has performed and recorded with artists across the United States and around the world. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in music education at the University of Minnesota, where he leads the University Gospel Choir.
Anthony Trecek-King (Boston, MA) has cultivated an international reputation as a choral conductor, scholar, pedagogue, and media personality. He is passionate about cultivating artistically excellent ensembles that explore socially relevant issues through emotionally immersive programs. Ensembles under his direction have worked with projects that have won a Pulitzer Prize, received a Grammy, and earned the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (Boston Children’s Chorus). He has worked with a variety of artists and ensembles including Leslie Odom Jr., Seraphic Fire, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Gil Rose, Simon Halsey, and Yo Yo Ma. He can be seen on-air on the WGBH television series "Sing That Thing." He holds a B.M. in Cello Performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, an M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from Florida State University, and a D.M.A. in Choral
Conducting from Boston University. He was recently appointed the Director of Choral Activities at Hartt School of Music.
For more information on the projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
More about the Minnesota Chorale: https://www.mnchorale.org/
More about Border CrosSing: https://bordercrossingmn.org/
# # #
DATE: May 12, 2021
CONTACT: Bob Peskin, Minnesota Chorale
612.455.2298
Minnesota Chorale and Border CrosSing to Receive $25,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts
Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN—The Minnesota Chorale and Border CrosSing have been approved for a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support a new concert series,
“Reimagining the Choral Canon.” The series seeks to reimagine and reframe the established choral canon by amplifying the voices of artists of color. This joint program of the Chorale and Border CrosSing is among the more than 1,100 projects across America totaling nearly $27 million that were selected during the second round of the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects fiscal year 2021 funding.
“We are thrilled to have received an NEA grant to help launch our ‘Reimagining the Choral Canon’ concert series,” said Minnesota Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey. “We look forward to exploring new directions in programming in collaboration with Border CrosSing and each of our guest conductors.”
“I am very excited for the opportunity to learn from four amazing colleagues and friends, and for our ensembles to experience these guest conductors’ leadership and energy,” said Border CrosSing founding director Ahmed Anzaldúa.
The concert experiences will be curated and directed over two seasons by four acclaimed conductors of color: Alexander Lloyd Blake, Anaida Carquez, Adrian Davis, and Anthony Trecek-King, who have distinguished themselves for their commitment to innovative programming, social justice issues, and community building. The series, to be performed in the Twin Cities, is intended to broaden the scope of repertoire presented by these two ensembles, while amplifying the voices of artists of racial and cultural identities that have been historically marginalized on the concert stage.
Conductor biographies:
Alexander Lloyd Blake (Los Angeles, CA) was recently named one of Musical America’s 30 Professionals of the Year. The annual report recognizes performing arts professionals who make significant contributions to the vitality of the performing arts world. Blake was also awarded Chorus America's 2021 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal for his work as director of the choral group Tonality, which he founded in 2016 while completing his DMA at USC Thornton. The group performs works about social justice issues, with the mission to promote unity and equity, and advance underrepresented voices in the genre. In addition to his work with Tonality, Blake has made his mark through a number of other accomplishments. Since his time at USC Thornton, he has held numerous positions, including Director of Classical Choirs at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and Principal Associate Conductor of the National Children’s Chorus. As a singer, he has also sung for films such as “Us” and “The Lion King,” and has served as conductor and vocal contractor for three new film projects releasing this year.
Anaida Carquez (Miami, FL) is a Venezuelan choral conductor and vocal coach with an M.A. in Arts Management from Universidad de Salamanca, Spain. She studied choral conducting with internationally-acclaimed conductor María Guinand. As Vocal Coach and Assistant Conductor of the renowned Cantoría Alberto Grau and Schola Cantorum de Venezuela choirs, she was part of multiple concert tours of Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and the USA. Nominated for Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards, Carquez also served on the staff of the Music to Grow Project, which uses music as a tool for social action and integration in Latin America. She was the founding conductor of “Coro Municipal El Hatillo” in Caracas, Venezuela, a mixed community ensemble that promotes music education in Venezuelan communities with limited resources. Carquez moved to the United States in 2016 and became the musical and artistic director of Amazonia Vocal Ensemble, an institution dedicated primarily to the performance, promotion, education and preservation of Latin American choral music.
Adrian Davis (Minneapolis, MN) received his M.M. in music education from the University of Saint Thomas and began his professional teaching career in 2000. His ensembles have been active performers in the Twin Cities community, and have received excellent and superior ratings in state, regional, and national festivals. Davis was a quarterfinalist in the Grammy Music Educator of the Year in 2014 and 2016, and was featured on Classical MPR in January 2014 for excellence in music education. He was also selected as a top educator in the Celebration of Teachers for Minneapolis Public Schools in 2016. Since establishing the music department at Roosevelt H.S. in 2013, he leads two choirs and a drumline ensemble there, and teaches classes in world music & music technology. He is an active musician and producer and has performed and recorded with artists across the United States and around the world. He is currently completing his Ph.D. in music education at the University of Minnesota, where he leads the University Gospel Choir.
Anthony Trecek-King (Boston, MA) has cultivated an international reputation as a choral conductor, scholar, pedagogue, and media personality. He is passionate about cultivating artistically excellent ensembles that explore socially relevant issues through emotionally immersive programs. Ensembles under his direction have worked with projects that have won a Pulitzer Prize, received a Grammy, and earned the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award (Boston Children’s Chorus). He has worked with a variety of artists and ensembles including Leslie Odom Jr., Seraphic Fire, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Gil Rose, Simon Halsey, and Yo Yo Ma. He can be seen on-air on the WGBH television series "Sing That Thing." He holds a B.M. in Cello Performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, an M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from Florida State University, and a D.M.A. in Choral
Conducting from Boston University. He was recently appointed the Director of Choral Activities at Hartt School of Music.
For more information on the projects included in the Arts Endowment grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.
More about the Minnesota Chorale: https://www.mnchorale.org/
More about Border CrosSing: https://bordercrossingmn.org/
# # #
MINNESOTA CHORALE ANNOUNCES 2019-20 CONCERT SEASON
“Journey With Us”
Minneapolis, August 20, 2019. The Minnesota Chorale announces details for the organization’s 48th concert season, which includes a full slate of concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, self-produced concerts with a range of artistic partners, and performances featuring all the Minnesota Chorale’s choirs: symphonic, youth, and senior.
Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey is enthusiastic about the upcoming season:
"We invite audiences with us on a journey of discovery. The coming season promises to be one of our most adventurous ever, highlighting both the versatility of the Minnesota Chorale and our passionate commitment to community, education, and collaboration.”
The season commences with the Chorale’s award-winning Bridges program. In September and October, singers in the Chorale’s family of choirs rehearse with singers from neighborhoods around the city of Minneapolis, in preparation for the October 5th Bridges concert, A Million Dreams in Minneapolis. Planned events include an afternoon youth choir concert and an evening concert for combined choirs, including the South African vocal ensemble 29:11, the Minnesota State Baptist Convention youth and adult choirs, and youth and adult singers from Bethlehem Baptist Church in downtown Minneapolis, which plays host to the concerts.
In November, the Chorale welcomes singers from the Gauteng Choristers, the South African choir with whom the Chorale shared concert stages in Johannesburg and Soweto in the summer of 2018. To complete this choral exchange, singers from both choirs and 29:11 will join forces with the Minnesota Orchestra November 14 – 16 to perform the Ralph Vaughan Williams musical plea for peace, Dona Nobis Pacem, with soloists Goitsemang Lehobye and Dashon Burton, under the direction of orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä.
In December, the Chorale renews its concert presentations of Handel’s Messiah, with the Minnesota Orchestra led by conductor Nicholas Kraemer. The concerts, featuring the complete version of the oratorio, take place on December 6 and 7, at Orchestra Hall.
The Chorale’s annual Messiah Sing is set for Sunday, December 8, with organist Dr. Lynn Trapp, at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis. This popular offering, which typically attracts a crowd of nearly a thousand singers, has become a beloved holiday tradition in the Twin Cities.
An encore performance of the bilingual Spanish/English version of Handel’s Messiah / El Mesías with Border CrosSing is set for December 13 and 14, at Border CrosSing’s St. Paul home, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the city’s West Side, and at Church of the Ascension in Minneapolis. Ariel Ramirez’s Nuestra Natividad is woven into selections from the Handel, with a rich combination of Latin American music and instrumentation.
On December 21 and 22, the Chorale joins the Minnesota Orchestra for live screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life, the beloved holiday classic film starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. The musical forces performing the soundtrack of the film will be led by Sarah Hicks, the orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall.
January features a renewal of the Chorale’s participation in Minnesota Dance Theatre’s presentation of Carmina Burana, at the Cowles Center for Dance, on the weekend of January 17-19, 2020. With dancers and singers dramatically intermingled onstage, this electrifying production has become a staple in MDT’s repertoire.
The Chorale’s annual gala, set for Saturday, February 29, 2020, is a showcase of the Chorale’s family of choirs, with performances by the Minnesota Chorale, the Minneapolis Youth Chorus, Prelude Children’s Choir, and the Voices of Experience senior choir. The gala takes place in Westminster Hall at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Funds raised at the gala support the Chorale’s education and community engagement programs.
In March, the Chorale joins the Bach Society of Minnesota for two concerts featuring the music of Bach and Handel. The centerpiece of the concert is the Handel oratorio, The Triumph of Time and Truth. Choral and instrumental forces will be led by Bach Society artistic director Matthias Maute. Performances are scheduled for Friday, March 13 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, and Saturday, March 14 at Summit Center for the Arts in St. Paul.
The season concludes with a concert of works by two giants of 20th century music, Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff: Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, and Rachmaninoff’s setting of Three Russian Folksongs for chorus and orchestra. The Chorale partners with the Minnesota Orchestra for these concerts, under the direction of Osmo Vänskä. Performances take place on May 14, 15 and 16 at Orchestra Hall.
Tickets to Chorale performances with the Minnesota Orchestra are available at the orchestra’s website, minnesotaorchestra.org, or by calling the Orchestra Hall box office: 612.371.5656
Tickets for the March concerts with the Bach Society of Minnesota are available at BSM’s website, bachsocietymn.org, or by phone at 612.440.6219
Concerts produced by the Chorale are presented as free-will/pay-what-you-can events.
More about the Minnesota Chorale: mnchorale.org/aboutus
Link to Romey bio: mnchorale.org/artistic-staff
-end-
“Journey With Us”
Minneapolis, August 20, 2019. The Minnesota Chorale announces details for the organization’s 48th concert season, which includes a full slate of concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, self-produced concerts with a range of artistic partners, and performances featuring all the Minnesota Chorale’s choirs: symphonic, youth, and senior.
Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey is enthusiastic about the upcoming season:
"We invite audiences with us on a journey of discovery. The coming season promises to be one of our most adventurous ever, highlighting both the versatility of the Minnesota Chorale and our passionate commitment to community, education, and collaboration.”
The season commences with the Chorale’s award-winning Bridges program. In September and October, singers in the Chorale’s family of choirs rehearse with singers from neighborhoods around the city of Minneapolis, in preparation for the October 5th Bridges concert, A Million Dreams in Minneapolis. Planned events include an afternoon youth choir concert and an evening concert for combined choirs, including the South African vocal ensemble 29:11, the Minnesota State Baptist Convention youth and adult choirs, and youth and adult singers from Bethlehem Baptist Church in downtown Minneapolis, which plays host to the concerts.
In November, the Chorale welcomes singers from the Gauteng Choristers, the South African choir with whom the Chorale shared concert stages in Johannesburg and Soweto in the summer of 2018. To complete this choral exchange, singers from both choirs and 29:11 will join forces with the Minnesota Orchestra November 14 – 16 to perform the Ralph Vaughan Williams musical plea for peace, Dona Nobis Pacem, with soloists Goitsemang Lehobye and Dashon Burton, under the direction of orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä.
In December, the Chorale renews its concert presentations of Handel’s Messiah, with the Minnesota Orchestra led by conductor Nicholas Kraemer. The concerts, featuring the complete version of the oratorio, take place on December 6 and 7, at Orchestra Hall.
The Chorale’s annual Messiah Sing is set for Sunday, December 8, with organist Dr. Lynn Trapp, at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis. This popular offering, which typically attracts a crowd of nearly a thousand singers, has become a beloved holiday tradition in the Twin Cities.
An encore performance of the bilingual Spanish/English version of Handel’s Messiah / El Mesías with Border CrosSing is set for December 13 and 14, at Border CrosSing’s St. Paul home, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the city’s West Side, and at Church of the Ascension in Minneapolis. Ariel Ramirez’s Nuestra Natividad is woven into selections from the Handel, with a rich combination of Latin American music and instrumentation.
On December 21 and 22, the Chorale joins the Minnesota Orchestra for live screenings of It’s a Wonderful Life, the beloved holiday classic film starring James Stewart and Donna Reed. The musical forces performing the soundtrack of the film will be led by Sarah Hicks, the orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall.
January features a renewal of the Chorale’s participation in Minnesota Dance Theatre’s presentation of Carmina Burana, at the Cowles Center for Dance, on the weekend of January 17-19, 2020. With dancers and singers dramatically intermingled onstage, this electrifying production has become a staple in MDT’s repertoire.
The Chorale’s annual gala, set for Saturday, February 29, 2020, is a showcase of the Chorale’s family of choirs, with performances by the Minnesota Chorale, the Minneapolis Youth Chorus, Prelude Children’s Choir, and the Voices of Experience senior choir. The gala takes place in Westminster Hall at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Funds raised at the gala support the Chorale’s education and community engagement programs.
In March, the Chorale joins the Bach Society of Minnesota for two concerts featuring the music of Bach and Handel. The centerpiece of the concert is the Handel oratorio, The Triumph of Time and Truth. Choral and instrumental forces will be led by Bach Society artistic director Matthias Maute. Performances are scheduled for Friday, March 13 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, and Saturday, March 14 at Summit Center for the Arts in St. Paul.
The season concludes with a concert of works by two giants of 20th century music, Igor Stravinsky and Sergei Rachmaninoff: Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, and Rachmaninoff’s setting of Three Russian Folksongs for chorus and orchestra. The Chorale partners with the Minnesota Orchestra for these concerts, under the direction of Osmo Vänskä. Performances take place on May 14, 15 and 16 at Orchestra Hall.
Tickets to Chorale performances with the Minnesota Orchestra are available at the orchestra’s website, minnesotaorchestra.org, or by calling the Orchestra Hall box office: 612.371.5656
Tickets for the March concerts with the Bach Society of Minnesota are available at BSM’s website, bachsocietymn.org, or by phone at 612.440.6219
Concerts produced by the Chorale are presented as free-will/pay-what-you-can events.
More about the Minnesota Chorale: mnchorale.org/aboutus
Link to Romey bio: mnchorale.org/artistic-staff
-end-
MINNESOTA CHORALE ANNOUNCES 2018-19 CONCERT SEASON
“Adventure Awaits”
Minneapolis, July 19, 2018. The Minnesota Chorale announced details for the organization’s 47th concert season, which will include a full slate of concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, a world premiere, self-produced concerts with a range of artistic partners, and several performances featuring the entire family of the Minnesota Chorale’s symphonic, youth and senior choirs. Through all of these initiatives, the Chorale celebrates invention, innovation and diversity, from daVinci, to Bach, to Mandela, to contributions of immigrants, to film, to dance, to new works, to modern technology.
Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey noted with enthusiasm the upcoming season:
"We are tremendously excited about the diversity of musical styles, repertoire, and performance experiences featured in our 2018-19 season. It is a year which highlights not just the versatility of the Minnesota Chorale but also our passionate commitment to community, education, and collaboration.”
The season commences with a pair of Orchestra Hall concerts in July to kick off the Chorale’s performance tour of South Africa with the Minnesota Orchestra the following month. The July 20 “Celebrating Mandela at 100” and the July 21 performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, both led by Minnesota Orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä, will include the tour repertoire, and will be performed with 29:11, the South Africa-based vocal/instrumental ensemble.
Following the tour (August 11 to 20), the women of the Chorale will return to Orchestra Hall to lend their voices to the cosmic sounds of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, in performances on September 27, 28, and 29 with the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Osmo Vänskä.
On October 26, 27 and 28, the Chorale will join the Minnesota Orchestra at the Minneapolis Convention Center for a live screening of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third and final film in the series that was scored by John Williams. The musical forces performing the soundtrack of the film will be led by Sarah Hicks, the orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall.
The Chorale’s annual Bridges community engagement concert, set for Saturday evening November 10 at Roseville Lutheran Church, will include the Chorale’s Minneapolis Youth Chorus and Voices of Experience senior choir. The program, featuring music of Minnesota composers, continues the Chorale’s partnership with the International Institute of Minnesota, and celebrates Minnesota as home to people from around the globe. The performers will be led by conductors Kathy Saltzman Romey, Patrice Arasim, and Jerry Rubino.
After last season’s acclaimed performances of the first half of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the Chorale again joins forces with the Minnesota Orchestra to perform the final three cantatas of the work, led by conductor Nicholas Kraemer. The concerts, on December 8 and 9, take place at Orchestra Hall.
Last year’s joint presentation of a bilingual Spanish/English version of Handel’s Messiah /
El Mesías with Border CrosSing was such a success that the program will be presented twice this December, on the 14th and the 15th of the month. In addition to a repeat performance at Border CrosSing’s St. Paul home, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the city’s West Side, the December 15th performance will take place at Ascension Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
The Chorale’s annual Messiah Sing takes place on Sunday, December 16, with organist Dr. Lynn Trapp, at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis. This popular offering, which typically attracts a crowd of nearly a thousand singers, has become a beloved holiday tradition in the Twin Cities.
January features a renewal of the Chorale’s participation in Minnesota Dance Theatre’s presentation of Carmina Burana, at the Cowles Center for Dance, on the weekend of January 18-20, 2019. With dancers and singers dramatically intermingled onstage, this electrifying production has become a staple in MDT’s repertoire.
The Chorale’s annual gala, set for Saturday, February 23, 2019, is a showcase of the Chorale’s family of choirs, with performances by the Minnesota Chorale, the Minneapolis Youth Chorus, Prelude Children’s Chorus, and the Voices of Experience senior choir. This year’s gala takes place in Westminster Hall, the new multi-use space at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Funds raised at the gala support the Chorale’s education and community engagement programs.
In March, the Chorale will co-present the world premiere of Jocelyn Hagen’s The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, commissioned jointly and performed with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The performances, on March 30 and 31, 2019, will be led by Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey and MSO music director William Schrickel. The Saturday night concert will take place at Hopkins High School Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday afternoon concert is set for 4:00 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. Video projections featuring excerpts from the notebooks will be integrated into the musical performance using a new music/video synchronization technology created by locally-based Ion Concert Media, which will make its debut with these premieres.
In past years, the Chorale and MSO have collaborated on performances of music by Beethoven, Dvorak, Handel, Mahler, Orff, and Vaughan Williams. While each organization has performed Hagen’s music separately, this marks the first time they will collaborate on a premiere of the Minnesota composer’s work.
The concert season concludes with the monumental Verdi Requiem, with the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Edward Gardner. Performances on May 17, 18 and 19 take place at Orchestra Hall. Audiences are also invited to participate in a sing-along presentation of the work, presented by the Minnesota Chorale and organist Bill Chouinard on April 28 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi.
Tickets to Chorale performances with the Minnesota Orchestra are available at the orchestra’s website, http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org, or by calling the Orchestra Hall box office: 612.371.5656
Concerts produced by the Chorale are presented as free-will/pay-what-you-can events.
More about the Minnesota Chorale: https://www.mnchorale.org/aboutus.html
Link to Romey bio: https://www.mnchorale.org/artistic-staff.html#kathy
- END -
“Adventure Awaits”
Minneapolis, July 19, 2018. The Minnesota Chorale announced details for the organization’s 47th concert season, which will include a full slate of concerts with the Minnesota Orchestra, a world premiere, self-produced concerts with a range of artistic partners, and several performances featuring the entire family of the Minnesota Chorale’s symphonic, youth and senior choirs. Through all of these initiatives, the Chorale celebrates invention, innovation and diversity, from daVinci, to Bach, to Mandela, to contributions of immigrants, to film, to dance, to new works, to modern technology.
Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey noted with enthusiasm the upcoming season:
"We are tremendously excited about the diversity of musical styles, repertoire, and performance experiences featured in our 2018-19 season. It is a year which highlights not just the versatility of the Minnesota Chorale but also our passionate commitment to community, education, and collaboration.”
The season commences with a pair of Orchestra Hall concerts in July to kick off the Chorale’s performance tour of South Africa with the Minnesota Orchestra the following month. The July 20 “Celebrating Mandela at 100” and the July 21 performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, both led by Minnesota Orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä, will include the tour repertoire, and will be performed with 29:11, the South Africa-based vocal/instrumental ensemble.
Following the tour (August 11 to 20), the women of the Chorale will return to Orchestra Hall to lend their voices to the cosmic sounds of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, in performances on September 27, 28, and 29 with the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Osmo Vänskä.
On October 26, 27 and 28, the Chorale will join the Minnesota Orchestra at the Minneapolis Convention Center for a live screening of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the third and final film in the series that was scored by John Williams. The musical forces performing the soundtrack of the film will be led by Sarah Hicks, the orchestra’s principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall.
The Chorale’s annual Bridges community engagement concert, set for Saturday evening November 10 at Roseville Lutheran Church, will include the Chorale’s Minneapolis Youth Chorus and Voices of Experience senior choir. The program, featuring music of Minnesota composers, continues the Chorale’s partnership with the International Institute of Minnesota, and celebrates Minnesota as home to people from around the globe. The performers will be led by conductors Kathy Saltzman Romey, Patrice Arasim, and Jerry Rubino.
After last season’s acclaimed performances of the first half of J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, the Chorale again joins forces with the Minnesota Orchestra to perform the final three cantatas of the work, led by conductor Nicholas Kraemer. The concerts, on December 8 and 9, take place at Orchestra Hall.
Last year’s joint presentation of a bilingual Spanish/English version of Handel’s Messiah /
El Mesías with Border CrosSing was such a success that the program will be presented twice this December, on the 14th and the 15th of the month. In addition to a repeat performance at Border CrosSing’s St. Paul home, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on the city’s West Side, the December 15th performance will take place at Ascension Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
The Chorale’s annual Messiah Sing takes place on Sunday, December 16, with organist Dr. Lynn Trapp, at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis. This popular offering, which typically attracts a crowd of nearly a thousand singers, has become a beloved holiday tradition in the Twin Cities.
January features a renewal of the Chorale’s participation in Minnesota Dance Theatre’s presentation of Carmina Burana, at the Cowles Center for Dance, on the weekend of January 18-20, 2019. With dancers and singers dramatically intermingled onstage, this electrifying production has become a staple in MDT’s repertoire.
The Chorale’s annual gala, set for Saturday, February 23, 2019, is a showcase of the Chorale’s family of choirs, with performances by the Minnesota Chorale, the Minneapolis Youth Chorus, Prelude Children’s Chorus, and the Voices of Experience senior choir. This year’s gala takes place in Westminster Hall, the new multi-use space at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. Funds raised at the gala support the Chorale’s education and community engagement programs.
In March, the Chorale will co-present the world premiere of Jocelyn Hagen’s The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, commissioned jointly and performed with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The performances, on March 30 and 31, 2019, will be led by Chorale artistic director Kathy Saltzman Romey and MSO music director William Schrickel. The Saturday night concert will take place at Hopkins High School Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. The Sunday afternoon concert is set for 4:00 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. Video projections featuring excerpts from the notebooks will be integrated into the musical performance using a new music/video synchronization technology created by locally-based Ion Concert Media, which will make its debut with these premieres.
In past years, the Chorale and MSO have collaborated on performances of music by Beethoven, Dvorak, Handel, Mahler, Orff, and Vaughan Williams. While each organization has performed Hagen’s music separately, this marks the first time they will collaborate on a premiere of the Minnesota composer’s work.
The concert season concludes with the monumental Verdi Requiem, with the Minnesota Orchestra and conductor Edward Gardner. Performances on May 17, 18 and 19 take place at Orchestra Hall. Audiences are also invited to participate in a sing-along presentation of the work, presented by the Minnesota Chorale and organist Bill Chouinard on April 28 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi.
Tickets to Chorale performances with the Minnesota Orchestra are available at the orchestra’s website, http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org, or by calling the Orchestra Hall box office: 612.371.5656
Concerts produced by the Chorale are presented as free-will/pay-what-you-can events.
More about the Minnesota Chorale: https://www.mnchorale.org/aboutus.html
Link to Romey bio: https://www.mnchorale.org/artistic-staff.html#kathy
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MINNESOTA CHORALE and METROPOLITAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ANNOUNCE MARCH 2019 WORLD PREMIERE OF
JOCELYN HAGEN’S THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI
Minneapolis, July 09, 2018. Commemorating the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death, the Minnesota Chorale and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will present the world premiere performances of acclaimed composer Jocelyn Hagen’s The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci on March 30 and 31, 2019 at Hopkins High School Auditorium and St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi.
The composition is a seven-movement work commissioned by the Chorale and MSO. The two organizations have an extensive performance history together, including large-scale works by Beethoven, Dvorak, Handel, Mahler, Orff, and Vaughan Williams. The MSO premiered Hagen’s Solar in October, 2012.
Conductors Kathy Saltzman Romey, Chorale artistic director, and William Schrickel, MSO music director, will share the podium for the premiere.
"The Minnesota Chorale is tremendously excited to partner with the Metropolitan Symphony on this extraordinary commission,” writes the Chorale’s Kathy Saltzman Romey. “I have performed many of Jocelyn's choral works and always find her music to be extremely engaging and very compelling. I know that she is passionate in wanting to commemorate Leonardo’s genius, and I look forward to collaborating with her in the premiere of this new large-scale, choral symphonic composition, which illuminates his life and work."
“Six years ago, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra commissioned Solar, Jocelyn Hagen’s first orchestral work,” writes the MSO’s William Schrickel, “and I had the honor of conducting the first performance. We began discussions about The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci more than three years ago, and I am thrilled to be involved in premiering Jocelyn’s magnum opus along with Kathy and the Minnesota Chorale.”
Link to Romey bio: https://www.mnchorale.org/artistic-staff.html#kathy
Link to Schrickel bio: http://msomn.org/about-the-mso/music-director/
Hagen was inspired to create this new work following her experience in developing the dance opera Test Pilot, which featured choreography and video projections. She selected the text excerpts from the Leonardo notebooks, and is working with Ion Concert Media to develop the coordinated imagery that will be projected during the performances.
Hagen writes, “I'm so thankful for the Minnesota Chorale and Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra who took the leap with me last year and became the lead commissioners.”
Link to video about the work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKHn_EhBzAA
Link to Hagen bio: https://www.jocelynhagen.com/about/
The imagery will include texts and drawings in Leonardo’s own hand, taken from his extensive notebooks. The projections will be coordinated with the music, based on newly-developed software that allows the video operator to precisely follow the musical score.
Ion Concert Media recently created MUSÈIK, the world’s most advanced digital sync software, and ever since Hagen learned about the technology she has been working towards creating a project that utilizes it to its fullest potential. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinciwill be the first large concert work to be created with this technology in mind.
With support and assistance from Leonardo’s Basement, a creativity workshop based in South Minneapolis, audience members will be invited to create hand-held inventions that will be displayed during the performance. Leonardo’s Basement offers classes and enrichment activities for children and adults. https://leonardosbasement.org/
More about the Minnesota Chorale: https://www.mnchorale.org/aboutus.html
More about the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra: http://msomn.org/about-the-mso/
Performance info:
Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Hopkins High School Auditorium
2400 Lindbergh Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 4:00 pm
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church
900 Stillwater Rd.
Mahtomedi, MN 55115
Tickets: No reservations/free-will offering
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ANNOUNCE MARCH 2019 WORLD PREMIERE OF
JOCELYN HAGEN’S THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI
Minneapolis, July 09, 2018. Commemorating the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death, the Minnesota Chorale and the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will present the world premiere performances of acclaimed composer Jocelyn Hagen’s The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci on March 30 and 31, 2019 at Hopkins High School Auditorium and St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Mahtomedi.
The composition is a seven-movement work commissioned by the Chorale and MSO. The two organizations have an extensive performance history together, including large-scale works by Beethoven, Dvorak, Handel, Mahler, Orff, and Vaughan Williams. The MSO premiered Hagen’s Solar in October, 2012.
Conductors Kathy Saltzman Romey, Chorale artistic director, and William Schrickel, MSO music director, will share the podium for the premiere.
"The Minnesota Chorale is tremendously excited to partner with the Metropolitan Symphony on this extraordinary commission,” writes the Chorale’s Kathy Saltzman Romey. “I have performed many of Jocelyn's choral works and always find her music to be extremely engaging and very compelling. I know that she is passionate in wanting to commemorate Leonardo’s genius, and I look forward to collaborating with her in the premiere of this new large-scale, choral symphonic composition, which illuminates his life and work."
“Six years ago, the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra commissioned Solar, Jocelyn Hagen’s first orchestral work,” writes the MSO’s William Schrickel, “and I had the honor of conducting the first performance. We began discussions about The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci more than three years ago, and I am thrilled to be involved in premiering Jocelyn’s magnum opus along with Kathy and the Minnesota Chorale.”
Link to Romey bio: https://www.mnchorale.org/artistic-staff.html#kathy
Link to Schrickel bio: http://msomn.org/about-the-mso/music-director/
Hagen was inspired to create this new work following her experience in developing the dance opera Test Pilot, which featured choreography and video projections. She selected the text excerpts from the Leonardo notebooks, and is working with Ion Concert Media to develop the coordinated imagery that will be projected during the performances.
Hagen writes, “I'm so thankful for the Minnesota Chorale and Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra who took the leap with me last year and became the lead commissioners.”
Link to video about the work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKHn_EhBzAA
Link to Hagen bio: https://www.jocelynhagen.com/about/
The imagery will include texts and drawings in Leonardo’s own hand, taken from his extensive notebooks. The projections will be coordinated with the music, based on newly-developed software that allows the video operator to precisely follow the musical score.
Ion Concert Media recently created MUSÈIK, the world’s most advanced digital sync software, and ever since Hagen learned about the technology she has been working towards creating a project that utilizes it to its fullest potential. The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinciwill be the first large concert work to be created with this technology in mind.
With support and assistance from Leonardo’s Basement, a creativity workshop based in South Minneapolis, audience members will be invited to create hand-held inventions that will be displayed during the performance. Leonardo’s Basement offers classes and enrichment activities for children and adults. https://leonardosbasement.org/
More about the Minnesota Chorale: https://www.mnchorale.org/aboutus.html
More about the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra: http://msomn.org/about-the-mso/
Performance info:
Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 7:30 pm
Hopkins High School Auditorium
2400 Lindbergh Dr.
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 4:00 pm
St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church
900 Stillwater Rd.
Mahtomedi, MN 55115
Tickets: No reservations/free-will offering
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHORALE LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITE
Minneapolis, July 21, 2017. The Minnesota Chorale launched a completely redesigned website today, following several months of work by a dedicated group of volunteers led by Chorale Operations Manager Alyssa Breece.
“This represents thousands of hours of work by staff and volunteers, and we’re very grateful to everyone who contributed to the process,” said Chorale Executive Director Bob Peskin. “The new site reflects how the Chorale has evolved over the last several years, from a symphonic chorus to a family of choirs.”
In addition to the site’s streamlined look, more content is devoted to the Chorale’s multiple ensembles, including the Minneapolis Youth Chorus and Prelude children’s choir, and the Voices of Experience senior choir.
“We’ve added new functionality to the site,” said Breece, “including a searchable database of past performances, plus audio and video clips.” Breece hopes that visitors will enjoy the new look and enhanced content. “It took a lot of time to put together, but the result makes it worthwhile!”
To see the new website, visit mnchorale.org
For more information about the Minnesota Chorale, call 612-333-4866 or email info@mnchorale.org
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CHORALE LAUNCHES REDESIGNED WEBSITE
Minneapolis, July 21, 2017. The Minnesota Chorale launched a completely redesigned website today, following several months of work by a dedicated group of volunteers led by Chorale Operations Manager Alyssa Breece.
“This represents thousands of hours of work by staff and volunteers, and we’re very grateful to everyone who contributed to the process,” said Chorale Executive Director Bob Peskin. “The new site reflects how the Chorale has evolved over the last several years, from a symphonic chorus to a family of choirs.”
In addition to the site’s streamlined look, more content is devoted to the Chorale’s multiple ensembles, including the Minneapolis Youth Chorus and Prelude children’s choir, and the Voices of Experience senior choir.
“We’ve added new functionality to the site,” said Breece, “including a searchable database of past performances, plus audio and video clips.” Breece hopes that visitors will enjoy the new look and enhanced content. “It took a lot of time to put together, but the result makes it worthwhile!”
To see the new website, visit mnchorale.org
For more information about the Minnesota Chorale, call 612-333-4866 or email info@mnchorale.org
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