The Collegiate Chorale Presents the World Premiere Two Act Concert Version of The Grapes of Wrath

James Bagwell, Music Director

March 22, 2010 at 8pm at Carnegie Hall

The Collegiate Chorale, led by Music Director James Bagwell, presents the World Premiere Two Act Concert Version of Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie's musical version of Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck's epic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, on March 22, 2010 at 8pm at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Ted Sperling with Jane Fonda as the narrator.  Tickets are $25-$160 and are available through CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, or online at www.carnegiehall.org.  For more information visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

An all-star cast from Broadway and the classical world comes together to present a rare mingling of opera and theatre in The Grapes of Wrath.  Originally commissioned and produced by the Minnesota Opera and called "The great American opera" by Musical America, Gordon and Korie's new work melds popular musical styles of the '20s and '30s (song-and-dance, soaring love songs, banjo ballads, jazz choruses, and a barbershop quartet) with the classic drama of grand opera, all to a heart-wrenching yet uplifting effect.  The composer (Gordon) and librettist (Korie) have crafted a special concert version of their original opera with narration written especially for this presentation.  The starry cast includes  Jane Fonda (narrator), Victoria Clark, Christine Ebersole, Nathan Gunn, Elizabeth Futral, Anthony Dean Griffey, Peter Halverson, Steven Pasquale, Stephen Powell, Andrew Wilkowske and Matthew Worth and the role of Tom Joad's young sister, Ruthie, will be sung by Nathan Gunn's daughter Madelyn Gunn.  Music by Ricky Ian Gordon and libretto by Michael Korie.  Featuring the American Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ted Sperling.  Directed by Eric Simonson with lighting design by Frances Aronson and projection design by Wendall Harrington.

 

"In this concert version, we convey the story of the Joad family's journey across America in approximately two hours.  We have retained many of the big musical set pieces, arias and choral ensembles, and we have eliminated much of the recitative, replacing it with a narrator who reads sections from the novel, allowing segues from those powerful passages seamlessly into music that continues the drama without loss of suspense or momentum.  In addition, this version will feature music never heard in the original full staging of the opera.  This is not only a concert version of the full opera, but a different version," said Michael Korie.

"We are honored to be presenting this richly textured work of soaring passion and devastating beauty.  Inherent in its mission is The Chorale's commitment to premiering or showcasing exceptional American works such as Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath.  Gordon and librettist Michael Korie have given a musical voice to this quintessentially American novel in a lyrical language which draws from opera and American musical theater idioms.  The choral writing and casting of soloists reflect this cross-over nature.  I think both opera and Broadway lovers alike will be moved by this remarkable work," said James Bagwell, music director of The Collegiate Chorale.

 

The Collegiate Chorale, among New York's foremost vocal ensembles, has added to the richness of the city's cultural fabric for more than 65 years.  Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale achieved national and international prominence under the leadership of Robert Bass.  The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as commissions and premieres of new works by today's most exciting creative artists.  In the summer of 2009, The Chorale performed for the fourth season at Switzerland's Verbier Music Festival.  In July 2008, The Chorale toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.

 

The mission of The Collegiate Chorale is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music featuring a premier choral ensemble.  Inherent in its mission is The Chorale's belief that choral music is a compelling collaboration that creates a powerful, shared experience unifying listeners and musicians of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages.

 

Music Director James Bagwell maintains an active schedule throughout the United States as a conductor of choral, operatic, and orchestral music.  He has recently been named Principal Guest Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra in New York.  Since 2003, he has been Director of Choruses for the Bard Music Festival, conducting and preparing choral works during the summer festival at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College. He has also prepared The Concert Chorale of New York for performances with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mostly Mozart Festival (broadcast nationally in 2006 on Live from Lincoln Center), all in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. He was Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs for the past five season, and in 2009 he prepared the Dessoff Symphonic Choir for the New York Philharmonic performances of both Mahler's Eighth Symphony and Britten's War Requiem for Lorin Maazel's final concerts as Music Director.

 

James Bagwell has trained choruses for a number of major American and International orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NHK Symphony (Japan), St. Petersburg Symphony, The American Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with noted conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Louis Langr��e, Leon Botstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Raymond Leppard, James Conlon, Jes��s L��pez-Cobos, Erich Kunzel, Leon Fleischer, and Robert Shaw.

 

For eleven seasons, he has been Music Director for the May Festival Youth Choir in Cincinnati, which was recently featured on the radio program From the Top. He has conducted some 25 productions as Music Director of Light Opera Oklahoma, including Candide, Sweeney Todd, and The Merry Widow, among others.  At Bard SummerScape he has led numerous theatrical works, most notably Copland's The Tender Land, which received unanimous praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Opera News. He frequently appears as guest conductor for orchestras around the country and abroad, including the Jerusalem Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.  For three seasons he was Artistic Director of The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir.  He holds degrees from Birmingham-Southern College, Florida State University, and Indiana University. He has taught since 2000 at Bard College, where he is Director of the Music Program.  

For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

 

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Ricky Ian Gordon's (Music) credits include Dream True; States of Independence; and Stonewall/Night Variations with Tina Landau; The Tibetan Book of the Dead with Jean Claude Van Itallie; Only Heaven with Langston Hughes and Nancy Rhodes; Autumn Valentine; Sweet Song; and Morning Star with William Hoffman. He was part of the American Songbook Series in Bright Eyed Joy/The Music of Ricky Ian Gordon at Lincoln Center and at The Guggenheim. Recordings include Audra McDonald's Way Back to Paradise, Bright-Eyed Joy, Of Eternal Light (Water Music), Only Heaven and Genius Child (a song cycle for Harolyn Blackwell). Awards: The National Institute for Music Theater Award, The Stephen Sondheim Award, The Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Music Theatre Foundation Award, The Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, The Constance Klinsky Award, The Richard Rodgers Award.

 

Michael Korie (Libretto) was nominated for Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for Grey Gardens. He and composer Scott Frankel received the ASCAP Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. Also with Frankel are two musicals in development, Doll and Meet Mister Future. With composer Ricky Ian Gordon, his libretto to The Grapes of Wrath premiered to acclaim at Minnesota Opera, with upcoming productions at Utah Opera, Houston Grand Opera and Pittsburgh Opera. His librettos for operas composed by Stewart Wallace include Harvey Milk (San Francisco Opera) and Hopper's Wife (Long Beach Opera), both directed by Christopher Alden; Kabbalah (Next Wave Festival); and Where's Dick?, directed by Richard Foreman (Houston Grand Opera). He co-wrote lyrics with Amy Powers to composer Lucy Simon's Zhivago, book by Michael Weller, directed by Des McAnuff (La Jolla Playhouse).

 

Jane Fonda's (Narrator) work on stage and screen has earned her numerous nominations and awards, including Oscar Awards (Best Actress in 1971 for Klute and in 1978 for Coming Home) and an Emmy Award for her performance in "The Dollmaker." Her credits include Monster-in-Law, Georgia Rule, Coming Home, The China Syndrome, Julia, Barefoot in the Park, Nine to Five, On Golden Pond, "The Dollmaker" and four Broadway plays including Invitation to a March and There Was a Little Girl (Theatre World Award).  In May 2005, Random House published Fonda's memoirs, My Life So Far.  She has long been known for activism and advocacy on environmental issues, human rights and the empowerment of women and girls.

 

Nathan Gunn (Tom Joad) recently created the roles of Alec Harvey in Andr�� Previn's Brief Encounter at the Houston Grand Opera and Father Delura in Peter E��tv��s' Love and Other Demons at the 2008 Glyndebourne Opera Festival. Other engagements this season include his returns to the Metropolitan Opera for Die Zauberfl��te, the Dallas Opera for Malatesta in Don Pasquale and the Los Angles Opera for Il Barbiere di Siviglia and L'Elisir d'Amore. He also makes his debut in Bilbao as the title role in Billy Budd.  Mr. Gunn has appeared in internationally renowned opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Seattle Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), Paris Opera, Bayerische Staatsoper, Glyndebourne Opera Festival, and the Th����tre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels.

 

Victoria Clark (Ma Joad) received the 2005 Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as a Drama League honor for her luminous portrayal of protective but domineering mother Margaret Johnson in the critically-acclaimed Craig Lucas-Adam Guettel musical The Light in the Piazza directed by Bartlett Sher at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. Her virtuoso performance in the Tony Award-winning musical has made her a favorite among audiences and critics, including The New York Times' Ben Brantley, who called Clark's work in Piazza "the best musical performance by an actress this season." She garnered equally enthusiastic reviews for her performance at Chicago's Goodman Theater in 2004, earning the prestigious Joseph Jefferson Award.  Last season, Clark was reunited with her colleagues Craig Lucas and Bartlett Sher for the Playwrights Horizons production of A Prayer for My Enemy.

 

Christine Ebersole (Mae / Waitress) received the Tony Award, Obie Award, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, Special Citation from NY Drama Critics and the Drama League Award for Performance of the Year for her dual roles as Edith and Edie Beale in Grey Gardens. Her Broadway credits include Steel Magnolias, Dinner at Eight (Tony and Outer Critics Circle noms.), 42nd Street (2001 Tony and Outer Critics Circle awards), The Best Man, Getting Away With Murder, Harrigan 'n Hart, Camelot (opposite Richard Burton and Richard Harris), Oklahoma!, On the Twentieth Century, I Love My Wife and Angel Street. Off-Broadway credits include Alan Bennett's Talking Heads (2003 Obie and Outer Critics Circle awards, Drama Desk nom.), Three Sisters, Geniuses and four Encores! concerts. Regional credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Old Globe), Mame, Evita, My Fair Lady, The Marriage of Bette and Boo and Laughing Wild. Films include Tootsie, Amadeus, Dead Again, Richie Rich, Black Sheep, Folks!, True Crime, Till There Was You, My Favorite Martian, Thief of Hearts and My Girl 2.

 

Elizabeth Futral (Rosasharn) has established herself as one of the major coloratura sopranos in the world today, with a diverse repertoire that includes Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi, Glass, and Previn.  Ms. Futral has garnered raves at the world's greatest opera houses in such roles as Gilda, Juliette, Lakm��, Lucia, Nanetta, M��lisande, Romilda, and Violetta. She dazzled audiences and critics with her debut at the Los Angeles Opera as Cleopatra in Francisco Negrin's acclaimed production of Handel's Giulio Cesare. This was followed by her highly anticipated return to the New York City Opera, where she starred in the title role of the company's new production of Douglas Moore's classic American opera, The Ballad of Baby Doe.

 

Two-time Grammy Award-winning American tenor Anthony Dean Griffey  (Jim Casy) has captured critical and popular acclaim on opera, concert and recital stages around the world.  He has performed leading roles at the great international opera houses including The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Glyndebourne, the Opera National de Paris, and the Teatro Comunale di Firenze.   A regular guest of the world's orchestras, Mr. Griffey has collaborated with many of today's pre-eminent conductors, including James Levine, Seiji Ozawa, Andr�� Previn, Michael Tilson Thomas, Sir Andrew Davis, Esa Pekka Salonen, Alan Gilbert, Kurt Masur, Donald Runnicles, Sir Colin Davis, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, James Conlon, and Charles Dutoit.

 

Baritone Peter Halverson (Pa Joad) has performed throughout the United States, distinguishing himself on the dramatic stage and in concert. A versatile performer, he has more than fifty roles to his credit including the title roles in Pell��as et M��lisande, Eugene Onegin, Don Giovanni, The Barber of Seville, Gianni Schicchi, The Man of La Mancha and Phantom. He has been a frequent guest artist with the Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Orchestra, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, North Star Opera, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center Mozart Festival, Oregon Bach Festival and San Luis Osbispo Mozart Festival. In addition, he has sung with the Florentine Opera, Berkshire Opera, Madison Opera, Tacoma Opera, Chattanooga Opera, National Symphony, Dallas Symphony, San Antonio Symphony and New Mexico Symphony.

 

American baritone Stephen Powell (Uncle John) brings his handsome voice, elegant musicianship, and robust stage presence to a wide range of music, from Monteverdi and Handel through Verdi and Puccini to Sondheim and John Adams.  In 2009-10, Stephen Powell appears as Ford in Verdi's Falstaff with Pittsburgh Opera; sings as soloist in Szymanowski's Stabat Mater with Rome's Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Christoph Eschenbach conducting; in Messiah with the Huddersfield Choral Society in England; in the Brahms Requiem with Baltimore Symphony, as well as the Dutch Radio Orchestra at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Holland, both with Marin Alsop conducting; in Carmina Burana with Cincinnati Symphony, Paavo Jarvi conducting; appears in recital with wife Barbara Shirvis in Dallas, Texas; and sings 2 gala concerts with the North Carolina Symphony, Grant Llewellyn conducting. He also makes his Asian debut in La Traviata at the Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts, Beijing, China, Lorin Maazel conducting.

 

Andrew Wilkowske (Noah) whose voice has been described as "nimble," with an "impressively open top," is one of the most versatile performers on the stage today. A gifted actor as well as singer, Wilkowske's Papageno in The Magic Flute "stole the show" according to the Washington Post, and was a "lusty-voiced fellow," according to Opera News.  Engagements this season include a series of Figaros, making his debut as Rossini's Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Skylight Opera. He returns to Skylight later this season in the title role of Le Nozze di Figaro to complete Skylight's Figaro Cycle. In addition, Wilkowske reprises Mozart's Figaro with the Green Mountain Opera Festival (under the baton of Maestro Jacques Lacombe), Ashlawn Opera, and the Acadiana Symphony. Wilkowske's experiences are documented in his award-winning 'a year of figaro' blog.

 

Steven Pasquale 

(Al) most recently starred on Broadway in Neil LaBute's reasons to be pretty. A regular on the theater scene, Pasquale's credits include Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden (World AIDS Day Concert), Henrik in A Little Night Music (opposite Victor Garber, Natasha Richardson and Venessa Redgrave), Captain Taylor in A Soldier's Play (Second Stage, opposite Taye Diggs), Tom in the Neil LaBute off-Broadway hit, Fat Pig, Robbie in the Ahrens/Flahrety/McNally musical A Man of No Importance (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations), Beautiful Child, The Spitfire Grill, Spinning Into Butter, Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party and he created the role of Fabrizio in Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas' The Light in the Piazza. Television audiences have followed him for five seasons as Sean Garrity on the FX hit show "Rescue Me." His other television credits include a recurring role on HBO's Emmy and Golden Globe Award winning drama "Six Feet Under" and Sofia Coppola's "Platinum."

 

Hailed by the Dallas Morning News for his "dashing, fine bright baritone" and the New York Times for a voice that is "fully powered and persuasively expressive," Matthew Worth (Ragged Man / Connie Rivers / Truck Driver) was recently the featured "Sound Bites" artist in Opera News, and is enjoying successes on both the operatic and concert stages, in all styles from the Renaissance to new repertoire. Matthew Worth's engagements in 2009-10 include a return to Chicago Opera Theater as Charlie in Jake Heggie's Three Decembers, Mercutio in Rom��o et Juliette with New Orleans Opera, the title role in Don Giovanni with Virginia Opera, Jupiter in Orpheus in the Underworld with Central City Opera, Messiah at University of Richmond, in concert performances of The Grapes of Wrath with New York's Collegiate Chorale, as soloist in a holiday concert with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and in Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Donald Runnicles. 

 

Ted Sperling (Conductor) won the 2005 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his orchestrations of The Light in the Piazza, for which he was also music director. Broadway credits as music director/conductor/pianist: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Angels in America, My Favorite Year, Falsettos, Drood, Les Miserables, Roza and Sunday In the Park With George. Mr. Sperling was also an original cast member of the Broadway musical Titanic. Off-Broadway credits as music director: A Man of No Importance, Wise Guys, A New Brain, Saturn Returns, Floyd Collins, Falsettoland, and Romance in Hard Times. As a stage director Charlotte: Life? Or Theater? and Striking 12, as well as a revival of Lady in the Dark starring Andrea Marcovicci. Mr. Sperling conducted the musical scores for the films The Manchurian Candidate, Everything Is Illuminated, and directed the short musical film Love, Mom, starring Tonya Pinkins.

Eric Simonson's (Director)plays and adaptations at Steppenwolf, where he is a member of the ensemble, include Nomathemba (written with Ntozake Shange and Joseph Shabalala), Carter's Way and, most recently, Honest (for First Look). Other plays include The Last Hurrah, Work Song: Three Views of Frank Lloyd Wright (with Jeffrey Hatcher), Edge of the World, Lombardi: The Only Thing and Speak American.  His work has been produced in Japan and throughout the United States at theaters including The Huntington Theatre Company, L.A. Theatre Works, City Theatre of Pittsburgh, The Kennedy Center, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Arizona Theatre Company, Madison Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre and Crossroads Theatre Company. His adaptation of Moby Dick at Milwaukee Repertory was chosen as one of Time Magazine's top ten productions of 2002. Eric is also an accomplished theatre, film and opera director. His production of Steppenwolf's The Song of Jacob Zulu received six Tony�� Award nominations, including one for best direction. He received the 2006 Academy Award for his documentary short A Note of Triumph, as well as the 2005 Princess Grace Statue Award for sustained artistic achievement. His adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five (originally produced at Steppenwolf) recently received its Off-Broadway premiere at New York's 59E59 Theater.

 

The American Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski. Under the music direction of Leon Botstein since 1992, the American Symphony has pioneered the performance of thematically organized concerts, linking music to the visual arts, literature, politics, and history. In addition, the American Symphony Orchestra performs in a lecture/concert series with audience interaction called Classics Declassified at Peter Norton Symphony Space. It is also the resident orchestra of the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, where it performs an annual concert series as well as in Bard's annual SummerScape Festival and the Bard Music Festival. ASO maintains an award-winning music education program which is presented at numerous high schools through New York, New Jersey, and Long Island.  Among the American Symphony's recent recordings are music by Copland, Sessions, Perle, and Rands for New World Records, and music of Ernst von Dohn��nyi for Bridge Records. Its recording of Richard Strauss's opera Die ��gyptische Helena with Deborah Voigt and of Strauss's Die Liebe der Danae were made for Telarc. Other recordings with Leon Botstein include Franz Schubert: Orchestrated on the Koch International label, with works by Joachim, Mottl, and Webern, and, on the Vanguard Classics label, Johannes Brahms's Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 (1860). The American Symphony inaugurated S��o Paolo's new concert hall and has made several tours of Asia and Europe. It has performed with the Peer Gynt Theater Company of Norway in Central Park, and has a long history of appearing in charitable and public benefits for such organizations as Sha'are Zedek Hospital, the Jerusalem Foundation, and PBS.  The American Symphony Orchestra has had an illustrious history of music directors and guest conductors.  Succeeding Leopold Stokowski, who directed the Orchestra from 1962 to 1972, were Kazuyoshi Akiyama (1973-1978), Sergiu Comissiona (1978-1982), Moshe Atzmon and Guiseppe Patane (co-directors 1982-1984), John Mauceri (1985-1987), and Catherine Comet (1990-1992).  Notable guest conductors have included Leonard Bernstein, Karl B��hm, Aaron Copland, Morton Gould, Aram Khachaturian, James Levine, Andr�� Previn, Yehudi Menuhin, James de Priest, Gunther Schuller, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Sir William Walton.

 

 

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE CHORALE'S 2009-10 SEASON

 

For season subscriptions please contact The Chorale office at 646.202.9623 or visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

CHORAL CLASSIC

Israel in Egypt at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 8pm

Music by George F. Handel

 

featuring

Sari Gruber, soprano

Brian Asawa, alto

Rufus Muller, tenor

The American Symphony Orchestra

James Bagwell, Conductor

The Collegiate Chorale Presents Gala Concert A JUBILANT SONG - 12/1 at 7pm at Carnegie Hall

The Collegiate Chorale, led by Maestro James Bagwell in his inaugural concert as The Chorale's newly appointed Music Director, presents A JUBILANT SONG, a celebration of the organization's remarkable history of exceptional conductors, noteworthy commissions and premieres, and multi-faceted choral programming on December 1, 2009 at 7pm at Carnegie Hall. Tickets are $25-$125 and are available through CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, or online at www.carnegiehall.org. For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

As the new Music Director, Mr. Bagwell will give tribute to his predecessors and usher in a new era of The Collegiate Chorale. Tony�� Award winner Roger Rees will host the evening. A JUBILANT SONG will feature Salvatore Licitra, tenor (who debuted at Carnegie Hall with The Collegiate Chorale in 2003 in Verdi's La forza del destino); Jenny Lin, piano; Erin Morley, soprano; Emily Pulley, soprano; Anita Johnson, soprano; Krysty Swann, mizzo-soprano; Vale Rideout, tenor; Robert Mack, tenor; Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone; Kalif Omari Jones, boy soprano; and the American Symphony Orchestra. A benefit dinner with Mr. Bagwell and the artists at Carnegie Hall's Rohatyn Room will follow the concert.

"Before coming on board with The Chorale, one of the things which attracted me the most was its rich history of musical and programming diversity, going all the way back to the ideals of founder Robert Shaw and continuing steadily through the tenures of all subsequent Music Directors, particularly the late Robert Bass - and so I wanted this first concert under my baton to capture the essence of that diversity. We will perform works from Gabrieli to Dello Joio, and from Kopylov to Bernstein and Lerner. The programming will include Verdi and Meyerbeer arias, the beloved Beethoven Choral Fantasy, a couple of exquisite a cappella choral pieces, and musical theater excerpts from Bernstein and Lerner's A White House Cantata. Many of the works we will perform hearken back to earlier concerts, including the Kopylov Heavenly Light, which was on The Chorale's very first public program in 1942," said James Bagwell, music director of The Collegiate Chorale.

The evening's program follows:

Beethoven, Choral Fantasy; Gabrieli, In ecclesiis; Kopylov, Heavenly Light (part of the first public program presented by The Collegiate Chorale on March 8, 1942); Dello Joio, A Jubilant Song; Shaw/Parker, Set Down Servant; Meyerbeer, O Beau Pays, from Les Huguenots; selected arias from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera; and La forza del destino; excerpts from Bernstein and Lerner's A White House Cantata (which received its New York Premiere in March 2008 by The Collegiate Chorale); and the Brindisi from La Traviata.

The Collegiate Chorale, among New York's foremost vocal ensembles, has added to the richness of the city's cultural fabric for more than 65 years. Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale achieved national and international prominence under the leadership of Robert Bass. The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as commissions and premieres of new works by today's most exciting creative artists. In the summer of 2009, The Chorale performed for the fourth season at Switzerland's Verbier Music Festival. In July 2008, The Chorale toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.

The mission of The Collegiate Chorale is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music featuring a premier choral ensemble. Inherent in its mission is The Chorale's belief that choral music is a compelling collaboration that creates a powerful, shared experience unifying listeners and musicians of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages.

James Bagwell maintains an active schedule throughout the United States as a conductor of choral, operatic, and orchestral music. He has recently been named Principal Guest Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra in New York. Since 2003 he has been Director of Choruses for the Bard Music Festival, conducting and preparing choral works during the summer festival at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College. He has also prepared The Concert Chorale of New York for performances with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mostly Mozart Festival (broadcast nationally in 2006 on Live from Lincoln Center), all in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. In 2005 he was named Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs in New York, who under his leadership have made numerous appearances at Carnegie Hall in addition to their regular season. In 2009 the Dessoff Symphonic Choir appeared with the New York Philharmonic performing both Mahler's Eighth Symphony and Britten's War Requiem for Lorin Maazel's final concerts as Music Director.

James Bagwell has trained choruses for a number of major American and International orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NHK Symphony (Japan), St. Petersburg Symphony, The American Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with noted conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Louis Langr��e, Leon Botstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Raymond Leppard, James Conlon, Jes��s L��pez-Cobos, Erich Kunzel, Leon Fleischer, and Robert Shaw.

For eleven seasons, he has been Music Director for the May Festival Youth Choir in Cincinnati, which was recently featured on the radio program From the Top. He has conducted some 25 productions as Music Director of Light Opera Oklahoma, including Candide, Sweeney Todd, and The Merry Widow, among others. At Bard SummerScape he has led numerous theatrical works, most notably Copland's The Tender Land, which received unanimous praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Opera News. He frequently appears as guest conductor for orchestras around the country and abroad, including the Jerusalem Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. For three seasons he was Artistic Director of The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. He holds degrees from Birmingham-Southern College, Florida State University, and Indiana University. He has taught since 2000 at Bard College, where he is Director of the Music Program.

For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE CHORALE'S 2009-10 SEASON
For season subscriptions please contact The Chorale office at 646.202.9623 or visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

OPERA-IN-CONCERT / AMERICAN MASTERS
The Grapes of Wrath at Carnegie Hall
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 8pm
Music by Ricky Ian Gordon
Libretto by Michael Korie

featuring
Jane Fonda - Narrator
Nathan Gunn - Tom Joad
Victoria Clark - Ma Joad
Elizabeth Futral - Rosasharn
Anthony Dean Griffey - Jim Casy
Peter Halverson - Pa Joad
Stephen Powell - Uncle John
Andrew Wilkowske - Noah
Steven Pasquale - Al
Christine Ebersole - Mae/Waitress
Matthew Worth - Ragged Man/Connie Rivers/Truck Driver
Madelyn Gunn - Ruthie

American Symphony Orchestra
Ted Sperling, Conductor
Eric Simonson, Director
Frances Aronson, Lighting Designer
Wendall Harrington, Projection Designer


CHORAL CLASSIC
Israel in Egypt at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 8pm
Music by George F. Handel

featuring
Sari Gruber, soprano
Brian Asawa, alto
Rufus Muller, tenor

The American Symphony Orchestra
James Bagwell, Conductor

The Collegiate Chorale Presents Gala Concert A JUBILANT SONG - 12/1

The Collegiate Chorale, led by Maestro James Bagwell in his inaugural concert as The Chorale's newly appointed Music Director, presents A JUBILANT SONG, a celebration of the organization's remarkable history of exceptional conductors, noteworthy commissions and premieres, and multi-faceted choral programming on December 1, 2009 at 7pm at Carnegie Hall. Tickets are $25-$125 and are available through CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, or online at www.carnegiehall.org. For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

As the new Music Director, Mr. Bagwell will give tribute to his predecessors and usher in a new era of The Collegiate Chorale. Tony�� Award winner Roger Rees will host the evening. A JUBILANT SONG will feature Salvatore Licitra, tenor (who debuted at Carnegie Hall with The Collegiate Chorale in 2003 in Verdi's La forza del destino); Daniel Mobbs, bass-baritone; Emily Pulley, soprano; Anita Johnson, soprano; Robert Mack, tenor; Erin Morley, soprano; Vale Rideout, tenor, Krysty Swann, mezzo-soprano, Jenny Lin, piano; Kalif Omari Jones, boy soprano; and the American Symphony Orchestra. A benefit dinner with Mr. Bagwell and the artists at Carnegie Hall's Rohatyn Room will follow the concert.

"Before coming on board with The Chorale, one of the things which attracted me the most was its rich history of musical and programming diversity, going all the way back to the ideals of founder Robert Shaw and continuing steadily through the tenures of all subsequent Music Directors, particularly the late Robert Bass - and so I wanted this first concert under my baton to capture the essence of that diversity. We will perform works from Gabrieli to Dello Joio, and from Kopylov to Bernstein and Lerner. The programming will include Verdi and Meyerbeer arias, the beloved Beethoven Choral Fantasy, a couple of exquisite a cappella choral pieces, and musical theater excerpts from Bernstein and Lerner's A White House Cantata. Many of the works we will perform hearken back to earlier concerts, including the Kopylov Heavenly Light, which was on The Chorale's very first public program in 1942," said James Bagwell, music director of The Collegiate Chorale.

The evening's program follows:

Beethoven, Choral Fantasy; Gabrieli, In Ecclesiis; Kopylov, Heavenly Light (part of the first public program presented by The Collegiate Chorale on March 8, 1942); Dello Joio, A Jubilant Song; Shaw/Parker, Set Down Servant; Meyerbeer, O Beau Pays, from Les Huguenots; selected arias from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera; and La forza del destino; excerpts from Bernstein and Lerner's A White House Cantata (which received its New York Premiere in March 2008 by The Collegiate Chorale); and the Libiamo Chorus from La Traviata.

The Collegiate Chorale, among New York's foremost vocal ensembles, has added to the richness of the city's cultural fabric for more than 65 years. Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale achieved national and international prominence under the leadership of Robert Bass. The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as commissions and premieres of new works by today's most exciting creative artists. In the summer of 2009, The Chorale performed for the fourth season at Switzerland's Verbier Music Festival. In July 2008, The Chorale toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.

The mission of The Collegiate Chorale is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music featuring a premier choral ensemble. Inherent in its mission is The Chorale's belief that choral music is a compelling collaboration that creates a powerful, shared experience unifying listeners and musicians of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages.

James Bagwell maintains an active schedule throughout the United States as a conductor of choral, operatic, and orchestral music. He has recently been named Principal Guest Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra in New York. Since 2003 he has been Director of Choruses for the Bard Music Festival, conducting and preparing choral works during the summer festival at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College. He has also prepared The Concert Chorale of New York for performances with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mostly Mozart Festival (broadcast nationally in 2006 on Live from Lincoln Center), all in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. In 2005 he was named Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs in New York, who under his leadership have made numerous appearances at Carnegie Hall in addition to their regular season. In 2009 the Dessoff Symphonic Choir appeared with the New York Philharmonic performing both Mahler's Eighth Symphony and Britten's War Requiem for Lorin Maazel's final concerts as Music Director.

James Bagwell has trained choruses for a number of major American and International orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NHK Symphony (Japan), St. Petersburg Symphony, The American Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with noted conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Louis Langr��e, Leon Botstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Raymond Leppard, James Conlon, Jes��s L��pez-Cobos, Erich Kunzel, Leon Fleischer, and Robert Shaw.

For eleven seasons, he has been Music Director for the May Festival Youth Choir in Cincinnati, which was recently featured on the radio program From the Top. He has conducted some 25 productions as Music Director of Light Opera Oklahoma, including Candide, Sweeney Todd, and The Merry Widow, among others. At Bard SummerScape he has led numerous theatrical works, most notably Copland's The Tender Land, which received unanimous praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Opera News. He frequently appears as guest conductor for orchestras around the country and abroad, including the Jerusalem Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. For three seasons he was Artistic Director of The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. He holds degrees from Birmingham-Southern College, Florida State University, and Indiana University. He has taught since 2000 at Bard College, where he is Director of the Music Program.

For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Anita Johnson Career highlights include: Marie in The Daughter of the Regiment and Oscar in Un Ballo In Maschera with Michigan Opera Theatre; Konstanze in Die Entfuhrung Aus Dem Serail with Italy's Spoleto Festival; the Princess in L'Enfant Et Les Sorileges and Clara in Porgy And Bess with New York City Opera; Giannetta in L'Elisir D'Amore, Javotte in Manon, and Barbarina in Le Nozze De Figaro with the Metropolitan Opera; Sophie in Der Rosnekavalier, Gretel in Hansel Und Gretel, Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Musetta in La Boheme, Sophie in Werther, Servillia in La Clemenza Di Tito, and Olympia in Les Contes D'Hoffmann, as the resident lyric coloratura soprano with Germany's Nationaltheater Mannheim; Musetta in La Boheme with Opera Pacific; Clara in Porgy And Bess with Atlanta Opera; Zerbinetta in Ariadne Auf Naxos with New Orleans Opera and Opera North; Gilda in Rigoletto with Knoxville Opera and Milwaukee's Florentine Opera; Susanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro and Norina in Don Pasquale with Florentine Opera; Pamina in The Magic Flute with Opera Memphis; Adele in Die Fledermaus with Opera Grand Rapids; and Lucia in The Rape Of Lucretia with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. Concert highlights have included the Mermaid in Weber's Oberon with The Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall; Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the Baltimore Symphony; Carmina Burana with the Louisville Orchestra; Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the New Haven Symphony; and Messiah with the New Choral Society of Central Westchester.

The Italian Salvatore Licitra is one of the leading tenors in the beautiful and highly sought-after dramatic Italian repertoire where he shows his 'worthiness of the great Italian tradition' (The New York Times). A frequent guest at major opera and concert stages in Europe, the United States and the Far East, his repertory includes Verdi's Aida, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Forza del destino, Ernani, Macbeth, Don Carlos and Il Trovatore as well as Puccini's Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Il Tabarro, Bellini's Norma, Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, Giordano's Andrea Chenier, Leoncavallo's Pagliacci and Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. Engagements of the 2009-2010 season include opera and concert performances in Europe, the United States and Japan. Season highlights will be a new Ernani production at the Lyric Opera Chicago and his role debuts as Calaf in Turandot at the New York Metropolitan Opera and as Dick Johnson in a new production of La fanciulla del West at the San Francisco Opera.

Jenny Lin is one of the most respected young pianists today, admired for her adventurous programming and charismatic stage presence. Her ability to combine classical and contemporary literature has brought her to the attention of international critics and audiences. She has been acclaimed for her "remarkable technical command" and "a gift for melodic flow" by The New York Times. The Washington Post praises "Lin's confident fingers... spectacular technique..." and Gramophone Magazine has hailed her as "an exceptionally sensitive pianist." Martha Argerich wrote: "Miss Jenny Lin is a very gifted young musician and a brilliant pianist." Jenny's recent orchestral engagements have included Manuel de Falla's Nights in the Garden of Spain with the La Orquesta Sinf��nica de Gij��n; Ernest Bloch's Concerto Grosso No. 1 with the SWR Rundfunkorchester; the world premiere of Stefano Gervasoni's Piano Concerto with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nationale della RAI; Messiaen's Oiseaux Exotiques with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra; Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan; and tour of Asia in Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Philharmonia Taiwan. She has also appeared with the Flemish Radio Orchestra, the N��rnberger Symphoniker, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Erato Philharmonia, Rumanian Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, and performed with conductors such as Lothar Zagrosek, Jiri Starek, Urs Schneider, Peter Bay, Jac van Steen, Ovidiu Balan, Wen-Pin Chien, Kek-Tjiang Lim, John Kennedy, and Oliver Diaz.

Tenor Robert Mack's career highlights include Remus, Treemonisha with The Collegiate Chorale; Snake/Vain Man, The Little Prince with NYCO; Alfredo, La Traviata with The Martina Arroyo Foundation. Performances with the New York City Opera include Goro, Madame Butterfly; Goopy, Haroun and the Sea of Stories; Remendado, Carmen; the Ballad Singer, Of Mice and Men; Pong, Turandot; Don Curzio, The Marriage of Figaro; Spoletta, Tosca; Second Shepherd, Daphne; Arturo, Lucia Di Lammermoor, and Rinuccio, Gianni Schicchi. Mack debuted the role of Sportin' Life, Porgy and Bess with New York City Opera and Opera Carolina. He recorded the role of Sportin' Life with The Nasvhville Symphony on Decca Records. Mack has toured with the nationally acclaimed "Three Mo' Tenors" and in addition has made outstanding appearances with Houston Grand Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia and Indianapolis Opera. He sang the role of John/William Still in She Never Lost A Passenger with Syracuse Opera. He was also a featured tenor soloist for The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre's signature work, Revelations. In past seasons he made debuts with Houston Grand Opera, Bastille in Paris and the Teatro Real in Spain. He has also performed in Italy, Germany, Japan and Luxembourg. Mack toured with Broadway's National and European tour of Smokey Joe's Caf�� directed by Jerry Zaks and in 2002 he was directed by Stewart Lane in the production of Ain't MisBehavin.

American bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs has won praise on both sides of the Atlantic for his "solid, resonant voice and boundless energy...his stage presence virtually ensured that he was the focal point of nearly every scene in which he appeared," as written in The New York Times. In the summer of 2009, Mr. Mobbs bows as Assur in Semiramide at Caramoor International Music Festival. At the Bard SummerScape Festival, he will participate in a concert of Wagner arias with the American Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Leon Botstein. In the fall of 2009, Mr. Mobbs will join Boston Lyric Opera, adding the role of Escamillo in Carmen to his vast repertoire, Leporello in Don Giovanni with Virginia Opera, and Ormonte in Partenope at New York City Opera. He later collaborates with the New York Choral Society for Mozart's Requiem and James DeMars' Tito's Say.

Soprano Erin Morley, a member of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program since the 2007-08 season, is one of today's most promising coloratura sopranos. Most recently, her Marguerite de Valois in Les Huguenots at the Bard Festival was described by The New York Times as a "formidable performance." Erin Morley's roles at the Metropolitan Opera have included the 2nd Niece in Peter Grimes, Masha in The Queen of Spades, and Frasquita in Carmen in the company's 125th Anniversary Gala. In their 2009-2010 season she sings Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos, the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel, and the Daughter in The Nose. Other notable engagements this season include the soprano solos in Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Bernard Haitink and a Gala Concert with The Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall. Ms. Morley has sung with the New York City Opera; as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, in a 2006 Gala Benefit, and as Giannetta in L'Elisir d'Amore. Also an alumna of Wolf Trap Opera Company, Ms. Morley debuted the role of Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos n 2008. She sang Laoula in Chabrier's L'��toile, and Frasquita with Wolf Trap as well.

Soprano Emily Pulley's radiant voice and electrifying acting have won her both national and international acclaim. Opera News writes, "Pulley's bright, perceptively shaded tone and sensitive, responsive acting make her a refreshing heroine, always playing the role rather than the star turn." The New York Times described her portrayal of the title role of Floyd's Susannah as being, "sung with unfailing warmth, radiance, and spirit," and elsewhere has lauded her singing as "faultless and exquisite." A frequent presence at the Metropolitan Opera, Ms. Pulley's roles in the legendary house include Marguerite in Faust, Nedda in I pagliacci, Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Gretel in H��nsel und Gretel, Anne Trulove in The Rake's Progress, Musetta in La boh��me, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Th��r��se in Les Mamelles de Tir��sias, and First Lady in a new production of Die Zauberfl��te directed by Julie Taymor. She made her debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden as Mimi in La boh��me.

In New York, Roger Rees played the title role in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Tony Award for Best Actor, the British Olivier Award, and Emmy nomination); Indiscretions (Tony and Drama Desk nominations); Jon Robin Baitz' The End of the Day (Obie Award); Uncle Vanya; The Rehearsal (Roundabout Theater); The Uneasy Chair (Playwrights Horizon); The Misanthrope (Classic Stage Company), and the musical A Man of No Importance (Lincoln Center Theatre). Movies: Bob Fosse's Star 80; Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights; If Looks Could Kill; The Substance of Fire; Trouble on the Corner; Sudden Manhattan; Next Stop Wonderland; A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Emperor's Club; Scorpion King; Julie Taymor's Frida; Peter Greenaway's The Tulse Luper Suitcases; Going Under; Crazy Like A Fox; The Treatment; The Pink Panther; Garfield 2; Prestige; The Invasion; The Narrows; Happy Tears. Television: "Cheers" (as Robin Colcord); "MANTIS;" "Boston Common;" "My So-Called Life;" "Titanic, Liberty;" "Double Platinum;" "The Crossing;" "West Wing" (as Lord John Marbury); "OZ;" "Max Bickford;" "Law and Order;" "Related;" "Grey's Anatomy"(as Dr. Colin Marlowe). Mr. Rees is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company; some favorite RSC productions include - Hamlet (title role), Love's Labour's Lost, Julius Caesar, Cymbeline, Othello, Pericles, Revenger's Tragedy, Henry VIII, Merry Wives of Windsor, Much Ado About Nothing, Indians, The Winter's Tale, Twelfth Night, The Plebieans Rehearse the Uprising, The Way of the World, London Assurance, The Suicide, Three Sisters and Nicholas Nickleby. Mr. Rees originated the role of Henry in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing in London's West End, and the role of Kerner in Stoppard's Hapgood; he played for a year in the West End in his own thriller, Double Double, co-authored with Eric Elice, author of the hit musical Jersey Boys. In 1984/6 Mr. Rees was Associate Artistic Director for the Bristol Old Vic Theatre in Britain, directing, among other plays, Julius Caesar; Turkey Time; John Bull. Mr. Rees just completed three years as Artistic Director of the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. Where, among much else, he directed The Film Society; The Rivals; The Taming of the Shrew - (directing and playing Petruchio opposite Bebe Neuwirth); Simon Grey's The Late Middle Classes; Anything Goes; Double Double and Herringbone starring B.D. Wong. Other directing credits in the USA includes: TV - "OZ" (HBO): Red Memories (New York Stage and Film); Mud, River, Stone (Playwrights Horizons); The Merry Wives Of Windsor; Loves Labour's Lost (Old Globe Theatre, San Diego); Arms and the Man (Roundabout Theatre); and he conceived and directed: Here Lies Jenny which starred Bebe Neuwirth at the Zipper Theatre in New York and the Post Street Theater, San Francisco; Peter and the Starcatchers, La Jolla Playhouse, co-directed with Alex Timbers.

American tenor Vale Rideout has garnered critical acclaim for his musical artistry and superb stagecraft throughout the United States and Europe. Possessed of both a beautiful instrument and an ability to consistently deliver passionate, energetic performances, he is equally in demand for leading tenor roles from the standard repertory to contemporary premiere works. Vale Rideout's engagements in the 2009-10 season include Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw with Boston Lyric Opera, Shallard in Elmer Gantry with Florentine Opera, Roderick in Glass' The Fall of the House of Usher with Nashville Opera Association, Alfredo in La traviata with Pacific Opera Victoria, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Palm Beach Opera, Egeo in Cavalli's Giasone with Chicago Opera Theatre, as soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in "A Christmas Celebration," and in Vaughan Williams' "Hodie" with Highland Park United Methodist Church. His engagements in 2008-09 included his debut with the New York Philharmonic and the continuation of his ongoing collaboration with Lorin Maazel in Britten's War Requiem; the roles of Nadir in Les P��cheurs des perles with Opera Columbus; the title role in Faust with Opera Tampa; Sam in Susannah with Mobile Opera; Gernando in Haydn's L'isola disabitata with Gotham Chamber Opera; Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Central City Opera; and Frederic in The Pirates of Penzance at the Chautauqua Institution. On the concert stage he performed Carmina Burana with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; the world premiere of Steven Stucky's August 4, 1964 with Dallas Symphony; and Messiah with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra.

Mezzo-soprano Krysty Swann is the recipient of the New York City Opera 2009 Richard F. Gold Career Grant and the 2008 Intermezzo Foundation Award, given by the prestigious Elardo International Opera Competition. Other recent awards include the Silver Prize with Opera Index and a Licia Albanese- Puccini Foundation grant for 2006-07 and 2008-09. Krysty Swann recently covered the title role of Margaret Garner in the New York premiere of Richard Danielpour's opera with New York City Opera and made her Avery Fisher Hall debut in Verdi's Requiem. In addition, she joined the roster of Opera Orchestra of New York for performances of Puccini's Edgar under Eve Queler. Ms. Swann has also appeared with Michigan Opera Theatre and the International Vocal Arts Institute, Israel. This past season, Ms. Swann appeared as Emilia in Kurt Weill and Ira Gershwin's The Firebrand of Florence with The Collegiate Chorale conducted by Ted Sperling and an opera gala concert with Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Swan also participated in various outreach programs with New York City Opera. In the 2009-10 season, she will return to the New York City Opera as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly.

The American Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1962 by Leopold Stokowski. Under the music direction of Leon Botstein since 1992, the American Symphony has pioneered the performance of thematically organized concerts, linking music to the visual arts, literature, politics, and history. In addition, the American Symphony Orchestra performs in a lecture/concert series with audience interaction called Classics Declassified at Peter Norton Symphony Space. It is also the resident orchestra of the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College, where it performs an annual concert series as well as in Bard's annual SummerScape Festival and the Bard Music Festival. ASO maintains an award-winning music education program which is presented at numerous high schools through New York, New Jersey, and Long Island. Among the American Symphony's recent recordings are music by Copland, Sessions, Perle, and Rands for New World Records, and music of Ernst von Dohn��nyi for Bridge Records. Its recording of Richard Strauss's opera Die ��gyptische Helena with Deborah Voigt and of Strauss's Die Liebe der Danae were made for Telarc. Other recordings with Leon Botstein include Franz Schubert: Orchestrated on the Koch International label, with works by Joachim, Mottl, and Webern, and, on the Vanguard Classics label, Johannes Brahms's Serenade No. 1 in D major, Op. 11 (1860). The American Symphony inaugurated S��o Paolo's new concert hall and has made several tours of Asia and Europe. It has performed with the Peer Gynt Theater Company of Norway in Central Park, and has a long history of appearing in charitable and public benefits for such organizations as Sha'are Zedek Hospital, the Jerusalem Foundation, and PBS. The American Symphony Orchestra has had an illustrious history of music directors and guest conductors. Succeeding Leopold Stokowski, who directed the Orchestra from 1962 to 1972, were Kazuyoshi Akiyama (1973-1978), Sergiu Comissiona (1978-1982), Moshe Atzmon and Guiseppe Patane (co-directors 1982-1984), John Mauceri (1985-1987), and Catherine Comet (1990-1992). Notable guest conductors have included Leonard Bernstein, Karl B��hm, Aaron Copland, Morton Gould, Aram Khachaturian, James Levine, Andr�� Previn, Yehudi Menuhin, James de Priest, Gunther Schuller, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Sir William Walton.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE CHORALE'S 2009-10 SEASON
For season subscriptions please contact The Chorale office at 646.202.9623 or visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

OPERA-IN-CONCERT / AMERICAN MASTERS
The Grapes of Wrath at Carnegie Hall
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 8pm
Music by Ricky Ian Gordon
Libretto by Michael Korie

featuring
Jane Fonda - Narrator
Nathan Gunn - Tom Joad
Victoria Clark - Ma Joad
Elizabeth Futral - Rosasharn
Anthony Dean Griffey - Jim Casy
Peter Halverson - Pa Joad
Stephen Powell - Uncle John
Andrew Wilkowske - Noah
Steven Pasquale - Al
Christine Ebersole - Mae/Waitress
Matthew Worth - Ragged Man/Connie Rivers/Truck Driver
Madelyn Gunn - Ruthie

American Symphony Orchestra
Ted Sperling, Conductor
Eric Simonson, Director
Frances Aronson, Lighting Designer
Wendall Harrington, Projection Designer


CHORAL CLASSIC
Israel in Egypt at Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 8pm
Music by George F. Handel

featuring
Sari Gruber, soprano
Brian Asawa, alto
Rufus Muller, tenor

The American Symphony Orchestra
James Bagwell, Conductor

The Collegiate Chorale Announces 2009/2010 Season

�ĮSeason Opens with THE LORD OF THE RINGS on October 9 & 10, 2009 at Radio City Music Hall�Į �ĮGala Concert, A JUBILANT SONG, on December 1, 2009 at 7pm at Carnegie Hall�Į �ĮWorld Premiere Two Act Concert Version of THE GRAPES OF WRATH on March 22, 2010 at Carnegie Hall�Į �ĮHandel's ISRAEL IN EGYPT on May 12, 2010 at The Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University

The Collegiate Chorale, led by new music director James Bagwell, announces its 68th season, including The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, a concert performed live to the film on October 9 and 10, 2009 at 7:30pm at Radio City Music Hall; a Gala Evening, A Jubilant Song, on December 1, 2009 at 7pm at Carnegie Hall; the World Premiere Two Act Concert Version of Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie's rendering of The Grapes of Wrath on March 22, 2010 at 8pm at Carnegie Hall; and George Frideric Handel's Israel in Egypt, conducted by James Bagwell, on May 12, 2010 at 8pm at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University.

"To be a part of one of the nation's leading arts groups is an honor. I am thrilled to begin to work with such a dynamic organization. This season is about journeys - of The Chorale, my own journey, and of the characters whose stories unfold in our programming. First, we will be part of a hobbit's journey as we perform the soundtrack to The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, while the film is shown in high definition at Radio City Music Hall. At our gala, I will begin my conducting journey with The Chorale as we celebrate this exceptional organization's journey from its beginning until now and as we move forward together. In December, we will present a world premiere rendering of the epic American journey, The Grapes of Wrath. We will conclude the season in May with the biblical journey of the Exodus, singing Handel's Israel in Egypt. This performance will take our Chorale journey to a beautiful new venue, the Skirball Center Theater. This season promises to be an exciting one and I look forward to leading The Chorale forward," said James Bagwell, music director of The Collegiate Chorale.

This fall, a once-in-a-lifetime experience comes to New York as Howard Shore's Grammy�� and Academy Award��-winning score for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring comes to life at the world-famous Radio City Music Hall on Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10, 2009. Beneath an immense 60-foot screen, Mr. Shore's complete original score will be performed live to Peter Jackson's award-winning epic. The music of Middle-earth will be brought to life by more than 300 musicians: Switzerland's 21st Century Symphony Orchestra, the internationally-acclaimed The Collegiate Chorale, the Grammy Award��-winning Brooklyn Youth Chorus and renowned soprano Kaitlyn Lusk, all under the direction of celebrated Maestro Ludwig Wicki. Tickets are $54-$150 and are available by calling Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4111 or (800) 745-3000 or online at www.radiocity.com/events/lord-of-the-rings-1009.html. This event is presented by CAMI Music and New York Comic Con in association with The New York Renaissance Faire, The One Ring.Net and The Angel Orensanz Foundation. Swiss International Air Lines is the official sponsor.

On December 1, 2009 at 7 pm at Carnegie Hall, join James Bagwell, Roger Rees and many well-known friends as they lead A Jubilant Song, a celebration of The Collegiate Chorale's remarkable history of exceptional conductors, noteworthy commissions and premieres, and multi-faceted choral programming. As the new Music Director, Mr. Bagwell gives tribute to his predecessors and ushers in a new era of The Collegiate Chorale. Works to be performed include the Beethoven Choral Fantasy, Verdi arias, A Jubilant Song by Dello Joio, and excerpts from Bernstein's A White House Cantata. Featuring Salvatore Licitra, tenor; Emily Pulley, soprano; Anita Johnson, soprano; Robert Mack, tenor; Erin Morley, soprano; Jenny Lin, piano; and Roger Rees, emcee. A benefit dinner with Mr. Bagwell and guest artists at Carnegie Hall's Rohatyn Room will follow the concert. Tickets are $25-$125 and will be available at 646-202-9623 or www.collegiatechorale.org.

An all-star cast from opera and Broadway comes together to present the World Premiere Two Act Concert Version of Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie's beautiful rendering of Nobel Prize-winner John Steinbeck's epic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, on March 22, 2010 at Carnegie Hall, conducted by Ted Sperling. Called by Musical America "The great American opera," Gordon's opera incorporates American popular musical styles of the 20s and 30s: song-and-dance, sweet and rousing love songs, ballads with banjos, jazz choruses, and a barbershop quartet. Just like the novel itself, the work is both heart-wrenching and uplifting. Gordon (music) and Korie (libretto) have collaborated with The Chorale to shorten the length of the original opera, while composing new material for the chorus. And if that starry cast - Victoria Clark, Christine Ebersole, Jane Fonda, Elizabeth Futral, Anthony Dean Griffey, Nathan Gunn, Peter Halverson, Steven Pasquale, Stephen Powell, Andrew Wilkowske and Matthew Worth - isn't enough inspiration to see the show, the role of Tom Joad's young daughter, Ruthie, will be sung by Nathan Gunn's daughter, Madeline Gunn. Directed by Eric Simonson with lighting design by Frances Aronson. Tickets are $25-$160 and will be available at 646-202-9623 or www.collegiatechorale.org.

James Bagwell will conduct George F. Handel's Israel in Egypt, featuring Brian Asawa, alto; Sari Gruber, soprano; and Rufus M��ller, tenor on May 12, 2010 at 8pm at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts, New York University. Darkness over the earth, water turning to blood, plagues of jumping frogs, buzzing insects, and hailstones, an oncoming mighty storm, and the parting of the Red Sea while hordes of horsemen and chariots are engulfed - such imagery calls for the masterful hand of George F. Handel. In this choral tour de force, some of the most vivid images of the Exodus story are recounted during the first segment, which is then followed by the beautiful and exultant second part, The Song of Moses. At times tender, simple, stately, crashing, complex and colossal, Israel in Egypt is one of Handel's monumental achievements, featuring the chorus in an unprecedented way with lovely and descriptive solos and duets accentuating their story throughout. Tickets are $25-$85 and will be available online at www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu, by phone at 212-352-3101, or in person at the Skirball Center Shagan Box Office 566 LaGuardia Place, Tuesday-Saturday 12-6pm.

Subscription packages are available by phone at 646-202-9623 or online at www.collegiatechorale.org.

The Collegiate Chorale, among New York's foremost vocal ensembles, has added to the richness of the city's cultural fabric for more than 65 years. Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale achieved national and international prominence under the leadership of Robert Bass. The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as commissions and premieres of new works by today's most exciting creative artists. In the Summer of 2009, The Chorale performed for the fourth season at Switzerland's Verbier Music Festival. In July 2008, The Chorale toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.

The mission of The Collegiate Chorale is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music featuring a premier choral ensemble. Inherent in its mission is The Chorale's belief that choral music is a compelling collaboration that creates a powerful, shared experience unifying listeners and musicians of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages.

James Bagwell maintains an active schedule throughout the United States as a conductor of choral, operatic, and orchestral music. He has recently been named Principal Guest Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra in New York. Since 2003 he has been Director of Choruses for the Bard Music Festival, conducting and preparing choral works during the summer festival at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College. He has also prepared The Concert Chorale of New York for performances with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mostly Mozart Festival (broadcast nationally in 2006 on Live from Lincoln Center) all in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. In 2005 he was named Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs in New York, who under his leadership have made numerous appearances at Carnegie Hall in addition to their regular season. In 2009 the Dessoff Symphonic Choir appeared with the New York Philharmonic performing both Mahler's Eighth Symphony and Britten's War Requiem for Lorin Maazel's final concerts as Music Director.

James Bagwell has trained choruses for a number of major American and International orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NHK Symphony (Japan), St. Petersburg Symphony, The American Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with noted conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Louis Langr��e, Leon Botstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Raymond Leppard, James Conlon, Jes��s L��pez-Cobos, Erich Kunzel, Leon Fleischer, and Robert Shaw.

For eleven seasons, he has been Music Director for the May Festival Youth Choir in Cincinnati, which was recently featured on the radio program From the Top. He has conducted some 25 productions as Music Director of Light Opera Oklahoma, including Candide, Sweeney Todd, and The Merry Widow, among others. At Bard SummerScape he has lead numerous theatrical works, most notably The Tender Land, which received unanimous praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Opera News. He frequently appears as guest conductor for orchestras around the country and abroad, including the Jerusalem Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. For three seasons he was Artistic Director of The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. He holds degrees from Birmingham-Southern College, Florida State University, and Indiana University. He has taught since 2000 at Bard College, where he is Director of the Music Program.

For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.

The Collegiate Chorale Announces the Appointment of �ĮNew Music Director �ĮJames Bagwell

"It is a privilege and honor for me to be the new Music Director of The Collegiate Chorale. This chorus, under the dynamic leadership of Robert Bass and the past legacies of Robert Shaw, Abraham Kaplan and Richard Westenburg, is a strong artistic presence in New York and the nation at large. I am thrilled to become a part of this innovative and ground-breaking cultural institution," said James Bagwell.

"James Bagwell brings a wealth of choral experience and a profound knowledge of the vocal repertoire to The Collegiate Chorale. He will be a visionary leader, a champion of the organization's mission to present exciting vocal music of the highest artistic standard. From an intensive eight-month search, the board, staff and singers reached complete consensus that James' musicianship and magnetism will lead us toward a brilliant next phase in The Chorale's artistic life," said George J. Grumbach, Jr., Co-Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Collegiate Chorale.

James Bagwell maintains an active schedule throughout the United States as a conductor of choral, operatic, and orchestral music. He has recently been named Principal Guest Conductor of the American Symphony Orchestra in New York. Since 2003 he has been Director of Choruses for the Bard Music Festival, conducting and preparing choral works during the summer festival at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College. He has also prepared The Concert Chorale of New York for performances with the American Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Mostly Mozart Festival (broadcast nationally in 2006 on Live from Lincoln Center) all in Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. In 2005 he was named Music Director of The Dessoff Choirs in New York, who under his leadership have made numerous appearances at Carnegie Hall in addition to their regular season. In 2009 the Dessoff Symphonic Choir appeared with the New York Philharmonic performing both Mahler's Eighth Symphony and Britten's War Requiem for Lorin Maazel's final concerts as Music Director.

James Bagwell has trained choruses for a number of major American and International orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, NHK Symphony (Japan), St. Petersburg Symphony, The American Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with noted conductors such as Lorin Maazel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Louis Langr��e, Leon Botstein, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Raymond Leppard, James Conlon, Jes��s L��pez-Cobos, Erich Kunzel, Leon Fleischer, and Robert Shaw.

For eleven seasons, he has been Music Director for the May Festival Youth Choir in Cincinnati, which was recently featured on the radio program From the Top. He has conducted some 25 productions as Music Director of Light Opera Oklahoma, including Candide, Sweeney Todd, and The Merry Widow, among others. At Bard SummerScape he has led numerous theatrical works, most notably The Tender Land, which received unanimous praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Opera News. He frequently appears as guest conductor for orchestras around the country and abroad, including the Jerusalem Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. For three seasons he was Artistic Director of The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. He holds degrees from Birmingham-Southern College, Florida State University, and Indiana University. He has taught since 2000 at Bard College, where he is Director of the Music Program.

The Collegiate Chorale, among New York's foremost vocal ensembles, has added to the richness of the city's cultural fabric for more than 65 years. Founded in 1941 by the legendary conductor Robert Shaw, The Chorale achieved national and international prominence under the leadership of Robert Bass. The Chorale has established a preeminent reputation for its interpretations of the traditional choral repertoire, vocal works by American composers, and rarely heard operas-in-concert, as well as commissions and premieres of new works by today's most exciting creative artists. In the Summer of 2009, The Chorale performed for the fourth season at Switzerland's Verbier Music Festival. In July 2008, The Chorale toured with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.

The mission of The Collegiate Chorale is to enrich its audiences through innovative programming and exceptional performances of a broad range of vocal music featuring a premier choral ensemble. Inherent in its mission is The Chorale's belief that choral music is a compelling collaboration that creates a powerful, shared experience unifying listeners and musicians of all backgrounds, beliefs and ages.

For more information, visit www.collegiatechorale.org.