Berkshire Choral Festival in/à Montréal

Internationally Renowned Berkshire Choral Festival debuts in Montréal

Hear "the voices of summer" perform Mendelssohn's captivating oratorio Paulus

Montréal, QC – The internationally renowned Berkshire Choral Festival makes its Montréal debut, performing Felix Mendelssohn's Paulus (St. Paul) at the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste on Friday, July 3 at 8pm Led by distinguished composer and conductor Julian Wachner, and accompanied by L'Orchestre Metropolitan du Grand Montréal, more than 180 singers will perform the glorious biblical work in its native language of German.

The 2009 season marks the Berkshire Choral Festival's first visit to Montréal, which joins the internationally recognized list of Berkshire Choral Festival venues along with Sheffield, Massachusetts, and Prague, Czech Republic. Already in its 28^th season, the festival provides choral singers from around the globe with the opportunity to live on the sprawling campus of McGill University, while participating in a weeklong singing intensive from June 26 to July 4, 2009.

Under the direction of world-class conductor Julian Wachner, former music director for the Bach-Academie de Montréal and current director for the Grammy award-winning Washington Chorus, participants will rehearse daily and also take classes in musical history and theory, while learning best audition practices and caring for their voice. The week culminates with a breathtaking performance of Paulus at the historic Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

The Berkshire Choral Festival will perform one concert only on Friday, July 3 at 8pm at the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Tickets are Adults: $25 and Seniors/Students (with valid ID): $10, and may be purchased online at Admission.com, or by calling 1.514.780.1245.

About Berkshire Choral Festival

The Berkshire Choral Festival was founded in 1982 with a unique purpose: to provide choral singers with the opportunity to rehearse and perform masterpieces of the choral repertoire under the direction of world-class conductors and with the help of a professional musical staff.

Twenty-eight years later, the Berkshire Choral Festival still holds to this philosophy – that choral music is best when it is studied, absorbed, discussed and mulled over by choristers and conductors together – in total immersion – until it makes sense as a genuine revelation and expression of the human spirit.

Paulus – Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847), a German composer, pianist, organist, and conductor, is now recognized as one of the most popular composers of the Romantic era.

In 1834, Mendelssohn began to compose his sweeping oratorio Paulus, which tells the story of Paul's conversion from Judaism to Christianity. Widely considered to be central to the revival of the German oratorio tradition in the early 19^th century, Paulus was first performed on May 22, 1836 at the Rhenish Music Festival in Düsseldorf, German.

Containing a wealth of wonderful music, Paulus is a carefully calculated mixture of recitative, arias, and choruses. Especially noteworthy is the diversity of the choruses, several of which offer complex and challenging contrapuntal fugues. These are balanced by the varied chorales, which appear as beautiful "resting points" spread throughout the work. Today, Paulus remains one of Mendelssohn's most performed and popular works, holding a distinct place of reverence in the choral repertoire.

Julian Wachner, Music Director, Washington Chorus

Born California, conductor-composer Julian Wachner began his musical education at age 4 with cello and piano lessons and studied improvisation, composition, organ and theory under Gerre Hancock while a boy chorister at the St. Thomas Choir School in New York City.

He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University's School for the Arts, and in 1990, was appointed University Organist and Music Director of Boston University's Marsh Chapel with subsequent appointments to the faculty of the BU School of Theology and School for the Arts. He quickly became one of Boston's most prominent musicians, and in 2001, following a decade of extraordinary conducting activity and compositional output in New England, Wachner was appointed to the faculty of the Schulich School of Music at McGill University.

Today, Wachner is one of the most active and versatile artists of his generation, having appeared with such esteemed companies as the Toronto Operetta Company (Candide), Montreal Symphony Orchestra, The Boston Pops, Calgary Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Handel & Haydn Society, The Metropolis Orchestra (Chicago), Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, and L'Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal.

Le réputé Berkshire Choral Festival à Montréal

Entendez les « voix d'été » performer le captivant oratorio Paulus de Mendelssohn.

Montréal (QC) – Le Berkshire Choral Festival, un événement de renommée internationale, fait ses débuts à Montréal avec l'interprétation de la pièce Paulus (Saint-Paul) à l'Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, le vendredi 3 juillet à 20h00. Menés par le distingué compositeur et chef d'orchestre Julian Wachner et accompagné de l'Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, plus de 180 chanteurs performeront la célèbre pièce biblique en allemand.

L'édition 2009 marque la première visite du Berkshire Choral Festival à Montréal. Ainsi, Montréal se joint à une liste sélecte d'endroits visités par le Berkshire Choral Festival avec Sheffields, au Massachussetts, et Prague, en République tchèque. Entamant déjà sa 28^e saison, le festival offre aux chanteurs de musique chorale, qui proviennent d'un peu partout au monde, l'occasion de vivre sur le campus de l'Université McGill tout en participant à une semaine intensive de chant du 26 juin au 4 juillet 2009.

Sous la direction du renommé chef d'orchestre Julian Wachner, ancien directeur de la Bach-Académie de Montréal et actuel directeur du Chœur de Washington, récipiendaire d'un Grammy, les participants auront des répétitions quotidiennes et suivront des classes d'histoire de la musique et de théorie, apprendront les meilleures tactiques d'audition tout en en s'occupant de leur voix. La semaine se terminera avec une performance époustouflante de la pièce Paulus à l'Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste.

Le Berkshire Choral Festival présentera un seul concert, le vendredi 3 juillet à 20h00, à l'Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Billets pour adultes : 25$ et billets pour séniors/étudiants (avec preuve d'identité valide) : 10$. Les billets peuvent être achetés en ligne à l'adresse suivante : Admission.com ou en composant le 1-514-780-1245.

À propos du Bershire Choral Festival

Le Bershire Choral Festival a été créé en 1982 avec un seul but : offrir aux chanteurs de chorale une opportunité de répéter et performer des célèbres pièces du répertoire de musique chorale sous la direction de chefs d'orchestres renommés avec l'aide d'employés professionnels de musique.

Vingt-huit ans plus tard, le Berkshire Choral Festival conserve toujours cette philosophie – que la musique chorale est meilleure lorsqu'elle est étudiée, absorbée, évaluée et interprétée par des choristes et des chefs d'orchestres travaillant ensemble – dans une symbiose totale – jusqu'à ce que l'on y retrouve une révélation véritable de l'esprit humain.

Paulus – Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), compositeur allemand, pianiste et chef d'orchestre, est aujourd'hui reconnu comme étant l'un des compositeurs les plus populaires de l'ère romantique.

En 1834, Mendelssohn a commencé à composer son célèbre oratorio Paulus qui raconte l'histoire de la conversion de Paul du judaïsme au catholicisme. Paulus, qui est grandement considéré comme étant central à la renaissance de la tradition d'oratorios allemands au début du 19^e siècle, a été performé pour la première fois le 22 mai 1836 au Festival de musique du Rhenish à Düsseldorf en Allemagne.

Comportant une richesse de musique incroyable, Paulus est un mélange consciencieusement calculé de récitatif, d'arias et de refrains. La diversité des refrains est notable, plusieurs offrent des fugues en contrepoints complexes et défiantes. Celles-ci sont balancées par les chorales variés qui apparaissent comme des jolis points de repos tout au long de la pièce. Aujourd'hui, Paulus demeure l'une des œuvres les plus performée et populaire de Mendelssohn. Il tient aussi une place distincte de révérence dans le répertoire de chorale.

Julian Wachner, directeur musical, Washington Chorus

Née en Californie, le compositeur et chef d'orchestre Julian Wachner a débuté son apprentissage de la musique à l'âge de 4 ans en suivant des leçons de piano et de violoncelle et en étudiant l'improvisation, la composition, l'orgue et de la théorie sous la supervision de Gerre Hancock tout en étant choriste à la St Thomas Choir School à New York.

Il s'est mérité le « doctor of Musical Arts degree » à la Boston University's School for the Arts et a été nommé comme organiste de l'université et directeur de musique de la Boston University's Marsh Chapel ainsi « que des nominations ultérieures » à la Faculté de théologie et l'École des arts de la Boston University. Il est rapidement devenu l'un des musiciens les plus proéminents de Boston et en 2001, à la suite d'une décennie extraordinaire d'activités de chef d'orchestre et de compositions en Nouvelle-Angleterre, Wachner a été nommé à la Faculté de l'École de Musique Schulich, à l'Université McGill de Montréal.

Aujourd'hui, Wachner est l'un des artistes les plus actif et versatile de sa génération, ayant apparu avec des compagnies importantes comme le Toronto Operetta Company (Candide), l'Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, The Boston Pops, Calgary Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, l'Orchestre du Centre national des Arts, Handel & Haydn Society, The Metropolis Orchestra (Chicago), Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, et l'Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal.

L'OSJM célèbre Mendelssohn - Concert le 9 mai 2009 à 20h

L'OSJM célèbre Mendelssohn!

Montréal, le 4 mai 2009 – À l'occasion du 200e anniversaire de naissance du compositeur allemand Félix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, l'Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal et son chef d'orchestre Louis Lavigueur lui consacrent leur troisième concert de la saison. Cette soirée aura lieu le samedi 9 mai prochain à 20 h, à la salle Claude-Champagne de la faculté de musique de l'Université de Montréal (200, avenue Vincent d'Indy). Au programme : l'ouverture du Songe d'une nuit d'été, le Concerto pour violon en mi mineur, opus 64 avec le soliste Martin Chalifour et finalement, la Symphonie n° 5 en ré mineur, opus 107 « Réformation ». Cet événement est placé sous la présidence d'honneur de Monsieur Jörg Metger, Consul général d'Allemagne à Montréal.

Martin Chalifour – Né à Montréal, Martin Chalifour reçoit dès l'âge de quatre ans ses premières leçons de violon. Après avoir obtenu un Premier Prix à l'unanimité au Conservatoire de Montréal, il complète ses études au prestigieux Curtis Institute de Philadelphie. Il reçoit un Certificat d'Honneur au Concours International Tchaïkovski de Moscou (1986) et est lauréat du Concours International de Montréal (1987). Martin Chalifour se produit régulièrement comme soliste, tant en récital qu'avec orchestre, et comme chambriste. Il s'est notamment fait entendre avec l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, les Violons du Roy, le Cleveland Orchestra et l'Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, ainsi qu'avec des artistes tels que Yo-Yo Ma, Emmanuel Ax, Janos Starker, Yefim Bronfman, Christoph Eschenbach, Lynn Harrell, Yuri Bashmet et des membres du Quatuor Tokyo. Il a été membre fondateur du Quatuor Atlanta et du Cleveland Orchestra Piano Trio. En avril 1995, il est nommé Violon-solo de l'Orchestre philharmonique de Los Angeles, dirigé par Esa-Pekka Salonen. Au moment de cette prestigieuse nomination, il occupait le poste de Violon-solo (par intérim) de l'Orchestre de Cleveland, après en avoir été le Co-soliste; il avait auparavant occupé les mêmes fonctions au sein de l'Orchestre d'Atlanta. Peu après son arrivée en Californie, il remplace le violoniste Vadim Repin dans les Deux Rhapsodies de Bartok et Tzigane de Ravel avec l'Orchestre philharmonique de Los Angeles. Ce concert, dirigé par Pierre Boulez, lui vaut alors les éloges de la critique. Martin Chalifour est membre du L.A. Philharmonic Piano Trio et enseigne à l'école de Musique Thornton de l'Université U.S.C. à Los Angeles.

L'OSJM – L'Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal (OSJM) réunit une soixantaine d'instrumentistes âgés en moyenne de 18 ans, admis après audition. L'OSJM a effectué plusieurs tournées au Québec, en Ontario, en Alberta, en Écosse, en Grèce et en France. Il compte à son actif plusieurs disques, dont la Symphonie n°3 avec orgue de Camille Saint-Saëns, Le Lac des cygnes et Casse-Noisettes de Tchaïkovski et la Symphonie n°5 de Mahler.

Louis Lavigueur - Au pupitre de l'Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal depuis plus de vingt ans, le chef d'orchestre Louis Lavigueur est également chef-adjoint et coordonnateur de l'Orchestre du Conservatoire de musique de Montréal depuis 1980, chef de l'Orchestre de Pierre-Laporte depuis 1985 et de l'Ensemble Sinfonia de Montréal depuis 2001. Pédagogue recherché, Louis Lavigueur a enseigné aux universités de Montréal, Laval et McGill, ainsi qu'au Conservatoire de musique de Montréal où il est toujours actif. Il a signé plusieurs disques de compositeurs québécois avec l'Orchestre Métropolitain, ainsi que des œuvres de Saint-Saëns et Tchaïkovski avec l'OSJM, qu'il a mené en tournée en Grèce et en France.

Billets en vente dès maintenant : 20 $ (réguliers); 10 $ (étudiants)
Billetterie : 514 645-0311 ou par courriel au osjmontreal@gmail.com

Orchestre symphonique des jeunes de Montréal
6045, 42e avenue Montréal
Montréal (Québec) H1T 2S7
Canada
www.osjm.org

Local Composer and Professor to Present Pre-Concert Lecture at Elijah, March 31

Composer and Bowdoin Music Professor Elliott Schwartz to Present Pre-Concert Lecture on Mendelssohn's Elijah, March 31

PORTLAND, Maine – In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn's birth, Portland's Choral Art Society will perform Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah in its full splendor on Tuesday, March 31, at Merrill Auditorium. Local composer and Bowdoin Professor of Music Elliott Schwartz will present a lecture in the auditorium before the concert, at 6:30 p.m.

Born and raised in New York City, Elliott Schwartz studied composition at Columbia University. In 1964 he began teaching at Bowdoin College, where he chaired the Music department for twelve 12 years, and is now the Robert K. Beckwith Professor of Music. A prolific composer, lecturer and author, Schwartz's works have been performed by orchestras around the world.

A hallmark among 19th century oratorios, Elijah depicts the dramatic story of the Old Testament prophet Elijah, who, according to the Book of Kings, raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and ascended to Heaven in a whirlwind. Mendelssohn evokes the full power of this dramatic story in his setting for orchestra and chorus.

The Choral Art Society will perform Elijah under the baton of music director Robert Russell, with the 120 voice Masterworks Chorus, members of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and guest soloists Lisa Saffer (soprano), Jennifer DeDominici (mezzo-soprano), John McVeigh (tenor) and Philip Cutlip (bass). Cutlip returns to Portland following his memorable performance in Brahms's Requiem in 2008. Portland resident Lisa Saffer is well known for her performances in the operas of Handel, many of which have been released on the Harmonia Mundi label.

Elijah will be performed at Portland's Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle Street, Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m., with the lecture starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets range from $15-$47 and are sold through PortTix at (207) 842-0800 or http://www.porttix.com/. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle Street, Monday through Saturday, from noon to 6 p.m.

About The Choral Art Society:
The Choral Art Society is comprised of more than 150 members who perform in three distinct ensembles: the symphonic Masterworks Chorus; the mid-sized Choral Art Singers; and the intimate a cappella Camerata. All singers are skilled amateurs, selected by audition. The Society offers an annual concert series and appears regularly as guests of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Robert Russell, professor of music at the University of Southern Maine, is the conductor and artistic director of The Choral Art Society.

For more information about The Choral Art Society and the 2008-09 performances visit http://www.choralart.org/ or call (207) 828-0043.

Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” at Merrill Auditorium, March 31

Portland's Choral Art Society Presents a Special Production of Mendelssohn's Elijah with Special Guests and Full Orchestra, March 31

PORTLAND, Maine – Almost exactly 200 years after the composer's birth, Portland's Choral Art Society will present Felix Mendelssohn's dramatic, moving oratorio Elijah in its full splendor on Tuesday, March 31 at Merrill Auditorium. Full of beatiful solos, Elijah depicts various events in the life of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. This production will include the Choral Art Society Masterworks Chorus, live orchestra and special guest soloists Lisa Saffer (soprano), Jennifer DeDominici (mezzo-soprano), John McVeigh (tenor) and Philip Cutlip (bass). The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

An oratorio is an elaborate musical presentation composed of an orchestra, choir and soloists. A sacred response to the secular, oratorio was popularized in response to the birth of opera in the early 1600s, but in a manner appropriate for church performance. The oratorio is similar to opera in the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters and arias; however, as opera is musical theater, an oratorio is strictly a concert piece, often dealing with sacred topics, with little or no interaction between characters and no props or elaborate costumes.

Widely known as the best oratorio of the 19th century, Mendelssohn did not shrink from the harshness of the Old Testament plots, and his music for Elijah is powerfully full of compelling scene-setting. Composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn's Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, whose music he greatly admired, the style clearly reflects Mendelssohn's own genius as an early Romantic composer.

Scored for a full orchestra, a large chorus, and four vocal soloists, the part of Elijah is sung by the Philip Cutlip and is a major role. The soloists include:

• Lisa Saffer (soprano) – An internationally acclaimed operatic soprano based in Maine, Saffer has performed on concert stages with virtually all leading American orchestras and regularly throughout Europe. Particularly well known for her performances in the operas of Handel, she is a recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award, London's equivalent of New York's Tony Award. She has thrilled local audiences in past performances with PORTopera and the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

• Jennifer DeDominici (mezzo-soprano) – A 2000 graduate of the USM School of Music, DeDominici is a resident of Denver and a mainstay in the performances offered by Opera Theatre of the Rockies. She performed the starring role in their production of Carmen in 2008. She has also performed for Opera Colorado, Central City Opera and the Santa Fe Opera, and was awarded first prize in the 2007 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition.

• John McVeigh (tenor) – A resident of Portland, McVeigh has been a full-time professional opera singer since 1995. He has performed with countless symphonies and opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera, NYC Opera and Los Angeles Opera, as well as concert stages around the globe. Locally he has performed on multiple occasions with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and played the role of Tybalt in last summer's PORTopera mainstage production of Roméo et Juliette.

• Philip Cutlip (bass-baritone) – Established on both the concert and opera stage, Cutlip has performed with nearly every major North American orchestra, and his performances have been called "moving beyond words." A distinctive element in Cutlip's career is his ongoing collaboration with both well-established dance companies and avant-garde ensembles. He performed in the 2002 PORTopera mainstage production of Gounod's Faust, and was a tremendous sensation when he performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra at their March 2008 "German Requiem" concert.

The Choral Art Society's presentation of Elijah will be performed at Portland's Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle Street, Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $15-$47 and are sold through PortTix at (207) 842-0800 or www.porttix.com. (Phone and internet orders subject to $5 per ticket handling fee.) Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle Street, Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.

About The Choral Art Society:
The Society has more than 150 members who perform in three distinct ensembles: the symphonic Masterworks Chorus, the mid-sized Choral Art Singers, and the intimate a cappella Camerata. All singers are skilled amateurs, selected by audition. The Society offers an annual concert series and appears regularly as guests of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Robert Russell, professor of music at the University of Southern Maine, is the conductor and artistic director of The Choral Art Society.
For more information about The Choral Art Society and the 2008-09 performances visit www.choralart.org or call (207) 828-0043.

NACO, Feb 11-12: Sarah Chang and Mendelssohn Violin Concerto

Sarah Chang performs the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the NAC Orchestra led by Roberto Minczuk on Feb. 11-12

Ottawa (Canada) – One of the most remarkable prodigies of any generation, Sarah Chang has matured into a young artist whose musical insight, technical virtuosity, and emotional range continue to astonish. The soloist returns to perform Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the National Arts Centre Orchestra led by Roberto Minczuk on Wednesday, February 11 and Thursday, February 12 at 8 p.m. in the NAC’s Southam Hall. These Ovation Series concerts include a suite from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Beethoven’s fresh, energetic, whimsical Fourth Symphony.

Audiences are invited to stay in Southam Hall after both concerts to chat with Sarah Chang in a Musically Speaking Talkback hosted by CBC Radio National Music Producer Jill LaForty.

On Thursday, February 12 (one night only), there is also a free “Musically Speaking” pre-concert exploration of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto as explained by violin teacher William van der Sloot of Calgary’s Mount Royal College Conservatory and demonstrated by young violinist Shanshan Yao accompanied by pianist Jean Desmarais. This entertaining and informative lecture-demonstration, hosted by Michel Dozois, is free. (Shanshan Yao will also perform a one-hour Debut Series recital at 12 noon on February 12 in the NAC Salon.)

Sarah Chang has this to say about the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto: “I first learned the Mendelssohn Concerto when I was 7 years old and a student at The Juilliard School. I remember falling in love with it immediately! It’s a jewel of a concerto, loaded with virtuosic elements and challenges but also filled with some of the most beautiful, soaring melodies ever written. I recorded it when I was 16 with the Berlin Philharmonic and Mariss Jansons, and throughout the years it has been a constant staple in my repertoire.”

Born in Philadelphia to Korean parents, Sarah Chang began her violin studies at age 4. Her early auditions, at age 8, for Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Muti led to immediate engagements with the New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Sarah Chang made a sensational debut with the NAC Orchestra in 1992 at age 12 playing Paganini’s Violin Concerto No. 1. She has reached a wide audience through her many television appearances, concert broadcasts, and best-selling recordings for EMI Classics, for which she records exclusively. Her latest release, the widely lauded Vivaldi Four Seasons with Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, has reached the Billboard charts in the US and continues to top the best selling charts internationally. Her most recent appearance at the NAC was in 2002 when she performed the Brahms Violin Concerto.

Tickets for these concerts with violinist Sarah Chang and conductor Roberto Minczuk on Wednesday, February 11 and Thursday, February 12 at 8 p.m. are on sale now at $19.00, $39.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 and $86.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website at http://www.nac-cna.ca/.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $11 at the NAC Box Office from 2 p.m. the day before the concert to 6 p.m. the day of, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.

Choral Art Society Presents Mendelssohn’s “Elijah,” March 31

The Choral Art Society

PORTLAND'S CHORAL ART SOCIETY PRESENTS MENDELSSOHN'S ELIJAH ORATORIO, MARCH 31 PORTLAND, Maine – In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Felix Mendelssohn's birth, Portland's Choral Art Society will present Mendelssohn's oratorio Elijah in its full splendor on Tuesday, March 31 at Merrill Auditorium. Widely known as the best oratorio of the 19th century, this production of Elijah includes the Choral Art Society Masterworks Chorus, live orchestra and special guest soloists Lisa Saffer (soprano), Jennifer DeDominici (mezzo-soprano), John McVeigh (tenor) and Philip Cutlip (bass). The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Elijah depicts various events in the life of the Old Testament prophet Elijah. Mendelssohn did not shrink from the harshness of the Old Testament plots, and his music for Elijah is full of power, drama and compelling scene-setting. Composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn's Baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, whose music he greatly admired, the style clearly reflects Mendelssohn's own genius as an early Romantic composer. An oratorio is an elaborate musical presentation composed of an orchestra, choir and soloists. A sacred response to the secular, oratorio was popularized in response to the birth of opera in the early 1600s, but in a manner appropriate for church performance. The oratorio is similar to opera in the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters and arias; however, as opera is musical theater, an oratorio is strictly a concert piece, often dealing with sacred topics, with little or no interaction between characters and no props or elaborate costumes. Scored for a full orchestra, a large chorus, and four vocal soloists, the part of Elijah is sung by the Philip Cutlip and is a major role. The soloists include: Lisa Saffer (soprano) – An internationally acclaimed operatic soprano based in Maine, Saffer has performed on concert stages with virtually all leading American orchestras and regularly throughout Europe. Particularly well known for her performances in the operas of Handel, she is a recipient of the Royal Philharmonic Society Award and was nominated for an Olivier Award, London's equivalent of New York's Tony Award. She has thrilled local audiences in past performances with PORTopera and the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Jennifer DeDominici (mezzo-soprano) – A 2000 graduate of the USM School of Music, DeDominici is a resident of Denver and a mainstay in the performances offered by Opera Theatre of the Rockies. She performed the starring role in their production of Carmen in 2008. She has also performed for Opera Colorado, Central City Opera and the Santa Fe Opera, and was awarded first prize in the 2007 Denver Lyric Opera Guild Competition. John McVeigh (tenor) – A resident of Portland, McVeigh has been a full-time professional opera singer since 1995. He has performed with countless symphonies and opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, Houston Grand Opera, NYC Opera and Los Angeles Opera, as well as concert stages around the globe. Locally he has performed on multiple occasions with the Portland Symphony Orchestra and played the role of Tybalt in last summer's PORTopera mainstage production of Roméo et Juliette. Philip Cutlip (bass-baritone) – Established on both the concert and opera stage, Cutlip has performed with nearly every major North American orchestra, and his performances have been called "moving beyond words." A distinctive element in Cutlip's career is his ongoing collaboration with both well-established dance companies and avant-garde ensembles. He performed in the 2002 PORTopera mainstage production of Gounod's Faust, and was a tremendous sensation when he performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra at their March 2008 "German Requiem" concert. The Choral Art Society's presentation of Elijah will be performed at Portland's Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle Street, Tuesday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $15-$47 and are sold through PortTix at (207) 842-0800 or www.porttix.com. (Phone and internet orders subject to $5 per ticket handling fee.) Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 20 Myrtle Street, Monday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. About The Choral Art Society: The Society has more than 150 members who perform in three distinct ensembles: the symphonic Masterworks Chorus, the mid-sized Choral Art Singers, and the intimate a cappella Camerata. All singers are skilled amateurs, selected by audition. The Society offers an annual concert series and appears regularly as guests of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Robert Russell, professor of music at the University of Southern Maine, is the conductor and artistic director of The Choral Art Society. For more information about The Choral Art Society and the 2008-09 performances visit www.choralart.org or call (207) 828-0043.

Honens and CPO present North American premiere of Mendelssohn's Third Piano Concerto

Honens International Piano Competition and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra present North American Premiere of Mendelssohn’s Third Piano Concerto

CALGARY, AB January 30, 2009 – Honens International Piano Competition and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra celebrate Mendelssohn’s 200^th birthday with the North American premiere of his Piano Concerto No. 3 in E minor. The concert takes place on Monday, May 11, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. at Jack Singer Concert Hall, EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts (205 Eighth Avenue SE).

Left unfinished at the prolific composer’s death in 1847, the score was completed and reconstructed by composer/conductor Marcello Bufalini for exclusive performance by Italian pianist Roberto Prosseda. Prosseda came across the incomplete manuscript at the Bodleian Library in Oxford in 2006 and urged Bufalini, a respected Mendelssohn scholar, to bring his considerable knowledge of the composer’s style to the task of assembling a reconstruction from the sketches. The process involved deciphering the manuscript which consisted of the solo piano part and the piano sketch of the orchestra score; completing the orchestration, and writing the Finale based upon the autograph melodic sketches.

Julian Kuerti conducts the all-Mendelssohn program, which also includes the Hebrides Overture Op. 26 (Fingal’s Cave) and Sinfonia for String Orchestra No. 10 in B minor. Roberto Prosseda will be joined by his wife Alessandra Maria Ammara (2000 Honens Laureate) to perform the Concerto for Two Pianos in E major.

Tickets are $28 to $85 and are available by calling (403) 571-0849 or online at cpo-live.com. For more information visit honens.com or cpo-live.com.

Honens Concerts Presenting Sponsor: TD Waterhouse

Calgary Philharmonic Season Sponsors: Calgary Herald and Nexen Inc.

-more-

About Honens

Honens, Canada’s leading presenter of music for piano, produces more than 100 concerts and events across Canada and internationally each year. The triennial Honens International Piano Competition, founded in 1992, is ranked among the world’s greatest music competitions. It is unique in its mission to find the “complete artist” – one who possesses technical mastery as well as expressiveness in a wide range of musical forms and style, and whose music-making possesses imagination, innovation and relevance in today’s world. The sixth Honens Competition takes place in Calgary from October 22 to November 6, 2009.

About the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) was formed in 1955 through the amalgamation of the Calgary Symphony and the Alberta Philharmonic. Today the CPO is one of North America’s finest and most versatile orchestras presenting world leading artists and a wonderful range of genres. The CPO’s innovative style excites, entertains and inspires music lovers of all ages.

Celebrating Mendelssohn/Discovering Eduard Franck

Celebrating Mendelssohn…and Discovering Eduard Franck!

Close Encounters With Music Schedules American Premieres: Works of Forgotten 19^th Century Composer Eduard Franck, Mendelssohn Student and Colleague. 200^th Anniversary of Felix's Birth Prompts Revival and Re-evaluation

Tributes to Mendelssohn's inner circle to take place at New York's Merkin Hall

February 25 and March 5, 2009; repeats in Berkshires, Detroit and Cincinnati

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) –To coincide with the Mendelssohn anniversary year of 2009 (born February 3, 1809 in Hamburg) Berkshire-based chamber music organization Close Encounters With Music is planning festivities in several cities, beginning with tributes to the Mendelssohn inner circle at New York's Merkin Concert Hall, that will include works by Clara and Robert Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Frederic Chopin and the all but unknown Eduard Franck, a prolific composer whose works have not been in circulation for over a hundred years.

A pair of concerts, Celebrating Mendelssohn…and Discovering Eduard Franck I & II, on Wednesday, February 25 and Thursday, March 5, 2009 (7:30 PM), will introduce several of his works to the American public—the masterful string Sextet No. 1 in E-flat major, op. 41; the piano trio in E-flat major, op. 22, written while under Mendelssohn's tutelage; and a selection of his brilliant solo piano pieces. Joining artistic director and cellist Yehuda Hanani are violinists Shmuel Ashkenasi and Yehnonatan Berick; pianist James Tocco; and the Avalon String Quartet.

Eduard Franck's background in many ways paralleled that of Mendelssohn himself. He was born in 1817 to a privileged banking family in Breslau that entertained the luminaries of the age: Heine, Humboldt, the Mendelssohns and Wagner. An accomplished pianist, versatile composer and renowned teacher, his professional circle overlapped with that of Mendelssohn and included the Schumanns and Chopin. Franck was part of a line of transmission of great pianists and pedagogues: Moritz Moszkowski, the Romantic pianist and composer, also born in Breslau (1854-1925), studied piano with Franck in Berlin.

"I am honored to be part of the revival of such a worthy composer, along with my colleague James Tocco, and to rectify an unfortunate historical omission," says Yehuda Hanani, who was introduced to first editions of Franck's chamber music scores by his descendants in Germany. "Whether because he published his works late in life, or because his innate reticence and lack of self-promotion contributed to the neglect of his output, his is a voice that should be heard." Mr. Hanani was also part of the revival of the eccentric-mystic Charles-Valentin Alkan, and made the first recording ever of his monumental cello/piano work Sonate de Concert, and was at the center of the re-discovery of the music of avant-gardist Leo Ornstein, whose cello/piano sonata he recorded for Koch International. When Hanani and Tocco reviewed the Piano Trio opus 22 from a first edition copy, they decided it was time to resurrect it after an interval of over 130 years.

According to Hanani, "Franck's eloquent and elegantly-crafted music gives a broader scope, deepens our understanding of the Zeitgeist that produced the German Romantic composers leading to Brahms and Strauss, and provides a glimmer of chromaticism and what was to follow. Hearing his music, there's an immediate flash of recognition as to where he fits in. In addition to the tremendous artistic satisfaction, there is also the thrill of reinstating a valuable figure who has been unjustly sidelined and is now beginning to receive his due."

The newly-discovered Franck works will be framed by the "other" Mendelssohn Trio, in C minor; Clara Schumann's Three Romances for Violin and Piano; Chopin's darkly romantic Cello Sonata; Robert Schumann's Piano Quartet; and solo piano works by Fanny Mendelssohn to demonstrate the affinities and gestalt of this group. "The idea is to recreate for these two evenings the intimate atmosphere of the 19^th century salon, of which Close Encounters With Music is a modern-day version," says Hanani.

Celebrating Mendelssohn I & II, will be repeated during the 2009 season in Cincinnati, the Berkshires, Scottsdale, and at the Great Lakes Festival in Michigan.

TICKETS AND LOCATION

Merkin Concert Hall

Goodman House

129 West 67^th Street

New York, NY 10023

www.merkinconcerthall.org

Box Office: (212) 501-3330

THE PERFORMERS

James Tocco

"…Has the big technique and the expansive temperament … A knockout performance in which the musical values were not overshadowed by the keyboard pyrotechnics. Mr. Tocco took the piece to the limit…The final fugue was built with perfect logic, but logic did not prevent it from exploding in a grandly Romantic style…" —The New York Times

Catapulted to prominence as a student of Claudio Arrau and first-prize winner in the ARD International Munich Competition when he replaced Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli as soloist with the Vienna Festival, pianist James Tocco enjoys an international career, performing with the most notable orchestras and conductors of our day. He has appeared with the Cleveland and Minnesota orchestras; the Berlin, London, Hong Kong and Munich philharmonics, and London, Houston, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit, Chicago, National and NHK (Japan) symphonies. Regarded as a supreme exponent of American music, he has recorded the music of Bernstein, Corigliano, MacDowell, and Charles Tomlinson Griffes to great critical acclaim. He is Eminent Scholar/Artist in Residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music as well as artistic director of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.

Shmuel Ashkenasi

"A masterly technique. Warm, clear and strong."—The Japan Times

Founder and first violinist of the Vermeer Quartet, Shmuel Ashkenasi captured top prizes at the 1962 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, the Merriweather Post Competition in Washington, and the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium. As a soloist he has toured the Soviet Union and concretizes each year throughout Europe, Israel and the Far East, performing with American orchestras such as the Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, National, Atlanta, and Los Angeles philharmonics, as well as those of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Zurich, Rotterdam, Geneva and Stockholm. Among his solo recordings are the Paganini Violin Concertos with the Vienna Symphony for Deutsche Grammophon. He holds posts of Professor of Violin in Lubeck, Germany, and Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts and serves on the faculty of the Curtis Institute.

Yehuda Hanani

"One of the most polished performers of the post-Starker generation, and a consistently expressive artist."—The New York Times

Yehuda Hanani has performed as a soloist with the Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Paul Chamber, Berlin Radio, Israel Philharmonic, Puerto Rico, BBC Welsh, Irish National, Jerusalem, Lithuanian Chamber, and Seoul symphony orchestras, among others, and he is a frequent guest at numerous festivals in the United States, Europe and Australia. Hanani has collaborated with music luminaries such as Aaron Copland, Leon Fleisher, Itzhak Perlman, Christoph Eschenbach, and David Robertson, and he has commissioned, premiered and recorded numerous works by leading contemporary composers. Professor of cello at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Hanani has released CDs of Vivaldi and Bach that have become best-selling standard setters. His recording for Naxos of three American cello concertos (Virgil Thomson, William Schuman, William Perry) was released in 2008.

Yehonatan Berick

"Delicate balance and subtlety…combined with Devil-may-care expression and dynamism"—Detroit Free Press

Yehonatan Berick, soloist, recitalist, chamber musician (violin and viola), and pedagogue, was a prizewinner at the 1993 Naumburg Competition and a recipient of the 1996-97 Prix Opus. He has performed with the Quebec, Winnipeg, Jerusalem, and Haifa symphonies, and the Israel, Cincinnati, Montreal, and Manitoba chamber orchestras. He has appeared in recital with such pianists as James Tocco, Louis Lortie, and Stephen Prutsman, and has collaborated in chamber music performances with artists including members of the Guarneri Quartet. Berick's festival credits include Marlboro, Ravinia, Seattle, Great Lakes, Moritzburg, Strings in the Mountains and Bowdoin, and he is a member of Musicians from Marlboro, the Lortie-Berick-Lysy Piano Trio and the Huberman String Quartet.

Avalon String Quartet

"One of the most exciting young string quartets in America"—The Washington Post

Formed in 1995 at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, the Avalon Quartet came to the fore after participating in Isaac Stern's Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall in 1997, which led to invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and Stern's Chamber Music Encounters in Jerusalem. They are top-prize winners of the ARD Munich Competition Concert Artists Guild, and the Newport Chamber Music Festival's Channel Classics Prize led to their critically acclaimed recording Dawn To Dusk. They are in residence at Northern Illinois University, a position formerly occupied by the distinguished Vermeer Quartet and perform annually in Chicago and DeKalb, as well as at Alice Tully, the 92^nd St Y and Carnegie Hall in New York; the Library of Congress in Washington, DC; at Caramoor, Mostly Mozart and Ravinia festivals; and at the La Jolla Chamber Music Society and the Isabella Gardner Museum.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC

Close Encounters With Music stands at the intersection of music, art and the vast richness of Western culture. Entertaining, erudite and lively commentary from founder and Artistic Director Yehuda Hanani puts the composers and their times in perspective to enrich the concert experience. Since the inception of its Commissioning Project in 2001, CEWM has worked with the most distinguished composers of our time—Paul Schoenfield, Osvaldo Golijov, Lera Auerbach, Kenji Bunch, John Musto, among others—to create important new works that have already taken their place in the chamber music canon. A core of brilliant performers includes pianists James Tocco, Adam Neiman, Walter Ponce and Emma Tahmizian; violinists Shmuel Ashkenasi, Yehonatan Berick, Vadim Gluzman and Toby Appel; harpsichordist Lionel Party; clarinetists Alexander Fiterstein, Charles Neidich; vocalists Amy Burton, Jennifer Aylmer, Robert White, Lucille Beer and William Sharp; the Vermeer, Amernet, Muir, Manhattan, Avalon, Hugo Wolf quartets, and Cuarteto Latinoamericano; and guitarist Eliot Fisk. Choreographer David Parsons and actors Richard Chamberlain, Jane Alexander and Sigourney Weaver have also appeared as guests, weaving narration and dance into the fabric of the programs.

"Great music played with great heart."—Berkshire Eagle

"There's a palpable mystique about these Close Encounters concerts."—Berkshire Eagle

"The program provided stellar performances...played with passion and pathos..."

—Arizona Republic

"The Close Encounters classical music series is well known for its adventurous, innovative

programming. Artistic Director Yehuda Hanani struck gold….The performers were rewarded with a highly enthusiastic ovation."— WAMC Northeast Radio

"Must see concerts...the mind-and heart-engaging Close Encounters With Music

Series!"— Berkshire Living

Trio Hochelaga en concert à Montréal le 10 novembre

De retour d’une tournée en Chine, le Trio Hochelaga est heureux de vous inviter à son prochain concert
présenté à Montréal à la Salle Redpath de l'Université McGill, le lundi 10 novembre 2008, à 20 h.

Au programme :

• Joseph Haydn - Trio no 15, en sol majeur, Hob. XV
• Théodore Dubois - Trio no 1, en do mineur
• Félix Mendelssohn - Trio no 1, en ré mineur, opus 49

Coût des billets : étudiants 5 $ - adultes 20 $ (taxe incluse) - Billets en vente à la porte avant le concert.

Salle Redpath de l'Université McGill, 3461 McTavish, Montréal (Métro McGill)
Ce concert sera aussi présenté à Ottawa, le dimanche 9 novembre, à 15 h, au Pavillon Tabaret de l'Université d'Ottawa


Fondé en 2000, le Trio Hochelaga s’est très rapidement distingué sur la scène musicale canadienne comme l’un des plus importants ensembles de musique de chambre au pays. La violoniste Anne Robert, le violoncelliste Paul Marleyn, et le pianiste Stéphane Lemelin ont choisi de partager leur passion pour un répertoire de musique de chambre allant de l’époque classique à la musique d’aujourd’hui. Interprètes des grandes œuvres du répertoire, ils accordent une place particulière à la musique française, dont ils se donnent le mandat d’explorer les richesses méconnues.

Le Trio Hochelaga a dès ses débuts été invité à participer aux principaux festivals d’été de l’est du Canada, dont le Festival international de Lanaudière, le Festival international de musique de chambre d’Ottawa, le Festival of the Sound, et le Festival du Centre d’Arts d’Orford. En 2003, le Trio Hochelaga a créé le Triple Concerto de Jacques Hétu, avec l’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal au Festival de Lanaudière. Parmi les faits saillants d’une tournée à Taiwan et au Japon en 2004, notons l’invitation à se produire avec le Tokyo New City Orchestra dans le Triple Concerto de Beethoven au Sumida Triphony Hall de Tokyo.

www.triohochelaga.com

Moments sacrés

Le Choeur de la montagne présentera son concert MOMENTS SACRÉS Mozart - Handel - Mendelssohn les 24 mai à 20 heures et 25 mai à 14h30 à l'Église Saint-Matthieu, 1014, rue Richelieu à Beloeil.

La soprano Karine Michon est la soliste-invitée. Les lauréats du Concours de musique assureront la première partie : les pianistes Lysandre Ménard (14 ans, 1er prix catégorie 7 à 14 ans) et Aude St-Pierre (19 ans, 1er prix catégorie 15 à 21 ans) joueront le 24 mai tandis que le Trio Ouater (violon, violoncelle et piano) et le grand lauréat Thierry Bégin-Lamontagne, guitariste de 21 ans, joueront le 25 mai.

Billets en vente au Musée des beaux-arts de Mont-Saint Hilaire (450.536.3033) et chez Multi Électronique à Beloeil (450.467.8273)

NACO, May 7-8: Helmuth Rilling leads NAC Orchestra in Mendelssohn's Elijah

Ottawa, Canada – Helmuth Rilling will lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra, four soloists and three choirs totaling 150 singers in Mendelssohn’s mighty oratorio Elijah – drama on a truly Biblical scale – in Ovation Series concerts on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8 at 20:00 in the NAC’s Southam Hall. It is only the second time in the NAC Orchestra’s history that it has presented the massive work. It will be performed in German with surtitles in English and French.

There will be “Musically Speaking” post-concert Talkbacks offered on Southam Hall stage after both concerts with Maestro Helmuth Rilling and chorus master Duain Wolfe.

Elijah remains one of the crowning achievements of the choral literature and is, along with Handel’s Messiah and Haydn’s Creation, one of the three most popular oratorios of all time. Garnering deafening applause and calls for encores at its premiere in 1846, the nearly operatic conception of Elijah depicts the struggle of the larger-than-life prophet against false gods and the fiery Jezebel, and amazingly evokes drought, rainstorms and earthquakes, as well as God’s display of power in a column of fire and Elijah’s ascent to heaven in a chariot. “I picture Elijah,” wrote Mendelssohn “as a grand and mighty prophet of a kind we would do well to have in our own day – powerful, zealous, but also harsh and angry and saturnine; a striking contrast to the court sycophants and the rabble.”

Canadian bass Nathan Berg – who last performed here in the Verdi Requiem in 2006 and under the direction of Helmuth Rilling in Haydn’s Creation in 2004 – sings the role of the prophet Elijah. American soprano Elizabeth Keusch makes her NAC Orchestra debut as the Widow and an Angel – originally written for the famous “Swedish Nightingale” Jenny Lind. Romanian mezzo-soprano Roxana Constantinescu, also making her NACO debut, is Jezebel and an Angel; and American tenor James Taylor, who performed with Rilling and Berg in Haydn’s Creation as well as the 2006 presentation of Bach’s B-minor Mass, portrays Obadiah and Ahab. The Cantata Singers of Ottawa (Michael Zaugg, director), the Ottawa Choral Society (Matthew Larkin, director) and members of the Ottawa Bach Choir (Lisette Canton) combine for a 150-voice chorus prepared by Duain Wolfe with assistance from Laurence Ewashko.

Stuttgart-born Helmuth Rilling is active as a conductor, pedagogue, and an ambassador for the music of J. S. Bach worldwide. He founded the Gächinger Kantorei in 1954 and 11 years later founded the Bach Collegium Stuttgart. In addition to Bach, he has been a fervent advocate of “neglected” romantic choral music as well as commissioning and performing contemporary choral music. With his ensembles in Stuttgart or as a guest conductor, Maestro Rilling is active on the international concert podium, performing regularly throughout Europe, US, and Canada. As a testament to his inexhaustible activity are hundreds of CD, radio and TV recordings. He was awarded the UNESCO International Music Prize in 1994 and won a coveted Grammy Award in 2000 for his recording of Krzystof Penderecki’s Credo.

Tickets for these Ovation Series concerts on Wednesday, May 7 and Thursday, May 8 at 20:00 are on sale now at $19.00, $29.00, $49.00, $59.00, $69.00 with box seats at $83.00 (GST and Facility Fee included) at the NAC Box Office (Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00), and through Ticketmaster (with surcharges) at 613-755-1111. Ticketmaster may also be accessed through the NAC’s website at www.nac-cna.ca.

Half-price tickets for students in all sections of the hall are on sale in person at the NAC Box Office upon presentation of a valid student ID card. Same-day Live Rush tickets (subject to availability) for full-time students (aged 13 to 29) are $10 at the NAC Box Office between 14:00 and 18:00 on the day of performance only, upon presentation of a valid Live Rush card.

Groups of 10 and more save 15% to 20% off the regular price of tickets to NAC Music, Theatre and Dance performances. To reserve your seats call 613-947-7000 ext. 384 or email grp@nac-cna.ca.