Events

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Chorus of All Souls Times Review

The concert in which I both sang and conducted this past weekend was reviewed in the NY Times, though not so favorably.  It was a wonderful experience and in many ways, the most bizarre concert I have been a part of.  I sang in two pieces – one an operetta about zombies, the other an early music-influenced doom trio about reanimation of the dead.  The piece I was asked to conduct opened the concert with lots of breathing, shoulder shrugging, and yawning (from the singers, hopefully not the audience!).  Of course any musician would prefer a fantastic review, but to get one at all is exciting.  I have had a surprising fall filled with opportunities to perform new music.  It’s a small, invigorated world that I’ve been honored to be a part of!  Here’s hoping for more strange gigs to come…

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Opera is Undead

This Saturday, at 8pm, I will be conducting and singing in new works as a part of Experiments in Opera at the Abrons Art Center in NYC.  This All Souls Day concert will present four mini operas:

“John Zorn’s The Holy Visions, an exhilarating choral opera based on the writings and work of the medieval mystic and composer, Hildegard von Bingen… the premiere of When No One Around You is There by Jessica Pavone which utilizes the chorus as an abstract metaphor for the human predicament and two semi-staged choral operas: Jason Cady’s Nostalgia Kills You, a comedy about a man and his zombie ex-girlfriend and Matthew Welch’s Reanimator Requiem which merges the mass for the dead with H.P. Lovecraft’s cult classic.”

I have the honor of conducting the Pavone, and singing with the Chorus of All Souls in the Cady and Welch pieces.  Again, the concert is this Saturday at 8pm at the Abrons Art Center; tickets cost $30 and are sure to sell out.  For more information, check out the Experiments in Opera website.

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Concert: Mason-Dixon

I have recently joined Voce, a Hartford-based choral ensemble conducted by Mark Singleton.  The group performs several project-based concerts throughout the year.  Our first concert of the season, entitled “Mason DIxon,” is coming up on Saturday, Oct 19 at 7:30pm at Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, CT.  We will be singing a lot of American music, much of which is from the south.  The finest part of the concert, however, is the premiere of Colin Britt’s new double choir piece, Dreamscape.  It’s a fantastic three-movement work – don’t miss it!  I have tickets to sell, so feel free to contact me if you are interested in coming.