North/South Consonance, Inc. Presents Brazilian Composers in O CORAÇÃO CANTA, 6/12

North/South Consonance, Inc. continues its 32nd consecutive season of free-admission concerts on Tuesday evening June 12, 2012 when acclaimed soprano Martha Herr, bass Israel Pessoa, and pianist Max Lifchitz join forces for an evening featuring exclusively art songs by Brazilian composers in "O Coração Canta."

The concert will start at 8 PM and will take place at the auditorium of Christ & St. Stephen’s Church (120 West 69th St – between Broadway and Columbus) in New York City. Admission is free – no tickets needed. The program will feature art songs by Brazilian composers from the 19th and 20th century including Ernani Braga, Luciano Gallet, Camargo Guarnieri, Francisco Mignone, Ronaldo Miranda, Alberto Nepomuceno, Marlos Nobre, Almeida Prado, Achille Picchi and Heitor Villa-Lobos.

For further information about North/South Consonance’s activities, including concerts and recordings, click here.

Soprano Martha Herr has received wide acclaim for her work in opera, oratorio, recitals and recordings. A champion of the vocal music of her adopted country Brazil, she has premiered operas by Arrigo Barnabé, Tim Rescala and Jorge Antunes. She also participated in the first Brazilian production of Wagner's Rin in the historical opera house of Manaus in the Amazonas.

Ms. Herr also participated in the premiere of Morton Feldman's neither at the Rome Opera and John Cage's Europera V at the North American New Music Festival. Her recordings include an album devoted to the songs by Virgil Thomson, and an album devoted to Brazilian songs including the ever-popular Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos. The Chair of the voice department at the State University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, Herr is a visiting professor at Bennington College this season.

Israel Pessoa, bass, was invited by the beloved Anna Moffo to participate in her master classes at the Metropolitan Opera House. After critically acclaimed appearances at the Sao Paulo Opera House, Pessoa was invited to perform with several US companies including, among others, the Tulsa Opera; the Athens Opera in Georgia; the Cava di Tirreni Festival in Italy; the NY Opera Forum; and the NY Cantata Singers.

A native of Goiania-Goias, Brazil, Pessoa trained as vocalist and choral conductor at the Sao Paulo Baptist Theological Seminary and at the State University Of Sao Paulo before relocating to the US in 1995. He is the featured soloist in the premiere recording of a Te Deum and a Mass by the 18th century Brazilian composer Tristao Mariano da Costa.

Pianist Max Lifchitz has appeared on concert stages throughout Europe, Latin America and the US. He was awarded the first prize in the 1976 Gaudeamus Competition for Performers of Contemporary Music held in Holland.”

A graduate of The Juilliard School and Harvard University, Lifchitz has appeared on concert stages throughout Europe, Latin America and the US. He was awarded the first prize in the 1976 Gaudeamus Competition for Performers of Contemporary Music held in Holland. His numerous recordings as pianist, composer and conductor are available for streaming and download here.

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