NYFOS Presents 'Spanish Gold' Songs 3/13-3/17

NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG-the group whose concerts the NY Daily News describes as "...exactly what a musical evening should be-full of wonder, beauty and intense sense of discovery"-presents SPANISH GOLD: Songs of the Iberian Peninsula on Sunday March 13 at 4:00PM in The Music Room at Caramoor in Katonah, NY, and on Tuesday March 15 and Thursday March 17 at 8:00PM at Merkin Concert Hall in NYC.

The Iberian song tradition spans centuries, crosses borders, and sings with the flavorful voices of many languages and cultures, making it one of the most brilliantly diverse bodies of repertoire in all of music. This rich mix is impossible to pigeonhole, but makes for compelling listening. Yet many of these songs are unknown to performers and audiences alike. Spanish Gold brings this rich tradition to life. Some songs are by composers associated with other genres (like guitar virtuoso Fernando Sor and piano specialist Enrique Granados); others are by lesser-known composers such as Sebastián de Yradier, Eduardo Toldrà, and Federico Moreno Torroba, all accomplished masters of the vocal art.

NYFOS is delighted to present the Caramoor Vocal Rising Stars in Spanish Gold. The Caramoor Vocal Rising Stars Mentoring Program is a unique vocal residency for young singers that focuses on singing repertoire other than opera, including song recitals and vocal chamber music.

NYFOS has earned critical acclaim for its outside-the-box programming, high artistry and warm, informal atmosphere. The musical diversity and color of Spanish Gold promises to be another intimate evening with talented friends and memorable songs.

About the Vocal Rising Stars
The success of Caramoor's Rising Stars mentoring program has inspired a new initiative known as the Vocal Rising Stars, a program presented in collaboration with the New York Festival of Song (NYFOS), Steven Blier, Artistic Director. This initiative, launched as a pilot program in spring 2009, focuses on singing outside the realm of opera, including the song recital and vocal chamber music. Singers at the beginning professional level are invited to Caramoor for a week-long residency that offers intensive daily coaching, rehearsals and workshops with mentors. Last year's residency culminated in a stupendous performance of The Sweetest Path: The Evolution of French Art Song at Caramoor, which was repeated to tremendous enthusiasm three days later at Merkin Hall in New York City.

The identification and development of young musical talent has long been central to Caramoor's mission. This mentoring program, Vocal Rising Stars, has a specialized focus on providing singers with an opportunity to form collaborative partnerships with one another, the Caramoor staff, and the coach/accompanists, who also participate in the residency program. Caramoor believes that the work leading up to a performance is of equal if not greater importance than the concert itself and will have a lasting impact on the growth and development of young artists. This year's Vocal Rising Stars program was underwritten through the generosity of the Terrance W. Schwab Fund for Young Vocal Artists.