New York Festival of Song marks its seventh annual residency at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts with BEL CANTO/CAN BELTO, to be performed today, March 17, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. at Merkin Concert Hall.
A preview performance will take place at the Caramoor Center in Katonah, NY onSunday, March 15, 2015 at 4:00 p.m.
Five young artists will take the audience on an exploration of Italian song, from the lyricism of the Romantic era into the sophisticated tone poems of the verismo era, paired with a wide array of music by Italian-Americans. The program includes songs, arias, and ensemble pieces by
Giuseppe Verdi,
Gioacchino Rossini, Ildebrando Pizzetti, Ferruccio Busoni, Alfredo Catalani,
John Musto,
John Corigliano,
Dominick Argento, and
Harry Warren (the composer of 42nd Street, born Salvatore Guaragna).
As part of the NYFOS Emerging Artists season and its commitment in training the next generation of vocalists,
the concert features the members of Caramoor's 2015 Terrance W. Schwab Vocal Stars Program: soprano Chelsea Morris, mezzo-soprano Julia Dawson, tenor Alec Carlson, and baritone Shea Owens, as well as pianist Christopher Reynolds.
The young artists will also be joined by NYFOS artistic director
Steven Blier and associate artistic director
Michael Barrett on piano.
Tickets are $40-$55 for the public, $10 for students. A limited number of advance purchase $20 Real Deal tickets are available. Tickets can be purchased online at
www.kaufmanmusiccenter.org or by calling the Merkin box office at
(212) 501-3330. A complementary wine reception with the artists will follow the performance. Tickets for the performance at Caramoor are $15-$35 and available online at
tickets.caramoor.org
About the Terrance W. Schwab Vocal Rising Stars
The identification and development of young musical talent has long been central to Caramoor's mission. The Vocal Rising Stars, established in 2009 under the artistic leadership of Caramoor's former Executive Director, Michael Barrett, and NYFOS Artistic Director, Steven Blier, is an intensive program centered on the art of song and vocal chamber music. Singers at the beginning professional level are invited to Caramoor for a weeklong residency that offers daily coaching, rehearsals, and workshops with mentors.
The Vocal Rising Stars program 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. In the program, 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. Past graduates of this program-including Joélle Harvey, Paul Appleby, John Brancy, Julia Bullock, Tobias Greenhalgh, Theo Lebow, Carlton Ford, Andrew Owens,
Corinne Winters, and Sarah Larsen-are now enjoying busy international careers.