Pasadena Chorale Presents LISTENING TOT HE FUTURE Student Composer Concert On April 2

Pasadena Chorale will announce that tickets are now available for its next performance, "Listening to the Future," on Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena.

Audience members will be introduced to 17 new pieces composed for the Chorale by 9 student composers. The pieces, all written within the last two years, have never been heard before! Tickets will be offered for $0 on a "Listen First, Then Give" basis and can be reserved at pasadenachorale.org.

Originating in 2015, the annual "Listening to the Future" program pairs Pasadena area high school students with professional composer mentors and culminates with performing the selected pieces in concert. This relatively new concept has already seen the creation of 62 choral pieces by 24 student composers who worked with 6 professional composer mentors.

While Pasadena Choral was unable to gather, rehearse or perform during a 16-month period of the Covid-19 pandemic, "Listening to the Future" carried on its program, with student composers meeting over Zoom to continue writing the music audiences will finally hear this April.

• LA County High School for the Arts Junior Arian Cazares contributed a new arrangement of Munequita Linda as well as original composition The Old Green King. Cazares began his musical studies playing the viola at age 9 and continues to play in his high school symphony orchestra and string ensembles. In 2021, Cazares earned second place in the American Viola Society Solo Competition in Los Angeles and has also participated in statewide competitions.

• Yoni Fogelman, 19, currently works with the non-profit organizations Musicians at Play and the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles to promote music education in Southern California. He studies composition with award-winning composer Juan-Pablo Contreras and big-band arranging with acclaimed band director and Hollywood orchestrator Ladd McIntosh. Fogelman's pieces include an arrangement of American Spiritual All My Trials and original composition To a Rose with text by Eli Staub.

• Hyomin Kim currently studies at KyungHee University in Seoul, South Korea and continues practicing piano, cello, drums and song composition. Kim composed original music Once Again, with lyrics written by Hyomin Kim and Rachel Yun.

• Composer of many talents, Olivia Marie is a singer, dancer, actress, composer, lyricist, librettist, trumpeter, pianist and conductor. Marie has written the book, music and lyrics to four award-winning musicals and currently studies composition at University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. Marie's performed pieces include original composition A Minor Bird with text by Robert Frost, as well as a new arrangement of Wayfarin' Stranger.

• Princeton University student Prince Takano currently studies politics and music composition. His background includes both classical and jazz. Takano's musical area of interest is composing music for video games and films. His contributions include a rearrangement of Battle Hymn of the Republic and original composition Laudate Dominum.

Los Angeles-based Filipino composer and choral artist Saunder Choi provided mentorship to student composers over the two-year endeavor. His works have been performed by the Phillipine Madrigal Singers, the Crossing Choir, the LA Master Chorale Chamber Singers, Sacra Profana, Tonality, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, World Youth Choir, Asia Pacific Youth Choir and many others. As a tenor and SAF-AFTRA session singer, he sang in the soundtrack of Disney's The Lion King (2019) live action remake, Disney's Mulan (2020) live action remake and others. He is currently Director of Music at Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica.

"Listening to the Future" will be presented on Saturday, April 2 at 7 p.m. at the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103.

Pasadena Chorale's "Listening to the Future" performance has been funded by a grant from the City of Pasadena. Additional support has been provided by Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. For more information on "Listening to the Future," visit pasadenachorale.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.