This Fall marks the culmination of the 36th season of the Verdi Chorus, who will present their Fall Concert, Sound and Fury, for two performances only at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica on November 16 and 17. Led by Founding Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum, the Verdi Chorus is the only choral group in Southern California that focuses primarily on the dramatic and diverse music for opera chorus. This program, which Ketchum says includes "some of the most powerful moments from some of the greatest operatic works," will feature selections from two Verdi operas - Otello and Il trovatore; two Puccini operas - Turandot and Tosca; as well as sequences from Lehár's The Merry Widow.
The program will feature three guest soloists: tenor Alex Boyer, hailed by The San Francisco Chronicle for his "large and potent sound,"critically acclaimed soprano Shana Blake Hill, who has been described as a "fearless actress" and "visually and vocally voluptuous" by Opera News and The Philadelphia Enquirer, and critically praised dramatic baritone
Malcolm MacKenzie, who has been heard at leading opera houses throughout the U.S. and Europe, including the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Paris Opera (Bastille), Finland's Savonlinna Festival, Washington National Opera, and
Los Angeles Opera, among many others.
These performances are made possible, in part, through the generous support of the Sahm Family Foundation and the Green Foundation, and by grant funding from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, the City of Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Arts Commission.
Conductor Anne Marie Ketchum says, "I am so proud to not only be launching our 36th Fall Concert, but to also see the Verdi Chorus, now over fifty-five members strong, continue to grow and excel. I am grateful as well for our three absolutely sensational guest artists. Alex Boyer, Shana Blake Hill, and
Malcolm MacKenzie are three of the most powerful soloists to have sung with the Verdi Chorus. When I learned that these three amazing singers were all available, I realized I had the freedom to put together a program filled with some of the most dramatic and compelling music in the operatic repertoire, from the storm scene that begins Verdi's Otello to the drama in the full company Act II finale of Il trovatore. We will have thrilling contrasts as well, with the exotic eastern sounds of Puccini's Turandot, the touching aria "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca and the charm and joy in the melodies of Lehár's The Merry Widow.
I am dedicating this concert to my very dear friend Kathryn Fauble, who I recently lost. Kathryn had an irresistible curiosity for life, and was a committed volunteer on behalf of art and music, most especially opera. For over 30 years, Kathryn passionately supported the mission of the Metropolitan Opera National Council (MONC) Auditions program and its young singers and was a member of the founding board of the Opera League of Los Angeles as well as a long term member of the San Marino League. She was a strong influence in the lives of many young singers and we will all miss her tremendously."
The Verdi Chorus prepares for concerts with rehearsals every Monday night. There, an amazing thing happens as over 50 singers gather together from every walk of life to become the Verdi Chorus. This wide swath of people includes singers from 18 to 80 who come from a variety of professions, and yet have one thing in common: the desire to sing side-by-side each week and delve into the rich, dramatic world of opera. They in turn are joined by opera stars at the beginning of their careers, and college students who have just begun to realize their operatic gifts, as all of them become one under the direction of Founding Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum. Each rehearsal is like a vocal master class.
Raising their voices together they become everything from the people of Cyprus anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new governor Otello, to the tuneful citizens of Pontevedro, the mythical Balkan province of the Merry Widow herself.
Further demonstrating the organization's mission to provide performance opportunities to young professional singers, fifteen highly promising singers are hired as section leaders and rehearsal coaches. Known as the Fox Singers, named in memory of long-time Chorus and Board member Walter Fox, these singers assist the Artistic Director, provide direction for their sections in rehearsals, and have opportunities to perform as featured singers in performances. The Fox Singers also perform on occasion independently of the full Chorus, serving as a showcase for the singers and as ambassadors for the Verdi Chorus, and will present a concert later this season. Performances of special arias and ensembles have been presented at venues in Southern California including the Annenberg Beach House, The Broad Stage, the Huntington Library, and the Nixon Library.
The Chorus is also proud to continue with the Apprentice Singers program that was established in 2015 in which talented vocal music students at the college level gain the opportunity to work with the Chorus in rehearsals and sing operatic music in concert. Sahm Foundation Apprentices for this session, named in honor of a generous grant from the Sahm Family Foundation, are soprano Kelly O'Shea, mezzo-soprano Alexandra Bass, tenor Luis Fernando Ruiz, and bass Hatem Elgenedy. Each receives a scholarship to provide funds with which they can broaden their music studies. Apprentices who successfully complete the program are invited back to sing with the Chorus for subsequent sessions.
Performance times are Saturday, November 16 at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, November 17 at 2:00 pm at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, located at 1008 11th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90403.
Tickets are available for purchase at
www.verdichorus.org or by calling (800) 838-3006. Priority seating is available for $40, general admission is $30, seniors are $25, and students aged 25 and under with a valid ID are $10.
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