Resonance Works Presents A JOYOUS SOUND

RESONANCE WORKS expands its holiday tradition this year with A Joyous Sound! Performances are Friday, December 7th, at 8pm at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair - the company's first in the South Hills - and Sunday, December 9th, at 3pm at Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside.

This musical treat featuring the Resonance Chamber Orchestra and Festival Chorus is inspired by and in tribute to the brilliant holiday concerts of Pittsburgh's own Grammy award-winning conductor, arranger, and composer, Robert Page. Page's career included tenures with the Philadelphia and Cleveland Orchestras before coming to Pittsburgh to revitalize the Mendelssohn Choir and lead the music department at Carnegie Mellon University. His holiday concerts were known as a brilliant mélange of classical music of substance and elegant and nostalgic arrangements of beloved holiday classics.

"My first holiday concert singing under Bob's baton was during my freshman year at Carnegie Mellon," reflects Sellner. "The program included the Poulenc Gloria right next to 'Winter Wonderland,' which he made the most natural thing in the world - and everyone loved it!" says Artistic Director & Conductor Maria Sensi Sellner. "Over the years, I learned so much from Bob, I can only hope that a sliver of his programming genius rubbed off on me. His fingerprints are all over our season, as it was through him that I discovered my love for so much of this music, from Bach to Bernstein!"

Highlights of the program include Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins, selections from Handel's Messiah, and Finzi's In terra pax, which incorporates the poetry of Robert Bridges with the familiar Christmas story from St. Luke's gospel. Page's A Joyous Sound opens the program, which also includes pieces by Sweelinck, Hailstork, and a number of arrangements by Arthur Harris, who Page worked with during his time with Temple University and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Featured soloists include favorite Daniel Teadt, who last sang Schumann's Dichterliebe (A poet's love) with Resonance Works, and soprano Lara Lynn McGill, making her Resonance Works debut. Violin soloists include Resonance Chamber Orchestra Concertmaster Sandro Leal-Santiesteban, along with Dawn Posey, Anne Moskal, and Ashley Freeburn.

"I feel very fortunate to have worked with Dr. Page on numerous occasions. He was extremely devoted to his work, and I always appreciated and admired him." comments Leal-Santiesteban. "I am also very much looking forward to performing Vivaldi's Concerto for Four Violins: it's a short piece, full of the composer's character and virtuosity for both the four soloists and the orchestra!"

These family-friendly concerts will be under 90 minutes with no intermission, and there will be goodies from Sweet Bites Cookies for all to enjoy!

Resonance Works offers zone seating at Westminster Presbyterian Church and Third Presbyterian Church, with tickets starting at just $25. Discounts are available for students and seniors. Subscriptions and memberships for the full season are still available, including a South Hills package for the two performances this season at Westminster Presbyterian Church.

To purchase tickets, please visit www.resworks.org/tickets or call (412) 501-3330.

To post a comment, you must register and login.