Resonance Works Welcomes the Holidays With AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS And THE BALLAD OF THE BROWN KING

Resonance Works' tenth anniversary season continues with an inspiring program this December, including holiday classics and a world premiere. Amahl and the Night Visitors returns after a two-year hiatus, and Resonance Works will present Margaret Bonds' The Ballad of the Brown King for the first time.

The program also features a newly commissioned work from Pittsburgh-based composer Nancy Galbraith and librettist Sara Stock Mayo, as part of the Decameron Opera Coalition's streaming holiday album, DOC the Halls. The holiday performances take place at the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh's North Side neighborhood on December 16-18. Tickets start at $12.

Victory Brinker, a dynamic young opera singer from Latrobe, PA, who recently melted hearts on America's Got Talent, makes her Resonance Works debut with the role of Amahl on December 16 and 17.

"Every year that we return to Amahl, we find new ways this story can teach us about the life-changing power of generosity," says Maria Sensi Sellner, Resonance Works' Artistic & General Director. "We are honored to work with Victory Brinker, a talented and charismatic performer who embodies the spirit of strength and compassion that is at the heart of this story."

Amahl and the Night Visitors is a beloved tale of hope and generosity that tells the story of a young boy, Amahl, his Mother, and their life-changing encounter with three mysterious strangers on their way to Bethlehem. The cast from Resonance Works' inaugural production of this holiday favorite returns, with alum Barbara LeMay, "a brilliant musician, a sensitive and compelling actress with a most beautiful voice," playing the Mother, and Robert Frankenberry, Daniel Teadt, and Jonathan Stuckey performing as the Three Kings. Evangeline Sereno, a local singer from the Pittsburgh Youth Chorus, will play Amahl during the December 18 performance of this new production directed by Kelly Trumbull.

Resonance Works pairs the beloved Amahl with The Ballad of the Brown King, a concert cantata for chorus, soloists, and chamber orchestra by celebrated 20th century composer Margaret Bonds, with a libretto by the poet Langston Hughes. Featuring the versatile vocal talents of Pittsburgh-based opera, classical and jazz singer Anqwenique Kinsel, Ballad uplifts the role of the African king Balthazar in the Christmas story through a unique blend of classical, spiritual, calypso, and blues music.

"We are so grateful to renew our holiday tradition of producing Amahl, and to pair it with such a vibrant and musically rich piece like The Ballad of the Brown King," says Sensi Sellner. "This program invites our audience to connect with the magic of the holiday season and find inspiration in the passionate performances of our artistic family."

Resonance Works has produced Amahl five times since its founding in 2013, elevating this classic work by staging this ancient story and its universal themes of hope and perseverance within a modern context.

The program also features the live world premiere of Resonance Works' contribution to the Decameron Opera Coalition's Holiday Songbook, DOC the Halls, a video streaming collection of new holiday songs commissioned by the coalition partners from around the country. Composer Nancy Galbraith set Sara Stock Mayo's original poem "Rededication" to music, creating a moving piece about the universal holiday theme of finding light amidst the darkness. DOC the Halls will be released on December 2 on the AÏRIS on-demand video platform and also as an audio album.

These performances are part of a dynamic 2022-23 season that features the depth and range of classical music performance, including two world premieres, orchestral favorites, and awe-inspiring masterworks.

Pictured: composer Nancy Galbraith and librettist Sara Stock Mayo Amahl and the Night Visitors + The Ballad of the Brown King

Showtimes: Friday & Saturday December 16 & 17, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday December 18, 2022 at 3:00 p.m.
Location: New Hazlett Theater on the North Side
Run time: 1.5 hours, including one 15-minute intermission
Tickets: $12-52 For the health and safety of artists and audiences, masks are strongly encouraged.

Resonance Works is a Pittsburgh-based performing arts non-profit that empowers musicians and inspires audiences with intimate, genre-defying productions featuring everything from opera and musical theatre to orchestral, choral, and chamber music. Performed in the intimacy of small theatres, churches, art galleries, and even cemeteries, Resonance Work productions heighten the soul-stirring experience of live music by bringing audiences and artists into close proximity.

The company's work is shaped by collaborations with nationally and internationally recognized artists, whose creative vision and immense talents generate the foundation for each Resonance Works production. Through these dynamic partnerships, Resonance Works creates musical experiences that highlight the artists' voices and speak to urgent contemporary issues.

Resonance Works was founded in 2013 by Pittsburgh native Maria Sensi Sellner, a versatile and innovative classical conductor praised for bringing a "welcome infusion of sophistication and diversity" to Pittsburgh's cultural landscape. Resonance Works has produced beloved operas, rare and new concert works, and cross-genre performances, including 12 world premieres and dozens of regional premieres, living out its mission to bring inspiring musical experiences by globally renowned performers to Pittsburgh stages.

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