Serenade Choral Festival "Mandela at 100: Songs of Hope, Justice and Unity"

JUNE 25-JULY 2, 2018 MANDELA at 100: Songs of Hope, Justice and Unity

ClassicalMovements.com/DC

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June 25-July 2: 14 concerts | 7 days | 2 world premieres

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Co-presented by Classical Movements & Kennedy Center

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Exuberant celebration of international choral music, celebrating Nelson Mandela’s centennial with “Songs of Hope, Justice and Unity”

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Collaborative concerts, engaging workshops, cultural exchanges, community outreach

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Rehearsals and clinics with renown guest conductors (Past Serenade! conductors have included Joshua Habermann, Simon Carrington, Doreen Rao, Jeffrey Douma and Grant Gershon)

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Since 2011: 70 choirs | 30 countries | 6 continents

Watch the trailer for our Serenade Choral Festival.

SERENADE! GRAND FINALE: 

July 1, 2018 on stage at Kennedy Center Concert Hall

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Individual performances by all festival ensembles

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Massed choir performance of newly commissioned works, directed by guest conductor Scott Tucker, Artistic Director of Choral Arts Society of Washington

Our Serenade! 2017 Grand Finale celebrated the centennial of John F. Kennedy with 11 world premieres, including works by Sydney Guillaume, Ēriks Ešenvalds and Bernat Vivancos.

Watch the entire Serenade! 2017 Finale on YouTube.

SERENADE! SHARED CONCERTS: 

5 Millennium Stage performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

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8 concerts in beautiful, historic venues throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region

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World premieres of newly commissioned vocal works

Watch a full Serenade! Millennium Stage performance on YouTube.

WORKSHOPS & EXCHANGES: 

Choirs present workshops on their own vocal traditions

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Recent topics have included Mongolian throat-singing, Hindustani vocal stylings, Latvian folk melodies, the history of Ndebele protest songs

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For Serenade! 2017, Pihcintu, a choir of refugee girls based in Maine, spoke about their unique experiences settling in a new country far from home “With all the many different musical experiences we had, it is impossible to put into words how amazing Serenade! was.”

Laura Jēkabsone | Latvian Voices

IN THE COMMUNITY:

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Serenade! ensembles bring music into the Greater Washington community to educate, motivate and inspire

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Recent outreach has included performing for the Baltimore Symphony’s OrchKids, sharing meals and songs with the Welcome Table Homeless Choir and performing for residents of a local senior and handicapped facility

LOCAL & INTERNATIONAL PRESS: “The most genuinely international ensemble I’ve ever heard, apart from the Olympic Games.”

Anne Midgette | Washington Post, 2017 “Serenade! fills the region with a rich diversity of sounds.”

Tim Smith | Baltimore Sun, 2017

“Bringing together top-tier choirs from a dozen countries in a bid to show music’s universality— how the joy of singing transcends cultures.”

Agence France Presse, 2017 “A majestic showcase of what can be achieved through collaboration, and a most welcome reminder that we all have a voice, and that the glory of song can resoundingly reaffirm a common sense of humanity, the world over.

Songlines Magazine (U.K.), 2017

“Absolutely magical...you have created something truly special with the Serenade! Festival.�

Grant Gershon | Artistic Director, L.A. Master Chorale

ClassicalMovements.com/DC info@classicalmovements.com +1 (703) 683-6040 Moving the Music, Changing the World 145 Countries | Orchestras | Choirs | 3 Festivals | New Music | Cultural Diplomacy