Lawrence Brownlee, Mar 4 concert program, FCM Denver

MARCH 4, 2020

LAWRENCE BROWNLEE TENOR

MYRA HUANG PIANO

GIOAC HIN O ROSSINI

“Ecco, ridente in cielo” from Il Barbiere di Siviglia

(1792-1868) WO L F GA N G “Un’ aura amorosa” from Così fan tutte AMADEUS MOZAR T

(1756-1791) GEORGES BIZET

(1838-1875) GA E TA N O DONIZETTI

(1797-1848) ARR. DAMIEN SNEED

(b. 1979)

“Je crois entendre encore” from Les Pêcheurs de perles “Una furtiva lagrima” from L’elisir d’amore “Ah! mes amis” from La Fille du régiment Selections from Spiritual Sketches Every Time I Feel the Spirit Here’s One Deep River Come By Here

IN T E RM ISSION T YSHAWN SOREY

(b. 1980) TEXT BY TERRAN CE HAYES

(b. 1971)

Cycles of My Being Inhale. Exhale Hope (pt. 1) Whirlwind Hate Hope (pt. 2) Each Day I Rise, I Know

LAWRENCE BROWNLEE

American-born tenor Lawrence Brownlee captivates audiences and critics around the world, and has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times) and “one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today” (NPR).

L AW R E N C E BROWN L E E

tenor

The 2019-2020 season started with a return to Lyric Opera of Chicago for one of his signature roles as Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia under the baton of Sir Andrew Davis, followed by the Dutch National Opera for another Rossini comedy favorite as Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola. Brownlee also returns to Houston Grand Opera, adding a new role to his repertoire as Fernand in a new production of Donizetti’s La Favorita.

Brownlee then switches gears to perform several concerts and recitals with the Orchestra dell’Academia Santa Cecilia, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Würth Philharmoniker, and more. He also performs in a series of solo recitals featuring his critically acclaimed song cycle, Cycles of My Being, which centers on the black male experience in America today, and includes appearances at Shriver Hall in Baltimore and at Gardner Museum Concerts in Boston. This spring includes a house debut at Dallas Opera for Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Brownlee’s season concludes with Il Pirata at the Konzerthaus Dortmund and Klangvokal Festival and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at the BBC Proms.

Last season, Lawrence Brownlee performed at some of the most esteemed international opera houses, including the Opéra National de Paris, Opernhaus Zürich, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège, and stateside at the Houston Grand Opera. He also gave a 12stop U.S. tour with Eric Owens, performing at the Seattle Symphony, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, as well as a performance at Carnegie Hall with Jason Moran and Alicia Hall Moran.

Brownlee’s latest album, Allegro Io Son, received a Critics’ Choice Award from Opera News, among numerous other accolades, and followed his previous Grammy-nominated

release on Delos Records, Virtuoso Rossini Arias. His opera and concert recordings include Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Bayerische Rundfunk Orchestra, Armida at the Metropolitan Opera, Rossini’s Stabat Mater with Accademia di Santa Cecilia, and Carmina Burana with the Berlin Philharmonic. He also released a disc of African American spirituals entitled Spiritual Sketches with pianist Damien Sneed, which the pair performed at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series.

Brownlee was awarded a Masters of Music from Indiana University and went on to win Grand Prize in the 2001 Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. He also serves as Artistic Advisor at Opera Philadelphia, helping the company to expand their repertoire, diversity efforts and community initiatives.

Alongside his singing career, Brownlee is an avid salsa dancer and an accomplished photographer, specializing in artist portraits of his on-stage colleagues. A die-hard Pittsburgh Steelers and Ohio State football fan, Brownlee has sung the National Anthem at numerous NFL games.

He is a champion for autism awareness through the organization Autism Speaks, and he is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., a historically black fraternity committed to social action and empowerment.

Lawrence Brownlee appears by arrangement with IMG Artists, 7 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019.

Tel: 212.994.3500.

MYRA HUANG, PIANO

Acclaimed by Opera News as a top accompanist and giving performances in “...a coloristic tour de force” (The New York Times), Grammy Award-nominated pianist Myra Huang performs in recitals and chamber music concerts around the world. Highly sought after for her interpretation of lieder and art songs, as well as her depth of musicianship and impeccable technique, she regularly performs with acclaimed opera singers around the world.

This year she performs recitals throughout the U.S., including the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, The Kennedy Center, Interlochen Music Festival, Hill Auditorium at the

MYRA HUAN G

piano

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University of Michigan, and the Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. Her recital with tenor Lawrence Brownlee at Carnegie Hall was chosen by WQXR as one of 2018’s best classical recitals of the year, and is being presented with the Samuel Sanders Collaborative Artist Award for 2019 by The Classical Recording Foundation.

Huang has served on the music staffs of the Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera, and the Palau De Les Arts in Valencia, Spain where she worked with Lorin Maazel and Zubin Mehta. From 2011-2013, she served as the Head of Music Staff at New York City Opera. She is a staff pianist for the Operalia competition, directed by Plácido Domingo, performing at opera houses around the world such as Teatro alla Scala (Milan), the Royal Opera House (U.K.), the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), and Teatro Real (Madrid). She regularly teaches at young artist programs throughout the U.S. to train young opera singers and pianists, including Music Academy of the West and the Houston Grand Opera Studio. A member of the music staff of the Steans Institute at Ravinia, she also joined the music staff of the Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Young Artist Development Program in the 2019-20 season.

As a recording artist, Huang’s recordings have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Gramophone UK, Opera News, and The Boston Globe. Her recent album Gods and Monsters with tenor Nicholas Phan was nominated for the “Best Classical Vocal Solo Album” category at the 2018 Grammy Awards, and Opera News stated that “Huang matches the tenor with a pianistic arsenal of colors and attacks, controlled by her astonishing technique.” Her most recent album, Illuminations on the Avie label with tenor Nicholas Phan, the Telegraph Quartet, and the chamber ensemble The Knights, has also been highly praised. Other albums include Winter Words and Still Falls the Rain (Avie) with Nicholas Phan, and Paysages (Bridge) with soprano Susanna Phillips.

Huang is a Steinway Artist.

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NOTES Lawrence Brownlee has been called the finest interpreter of Rossini in the present day, so it is fitting that this diverse program opens with a showcase aria from the ever-popular Barber of Seville, which survived a mess of a premiere in 1816 to become a top-ten staple of opera houses. The madcap, accelerating pileups of sound, likewise the tongue-twisting patter arias, are irresistible. “Ecco, ridente in cielo” (“Here, laughing in heaven”) is sung at the start of the opera by the handsome Count Almaviva, who is in love with the fetching maiden Rosina and will rely on the barber of the title to secure their romance. Usually accompanied by guitar, the Count sings a simple song in two keys with some chromatic passages in between— representing, perhaps, the sting of Cupid’s arrow.

ARIAS

“Un’aura amorosa” (“A loving breath”) is from Mozart’s comic opera Così fan tutte, or Women Are Like That, which also places men on the chopping block. It’s a sequel of sorts in the canon to The Barber of Seville. The aria, sung

by Ferrando, an officer who mistakenly believes that his fiancée will remain faithful to him, is nettlesome for even the most seasoned performers. Slower than usual for an opening aria and set in a tricky range for the tenor voice, it requires the performer to pull off major technical feats.

That Ferrando is deceiving himself about his bride is represented by harmonic wrong turns, but his belief in the power of love is ravishingly sustained.

Even more ravishing is “Je crois entendre encore” (“I think I still hear” [her voice]), which comes from Bizet’s 1863 Les Pêcheurs de perles (The Pearl Fishers). Like his betterknown opera Carmen, it is a sultry mixture of eroticism and exoticism. The plot centers on two fishermen whose friendship is imperiled by their obsession with the same woman, the priestess Leila. She, too, is conflicted, but in this instance between her commitment to the church and her desire for romance. “Je crois” is sung by the lovestruck Nadir, the younger fisherman, at the end of the first act, and is cast in the dreamscape of a barcarole rhythm, most often associated with gondolier songs, but here crossing the realm from reality to fantasy. friendsofchambermusic.com

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Program Notes Continued

The first of the two Donizetti arias is a concert staple from L’elisir d’amore (The Elixir of Love): “Una furtiva lagrima” (“A furtive tear”). The tenor Nemorino proclaims that the potion he has acquired with his last cent has worked on the girl of his dreams, who has otherwise been indifferent to him owing to his low standing. The potion is fake, a batch of sour red wine sold to him by a trickster, but the sincerity of his affections nonetheless wins his beloved’s heart. It’s a lovely song, but also places the tenor at risk: the opening exposes the thinness of his hopes in the potion and requires him to sing almost above the notes. Finally one of the great show-stoppers in the repertoire is the parade of high Cs in the joyous aria “Ah! mes amis” (“Ah, my friends” [what a festive day!] from La Fille du régiment (Daughter of the Regiment).

- Elizabeth Bergman

GOSPELS AND SPIRITUALS, ARRANGED BY DAMIEN SNEED

Singing is at the heart of the African American musical tradition. Some of the earliest music associated with African Americans are the folksongs of the enslaved.

After Emancipation, these songs of sorrow, hope, spirit, and resilience found a new place in the concert hall as the concert spiritual. These traditional songs, newly set, are often viewed as a direct expression of the soul and one of the highest forms of artistic worship.

“Every Time I Feel the Spirit” has retained its power through its countless transpositions, owing to its call and response treatment of a line that refers to heaven, but also, it seems, to the Underground Railroad, the network of safe houses and escape routes that brought those who selfemancipated to northern “free” states and Canada. “Ain’t but one train upon this track,” the spiritual assures the faithful. “It runs to Heaven and then right back.”

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“Here’s One” is the simplest and most affecting spiritual on the program, expressing devotion to creation and belief in the Creator’s goodness, as well as gratitude for the possibility of grace. The converted child has access to heaven, her load put down, her table set with milk and honey. The so-called Dean of African American composers, William Grant Still, composed in diverse genres but also, in the 1950s, turned to the spiritual tradition as a source

of inspiration, arranging “Here’s One,” among other tunes, in an accessible gospel-blues manner. He was the first to lend aesthetic pleasure to a song once regarded as a plea for liberation.

“Deep River” ranks among the most famous and most transformed spirituals, likened by musicologist Wayne Shirley to “Silent Night.” First published in a 1867 collection called Slave Songs of the United States, in the 20th century it was arranged and rearranged in a fashion that estranged the tune from its painful original context, causing the NAACP in 1922 to complain about the pollution of the tradition. Slow, quiet songs like this were often prohibited on southern plantations in favor of up-tempo songs forced into the throats of the fieldworkers. The debate about which version of “Deep River” is the most authentic is as endless as it is pointless. It belongs to oral tradition, and oral tradition is changeable. The earliest known, unaccompanied transcription involves a refrain that repeats the line “I want to cross over into the campground” in a forceful “dum-a-lum” rhythm (Shirley suggests an African origin for the pattern). The word “campground” refers to a Christian gathering, or revival meeting. It also refers to heaven, lending a double meaning to the description of hope in the midst of despair.

In his essay "A History of American Protest Music: Come

by Here," Tom Maxwell explains that in 1926, the head of the Archive of American Folk Song in Washington, D.C. recorded a man from the Georgia Sea Islands singing the spiritual "Come by Here," in a Gullah accent. The song's refrain, "come by here," or "come by yuh," in the Gullah dialect, is its most distinctive feature. In addition, Maxwell writes, the Archive received a written manuscript of the song later in 1926 from a source in North Carolina with the same repetitive lyrical structure. By the late 1930s, "Come by Here" was a popular African American spiritual in the South. As Maxwell writes, "...nevertheless, 'Come

by Here' was co-opted by white intermediaries into what modern listeners now know as 'Kumbayah.' In the meantime, 'Come by Here' stayed in the black community... [and was sung] during the height of the civil rights struggle in March 1965."

- Elizabeth Bergman friendsofchambermusic.com

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Program Notes Continued The ideas, themes, and experiences that make up Cycles of My Being have been on my mind for quite some time. As I’ve watched men of color endure undeserved aggression, incarceration, brutality, and even death, I’ve been forced to consider my thoughts and questions around what it means to be a black man in America today, and how we as a people are viewed and treated.

CYCLES OF MY BEING

Working with Terrance Hayes and Tyshawn Sorey—two extraordinarily insightful and talented black men at the pinnacle of their respective art forms—has allowed each of us to bring our different perspectives to this piece, and to find a common ground in both our shared cultural history and the unique individual paths that have brought us to this point. Together, we have tried to create something that speaks to the day-to-day life of a black man in the United States, and the thoughts and questions he experiences as he moves through the world.

These are divided times. But the goal of this piece is neither to widen those rifts, nor to reopen old wounds; the goal is to foster mutual respect, understanding, and communication across races and generations. History unfolds in cycles, and with this work we hope to balance the stark challenges of our present reality with a resolute resilience and an unwavering hope for a better future.

- Lawrence Brownlee

TEXT AND TRANSLATIONS Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) “Ecco, ridente in cielo” from Il Barbiere di Siviglia “There, in the smiling sky” from The Barber of Seville Libretto by Cesare Sterbini (1784-1831) Ecco, ridente in cielo Spunta la bella aurora, E tu non sorgi ancora E puoi dormir così?

There, in the smiling sky The beautiful dawn breaks, And you do not awaken And you are still asleep?

Sorgi, mia dolce speme, Vieni, bell’idol mio; Rendi men crudo, oh Dio, Lo stral che mi ferì.

Wake up, my dearest love, Come, my beautiful idol; Lessen the pain, oh God, Of the arrow that has pierced me.

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Oh sorte! già veggo Quel caro sembiante; Quest’anima amante Ottenne pietà.

Oh joy! I now see That cherished image; She has taken pity On this loving soul.

Oh istante d’amore!

Oh dolce contento!

Felice momento Che eguale non ha!

Oh moment of love!

Oh sweet contentment!

Happy moment That has no equal!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) “Un’ aura amorosa” from Così fan tutte “A Loving Breath” from Women Are Like That Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1838)

Un’aura amorosa Del nostro tesoro Un dolce ristoro Al cor porgerà;

A loving breath From our treasures Is sweet solace For our hearts;

Al cor che, nudrito Da speme, da amore, Di un’esca migliore Bisogno non ha.

A heart nourished By hope and by love, Has no need Of greater enticement.

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) “Je crois entendre encore” from Les Pêcheurs de perles “I think I still hear” from The Pearl Fishers Libretto by Michel Carré (1822-1872)

À cette voix quel trouble agitait tout mon être?

Quel fol espoir? Comment ai-je cru reconnaître?

Hélas! devant mes yeux déjà, pauvre insensé, La même vision tant de fois a passé!

Non, non, c’est le remords, la fièvre, la délire!

Zurga doit tout savoir, j’aurais tout lui dire!

Parjure à mon serment, j’ai voulu la revoir!

J’ai decouvert sa trace, et j’ai suivi ses pas!

Et caché dans la nuit et soupirant tout bas, J’écoutais ses doux chants emportés dans l’espace.

What is this tumult within me at the sound of her voice?

What mad hope? How could I believe I had recognized her?

Alas! Before my poor, senseless eyes, This same vision has too often passed by!

No, no, this is regret, fever, delirium!

Zurga must know everything, I should have told him all!

Breaking my oath, I wanted to see her again!

I uncovered her trail and followed her steps!

And hidden in the night and sighing softly, I listened to her sweet song carried off into space.

Je crois entendre encore, Caché sous les palmiers, Sa voix tendre et sonore Comme un chant de ramiers!

I think I still hear, Hidden beneath the palm trees, Her voice gentle and dulcet Like the cooing of doves!

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O nuit enchanteresse!

Divin ravissement!

O souvenir charmant!

Folle ivresse! doux rêve!

O enchanting night!

Divine ecstasy!

O charming memory!

Mad elation! sweet dream!

Aux clartés des étoiles, Je crois encore la voir, Entr’ouvrir ses longs voiles Aux vents tièdes du soir!

Beneath the light of the stars I think I still see her Drawing open her long veils To the mild evening breeze.

O nuit enchanteresse!

Divin ravissement!

O souvenir charmant!

Folle ivresse! doux rêve!

O enchanting night!

Divine ecstasy!

O charming memory!

Mad elation! sweet dream!

Charmant souvenir!

Charming memory!

Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) “Una furtiva lagrima” from L’elisir d’amore “A furtive tear” from The Elixir of Love Libretto by Felice Romani (1788-1865)

Una furtiva lagrima negli occhi suoi spuntò: Quelle festose giovani invidiar sembrò.

Che più cercando io vo?

M’ama! Sì, m’ama, lo vedo. Lo vedo.

Un solo instante i palpiti del suo bel cor sentir!

I miei sospir, confondere per poco a’ suoi sospir!

I palpiti, i palpiti sentir, confondere i miei coi suoi sospir...

Cielo! Si può morir!

Di più non chiedo, non chiedo.

Ah, cielo! Si può! Si, può morir!

Di più non chiedo, non chiedo.

Si può morire! Si può morir d’amor.

BOA R D O F D I R E C TO R S

Mary Park, President Anne Wattenberg, Vice President Anna Psitos, Secretary Myra Rich, Treasurer BOA R D M E M B E R S

Lisa Bain Alix Corboy

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A furtive tear Appeared in her eyes: She seemed envious Of those festive young women.

What more could I want?

She loves me! Yes, she loves me, I see it. I see it.

For one moment I felt The beating of her beautiful heart!

My sighs were joined Just briefly with hers!

To feel the beating of her heart, Our sighs joined as one…

Heavens! I could die!

I would not ask for more.

Oh, heavens! I could die! Yes, I could die!

I would not ask for more.

I could die! I could die of love.

Dietrich Hoefner Dan Knopf John Lebsack Kathy Newman Brian Simons Chet Stern Walter Torres Eli Wald

P RO JE C T A DMI NI S TR ATO R

Desiree Parrott-Alcorn E M E R I T U S BOA R D ME MB E R S

Rosemarie Murane Suzanne Ryan

Gaetano Donizetti (1979-1848) “Ah! Mes amis” from La Fille du régiment “Ah! my friends” from The Daughter of the Regiment Libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy (1799-1875) and Jean-François Bayard (1796-1853) Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!

Je vais marcher sous vos drapeaux.

L’amour qui m’a tourné la tête Désormais, désormais, me rend un héros.

Ah! quel bonheur oui mes amis Je vais marcher sous vos drapeaux.

Oui, celle pour qui je respire, A mes voeux a daigné sourire Et ce doux espoir de bonheur Trouble ma raison et mon coeur!

Ah! mes amis, quel jour de fête!

Je vais marcher sous vos drapeaux.

Ah! my friends, what a day of celebration!

I will march under your flag.

Love, which has turned my head Has already made me a hero.

Ah! what happiness, yes my friends, I will march under your flag.

Yes, she for whom I breathe Has deigned to smile on my wishes, And this sweet hope of happiness Has unnerved my reason and my heart!

Ah! my friends, what a day of celebration!

I will march under your flag.

Pour mon âme quel destin!

J’ai sa flamme, et j’ai sa main!

Jour prospère!

Me voici, militaire, militaire et mari!

Militaire et mari! Ah!

What a destiny for my soul!

I have her flame, I have her hand.

Prosperous day!

Here I am, military man and husband!

Military man and husband! Ah!

Pour mon âme quel destin!

J’ai sa flamme, et j’ai sa main!

What a destiny for my soul!

I have her flame, and I have her hand.

J’en fais serment!

I swear it!

Pour mon âme quel destin!

J’ai sa flamme, j’ai sa main!

Jour prospère!

Me voici, militaire, militaire et mari!

What a destiny for my soul!

I have her flame, I have her hand.

Prosperous day!

Here I am, military man and husband!

Pour mon âme, quel destin!

J’ai sa flamme, j’ai sa main!

What a destiny for my soul!

I have her flame, I have her hand.

Me voici, me voici, militaire et mari!

Me voici, me voici, militaire et mari!

Here I am, military man and husband!

Here I am, military man and husband!

Militaire!

Military man!

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Selections from Spiritual Sketches Arranged by Damien Sneed (b. 1979)

Every Time I Feel the Spirit

Deep River

Every time I feel the spirit Movin’ in my heart I will pray.

Deep River, My home is over Jordan.

Deep River, Lord, I want to cross over into campground.

On the mountains my Lord spoke, Outta His mouth came fire and smoke.

Looked all around me, looked so fine, Asked the Lord could it be mine.

Jordan river, chilly and cold, Chilled my body, not my soul Ain’t but one train upon this track, It runs to Heaven and then right back.

I have sorrow, I have woe I have heartaches here below.

While God leads me, I won’t fear, For I know that He is near.

Here’s One Talk about a child that do love Jesus, Here’s one.

Come By Here Come by here good Lord, Come by here.

Oh Lord, come by here.

Somebody’s prayin Lord, Come by here.

Oh Lord, come by here.

Somebody’s dyin’ Lord, Oh Lord, come by here.

Somebody needs you Lord, Come by here.

Oh Lord, come by here.

Talk about a child that’s been converted, Here’s one.

Every since I learned the Gospel story, I’ve been walking up the path to glory.

Cycles of My Being Tyshawn Sorey (b. 1980) Text by Terrance Hayes (b. 1971) I. Inhale, Exhale America – I hear you hiss and stare Do you love the air in me, as I love the air in you?

Black boxes of cargo Black boxes in holes Hysteria, Hysteria – I hear you hiss and stare Black eyes and blackouts Blackjacks and nightmares America – do you care for me, as I care for you?

Do you love the air in me, as I love the air in you?

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II. Hope (pt. 1) When walking hope is a swagger When breathing hope is oxygen When drunk hope is wine When dirty hope is water When unfilled hope is a well When unwell hope is medicine When impatient hope is patience When lonely hope is company When poor hope is money When hungry hope is meat When hunted hope is a knife When sleeping hope is a lullaby When angry hope is a blade When wounded hope is what heals me.

III. Whirlwind Lord, I’m trying to break myself open; this song of mine wants to be a whirlwind.

You are both religion and assassin.

I am both assassin and religion.

My armor is made of flesh and spirit. I am your story. I am your lyric.

Lord, I’m trying to break free of prison; this song of mine must become a weapon.

You are both compass and situation.

I am blindness, rumor, insight, vision.

My courage is made of flesh and spirit. I am your story.

I am your lyric.

Lord, I’m trying to break free again.

This song of mine is made of love and skin.

This song of mine must become a weapon.

This song must become a whirlwind.

IV. Hate Tell me, what causes one to hate?

Hate takes on many shapes.

It is subtle, overt, passive, often wrapped in disguise.

Hate wears white sheets, black suits, high heels, and boots.

Hate is powerful, all encompassing, and enrapturing.

Tell me, could it be that you hate me because you hate yourself ?

The very essence of me you despise.

But why, when I am in the state your ancestors helped create? …and that, being magnified, only breeds more hate.

You don’t know me. Still you hate me.

Your contempt for me does not allow you to see me for who I am.

I am God’s creation, flesh personified, in His image.

You hate the God in me, and the God awful too.

You don’t know me. Still you jeer me.

Your hate becomes a shackle you cannot break.

You nor I are born with hate, but hate flourished because you chose to cultivate your hatred.

Your hate lies in wait until you choose to activate hate.

Make no mistake, hate leaves carnage in its wake.

I hate that your hate can decide my own fate.

V. Hope (pt. 2) When weary hope is a hymn When uninspired hope is vision When perplexed hope is reason When unsettled hope is peace When lost hope is direction When frustrated hope is calm When unsure hope is certainty When worried hope is serenity When betrayed hope is forgiveness When depleted hope is reserve When dancing hope becomes grace When fatigued hope is a second wind When dead hope is life VI. Each Day I Rise, I Know Each day I rise, place foot to floor the weight of consciousness I know.

Each day I rise, I know…to always say hello.

Sun glow tooth-snow hair flow Mirror blows a flute of crows Each morning glow at the window I have something to praise Sunbreak toothpaste hair glaze Mirror gaze a flute of blue jays Moaning, amazing & misbehaving Each day I rise, I know I have something to love Sun-dusk toothbrush hairbrush Mirror blush a flute of thrushes Each day I rise, I know

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THE FOLLOWIN G FRIENDS have made gifts in the last 12 months. Your generous support is invaluable in assuring our continued standard of excellence. Thank you! $20,000 + Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Janet Claman, in memory of Henry N. Claman, MD Estate of Ann Levy Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, Tier III

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Peter & Cathy Buirski Berdine Clumpus Barbara & Herschel Cravitz Anne Culver Sissy Gibson Paula & Stan Gudder Norman & Pam Haglund David Hildebrand David & Ana Hill Dietrich Hoefner & Christina Metcalf Dan Hyman Michael & Wendy Klein Edward Karg & Richard Kress George Kruger Carol & Lester Lehman Judy & Dan Lichtin Nira & Alan Lipner Bert & Rosemary Melcher Marilyn Munsterman & Charles Berberich Rosemarie Murane John & Mary Ann Parfrey David S. Pearlman Barbara Pollack Reid Reynolds Ayliffe & Fred Ris Kathryn & Tim Ryan Alan & Gail Seay San Mao Shaw Bobbi & Gary Siegel Steven Snyder Margaret Stookesberry Steve & Phyllis Straub Aaron & Becky Szalaj Eli & Ashley Wald Norman Wikner & Lela Lee Joseph & Barbara Wilcox Jaclyn Yelich Jeff Zax & Judith Graham $100 + Varda Abrahamsson Lorraine & Jim Adams Barton & Joan Alexander Truman & Catherine Anderson Anonymous Brian & Ann Louise Armstrong, in memory of Marlene Chambers

Catherine Beeson Carolyn & Joe Borus Darrell Brown & Suzanne McNitt Joan & Bennie Bub Susan Cable Bonnie Camp Nancy Kiernan Case Marlene Chambers Dana & Brent Cohen Donna & Ted Connolly Keith Corrette, in memory of Sam Lancaster Fran Corsello James & Jana Cuneo Stephen & Dee Daniels Vivian & Joe Dodds Kevin & Becky Durham Martha Fulford Bob Fullerton Barbara Gilette & Kay Kotzelnick Sandra Goodman Donna & Harry Gordon Kazuo & Drusilla Gotow Peter & Gabriela Gottlieb John S. Graves Jacqueline & Gary Greer Eileen Griffin Rhonda Harshbarger Errol & June Haun Larry Harvey Healthgrades Operating Co., Inc. Richard W. Healy Eugene Heller & Lily Appleman Timothy & Elizabeth Hepp William T. Hoffman Joseph & Renate Hull Stanley Jones Bill Juraschek Suzanne Kaller Michael & Karen Kaplan Theresa & Bob Keatinge Alec Kemp Bruce Kindel Roberta & Mel Klein Ellen Krasnow & John Blegen Elizabeth Kreider Doug & Hannah Krening Jack Henry Kunin Richard Leaman Seth Lederer Igor & Jessica Levental Mark & Lois Levinson Penny Lewis

Charles & Gretchen Lobitz Merry Low Evi & Evan Makovsky Martus Solutions, in memory of Marlene Chambers Jay Mead** Mary Mendenhall Mary Murphy Beth Neva Ilse Nordenholz, in memory of Robert Nordenholz Robert N. O'Neill Desiree Parrott-Alcorn Carolyn & Garry Patterson Carol Prescott Anastasia Psitos Michael & Carol Reddy Gene & Nancy Richards Gregory Allen Robbins Herb Rothenberg, in memory of Doris Rothenberg Cheryl Saborsky Donald Schiff, in memory of Rosalie Schiff John & Patricia Schmitter Milton Shioya Jena Siedler, in memory of Marlene Chambers Decker Swann ClĂŠ Symons Tarkanian Family Fund Judith Taubman Ann Weaver, in memory of Marlin Weaver Jeff & Martha Welborn Carol Whitley Barbara Wright & Frank Gay R. Dale Zellers $50 + Mrs. Martin E. Anderson Daniel Andrews Leslie Andrews Anonymous Julie Barrett Lisa Bates & Adam Vinueza Alberta & William Buckman, in memory of Thomas Vincent, Sr. Barbara Caley Hilary Carlson & Janet Ellis Nancy & Mike Farley Janet & Arthur Fine Susan & Paul Fishman

John & Debora Freed Barbara Goldblatt Lillie Gottschalk, in memory of Marlene Chambers Sanders Graham Jennifer Heglin Barbara Inama Bill Inama Ira Kowal, in memory of Joellyn Duesberry Sheila Kowal Doris Lackner, in memory of Edwin Kornfeld Suzanne LaRue Linda Levin Mari Lurie Elspeth MacHattie Janet & Drew Mallory Estelle Meskin Chris & Karen Mohr, in memory of Sue Zimet Joanna Moldow Larry O'Donnell Douglas Penick Don & Becky Perkins Georgina Pierce Robert Rasmussen Margaret Roberts Suzanne Ryan Jo Shannon Artis Silverman Lois Sollenberger Nikki Knapp & Greg Sorensen ** Paul Stein Michael & Michelle Stern Karen Swisshelm Barbara & Edward Towbin Barbara Walton Cia Wenzel, in honor of Martha Fulford Greta Wilkening * Andrew Yarosh ** * Gifts made to FCM Endowment ** Legacy Donor

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UPCOMING CONCERTS

SPECIAL EVENT S

CHAMBER SERIES

Alisa Weilerstein, cello Inon Barnatan, piano

"Music with Friends" Ensemble Faucheux

Arnaud Sussmann, violin Anna Polonsky, piano

Tue, Mar 24, 2020, 6:00 - 7:00 PM Broadway Roxy 554 S. Broadway, Denver FREE

PIAN O SERIES

"Music in the Galleries" Moxie String Quartet

Wed, Apr 1, 2020

Wed, May 13, 2020

Benjamin Grosvenor

Sun, Apr 19, 2020, 1:00 & 2:00 PM Clyfford Still Museum 1250 Bannock Street, Denver

Wed, Mar 18, 2020

All Chamber and Piano Series concerts begin at 7:30 pm at Gates Concert Hall, 2344 E. Iliff Avenue, Denver

"Music with Friends" Ensemble Faucheux

Tue, May 5, 2020, 6:00 - 7:00 PM Broadway Roxy 554 S. Broadway, Denver FREE

Watch for our 2020-2021 Season Announcement on March 18!

SPECIAL THANKS SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL FACILITIES DISTRICT (TIER III)

for supporting FCM’s outreach efforts through school residencies and master classes COLORADO PUBLIC RADIO (KVOD 88.1 FM)

for broadcasting FCM concerts on its “Colorado Spotlight” programs

BONFILS-STANTON FOUNDATION

for sponsorship of FCM’s Piano Series and audience development programs in memory of Lewis Story ESTATE OF JOSEPH DEHEER ESTATE OF SUE JOSHEL

for providing lead gifts to the FCM Endowment Fund

Gates Concert Hall • Newman Center for the Performing Arts • University of Denver

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Contact:

191 University Blvd #974 Denver, CO 80206-4613

Mary Park, President 303-949-0264 MPark170@gmail.com

Alternate Contact: Desiree Parrott-Alcorn 720-898-9566 desiree@perfectpitchprojects.com

Tenor Lawrence Brownlee Explores Being a Black Man in America Presented by Friends of Chamber Music “The experiences of black men in America today are making their way onto the classical concert stage.” – NPR’s All Things Considered For Immediate Release DENVER, CO – On Wednesday, March 4, tenor Lawrence Brownlee will perform the Colorado premiere of Cycles of My Being, a work commissioned to explore, in song, the experience of being a black man in America. Presented by Friends of Chamber Music, the concert will be at 7:30 PM in Gates Hall, Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E. Iliff Avenue. Brownlee will be joined by pianist Myra Huang.

Lawrence Brownlee has been hailed as “an international star in the bel canto operatic repertory” (The New York Times) and “one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today” (NPR). In addition to Cycles of My Being, Brownlee’s debut performance with Friends of Chamber Music will include five arias as well as selections from Spiritual Sketches, his 2013 album featuring distinctive versions of familiar spirituals with elements of opera, jazz, ragtime, and art song.

Cycles of My Being was written by jazz composer and drummer Tyshawn Sorey and the poet Terrance Hayes, both winners of the MacArthur “genius” grant. Brownlee is pleased that the piece, designed for an art-song audience, was created entirely by black men. “These are divided times,” states Brownlee. “But the goal of this piece is neither to widen those rifts, nor to reopen old wounds; the goal is to foster mutual respect, understanding, and communication across races and generations.”

A passionate advocate for diversity initiatives, Mr. Brownlee engages civic entities in the cities he visits to create programs and experiences seeking to expand opera audiences. On Tuesday, March 3, Brownlee will present a free event, “The Spiritual as a Tool for Personal Reflection and Social Change.” This unique evening of song and lively discussion will include members of the Spirituals Project Choir, with the event moderated by Roger Holland, Spirituals

Project Director. This free event will be held at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2201 Dexter Street, Denver, 7:00 p.m.

This program is made possible by Tour West, a program of WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation, supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts).

Tickets: Tickets for the March 4 recital are available at friendsofchambermusic.com. $40 for adults; $10 for ages 30 and under.

About Lawrence Brownlee: Brownlee is the fourth of six children and first discovered music when he learned to play bass, drums, and piano at his family’s church in Youngstown, Ohio. He was awarded a Master of Music from Indiana University and went on to win a Grand Prize in the 2001 Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions. Brownlee is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., a historically black fraternity committed to social action and empowerment. Brownlee is a winner of numerous awards and distinctions including “Male Singer of the Year” (2017 International Opera Awards).

About Friends of Chamber Music: Friends of Chamber Music is the premier presenter of chamber music and soloists in the Denver area, annually offering a series of concerts including string quartets, piano trios, soloists, and mixed ensembles. Friends of Chamber Music is also committed to educational outreach, engaging visiting and local artists to provide in-school performances, residencies, and master classes presented primarily for students in Denver Public Schools.