Performances Magazine | The Music Center, December 2023

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D E CE M B E R 2 0 2 3

MAGAZINE

Y m

contents P1 Program Cast, performances, who’s who, director’s notes and donors

E a o y

10 In the Wings L.A. Phil presents fully staged Das Rheingold at Walt Disney Concert Hall; two takes on The Nutcracker at Segerstrom Center; UCLA Nimoy Theatre’s inaugural season continues.

u

As theaters, dance troupes, musicians and storytellers find their post-pandemic path, Los Angeles County delivers recovery support for arts and culture $30,000 at a time.

22 Greening the Indoors

At his Culver City showroom Inner Gardens and Malibu nursery, celebrity horticulturist Stephen Block reminds us that sophisticated planting is not reserved for the outdoors.

26 Together at Xuntos Beguiling new spot for tapas and pintxos from chef Sandra Cordero, celebrated for her paella at Gasolina Cafe, opens in Santa Monica.

22 16

40 Parting Thought Performances’ new program platform for shows and concerts can be accessed from any digital device.

10

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: MICHAEL CLIFFORD; DANNY CLINCH; DEAF WEST/ LA PHIL, DUSTIN DOWNING

16 Granting Wishes

6 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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MAGAZINE

PUBLISHER

Jeff Levy EDITOR

Benjamin Epstein ART DIRECTOR

Carol Wakano CONTIBUTING WRITERS

Roger Grody, Ben Kilgore, Libby Slate, Caleb Wachs PRODUCTION MANAGER

Glenda Mendez PRODUCTION ARTIST

Diana Gonzalez ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Walter Lewis ACCOUNT DIRECTORS

Kerry Baggett, Jean Greene, Tina Marie Smith CIRCULATION MANAGER

Join the Patron Program and get closer to Getty’s world of art and culture

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For information about advertising and rates contact California Media Group 3679 Motor Ave., Suite 300 Los Angeles, CA 90034 Phone: 310.280.2880 Fax: 310.280.2890 Visit Performances Magazine online at socalpulse.com Performances Magazine is published by California Media Group to serve performing arts venues throughout the West. © 2023 California Media Group.

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I N TH E W I N G S

OPERA

OF GODS AND GOLD THE L.A. PHILHARMONIC and music & artistic director Gustavo Dudamel present a fully staged production of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Wagner’s tale of gods and gold unfolds Jan. 18-21 with the help of Alberto Arvelo, who directs; costumes by Cindy Figueroa; and scenic design by Frank Gehry, the legendary architect behind Disney Hall. Says Dudamel, “Music after Wagner was never the same. Wagner’s operas pushed music to its physical and emotional limits … paving the way not just for composers like Mahler and Richard Strauss, but for everything from Star Wars to Metallica.” The cast features Ryan Speedo Green as Wotan and Raehann Bryce-Davis as Fricka. Dudamel recently stepped down as music director of the Paris Opera and assumes that post at the New York Philharmonic in 2026. 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown, 323.850.2000, laphil.com

(Clockwise from right) LA Phil music director Gustavo Dudamel leads Ryan Speedo Green and Raehann BryceDavis in Wagner’s Das Rheingold

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: DANNY CLINCH, JIYANG CHEN, COURTESY THE ARTIST

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IN TH E W I N G S

American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker, here and below DANCE

VERY DIFFERENT VERSIONS of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker can be experienced at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The first, featuring American Ballet Theatre Dec. 8-17, has been reviewed in the Los Angeles Times as “ravishing and clever enough to inspire multiple viewings.”

Celebrated choreographer Alexei Ratmansky directs the troupe’s superstar dancers on gorgeous sets and in costumes by Tony Award-winner Richard Hudson; the Pacific Symphony performs the score. Dec. 22, Joe McCarthy’s Latin Grammy Award-winning New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band presents The Pan American Nutcracker Suite, created and co-arranged by McCarthy and Vince Norman; the work marries Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece with the diverse musical traditions and infectiously rhythmic dances of the Americas. 300 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787, scfta.org

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Two Sides of Nutcraker

12 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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IN TH E W I N G S

Ablave Cissoko, right, and Cyrille Brotto. Below: pianist Althea Waites MUSIC

On Jan. 19, Sammy Miller and the Congregation continue their vaudevillian tour of infectiously theatrical joyful jazz. The five-piece band of classically trained musicians is known for its comedic turns and unflinching optimism. Jan. 20 brings Ablave Cissoko & Cyrille Brotto.

The Senegal-born Cissoko plays the kora—a West African stringed instrument—alongside French accordionist Brotto across multiple musical traditions. Royce Hall B100, L.A., 310.825.4401, cap.ucla.edu

TITLE:

CEDRICK NOT, TOP, AND COURTESY CAP UCLA

CAP OF THE YEAR

CAP UCLA’S NIMOY Theatre, a reimagining of Westwood’s historic Crest Theatre, continues its stellar inaugural season. Jan. 16, acclaimed jazz pianist Althea Waites presents recently discovered songs by Margaret Bonds, who was known for her arrangements of African American spirituals and for her frequent collaborations with the Harlem poet Langston Hughes.

Bonds was among the first Black composers and performers to gain recognition in the United States.

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FEATURE

GRANTING WISHES

F

ULFILLING THE VISION of a collective in Santa Monica, Asian Jews create an evening of storytelling, a rare opportunity for their mixed-heritage community to share personal experiences with audiences.

Across the county, a dance project begins to take shape for a performance inside and outside the historic HeraldExaminer building, a site-specific project

Deaf West Theatre performing (above) its Oedipus and (below opposite) with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Fidelio.

(Above opposite) Heidi Duckler Dance, Everyday is Different.

exploring the tensions downtown.

And a company of deaf creators plans to workshop a play in Beverly Hills that dramatizes the true story of a deaf Jewish woman who lived as an outcast in Nazi Germany.

The early months of 2024 will be humming with these new works in various stages of development from The Braid in Santa Monica and Heidi Duckler Dance and Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles.

JARED SAYEG. OPPOSITE FROM TOP:GINGER SOLE PHOTOGRAPHY AND DUSTIN DOWNING

As theaters, dance troupes, musicians and storytellers find their post-pandemic path, Los Angeles County delivers recovery support $30,000 at a time. / BY S H E R RY ST E R N /

16 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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JARED SAYEG. OPPOSITE FROM TOP:GINGER SOLE PHOTOGRAPHY AND DUSTIN DOWNING

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F EAT U R E

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D

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN BE T TMAN

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COURTESY L.A. COUNTY

Proudly Featuring

As disparate as they are, each shares a benefactor: Los Angeles County, a key supporter in the post-pandemic recovery of the region’s performing arts.

Though public support for the arts may be declining just about everywhere, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture pumps about $4.5 million annually into the creative world to support the local arts ecosystem and to engage audiences.

The county has determined that the performing-arts community is especially burdened now, lagging significantly from pre-pandemic levels, even as other sectors of the creative economy recover.

A $1.2 million gift aims squarely at the performing arts’ road to recovery.

The county has a passionate champion guiding its grant giving in Kristin Sakoda, director of the L.A. County Department of Arts and Culture.

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DIRECTED BY

PHOTOS BY JUSTIN BE T TMAN

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JAMES IJAMES SAHEEM ALI

ASSOCIATE DIRECTION BY

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Produced in Association with NO GUARANTEES, PUBLIC THEATER PRODUCTIONS & RASHAD V. CHAMBERS

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H O L I D AY S AT W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L

welcome

F R O M E L I Z A B E T H G R E E N W AY, C H I E F A D V A N C E M E N T O F F I C E R

La música es el arte más directo; entra por el oído y va al corazón.

Music is the most direct art; it enters through the ear and goes to the heart. —Astor Piazzolla The words of renowned Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla ring true for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, especially at this time of year.

Here in our home at Walt Disney Concert Hall and in venues across the city, our singers are at their busiest making and sharing the heartwarming music of the season.

The individual artists of the Master Chorale hail from around the globe, but together they embody a spirit that is unique to Los Angeles. Fresh, diverse, and surprising, with a distinct flair, the ensemble and the composers with whom they collaborate present an inspiring vision of cooperation, innovation, and belonging to which all communities aspire.

It has been more than three years since the Los Angeles Master Chorale announced its commitment to reserve at least 50% of each season for works by composers from historically excluded groups.

This commitment to inclusion runs through our 2023/24 program and drives us forward into a more equitable future. In November, we were honored to present the triumphant world premiere of Billy Childs’s In the Arms of the Beloved, a new commission by the Master Chorale. This month, we are delighted to share Christmas carols sung in the musical traditions of composers from across the

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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Americas, including the world premiere commission of Navidad lluviosa from Ernesto Herrera. Looking into the new year, we will perform Margaret Bonds’ magnum opus Credo, alongside a new Master Chorale commission by Zanaida Robles who formerly sang soprano for the Master Chorale.

To create shared spaces where we can listen to the voices of all people and continue to reflect the complex beauty of the city we call home, the Los Angeles Master Chorale relies on your generous support. Our fall membership campaign aims to raise $100,000 by December 31st. Join, renew, or upgrade your membership in the Friends of the Los Angeles Master Chorale to enjoy signature events and benefits all year. Every gift will be gratefully received and generously matched up to $100,000 by Master Chorale board member Miles Benickes. You can donate by mail, online at lamasterchorale.org/donate, or by phoning our Friends line at 213-972-4355.

With this music, we hope to create direct connections with each of you through the heartfelt art and joy of singing. Thank you for sharing the season with us.

Feliz Navidad y próspero año a todos.

Elizabeth Greenway

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grant gershon

K I K I & DAV I D G I N D L E R A R T I S T I C D I R EC T O R

Hailed for his adventurous and bold artistic leadership, Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director, celebrates his 23rd anniversary season with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, which he has transformed into the "best-by-far major chorus in America” (Los Angeles Times).

In 2022, Grant and the Chorale received the GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance followed by Chorus America’s 2022 Korn Founders Award for his career-spanning leadership in the field of choral music.

In July of 2023, Grant and the Chorale made a triumphant return to the famed Salzburg Festival with Music to Accompany a Departure (Heinrich Schütz), directed by Peter Sellars. About the performances, the Süddeutsche Zeitung declared “Everything is warmth, radiance and emotion,” and the Augsburger Allgemein wrote “And what a choir! Flawless intonation . . . light-flooded transparency and an almost unearthly tonal richness.” In the 2023/24 season, the Chorale will tour this groundbreaking production to Northern California, Chicago, and Toronto.

Grant enjoys a close working relationship with many of the leading composers of our time, including his long-time collaborator, John Adams. Grant led the world premiere performances of Adams’s opera Girls of the Golden West with the San Francisco Opera, and his theater piece I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky for the Lincoln Center Festival.

Adams wrote his two-piano masterpiece Hallelujah Junction specifically for Grant, who premiered it with fellow pianist Gloria Cheng. Grant also led the world premieres of two operas that have quickly become classics: Daniel Catán’s Il Postino (LA Opera) and Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath (Minnesota Opera).

With the Chorale, he has led countless premieres of works by composers including Esa-Pekka Salonen, P2 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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Steve Reich, Tania Léon, Reena Esmail, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Louis Andriessen, among many others.

In addition to the GRAMMY® Award-winning (Best Choral Performance) Mahler: Symphony No. 8 with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic, Grant’s discography with the Chorale includes recordings of music by Nico Muhly, Henrik Górecki, David Lang, and Steve Reich for Decca, Nonesuch, and Cantaloupe Records. He has also led the Chorale in performances for several major motion picture soundtracks, including, at the request of John Williams, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. On film he has conducted Gianni Schicchi and Il Postino with LA Opera for Sony Classical.

As resident conductor of LA Opera, Grant led the acclaimed West Coast premiere of Philip Glass’s Satyagraha. He made his company debut with a rapturously received run of La Traviata in 2009, and subsequently conducted productions of Il Postino, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Florencia en el Amazonas, Wonderful Town, The Tales of Hoffmann, and The Pearl Fishers, among others. Grant has frequently led opera performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

In New York, Grant has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and at the historic Trinity Wall Street. He has been featured on the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center and the Making Music series at Zankel Hall. Other major appearances include performances at the Ravinia, Aspen, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Salzburg, and Vienna festivals; Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Barbican in London, and the Paris Philharmonie. He has had the honor of working closely with numerous legendary conductors including Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, James Conlon, Gustavo Dudamel, Zubin Mehta, Simon Rattle, and his mentor, Esa-Pekka Salonen.

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festival of carols S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3 AT 2 P M W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L GRANT GERSHON

Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director

JENNY WONG

Associate Artistic Director

REENA ESMAIL

Swan Family Artist-in-Residence

LOS AN GELES MASTER CH O R ALE GRANT GERSHON, conductor LI S A EDWA R D S , p i a n o J O H N W E S T, o r g a n

Here We Come a-Caroling

Traditional English Carol

Ding Dong! Merrily on High

George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848–1934) arr. Carolyn Jennings (b. 1936)

The Christmas Song

Mel Tormé (1925–1999) arr. Jerry Rubino (b. 1952)

Jingle Bells ( s i n g a l o n g )

James L. Pierpont (1822–1893)

Chanukah Suite I. S’vivon/Al Hanism II. Mi Yemalel III. Finale : Ma’oz Tsur

Jason Robert Brown (b. 1970)

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Traditional English Carol arr. John Rutter (b. 1945)

Christmastime in California

Matthew Brown (b. 1978)

O What a Beautiful City

Traditional Spiritual arr. Shawn Kirchner (b. 1970)

INTERMISSION

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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We Need a Little Christmas

Jerry Herman (1931–2019) arr. Jerry Rubino

Silent Night

Franz Gruber (1778–1865) arr. Shawn Kirchner

The Unexpected Early Hour (from A Winter Breviary)

Reena Esmail (b. 1983)

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (s i n g a l o n g ) The First Nowell (from Nine Carols for Male Voices) Dermot Kiernan, tenor 23/24 jennifer diener soloist

Johnny Marks (1909–1985) Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

Christmas Tidings I. Good King Wenceslas III. On Christmas Night V. Hark! The Herald Angel Sing

Stephen Paulus (1949–2014)

He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands Charlie Kim, tenor 23/24 jennifer diener soloist

Traditional Spiritual arr. Cedric Dent (b. 1962)

This program is sponsored by AmaWaterways, the Official River Cruise Line of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Los Angeles Master Chorale acknowledges our presence on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Tongva people and their neighbors, whose ancestors ruled the region we now call Southern California for at least 9,000 years. We pay respects to the members and elders of these communities, past and present, who remain stewards, caretakers, and advocates of these lands, river systems, and ocean waters.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2023/24 season is made possible by generous support from the Perenchio Foundation, the Colburn Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture, and the LA County Department of Arts and Culture as part of Creative Recovery LA, an initiative funded by the American Rescue Plan.

The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Swan Family Artist-in-Residence is made possible by Kristan and Philip Swan.

AmaWaterways is the Official River Cruise Line of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

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LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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text and translations CHANUKAH SUITE

BY JASON ROBERT BROWN I. S’vivon, sov, sov, sov!

Chanukah, hu chag tov; Chanukah, hu chag tov, s’vivon, sov, sov, sov.

Chag simcha hu laam nes gadol haya sham.

Nes gadol haya sham chag simcha hu laam.

Al hanisim v’al hadurkan, v’al h’ag’vurot, v’al hat’ shuot, v’al hamilchamot sheasita lavoteinu bayamim haheim bazman hazeh!

II. Mi yemalel g’vurot Yisrael?

Otan mi yimneh?

Hen b’kol dor yakum hagibor goel haam!

Sh’ma! Sh’ma! Sh’ma!

Bayamim hahem baz’man hazeh, Makabi moshia ufodeh.

Uv’yamenu koam Yisrael.

Yitahed yakum lehigael!

III. Ma’oz tsur yeshuati lekha naeh leshabeach, Tikon bet tefilati vesham todah nezabeach.

Leet takhin mat beach.

Mitzar hamnabeach.

Az egmor beshir mizmor hanukat hamizbeach.

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Dreidel, spin, spin, spin!

Hannukah is a good holiday.

Hannukah is a good holiday.

Dreidel, spin, spin, spin!

A happy holiday for our people, a great miracle happened there.

A great miracle happened there, a happy holiday for our people.

We thank the Lord for the miracles, the deliverance, the mighty deeds and the glorious victories that he wrought for our fathers in the past at this time of year.

Who can retell the things that befell Israel?

Who can count them?

In every age a hero or wise man came to help us!

Hark, hark, hark!

In the olden days, in Israel’s ancient land, Maccabeus led a royal band.

But now Israel must rise as one, and find redemption through action and sacrifice.

Rock of ages, let our song praise Your saving power.

Among raging enemies, You are the tower that shelters us.

Furious, they assailed us, but Your arms protected us.

Your word broke their sword when our strength failed us.

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los angeles master chorale SOPRANO April Amante Tamara Bevard Christina Bristow Natalie Buickians Lauren Michelle Doyel Harriet Fraser Ayana Haviv Karen Hogle Brown Claire Pegram Alina Roitstein Sunmi Shin Kathryn Shuman Courtney Taylor Rebecca Tomlinson Suzanne Waters

A LT O Garineh Avakian Monika Bruckner Carmen Edano Amy Fogerson Michele Hemmings Shabnam Kalbasi Sharon Chohi Kim Hannah Little Adriana Manfredi Cynthia Marty Alice Kirwan Murray Jessie Shulman Laura Smith Roethe Carrah Stamatakis Ilana Summers Tracy Van Fleet

TENOR Casey Breves Matthew Brown Bradley Chapman Adam Faruqi Dermot Kiernan Charlie Kim Shawn Kirchner Joey Krumbein Bryan Lane Charles Lane Michael Lichtenauer JJ Lopez Sal Malaki Matthew Miles Evan Roberts

BASS Michael Bannett Mark Beasom Reid Bruton David Castillo Dylan Gentile Will Goldman Abdiel Gonzalez Scott Graff James Hayden Ben Lin Brett McDermid Jamal Moore Jim Raycroft Adrien Redford Mark Edward Smith Shuo Zhai

The Artists of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, James Hayden, AGMA Delegate.

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LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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NAVIDAD NUESTRA: DECEMBER IN THE AMERICAS S AT U R D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 0 , 2 0 2 3 AT 7 P M W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L

GRANT GERSHON

Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director

JENNY WONG

Associate Artistic Director

REENA ESMAIL

Swan Family Artist-in-Residence LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE GRANT GERSHON, conductor LI SA EDWA R D S , p i a n o

Three Christmas Motets Hodie Christus natus est Ave maris stella Quem vidistis pastores?

Ariel Quintana (b. 1965)

Navidad lluviosa ( w o r l d p r e m i e r e ) Kristen Toedtman, mezzo-soprano* Theresa Dimond, percussion

Ernesto Herrera (b. 1988)

Navidad nuestra La anunciación La peregrinación El nacimiento Los pastores Los reyes magos La huida JJ Lopez, tenor* Abdiel Gonzalez, baritone* Federico Ramos & Andy Adad, guitar Theresa Dimond & Stevie Ray Hernandez, percussion

Ariel Ramírez (1921–2010)

INTERMISSION El tren para Belén Cristian Grases (b. 1973) Theresa Dimond, Stevie Ray Hernandez, Christian Grases, percussion Lindo niño Andy Abad, guitar Carol of the Stranger

Salvador Bustamante Celi (1876–1935) arr. David García Saldaña (b. 1990) Abbie Betinis (b. 1970)

Glow

Eric Whitacre (b. 1970)

Glorious, Glorious

Dale Trumbore (b. 1987)

Selections from Carols and Lullabies —Christmas in the Southwest 1. Oh, mi Belén!

2. On December’s Frozen Ground 4. A la nanita nana 5. Las posadas 9. Chiquirriquitín 10. El rorro

adapted by Conrad Susa (1935–2010)

* 23/24 jennifer diener soloists

This program is made possible by generous support from The Susan Erburu Reardon and George Reardon Commissioning Fund, and the Jennifer Diener Soloist Fund.

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The Sun at Midnight: Variations on the Nativity T H O M A S M AY

The Nativity narrative is rooted in an emphatically human perspective on the transcendent. Its depiction of the humble, literally down-to-earth circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus as a beacon of hope in a time of darkness makes this story particularly well-suited to adaptation and elaboration in the manner of folklore. A correspondingly diverse array of elements of local color has been interwoven into the narrative fabric through the centuries.

Many of the carols and choral arrangements of this material involve variations on the prototype of gentle, contemplative lullabies. But the guiding post for selecting today’s holiday program was to highlight “the joyous and extroverted” dimension of the holiday season, according to Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He adds: “I thought it would be interesting to celebrate the sunny aspects of December, which is literally summertime south of the equator”—as, for example, in Argentina, the native country of the two composers who frame the first half of the program.

The first of these, Ariel Quintana, is a former assistant conductor of the LA Master Chorale, which premiered Hodie Christus natus est (“Christ is born today”) in 2000 under its thendirector Paul Salamunovich. Quintana recalls that his initial musical impulse came from improvising on “a fun, joyous motif.” He later added two more motets to create a triptych, Three Christmas Motets. The ostinato patterns of the third piece, for eight-part choir, Quem vidistis pastores (“Whom did you see, shepherds?”), echo the joyful rhythmic, antiphonal energy of the first motet.

The outer panels frame the contemplative music used to set the beautiful Marian hymn Ave maris stella (“Hail, star of the sea”), which features an “angelic choir” of three solo women’s voices. Hints

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of ancient chant blend seamlessly with rhythms evoking Argentina and add a unifying thread to all three motets.

A student of Quintana who was born in 1988 in Havana, Ernesto Herrera is a composer, tenor, and choral conductor. Gershon recalls being impressed by Herrera’s flair in writing for the voice and by his “sense of the potential of choral colors.” In Navidad lluviosa (“Rainy Christmas”), we hear the world premiere of his very personal take on the tradition of holiday music. Herrera fled his native Cuba in 2018 and channels his experience as an immigrant who is unable to travel back to be with his family. The feeling of separation, he explains, becomes especially intensified at Christmastime: “The American dream is meant to lead you to your goals, but for me it means that I cannot celebrate the most important part of Christmas, which is family love.”

Herrera wrote both the text and the music of Navidad lluviosa, in which the rain symbolizes his sense of alienation and longing for his family back home: “The rain falls deep inside my soul … ” The audience is invited to snap their fingers to mimic the sound of rainfall, accompanied by a rainstick, to establish the atmosphere.

In his music, says Herrera, Afro-Cuban rhythms blend with the influence of such predecessor Cuban composers as Ernesto Lecuona and Leo Brouwer. For the soloist, he chose the darker sound of a mezzo-soprano—a soprano or tenor would have been too bright—to enhance the wistful mood. A virtuosic part for solo piano also adds to the texture—“like a mash-up of Rachmaninoff with Cuban underpinnings,” as Gershon describes it. For all its melancholy, Navidad lluviosa concludes with a note of hope, says Herrera, that “one day I will come back to my homeland and will have this happy Christmas again.”

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In 1964, the prolific Argentine composer Ariel Ramírez wrote a significant setting of the Catholic Mass in the vernacular, Misa Criolla, as well as a work that would become one of the most popular Latin American variations on the Nativity story. Ramírez combined classical training, including a period of study in Europe, with a deep involvement in the traditional folk music he encountered through his research in Argentina.

Navidad nuestra reimagines the narrative of Jesus’ birth as taking place in the countryside of northern Argentina and reflects a variety of distinctive regional flavors in each of its six sections. (Bringing home the point of how each retelling is a localization, the Twin Cities-based ensemble Border CrossSing had created a project, El Mesîas, that interweaves excerpts from Navidad Nuestra and from Part One of Handel’s Messiah.)

Navidad Nuestra evokes the vibrantly colorful, direct appeal of folk art, which Ramírez skillfully imitates in his setting of texts by the Argentine writer and historian Félix Luna (1925–2009).

His musical language draws freely on idioms associated with Argentine folk dances, rituals, and vocal traditions. The tenor and baritone soloists and chorus are accompanied by guitar and percussion appropriate to the folk sources. (The exact instrumental arrangements can vary from one performance to another.)

The polka rhythm used to retell La anunciación (“The Annunciation”) pays homage to Argentina’s German immigrants, while La peregrinación (“The Pilgrimage”) finds a parallel in the lonely life of the cowboy on the pampas. The peaceful scene of El nacimiento (“The nativity”) features an unforgettable choral evocation of Jesus’ nocturnal birth. The sober, descending choral line of Los pastores (“The Shepherds”) contrasts with the extroverted Los reyes magos (“The Three Wise Kings”) and its allusion to music associated with Carnival season. The cantata culminates in La huida (“The Flight”) as the Holy Family escapes from the threat represented by Herod—not into Egypt but to an unnamed tierra major (“better land”).

El Tren Para Belén (“The train to Bethlehem”), which the LA Master Chorale premiered last year, offers a particularly animated example of the Spanish-flavored, joyful perspective on holiday music that is the focus of our program. Born in

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Venezuela and based in Los Angeles, Cristian Grases wrote both text and music for this short piece that imagines “a festive train” carrying the audience to Bethlehem. He has great fun imitating train whistles and wheels onomatopoetically, while layers of varying rhythms do their part in summoning the presence of mechanical sounds. With the help of percussion and piano, the locomotive Grases brings before our ears is unmistakably Caribbean, “with a flavor of dancing and catchy rhythms.” The music progressively softens in the wind-down as it depicts the train pulling off into the distance.

Lindo niño (“Beautiful boy”) is an example of the popular vernacular song form known in both Spain and the New World as the villancico. Attributed to the Ecuadoran composer Salvador Bustamante Celi (1876–1935), Lindo niño embeds memories of Celi’s travails fleeing war, according to arranger David García Saldaña. By letting the main melody “fall out of alignment with the instrumentation,” he says, a sense of melancholy emerges; “moments of relief” arrive when the rhythmic idea “returns to alignment.”

Carol of the Stranger carries forward Wisconsinborn composer Abbie Betinis’s family tradition, going back to her great-grandfather, of writing an original Christmas carol every year to be sent as a greeting card. Her contribution for 2013, Carol of the Stranger sets a poem by Michael Dennis Browne with inventive choral word painting.

Also from 2013, Glow originated as Eric Whitacre’s collaboration with Disney for the nighttime World of Color—Winter Dreams show at Disney California Adventure Park, featuring a 700-voice special honor choir modeled on the composer’s influential work with virtual choirs. Glow sets the lyrics by the reclusive Edward Esch (a pen name for Whitacre himself, some speculate) in a basic ABA song form, with piano as accompaniment.

But in Whitacre’s hands, that simple framework creates the space for lush, radiant harmonies that seem to give forth light from within.

A former student of Morten Lauridsen with significant ties to the LA Master Chorale, Dale Trumbore has become a keenly soughtafter choral composer. The a cappella work Glorious, Glorious, her contribution to the carol repertoire, dates from 2015 and complements Completing the Circle, a depiction of the Advent season setting a contemporary text by Barbara

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Crooker. Glorious, Glorious, by contrast, turns to an iconic, widely known text—A Christmas Carol, the neverendingly popular tale Charles Dickens published in 1843 and the source of much of our modern-day imagery around the holiday season.

“While Completing the Circle sets a modern text that recalls nostalgic memories of Christmas, Glorious, Glorious sets a classic text that looks ahead to a bright future,” Trumbore writes. Choosing an excited passage exclaimed by Scrooge after his moment of awakening to the true spirit of Christmas, Trumbore explains that the message Dickens envisioned remains timeless: “resolve to honor the past, present, and future by living a joyful, compassionate life every day.”

Since his death a decade ago, Conrad Susa remains a perennial musical presence thanks to his holidayinspired arrangements of the carol literature, including the collections A Christmas Garland and Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest. The latter, which appeared in 1993, is for Gershon “one of Susa’s most popular and beautifully crafted creations.”

Susa’s commission was to write a companion piece to Benjamin Britten’s holiday favorite, A Ceremony of Carols. He found his way into the project when a friend shared a collection of traditional Spanish carols he used to sing while growing up in Arizona. Susa selected ten of these and, he writes, “juggled them around to form a narrative,” noting “their many connections with Renaissance music along with their homey, artful simplicity.” Ranging across Spain’s various regions and dialects (Biscayan, Catalonian, Castilian, and Andalusian) to Puerto Rico and Mexico, Carols and Lullabies is meant to be performed either as a suite or as a selection of individual numbers: we hear six of these today.

The accompaniments by harp, guitar, marimba, and vibraphone further establish the folklike atmosphere. Susa recalls that this soundscape was prompted by “the overriding image of a Southwestern piñata party for the new baby,” which led him “to add guitar and marimba to Britten’s harp and to compose connective music and totally re-conceive the carols.”

Thomas May is the program annotator for the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

S A V E T H E D AT E

SAVE THE DATE

APRIL 29, 2024 W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L

APRI L 2 9, 2 024

Walt Disney Concert Hall H O N O R I N G

RU FUS WA I NWR I G HT

Praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality,” Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists, songwriters, and composers of his generation. The GRAMMY® Award-nominated singer-songwriter has released ten studio albums. The most recent release Folkocracy is a celebration of his folk music roots with artists such as Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, and John Legend, among others. Wainwright continues to win acclaim as an opera and classical composer with Prima Donna and Hadrian and is currently working on Dream Requiem, co-commissioned by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

213-972-3162 | LAMASTERCHORALE .ORG EVENTS@LAMASTERCHORALE .ORG

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Ernesto Herrera COMPOSER

Ernesto Herrera Miranda (La Habana, Cuba, 1988) is a renowned tenor, composer, and conductor. From his early beginnings in professional music, Ernesto showcased his talent and passion for the arts, establishing himself as a prominent figure in the music industry.

Ernesto’s musical journey started when he joined Camerata Vocale Sine Nomine under the direction of Maestra Leonor Suárez Dulzaides.

He was part of this ensemble for 12 years, where he excelled as soloist, arranger, and composer. With the Camerata Vocale Sine Nomine, Ernesto performed in prestigious venues and festivals in Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, the United States, and Mexico, earning awards, standing ovations, and international recognition.

Ernesto has composed or arranged over 40 works for chorus. Among Ernesto’s notable achievements is the reception of the 2012 award as composer for the best choral arrangement at the 3rd edition of the Mexican Festival Jalisco Canta. He was also awarded first prize for the best Cuban music arrangement at the Electo Silva International Competition and second place for the best composition in 2022.

In 2019, Ernesto emigrated to the United States, where he currently resides and maintains an active career as soloist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He collaborates with

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various ensembles as a composer, soloist, and conductor, including the BYO Singers, Sierra Linda Master Chorale, the La Sierra University Chamber Singers, and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.

Ernesto is a graduate of La Sierra University, where he studied choral conducting and composition under the guidance of Dr. Ariel Quintana, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Since arriving in California, he has served as a resident composer and singer for the Vallejo Drive Seventh-day Adventist Church choir, the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood choir, La Sierra University’s United and Chamber Singers, and the Sierra Linda Master Chorale.

In 2023, Ernesto embarked on a successful tour of France, Germany, and the Netherlands, where he performed the Mozart Requiem tenor solos with the Sierra Linda Master Chorale and the La Sierra University Choirs and Orchestra.

Currently, Ernesto is studying for a master’s degree in choral conducting at California Baptist University and is the Choir Director of the First Lutheran Church of Redlands.

Ernesto Herrera Miranda’s prolific musical career is a testament to his dedication, talent, and versatility. His deep spiritual devotion and commitment to the sacred choral repertoire as well as to the Latin rhythms are impacting performances around the world.

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soloists KRISTEN TOEDTMAN M EZ ZO -SO PR AN O

Kristen Toedtman is a Song Carrier for our time. Trained in conservatories to interpret songs from the Renaissance and Bel Canto opera to modern compositions, she has performed solo and with ensembles at Carnegie Hall, Davies Hall (SF), Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Hollywood Bowl with the New World Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and others. She is a long-time singer with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and has sung on the soundtracks of Frozen, Minions, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Godzilla, and others. She has led choirs at rallies and on Skid Row (CeaseFire Baltimore, Midnight Mission, and Downtown Women’s Center of LA) and teaches workshops on harmony singing and connecting with Divine Source through singing. As Director of the Community Chorus of Peabody, she brought the choir through the pandemic, emerging to at last share the stage with Marin Alsop and the BSO in a new realization of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony as a part of the Global Ode to Joy project. For years, Kristen toured with her own band and choir singing original songs and promoting her recordings across the US. While maintaining her classical and recording career, Kristen specializes in creating safe spaces for singing. Her warmth and unrivaled enthusiasm for the pleasures of group singing help even the shyest singer step into the cool waters of harmony. She carries her blend of collected “pocket songs” with her wherever she goes: songs that are fun to learn, uplifting in spirit, and infectiously catchy.

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JJ LOPEZ

TENOR

Praised for being an “alluring lyric tenor having ample spinto leanings and an attractive and engaging stage demeanor with stylistic acumen,” Mexican-American tenor JJ Lopez was recognized by Opera News for his performance of Rodolofo with Pacific Opera Project.

JJ is a member of the LA Opera Chorus as well as the LA Master Chorale, where he performs regularly at the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic. JJ made his Walt Disney Concert Hall solo debut in Handel’s Messiah in 2017. He was a featured soloist for the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s concert of Bruckner’s Great Mass.

As a Los Angeles-based professional session singer specializing in vocals for TV, film, and video games, JJ’s unique ability to incorporate a variety of styles and flexibility to be called upon as soloist or chorister makes him a valuable asset to many composers for any recording or performing project. He has performed on film scores such as Super Mario Bros., Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Haunted Mansion, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Mulan (2020), as well as many others.

ABDIEL GONZALEZ BARITONE

Puerto Rican baritone Abdiel Gonzalez has been praised for his “rich, lush baritone” and for having a “superb voice, which commanded the stage.” He has been a concert soloist under the batons of Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Grant Gershon, to name a few. He has traveled the world singing, including Taiwan, where he performed the role of Gaston in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. He was also the baritone soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Boca Del Rio Orchestra in Veracruz, Mexico for the inaugural concert of a new state-of-the-art performing arts center. He has performed 36 operatic and Zarzuela roles, and can be heard on over 75 films, including Coco, Frozen, Encanto, Avatar 2, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

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los angeles master chorale SOPRANO April Amante Tamara Bevard Claire Fedoruk Graycen Gardner Kelci Hahn Ayana Haviv Elissa Johnston Alina Roitstein Holly Sedillos Courtney Taylor Chloe Vaught Suzanne Waters

A LT O Garineh Avakian Aleta Braxton Monika Bruckner Janelle DeStefano Carmen Edano Amy Fogerson Sharon Chohi Kim Sharmila G. Lash Hannah Little Lindsay Patterson Abdou Niké St. Clair Kristen Toedtman

TENOR Casey Breves Matthew Brown Bradley Chapman Adam Faruqi Jon Lee Keenan Charlie Kim Joey Krumbein Charles Lane JJ Lopez Sal Malaki Evan Roberts Todd Strange

BASS Michael Bannett Mark Beasom John Buffett David Castillo Kevin Dalbey Dylan Gentile Abdiel Gonzalez Chung Uk Lee Ben Lin Jamal Moore Adrien Redford Shuo Zhai

The Artists of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, James Hayden, AGMA Delegate.

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handel’s messiah S U N D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 7, 2 0 2 3 AT 7 P M W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L GRANT GERSHON

Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director

JENNY WONG

Associate Artistic Director

REENA ESMAIL

Swan Family Artist-in-Residence LOS AN GELES MASTER CH O R ALE LOS AN GELES MASTER CH O R ALE O RCH ESTR A G R A N T G E R S H O N , conductor

Music by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) 23/24 JENNIFER DIENER SOLOISTS

A D D Y S T E R R E T T, s o p r a n o JESSIE SHULMAN, mezzo-soprano EDMOND RODRIGUEZ, tenor J O H N B U F F E T T, b a r i t o n e

MESSIAH Part the First Sinfonia

Overture

Recitative (Mr. Rodriguez)

Comfort Ye My People

Aria (Mr. Rodriguez)

Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted

Chorus

And the Glory of the Lord

Recitative (Mr. Buffett)

Thus Saith the Lord

Aria (Mr. Buffett)

But Who May Abide

Chorus

And He Shall Purify

Recitative (Ms. Shulman)

Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive

Aria/Chorus (Ms. Shulman And Chorus)

O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion

Recitative (Mr. Buffett)

For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth

Aria (Mr. Buffett)

The People Who Walked in Darkness

Chorus

For Unto Us a Child is Born

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Pifa

Pastoral Symphony

Recitative (Ms. Sterrett)

There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field

Recitative (Ms. Sterrett)

And Lo, the Angel of the Lord

Recitative (Ms. Sterrett)

And the Angel Said Unto Them

Recitative (Ms. Sterrett)

And Suddenly, There Was With the Angel

Chorus

Glory To God in the Highest

Aria (Ms. Sterrett)

Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion

Recitative (Ms. Shulman)

Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Opened

Aria (Ms. Shulman)

He Shall Feed His Flock

Aria (Ms. Sterrett)

Come Unto Him

Chorus

His Yoke is Easy

INTERMISSION Part the Second Chorus

Behold the Lamb of God

Aria (Ms. Shulman)

He Was Despised

Chorus

Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs

Chorus

And With His Stripes

Chorus

All We Like Sheep

Recitative (Mr. Rodriguez)

All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn

Chorus

He Trusted in God

Recitative (Mr. Rodriguez)

Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart

Aria (Mr. Rodriguez)

Behold, and See If There Be Any Sorrow

Recitative (Mr. Rodriguez)

He Was Cut Out of the Land of the Living

Aria (Mr. Rodriguez)

But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell

Chorus

Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates

Aria (Mr. Buffett)

Why Do the Nations So Furiously Rage Together

Chorus

Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder

Recitative (Mr. Rodriguez)

He That Dwelleth in Heaven

Aria (Mr. Rodriguez)

Thou Shalt Break Them

Chorus

Hallelujah

Part the Third Aria (Ms. Sterrett)

I Know That My Redeemer Liveth

Chorus

Since By Man Came Death

Recitative (Mr. Buffett)

Behold, I Tell You a Mystery

Aria (Mr. Buffett)

The Trumpet Shall Sound

Chorus

Worthy is the Lamb

Chorus

Amen This program is made possible by generous support from the Jennifer Diener Soloist Fund.

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Messiah: Handel’s

Atypical Masterpiece T H O M A S M AY

Messiah belongs to a later period of transition in Handel’s career, when changing tastes compelled Handel to turn away from Italian opera for the English stage and reinvent himself. Even though he still had a few more operatic projects up his sleeve, by the time he composed Messiah in 1741, Handel had ceased writing Italian operas altogether, channeling his muse into oratorios; he continued to produce these over the next decade until blindness overtook him.

In Handel’s English variation on the pre-existing oratorio format, a sense of moral uplift is juiced along by the entertainment value of opera, but without the expense, costumes, and fussy, overpaid egos. Messiah’s success over the ensuing centuries caused it to eclipse Handel’s other works of music drama and even gave it a reputation as the quintessential English oratorio.

Yet Handel and his librettist, Charles Jennens, took a risk by shaping Messiah as they did: in many ways, it swerves from the norm. Indeed, the oratorio initially touched off a controversy that raged for several years back in London, despite the acclaim Messiah received when it was first introduced to Dublin audiences at the conclusion of the 1741–42 season.

Messiah’s method of setting actual scriptural texts and its evocation of Jesus within a secular genre that could be performed “for diversion and amusement” even triggered charges of blasphemy, although these were leveled against the secular context of the performances rather than Handel’s music itself. Thereafter, the only times Handel led Messiah in a non-secular space were in his last years, when he gave midday performances in the newly built chapel of the Foundling Hospital.

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But this was a short-lived cultural skirmish, and annual performances of Messiah during the composer’s final decade became a highlight of the season. These always took place in the spring, at Eastertide. It was only after Handel’s death that the association of Messiah with the Christmas season became firmly embedded.

Charles Jennens, a wealthy patron who was alienated from contemporary English politics, juxtaposes extracts from both the Old and New Testaments to represent the basic narrative of Christian redemption. Rather than a biographical sketch of the life of Jesus, Messiah concerns the very idea of divinity becoming manifest in human history; hence the lack of the definite article—it’s Messiah, not “the Messiah”—in the title.

There is very little dramatic impersonation of characters: the narrative is indirect and suggestive, and, as has been often noted, it is downright confusing to anyone not familiar with the implied events involving the life of Jesus.

Jennens divides the libretto into three acts (although he calls them “parts”), much like the organization of a Baroque opera. Part One centers around prophecy and the nativity of Jesus, ending with his miracles. This is the part of the oratorio that is most closely tied to the Christmas season. Following its evocation of hope comes a concise retelling of the Passion story of sacrifice in Part Two. Part Three concludes with the implications of Christ’s redemption of humanity from the fall of Adam.

Handel was above all a man of the theater, and his operatic genius for establishing the mood to suit a given situation is everywhere apparent.

Overall, his musical choices zoom in on the universal emotions that underlie each stage of

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the Christian redemption narrative. Whereas he typically accomplishes this in the operatic arena through a chain of richly expressive arias, Messiah makes use of greater structural diversity. Part One establishes a basic pattern of recitative, aria, and chorus, which then allows for further variation in the other two parts.

Handel moreover freely avails himself of the full spectrum of international styles, with which his experience had made him well acquainted.

Messiah draws on an encyclopedic variety of choral textures, interspersing these with a profusion of individually characterized arias.

Highly elaborate counterpoint is juxtaposed with choruses as solid as granite; majestic French postures and soulful Italianate lyricism further enliven the score.

Though the actual instrumentation is remarkably economical, Handel uses it with a characteristic genius for reinforcing the pacing of the drama.

For example, in Part One he withholds the trumpets until “Glory to God” but then keeps them in the wings again until the “Hallelujah!” chorus at the end of Part Two (which refers not to the moment of Christ’s resurrection, as is sometimes mistakenly thought, but to the triumph of redemption).

Handel also reveals his mastery of a range of psychological expression that transcends stereotypical Baroque affects. In Part One alone, he paints the fathomless darkness of the sense of universal waiting for a savior but also includes the tranquil oasis of the instrumental Pastoral Symphony (“Pifa” refers to the music of shepherds) as well as the dancingly exuberant gestures of “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion.”

Over and over, Handel finds freshly inventive ways to add to the venerable tradition of “painting” words (and their subtexts) through music. One of the pleasures of hearing Messiah repeatedly is to discover subtler surprises within the familiar patterns. We immediately sense the straying lines of “All we like sheep,” but the same chorus also shifts from a cheerful demeanor into the minor mode to deepen the sense of pathos when the consequences of human failure are depicted.

Amid all this variety, by the end of Part Three Handel has taken us on a journey that will later become familiar and re-secularized in the symphonies of Beethoven and his followers: the passage from darkness to enlightenment and final victory.

Thomas May is the program annotator for the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

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E N T DSIPSONNESY O RC O N C E R T H A L L H O L I D AY S AT WEAV LT

THE OFFICIAL RIVER CRUISE LINE OF THE LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE

Step aboard a world of unparalleled experiences where your journey is our passion. Witness grand capitals illuminate as night falls from the comfort of your spacious stateroom. Explore charming villages through exquisite locally sourced food and wine and a variety of enriching included excursions. Immerse yourself in traditions that have spanned generations while cruising through Europe, Asia, Africa and South America – one river at a time.

For every new booking on a 2024 Europe or Mekong River cruise, AmaWaterways will donate $100 to the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Must mention promo code LAMC-100 at time of booking. Terms & conditions apply.

Call your preferred Travel Advisor or visit www.AmaWaterways.com LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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itals isite that me.

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H O L I D AY S AT W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L

los angeles master chorale and orchestra SOPRANO April Amante Tamara Bevard Christina Bristow Harriet Fraser Karen Hogle Brown Holly Sedillos Kathryn Shuman Courtney Taylor Rebecca Tomlinson Suzanne Waters

A LT O Garineh Avakian Monika Bruckner Carmen Edano Michele Hemmings Sarah Lynch Cynthia Marty Alice Kirwan Murray Niké St. Clair Kimberly Switzer Tracy Van Fleet

TENOR Daniel Curran Adam Faruqi Joey Krumbein Bryan Lane Charles Lane Michael Lichtenauer Matthew Miles Todd Strange Matt Thomas Matthew Tresler

BASS Michael Bannett Kevin Dalbey Scott Graff James Hayden David Dong-Geun Kim Scott Lehmkuhl Ben Lin Steve Pence Adrien Redford Shuo Zhai

The Artists of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, James Hayden, AGMA Delegate.

VIOLIN I Joel Pargman Concertmaster Carrie Kennedy Associate Concertmaster Margaret Wooten Assistant Concertmaster Florence Titmus Leslie Katz Nina Evtuhov VIOLIN II Elizabeth Hedman Principal Cynthia Moussas Associate Principal Linda Stone Anna Kostyucheck Mui-Yee Chu Julie Rogers

VIOLA Shawn Mann Principal Andrew Picken Associate Principal Dmitri Bovaird Diana Wade CELLO Dane Little Principal Delores Bing Associate Principal Nadine Hall Maggie Edmondson

BASS Peter Doubrovsky Principal Timothy Eckert Associate Principal OBOE Leslie Reed Principal Michele Forrest BASSOON William May Principal TRUMPET Ryan Darke Principal Erick Jovel

T I M PA N I Theresa Dimond Principal KEYBOARD Lisa Edwards Principal ORGAN Jaebon Hwang Principal LIBRARIAN Mark Fugina ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER Brady Steel

The players of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra are represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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soloists ADDY STERRETT SOPRANO

Soprano Addy Sterrett enjoys exploring a wide variety of music spanning across time and genres as both a concert soloist and chorister. A musical upbringing in small town Northern Michigan has led to fulfilling experiences singing with professional choirs, cantoring in churches, and solo performances around the world. Recent highlights include singing background vocals for Björk’s Cornucopia tour, premiering the role of Jesus in William Cooper’s St. Luke Passion, and LA Master Chorale’s staged production of Schütz’s Musikalische Exequien directed by Peter Sellars. Addy was awarded the 2022 Linn Maxwell Keller Distinguished Bach Musician Award and looks forward to a future performance with the Grand Rapids Symphony. Addy is a graduate of Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music where she studied early music vocal performance.

EDMOND RODRIGUEZ

J E S S I E S H U LMAN M EZ ZO -SO PR AN O

Jessie Shulman is a member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Opera Chorus, and is a SAG-AFTRA session singer. Her recent solo performances include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (Claremont Colleges), Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy, Ravel’s Chansons Madécasses as part of the Summer of Paris Chamber Music Festival (New Hollywood String Quartet/Da Camera Society), Mozart’s Requiem (Mountainside Master Chorale), Respighi’s Il Tramonto (Fiato Quartet), the Baroque Conversations series (LA Chamber Orchestra), Duruflé’s Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah (LAMC). Jessie’s voice can also be heard on numerous film and television soundtracks, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Strange World, Mulan, Frozen II, Jungle Cruise, The Lion King, Outlander, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, The Last Jedi, and many others. Jessie has sung with Pacific Opera Project, Chicago Symphony Chorus, and Cincinnati Opera Chorus.

She received her M.M. from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and her B.M. from California State University, Long Beach. She currently resides in Pasadena with her bass-baritone husband and their Blue Heeler, Nellie. Learn more at jessieshulman.com.

TENOR

Edmond Rodriguez is a LatinAmerican Tenor from Miami, FL, who has performed with LA Opera Connects and New Opera West. Through these performances, he has received praise for the “warm and notably smooth line” in his singing (San Francisco Classical Voice). Earlier this year, Edmond made his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, singing the tenor solo in Steve Reich’s Traveler’s Prayer. In 2023, he was accepted as a Vocal Fellow for the Ravinia Steans Music Institute. His voice can also be heard on featured films such as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Encanto, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Nope. He has sung as a back-up singer for Aloe Blacc, the Rolling Stones, and sang on Rosalia’s most recent album Motomami. Edmond received his Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Southern California and is currently completing his Master’s Degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. He was recently accepted as a Young Artist for the SongStudio program led by Renée Fleming at Carnegie Hall and will have his Carnegie Hall debut in 2024.

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JOHN BUFFETT BARITONE

Baritone John Buffett’s solo engagements for the 2023/24 season are highlighted by performances of Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions, Handel’s Messiah and music of D’India, Monteverdi, and Scarlatti with the Cal Poly Bach Festival, the New West Symphony, Messiah Festival of the Arts (Kansas), Musica Angelica, Bach Collegium San Diego, Tesserae Baroque, and Seraphic Fire. Buffett has been a featured soloist with the Pacific Symphony; the Utah, San Antonio, WinstonSalem, Flagstaff, and Syracuse Symphonies; The Mark Morris Dance Group; The Pacific Chorale; the Rochester Philharmonic; and at the Tanglewood, Aspen, and the Mostly Mozart (Lincoln Center) music festivals. He has also been a featured performer with many leading Early Music Ensembles including Apollo’s Fire, Ars Lyrica, Bach Collegium San Diego, The Boston Early Music Festival, Con Gioia, The Charlotte Bach Academy, The Oregon Bach Festival, Musica Angelica, and Tesserae Baroque.

Buffett, currently on voice faculty at UCLA, CSU Long Beach, and the Professional Choral Institute at the Aspen Music Festival, received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music. johnbuffett.com LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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41st ANNUAL

MESSIAH SING-ALONG M O N D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 2 3 AT 7 : 3 0 P M W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L GRANT GERSHON

Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director

JENNY WONG

Associate Artistic Director

REENA ESMAIL

Swan Family Artist-in-Residence LOS AN GELES MASTER CH O R ALE LOS AN GELES MASTER CH O R ALE O RCH ESTR A G R A N T G E R S H O N , conductor J E R R Y K O H L , guest conductor

Music by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) 23/24 JENNIFER DIENER SOLOISTS

A N N A S C H U B E R T, s o p r a n o HANNAH LITTLE, mezzo-soprano ROBERT NORMAN, tenor ABDIEL GONZALEZ, baritone

MESSIAH Part the First 1. Sinfonia

Overture

2. Recitative (Mr. Norman)

Comfort ye my people

3. Aria (Mr. Norman)

Ev’ry valley shall be exalted

4. Chorus

And the glory of the Lord

5. Recitative (Mr. Gonzalez)

Thus saith the Lord

6. Aria (Mr. Gonzalez)

But who may abide

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7. Chorus

And He shall purify

8. Recitative (Ms. Little)

Behold, a virgin shall conceive

9. Aria/Chorus (Ms. Little)

O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion

12. Chorus

For unto us a child is born

13. Pifa

Pastoral Symphony

14. Recitative (Ms. Schubert)

There were shepherds abiding in the field

Recitative (Ms. Schubert)

And lo, the angel of the Lord

15. Recitative (Ms. Schubert)

And the angel said unto them

16. Recitative (Ms. Schubert)

And suddenly, there was with the angel

17. Chorus

Glory to God in the highest

18. Aria (Ms. Schubert)

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion

19. Recitative (Ms. Little)

Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened

20. Aria (Ms. Little)

He shall feed his flock

Aria (Ms. Schubert)

Come unto Him

21. Chorus

His yoke is easy

INTERMISSION Part the Second 22. Chorus

Behold the Lamb of God

23. Aria (Ms. Little)

He was despised

24. Chorus

Surely He hath borne our griefs

25. Chorus

And with His stripes

26. Chorus

All we like sheep

27. Recitative (Mr. Norman)

All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn

28. Chorus

He trusted in God

42. Recitative (Mr. Norman)

He that dwelleth in heaven

43. Aria (Mr. Norman)

Thou shalt break them

44. Chorus

Hallelujah

Part the Third 45. Aria (Ms. Schubert)

I know that my Redeemer liveth

46. Chorus

Since by man came death

47. Chorus

By man came also

48. Chorus

For as in Adam all die

49. Chorus

Even so in Christ

50. Recitative (Mr. Gonzalez)

Behold, I tell you a mystery

51. Aria (Mr. Gonzalez)

The trumpet shall sound

56. Chorus

Worthy is the Lamb

57. Chorus

Amen This program is made possible by generous support from the Jennifer Diener Soloist Fund.

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soloists ANNA SCHUBERT SOPRANO

Described as “luminously expressive” with a “silvery voice” that “moves from innocence to devastation with an actor’s ease,” Anna enjoys an eclectic career that takes her all over the world—premiering new works, performing old favorites, and recording a wide variety of sounds for film and television. Highlights of her career include a stunning array of Baroque/Classical opera and sacred music, concert standards like Carmina Burana, as well as multiple 20th-century and modern productions, including several world premieres. Most recently, she created the role of Bibi in Ellen Reid’s Pulitzer Prizewinning opera Prism, as well as the role of Lady Reason in Kate Soper’s opera The Romance of the Rose. Outside the world of classical vocals, Anna enjoys a stimulating and versatile career as a session singer. Her solo soprano vocals and extended techniques can be heard dramatically soaring over orchestra and choir in Birds of Prey (2020) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023), as well as the Netflix series Midnight Mass and the HBO series Raised by Wolves. annaschubertsoprano.com

ROBERT NORMAN

TENOR

Tenor Robert Norman has been hailed as “thoroughly entertaining” (Opera News) and having a “truly lovely, Mozartean tenor” (San Francisco Classical Voice). In 2018, Mr. Norman made his LA Opera debut in Candide playing several roles including the King of El Dorado and Don Issachar. As a member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Mr. Norman has appeared as a tenor soloist in both Handel’s Messiah and Shawn Kirchner’s Songs of Ascent and had the privilege of singing on the soundtrack for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

A specialist in the operatic character tenor repertoire, Mr. Norman has performed as Goro in Madama Butterfly (Opera San José, Dayton Opera, Salt Marsh Opera); Pedrillo in Abduction from the Seraglio (Dayton Opera, Opera Orlando, Festival Opera, Salt Marsh Opera); and Beppe in Pagliacci (Dayton Opera, Festival Opera). He also has a robust history in modern and American opera, having performed as Parris in The Crucible (Opera Santa Barbara); Nika Magadoff in The Consul (Dayton Opera); and Steve Hubbell in A Streetcar Named Desire (Opera Santa Barbara, Union Avenue Opera, Fresno Grand Opera).

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HAN NAH LIT TLE

M EZ ZO -SO PR AN O Hannah Little’s performance career reflects her wide array of musical interests. As a recent transplant to LA, she is thrilled to be participating in her debut season with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. She finds another musical home in the thriving Chicago choral scene, performing regularly with the Chicago Symphony Chorus at Chicago Symphony Center, Ravina, and the prestigious Grant Park Festival Chorus under the direction of Christopher Bell for the past decade.

Hannah has an active solo career, including performances with Lansing Symphony Orchestra as a soloist in Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service and several showcases with the Landowska Harpsichord Society, both as part of their annual jazz showcase and in their historical performance program Baroque Menagerie. She has performed as a teaching artist with Wisconsin’s Opera for the Young as Ruth in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance. In her performance with Lansing Symphony Orchestra, her voice was said to be “the missing human touch” that made a “disproportionately deep impression . . . her voice streamed to the outer reaches of the hall like sweet cream butter” —Lawrence Cosentino, Lansing City Pulse.

ABDIEL GONZALEZ BARITONE

Puerto Rican baritone Abdiel Gonzalez has been praised for his “rich, lush baritone” and for having a “superb voice, which commanded the stage.” He has been a concert soloist under the batons of Gustavo Dudamel, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Grant Gershon, to name a few. He has traveled the world singing, including Taiwan, where he performed the role of Gaston in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

He was also the baritone soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Boca Del Rio Orchestra in Veracruz, Mexico, for the inaugural concert of a new state-of-the-art performing arts center. He has performed 36 operatic and Zarzuela roles, and can be heard on over 75 films, including Coco, Frozen, Encanto, Avatar 2, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

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los angeles master chorale and orchestra SOPRANO Tamara Bevard Harriet Fraser Karen Hogle Brown Elissa Johnston Courtney Taylor

A LT O Garineh Avakian Monika Bruckner Michele Hemmings Kimberly Switzer Tracy Van Fleet

TENOR Daniel Curran JJ Lopez Matthew Miles Todd Strange Matt Thomas

BASS Michael Bannett Mark Beasom Kevin Dalbey Dylan Gentile Scott Lehmkuhl

The Artists of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, James Hayden, AGMA Delegate.

VIOLIN I Joel Pargman Concertmaster Carrie Kennedy Associate Concertmaster Margaret Wooten Assistant Concertmaster Florence Titmus Leslie Katz Nina Evtuhov VIOLIN II Elizabeth Hedman Principal Cynthia Moussas Associate Principal Linda Stone Anna Kostyucheck Mui-Yee Chu Julie Rogers

VIOLA Shawn Mann Principal Andrew Picken Associate Principal Dmitri Bovaird Diana Wade CELLO Dane Little Principal Delores Bing Associate Principal Nadine Hall Maggie Edmondson

BASS Peter Doubrovsky Principal Timothy Eckert Associate Principal OBOE Leslie Reed Principal Michele Forrest BASSOON William May Principal TRUMPET Ryan Darke Principal Erick Jovel

T I M PA N I Theresa Dimond Principal KEYBOARD Lisa Edwards Principal ORGAN Jaebon Hwang Principal LIBRARIAN Mark Fugina ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER Brady Steel

The players of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra are represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.

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H O L I D AY S AT W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L

donor recognition 2023/24 season The Los Angeles Master Chorale is honored to recognize the individuals and institutions that generously support our world-class professional choral ensemble and impactful education programs.

We sincerely thank the following individual donors, who have contributed $300 or more to the annual fund from September 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023. Special thanks to our multi-year donors, whose gifts ensure a healthy base for our future. *In memoriam

LEADERSHIP CIRCLE The Leadership Circle ($100,000+) honors and celebrates the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s most distinguished donor community. Established in 2019 with a challenge grant from the Abbott L. Brown Foundation, the Leadership Circle enables transformative projects—from commissioning, recording, and artistic innovation, to ambitious community engagement programming and touring productions. Members receive exclusive recognition and event experiences throughout the year.

Jeff and Joan Beal Joni and Miles Benickes Dr. Kathy Cairo Bryant, Judi, and Debra Danner Jennifer Diener Susan Erburu Reardon and George Reardon Hon. Michael W. Fitzgerald and Mr. Arturo Vargas Patrick R. Fitzgerald William and Patricia Flumenbaum Terri and Jerry Kohl Diane Morton James R. Mulally

Ron Myrick Steven P. Neiffer and Eric Lassiter* Courtland Palmer Cheryl Petersen and Roger Lustberg Lillian Pierson Lovelace Kiki Ramos Gindler and David Gindler Penelope C. Roeder, Ph.D. Jennifer and Evan Rosenfeld Margaret Sheehy Collins Laura Smolowe and Adam O'Byrne Tom Strickler Kristan and Philip A. Swan Andrea and Gregory Williams

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE The Artistic Director’s Circle brings together generous Los Angeles Master Chorale donors in support of the bold vision of Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director. As key stakeholders, members play a vital role in advancing our mission and programs through significant contributions of $50,000–$99,999. Enjoy special opportunities throughout the season to engage with artists, singers, and the music we love.

Anonymous Denise and Robert Hanisee Jenny S. Kim and Chip W. Baik

Casper Partovi and Jackie Petitto Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting Laney and Tom* Techentin

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William M. Tully in loving memory of Jane W. Tully

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ENSEMBLE CIRCLE ($25,000 –$49,999) Thomas and Judith Beckmen Kathleen Elowitt Dr. Ann Graham Ehringer Martha and Nora Groves

Berkeley and Kristin Harrison Ms. Jennifer Hoang and Mr. Brian Krechman Marjorie Lindbeck Naseem Nixon

Jerrie Paula Ortega-Brown and Abbott L. Brown Melissa and Alex Romain Ann* and Robert Ronus

Grace Sheldon-Williams and Greg Williams Jason Subotky and Anne Akiko Meyers in honor of Grant Gershon

SPONSORS CIRCLE ($10,000 –$24,999) Alyce de Roulet Williamson Sue and James Femino Lorna Fitzgerald in memory of Virginia L. Fitzgerald Germaine Franco

Christine and Chester Griffiths Robin and Craig Justice Anahita and Jim Lovelace Jane and Edward J. McAniff

Carolyn L. Miller Steven and Jerri Nagelberg Christine M. Ofiesh Dr. Clifford and Joyce Penner Linda L. Pierce

Sonia Randazzo Pamela Reis Lisa Richardson Rosemary Schroeder Ian and Barbara White-Thomson

Evelyn Feintech Robert and Sally Neely Bea Nemlaha

Marian and John* Niles Eric Olson and Carol K. Broede

Marvin and Ricki Ring Booker and Sarita White

Stephen and Eileen Leech Shawn LeMone Susan and Bob Long Estate of Robert W. Olsen John Perkins in memory of Ann Perkins

Melinda Taylor and John Powell Madison F. Richardson, M.D. Craig Webb Rudolf H. Ziesenhenne Marshall Rutter and Kat and Terry Knowles Thomas Zimmerman Lorraine Saunders Sue Stamberger J. Theodore Struck and Al Whitley

Thomas and Pamela Dwyer Lisa Field Ann and Christine Horton Paul and Missy Jennings Elissa Johnston and Grant Gershon David Kalifon Kevin and Sean Kiner Thomas and Gloria Lang David and Toni Lessin Jennifer and Joey Li June and Simon Li Richard and Miki Lorentz Barbara and Joel Marcus

Rob and Christie Martin Kathleen McCarthy Kally McMurray-Fisher Mr. Robin Meadow and Ms. Margaret Stevens Robert L. Mendow Heidi Novaes Phoebe O’Brien Julie Okun Drs. Gail and Richard Rice Carli V. Rogers in memory of Anthony Rogers

$5,000–$9,999 Marla Borowski Dr. Annette L. Ermshar and Mr. Dan Monahan

$3,000–$4,999 Craig and Mary Deutsche Jerrold Eberhardt Greg and Jill Hoenes Estate of Elizabeth Hofert Dailey Lawrence and Mireya Jones Dr. Patricia A. Keating

$1,500–$2,999 Lesili Beard and Dr. Iris S. Levine Vince Bertoni and Damon Hein Lisa and Michael Blanchard Eleanor Congdon in memory of Thomas A. Techentin Dr. David H. Conney, M.D. Jean Davidson and Kojiro Umezaki Kathleen and Terry* Dooley

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Ilean and Steve* Rogers in honor of Grant Gershon Jo-Michael and Mary Scheibe Barbara and Heinrich Schelbert Nancy and Dick Spelke Melanie and Bill Switzer Maredith Palmer Torres Elizabeth Turner Betsey Tyler Dr. Karyn L. Williams

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$600–$1,499 Anonymous (2) Tsan Abrahamson Diane and Noel Applebaum Dr. Gloria Avrech Sondra Behrens Lorri and Steve Benson Jennifer and Chris Bertolet Susan Bienkowski and Wang Lee Elise Black Wade and JoAnn Bourne Frances and Terry Buchanan Barbara Byrne Jim B. Clarke John and Sue Clauss Barbara Jex Courter James Cronk Dr. William and Mrs. Mary Duxler

Richard Eberhart Gordon and Vacharee Fell Corey Field Michael Fishbein Jeanie Fiskin Pilar Flynn and David Kalbeitzer Kathie and Alan Freeman Cindy and Gary Frischling Jane Galbraith Keith Gayhart Paul and Janet Gordon Maria Grant Dianne Hantos and Dr. Peter Hantos Ann and Christine Horton Tomoko Iwakawa Frank Jarvis Richard P. Jensen Lloyd Kaneko

G. Brad Klein, M.D. and Victoria Hansen Christopher W. Knight Ms. Mary E. Kraus Dr. Lawrence and Jane Z. Cohen John Lundgren, M.D. and Susan Jay, Ph.D. Susan Mackensen Masako Maki Frank* and Mona Mapel Jeff Melvoin in honor of Martha Groves Chip and Sharyn Moore Diane Offenberg-Rose Vic Pallos and Emilie Pallos Ralph and Jane Parks Thomas Peterson Maribel Pichardo

Carol and François Rigolot Mary Rourke Marc Seltzer and Chris Snyder in memory of James Howell Brydon and Beverly Shirk Laurie Samitaur Smith Carol A. Smith Tom and Susan Somerset Barbara A. Teichert Dr. Iwona Trybus Katy and Shaun Tucker Christine Upton Barbara E. Wagner Marilene Wang Michele and David Wilson

Margaret Garvey Joseph Giampaolo Jimmy and Elizabeth Greenway Rita Hall Katherine Hawks Jillian Hessel Spivak Nancy Holland Travis J. Howell in memory of James Howell Robert Israel Stewart Johnston Jay and Connie Knight Harriet and Al Koch Loong Kong Linda and Harry Kusuda Mr. Ken Kwapis and Ms. Marisa Silver Rhonda Lawrence James Lyerly and Tracy Van Fleet Lou and Denise Marchant Raymond McGarrigle in memory of Jane Tully Dr. Nicholas K. Menzies and Dr. Melinda Herrold-Menzies Virginia and John Merriam Tom Moore in memory of JoAnn Moore Ilka Moskos

Louis and Sharon Mountford Michael and Marianne S. Newman in honor of Ted and Jane McAniff Scott Noble Mr. John and Rev. Elizabeth Nordquist Richard W. Olsen Neil Olson Mary Jo O’Neill Lewis and Catherine Phelps Deb Podus Ruth and Rodney Punt Charitable Fund Deb Podus Kai-Li and H.H. Quigley Faith Raiguel and Billy Weber in honor of Phil and Norma Stephania Ramirez Harold and Penny Ray Jeff Reed Iris and Robert Rickenbach Al and Holly Ristuccia Edwin T. Robinson Kenneth Roehrs and Sara McGah Julie Rogers Deirdre Roney Geri Rotella Rotter

Karen Sapio and Anthony Becker Marleen Scheffy Mary Scheibe Marcia Selignon and Tom Drucker Joan and Bertrand Shapiro Mary Shroyer Susan Simmons Lisa Smolen Jillian Hessel Spivak Mr. Donald R. Spuehler and Dr. Jill Roth Spuehler Sally Stevens Stacy and Jon Swanson Rick and Becky Thyne Paul and Catherine Tosetti Janet Tranquada John and Susan Trauger Jason Vierzba Cynthia L. Wallingford Ann W. Wang Teresa Ward in memory of Kermit E. Ward Amy P. Westling in memory of Daniel J. Chaney Ann Winchester Robert Wolff Fund John Woodall and Linda Woodall, MD

$300–$599 Rick and Susan Amante Dr. Christina Benson, M.D. and Dr. Kenneth Wells, M.D. Bobbie and Paul Bent Jeffrey and Susan Berman Ms. Mary Louise Blackstone and Mr. Donald Burnett Mandy and Steve Brigham Suzanne C. Brown in honor of Grant Gershon and my LAMC friends Deborah and William H. Brown, III Dr. Jayne E. Campbell in memory of Nina Henson Rasmussen Maureen Cantlin Suzanne Carroll Gina Chalmers in memory of Jane Tully Brent Collins Pablo Corá and Reuben Sanchez Molly and Walter* Coulson Leslie and John Dorman Julia and John Eidsvoog Randall T. Espinoza, M.D. Louise Garland in memory of Thomas A. Techentin

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$150-$299 Anonymous Kim Aaron Allyson and Todd Aldrich Robert C. Anderson Teresa Anderson-Dvoracek Lorna Ariondo Murray Aronson Brent and Jan Assink Linda Atkinson Andrea Barkan-Kennedy Samela Beasom Donna Beckage Benevity Community Impact Fund Dr. Andrew Blaine and Dr. Leigh Lindsey Thomas and Chloe Botz Roger Brown Becky Chao Louise and Martin Chao Mary Ann Chausée Anne Morss Combs Donald and Bette Cook Corinna Cotsen and Lee Rosenbaum Areta Crowell Rosa Cumare in memory of Don Nores and in honor of Joyce Nores Lisa F. Curtis Sandra Cutuli Michael Deal Kay Devonshire Arline Dillman Sarah Doering in memory of Fred Doering Caroline and Donnie Dove Kerry Ehrin

Barbara and Damien Elwood Laura Engel Suellen Eslinger David and Jordan Fabish Robert and Anna Lee Farber Mike and Virginia Fawcett in honor of Carol Reich and Steven Harme Arthur and Marjorie Fine in honor of Bob and Denise Hanisee Virginia Ford Karen and Michael Freed Peter Furby Steve Gilbreath in memory of Lauran Gilbreath David and Melissa Giuli Donald Goldman and Valerie Lezin Kristen Goulde Harry Groener Annie Gross Patricia Guy in honor of Martha Groves Jeannette Hall Elizabeth and Brian Hall Margo Halsted and Peter LeSourd Elizabeth Hanger in memory of Peter Sutheim Barbara Knowles Hanson Bret Hembd Marsha Hirano-Nakanishi Peter Holzer Michael Homan

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Kathryn Welch Howe Elizabeth Hynes Cynthia Ison Jeffrey Janis Adrienne K. Keennon Susan E. Kelsey William Kendall Ms. Dana Breaux Kennedy in memory of Barbara Breaux Minton Carrie Kirshman and Jerry Podczaski Robin Kneubuhl Marshall and Hannah Kramer Allan and Kristin Kreiger Sarah J. Lang Paul Lazarus Fred Manaster Beverly Marksbury Cynthia Marty in memory of Gregory Young Dr. Joseph Matthews Steven D. McGinty Marlene Meister Barlett W. Mel and Maria Carreira Enys Miller Dr. John Montgomerie Sharon Morgan John E. Mosley Sean O’Connor Anonymous Steve Padilla Nancy Perloff Jack and Sandra Powazek Gary and Marina Raines John Reichert and Jean Woodrow

Maggie Rheinstein Sharon Rhodes-Wickett David D. Robinson Thomas C. Roby Shirley Rude Douglas Russell Daniel Angus Ryan Kerrie Sadler Charles Savinar Felecia Scott in honor of Ron Myrick Alima Sherman and William Gamble Ray and Eleanor Siebert Kerry Silverstrom Della Speer Nadya S. Starr Debra Stewart in honor of Pamela Perkins-Dwyer Diane Stokes Janet Stone J. Thomas and Barbara Strout Ed Summers Marjorie Thomson Haydee and Jim Toedtman in honor of Lois Erburu Michael Trella Elinor and Rubin Turner Kim Upton Dr. Gilbert Valentine Ilene Weingarten Ahlene Welsh Dianne Wintrob Brian L. Wong Jean and Walt Wood

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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H O L I D AY S AT W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L

roger wagner society Named for Los Angeles Master Chorale’s founding music director, the Roger Wagner Society honors and recognizes individuals who have expressed their commitment to the art of choral music by making an endowment or planned gift benefitting the Master Chorale.

Through this support, Roger Wagner Society members ensure the long-term fiscal stability of the Master Chorale by creating a legacy that preserves a vital cultural resource for future generations.

The Master Chorale works with The Music Center Foundation as our partner in the secure investment and stewardship of your planned gift.

To learn more about becoming a member of the Roger Wagner Society, please contact Elizabeth Greenway, Chief Advancement Officer, at egreenway@lamasterchorale.org or 213-972-3114.

Jeff and Joan Beal Joni and Miles Benickes Michael Breitner Abbott Brown Linda McNeal Brown Raun and Jerry Burnham Dr. Kathy Cairo Colburn Foundation Elizabeth Hofert Dailey* Bryant, Judi, and Debra Danner William Davis* in honor of Ted McAniff Jennifer Diener Hon. Michael and Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald in honor of James P. Fitzgerald William and Patricia Flumenbaum Claudia and Mark Foster* Kathie and Alan Freeman

Dr. Ann Graham Ehringer Denise and Robert Hanisee Geraldine Healy* Curtis Ray Joiner, Jr.* David Kalifon Stephen A. Kanter* Joyce* and Kent Kresa Lesley Leighton Louise Lepley* Marjorie and Roger* Lindbeck Patricia A. MacLaren Drs. Marguerite and Robert* Marsh Jane and Edward J. McAniff Linda McNeal Brown Nancy and Robert Miller* Diane Morton Ron Myrick Raymond R. Neevel* Steven P. Neiffer and Eric Lassiter*

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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Shirley and Ralph Shapiro Joyce and in honor of Donald J.* Nores Peter Mullin Robert W. Olsen* Anne Shaw and Courtland Palmer Harrison Price* Cheryl Petersen and Margaret Sheehy Collins Roger Lustberg Nancy and Hugh Ralston Richard Spelke Kiki Ramos Gindler and Sue Stamberger David Gindler George Sterne and Susan Erburu Reardon Nicole Baker and George Reardon Francine and Elizabeth Redmond* Dal Alan* Swain Penelope C. Roeder, Ph.D. Janice Roosevelt Gerard Kristan and Philip A. Swan Phyllis and Dr. Jonathan Talberg Larry Rothrock* Laney and Marshall Rutter and Tom* Techentin Terry Knowles William M. Tully Carolyn and in loving memory of Scott Sanford Jane W. Tully Barbara and Madge van Adelsberg* Charles Schneider* Dona* and David Schultz Margaret White Robert Wood* Martha Ellen Scott* * In memoriam

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F O U N D AT I O N , G O V E R N M E N T, A N D C O R P O R AT E S U P P O R T $1,000,000+

$10,000–$19,999

LA Arts Recovery Fund Perenchio Foundation U.S. Small Business Administration

Mid Atlantic Arts Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation The Riordan Foundation The SahanDaywi Foundation

$100,000–$999,999 The Ahmanson Foundation AmaWaterways California Venues Grant Program Colburn Foundation FEMA & California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services The Music Center Foundation

$50,000–$99,999 The Blue Ribbon California Arts Council Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles Leslie and Charlotte Moore Foundation Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture Dan Murphy Foundation The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation The Rose Hills Foundation Edward A. & Ai O. Shay Family Foundation

$1,000–$9,999 David Bohnett Foundation Employees Community Fund of The Boeing Company California Friars Charitable Foundation William H. Hannon Foundation Kraft-Engel Management The Music Man Foundation The E. Nakamichi Foundation Ornest Family Foundation Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts The Lon V. Smith Foundation The John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation Sidney Stern Memorial Trust

$20,000–$49,999 Anonymous California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program, Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Capital Group Corporate Charitable Giving City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Dwight Stuart Youth Fund The Green Foundation LA County Arts and Culture Creative Recovery LA National Endowment for the Arts Ann Peppers Foundation Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Foundation

M E D I A PA R T N E R S

Your use of a ticket acknowledges your willingness to appear in photographs taken in public areas of The Music Center and releases the Center and its lessees and others from liability resulting from use of such photographs.

Use of any phones, cameras, or recording devices is prohibited during the performance.

Program and artists subject to change. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of House Management.

Members of the audience who leave during the performance will be escorted back into the concert hall at the sole discretion of House Management.

Photo credits: Grant Gershon by Tao Ruspoli and Marie Noorberger

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LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

11/15/23 11:53 PM

H O L I D AY S AT W A LT D I S N E Y C O N C E R T H A L L

B OA R D O F D I R EC TO R S OFFICERS Philip A. Swan

Susan Erburu Reardon

Alex G. Romain

Courtland Palmer

D I R EC TO R S Miles Benickes Bryant Danner Jennifer Diener Ann Graham Ehringer Lorna Fitzgerald Grant Gershon* David Gindler William Goldman**

Martha Groves Robert Hanisee Kristin Techentin Harrison Jenn Hoang Jenny Soonjin Kim Shawn Kravich Ron Myrick Naseem Nixon Casper Partovi

Lisa Richardson Laura Smolowe Tom Strickler Tracy Van Fleet** Andrea D. Williams

EMERITUS Edward J. McAniff Albert J. McNeil*** Clifford A. Miller Marshall A. Rutter Laney Techentin

Chair

Vice Chair

Treasurer

H O N O R A RY Morten J. Lauridsen Lillian Pierson Lovelace

Secretary

* Ex-officio ** Chorale Representative ***In Memoriam

A D M I N I S T R AT I O N Grant Gershon

Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director

Terry Knowles

Interim President & CEO

ARTISTIC Jenny Wong

Associate Artistic Director

Reena Esmail

Swan Family Artist-in-Residence

Lisa Edwards

Pianist/Musical Assistant

P R O D U C T I O N & O P ER AT I O N S Kevin Koelbl Chief Artistic Planning Officer

Susie McDermid

Director of Production

Anthony Crespo

Production & Personnel Manager

Chris Fox

Production Manager

Jeff Wallace

Technical Director

Brady Steel

Orchestra Manager

Mark Fugina

Orchestra Music Librarian

A DVA N C E M E N T Elizabeth Greenway

Chief Advancement Officer

Pamela Perkins Dwyer Major Gifts Officer

Andrea Barkan-Kennedy Associate Director, Institutional Giving

Sean Samimi

Associate Director, Donor Stewardship & Events

Lulu Maxfield

Advancement Coordinator

Kiyono McDaniel

Saunder Choi

Ciara Curran

Kelci Hahn

Lisa Bellamore

Teaching Artist Teaching Artist

Alice Kirwan Murray Teaching Artist

Brett Paesel

FINANCE & A D M I N I S T R AT I O N Steven Neiffer

Booking Representation

Chief Financial Officer

Pablo Corá

Director of Finance

Allie Fukushima

Aimee Chao

Esther Palacios

Chief Music Education Officer

Sarah Gonzalez

Youth Choir Director

Office Manager

Myrna Diaz

Executive Assistant and Board Liaison

MARKETING & P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S Jennifer Urbano

Jose Meza

Interim Chief Marketing Officer

Matthew Brown

Marketing Manager

Education Programs Manager Teaching Artist

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHOR ALE

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C O N S U LTA N T S Studio Fuse, Inc. Design Firm

Membership Associate

COMMUNITY E N G AG E M E N T & E D U C AT I O N Lesili Beard

Public Relations

Teaching Artist

Compensation and Accounting Specialist

Advancement Intern

Marketing Coordinator

Cameron Reeves

David Lieberman Artist Dream Warrior Group Web Design

Jackson Lewis Counsel

Singer Lewak

Public Accountant

WA LT D I S N E Y CONCERT HALL Greg Flusty House Manager

Serge Quintanar

Master Carpenter

John Phillips

Property Master

Marcus Conroy

Master Electrician

Kevin F. Wapner

Master Audio/Video

Mike Wilson

Conservator of the Organ

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Scan Me!

11/13/23 12:11 PM

D ESIGN

GREENING THE inDOORS Celebrity horticulturist Stephen Block reminds us that sophisticated planting is not reserved for the outdoors. / BY ROGER GRODY /

Inner Gardens brings unique landscapes indoors with intriguing plants and vessels.

PHOTOS MICHAEL CLIFFORD

EVEN IN SUNNY Southern California, the arrival of winter brings a greater focus on indoor living, notably the potential for sustaining distinctive, beautiful flora inside the home.

At the Culver City showroom of Inner Gardens, intriguing vignettes of distinctive plant species, sculptures, lighting and objets d’art spill from a 10,000-square-foot structure onto patio spaces where rusticity meets elegance.

“Clients who visit the showroom for the first time are overwhelmed, with its constantly changing selection of soaring trees, antiques, and cool and weird things,” says Inner Gardens founder and president Stephen Block, whose passion is infectious.

The venue, which provides inspiration for designers, landscape architects and homeowners, is supported

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“ELECTRIFYING. ONE OF BOURNE’S

SMARTEST, SEXIEST

SHOWS EVER”

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

PHOTOS MICHAEL CLIFFORD

NEW ADVENTURES AND SADLER’S WELLS PRESENT

JAN28–FEB25 AHMANSONTHEATRE.ORG

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PICTU GREG TENO & LUC BARIT

both by Inner Gardens’ nursery in Malibu and Block’s insatiable treasure hunting.

With clients including Elton John and Cher, and a portfolio of commercial projects such as Spago and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, Block is likely L.A.’s premier celebrity horticulturist.

Block began collecting antiques to distinguish himself from other landscape professionals; he initially experimented with using rusty cans as vases, then elevating the approach for a luxury clientele.

“I buy what I love,” he says of Inner Gardens’ Culver City showroom and, above, its botanical expressions

his eclectic tastes. “Generally, if I touch it, I’ll end up buying it, as I’m always attracted to interesting finishes and patinas.”

Vintage items can be effectively juxtaposed with modern residential architecture, Block explains: “They tend to ground the house with the feel and texture of age.”

The designer subscribes to the principle of wabi-sabi, the ancient Japanese concept of aesthetics based on the imperfect, transient or incomplete. He favors meticulously crafted objects whose wear is readily apparent over more

pristine contemporary pieces.

“If it’s too perfect, it doesn’t interest me,” he says, suggesting that imperfections are what engage people.

Block constantly treks through Europe, and the Culver City showroom is filled with the bounty of his journeys. “Getting lost is the surest way to find things, and my best discoveries have occurred when I’ve been lost in the South of France,” Block reports.

Referencing regular collaborations with celebrity interior designers Kelly Wearstler, Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Waldo Fernandez, Block says, “We provide the raw materials for the design community, but anybody can come to the showroom for inspiration.”

In addition to the antiques that are shipped to the showroom, Inner Gardens offers its own collection of reproductions with classical, midcentury and contemporary influences.

Midcentury-modern planters by designers Willy Guhl, David Cressey, Howard Whalen and Stan Bitters

S

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PICTURED L-R: GREGÓRIO TANIGUCHI, TENOR & LUC KLEINER, BARITONE

Spem in alium JAN UARY 2 8 , 2 0 24

For awe-inspiring vocal magnificence and virtuosity, look no further than Tallis’ towering Spem in alium.

Written for an astounding forty individual voice parts, Tallis’ motet is regarded as the pinnacle of Renaissance polyphonic ingenuity. Howells’ Requiem, a masterpiece of the Romantic era, is a sublime and complex work of soaring vocals and unexpected harmonies. Join the Master Chorale for a singular performance of two monumental masterpieces, and a varied sonic showcase of music reflecting on the same spirit of hope, devotion, and deliverance – including the world premiere of Carlos Simon’s Affirmations.

Spem in alium

THOMAS TALLIS JAMES MACMILLAN

Vidi aquam

HERBERT HOWELLS

Requiem Amazing Grace

HYO-WON WOO (ARR.) CARLOS SIMON

Affirmations (WORLD PREMIERE)

Additional works to be announced.

JENNY WONG, conductor 80 singers This program is made possible by generous support from the Dan Murphy Foundation.

GRANT GERSHON KIKI & DAVID GINDLER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

JENNY WONG

REENA ESMAIL

ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

SWAN FAMILY ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

T I C K E T S S TA R T AT $ 4 5 LAMASTERCHORALE.ORG

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DES I GN

YOU’RE HERE. Congrats, You’ve Picked a Great Performance!

Check out the interactive version of this theater program magazine and enjoy even more insight into the performers, creative talent and theater activities that are behind it all.

Inner Gardens’ Stephen Block LINKS TO PERFORMERS’ SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE. UNDERSTUDY UPDATES THEATER SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES UPCOMING SHOWS AND CONCERTS AROUND TOWN INSIDER SCOOPS FROM THEATER AND MUSIC PROFESSIONALS

It’s the new way to read the program, it’s

work particularly well in the transitional indooroutdoor spaces that define the L.A. lifestyle.

Block approaches an interior commission by first assessing the lighting; that dictates which species can flourish at the location. “Secondly, it’s important to get the scale right,” he says. “We always strive to complement the interior architecture and design.”

He’s drawn to exotic plants that have innately architectural qualities.

Citing the works of Andy Warhol as an example, he suggests that repetition of a species can create a powerful effect.

“Some of our work is theater,” says Block, who has leveraged his green thumb into an art form.

“The unexpected is generally much more interesting than the expected.”

Inner Gardens, 4444 Sepulveda Blvd., Culver City; 310.838.8378; 6432 Busch Drive, Malibu, 310.457.9091 innergardens.com

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END THE YEAR WITH LOVE. The Wallis & For The Record’s production of

A 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT CELEBRATION

THE HOLIDAY CLASSIC. ON STAGE. ON SCREEN. IN CONCERT. ALL AROUND.

NOW – DEC 30

START THE NEW ONE WITH LAUGHTER. The Wallis Presents the Boston Court Pasadena production of

BOTH AND (A PLAY ABOUT LAUGHING WHILE BLACK)

Conceived, written, and performed by Carolyn Ratteray, this rare and extraordinary piece of theater deeply investigates the nucleus of Black joy through clowning, poetic text, and a tour-de-force performance. Rich with humor, raw honesty, and passion, come experience a brilliant meditation on how to reconnect with joy.

JAN 13 – 28, 2024 L.A.’S CULTURAL DESTINATION TheWallis.org • 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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Spanish small-plate destination Xuntos

TOGETHER AT XUNTOS

Sandra Cordero, celebrated chef-owner behind paella-focused Gasolina Cafe in Woodland Hills, turns her attention to tapas and pintxos at new Xuntos, a half mile from the BroadStage in downtown Santa Monica. Born of DutchSpanish heritage and spending summers in Spain’s Galicia, Corderos completes her grazing menu of savoury snacks and finger

foods with natural wines and superior sherry and vermouth cocktails.

Xuntos is the Gallego word for “together”—appropriate since tapas are intended for sharing and because the restaurant joins two storefronts in a 1926 building.

Around diverse small plates, groups gather in booths, couples at the bar or at tables bathed in warm amber light overlooking the dining

room. A palette of deep reds and warm pinks, and a wall shingled in sea scallop shells, make for a romantic atmosphere throughout.

The menu offers delicacies of Galicia as well as Asturias, Catalunya and Basque Country.

Deftly executed pintxos include anchoa del cantabrico en brioche, which tops an impossibly buttery sliver of brioche toast with a

PHOTOS COURTESY XUNTOS

Beguiling spot for tapas and pintxos opens in Santa Monica. / BY SARAH MOSQUEDA /

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11/16/23 12:20 PM

Wed Dec 6 | 8pm Thu Dec 7 | 8pm

Samara Joy A JOYFUL HOLIDAY with The McLendon Family

Thu Nov 30 | 8pm

Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra BACH’S BRANDENBURG CONCERTI

Sun Dec 3 | 3pm Sun Dec 3 | 8pm

Mannheim Steamroller

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis Sat Dec 9 | 3pm A VERY IRISH CHRISTMAS Presented by

PHOTOS COURTESY XUNTOS

Trinity Irish Dance Company Sat Dec 16 | 3pm Sat Dec 16 | 8pm Sun Dec 17 | 3pm

Trinity Irish Dance Company

Nochebuena

A CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR Featuring Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles

and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar Nochebuena PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 29

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single salty anchovy. More pot-pie slices than pockets, empanadas find a flaky, braided crust filled with Galician tuna or with chicken and marcona almonds. Aged jamon Iberico de Bellota is sliced by hand.

There are skewers of tender lamb, finished with romesco sauce, and of squid. A platito of cheese pairs with tinned-seafood conservas, perhaps cockles or mussels.

Among tapas, mariscos include fresh local fried anchovies, garlic shrimp and delicately charred sea bass collars.

And among non-seafood items are classic patatas bravas or stuffed padrón peppers. Sweet and smokey costillas con salsa barbacoa come three ribs to an order. A Denver-cut bistec con salsa verde or squid ink pasta offers more substantial fare.

From top left: tarta de Santiago; owner-chef Sandra Cordero; jamon Iberico de Bellota

The natural-wine menu presents a tightly curated selection of sparkling, white, rose, orange and red wines. There are beers from Galicia and Catalunya, cider from Galicia.

But vermouth and sherry cocktails are where the beverages shine.

The Coronation uses sherry, cider and orange zest for an OldFashioned vibe. The Calimoxto blends cherry, cola and red wine for a profile that's part sangria, part Roy Rogers.

Postres include the citrus- and cinnamon-inflected crema Catalana.

But the signature dessert—displayed at the bar with the jamon Iberico—is the tarta de Santiago, powdered-sugar-dusted almond cake with whipped honey butter.

Like Xuntos itself, it's not to be missed.

516 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, 424.744.8727, barxuntos.com

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The Colburn School has embarked on an ambitious project to expand worldclass training and performance opportunities for both the community and the School. We are honored to partner with Frank Gehry to build a home for the next generation of performing artists in the creative capital of the world.

To learn more, visit colburnschool.edu/future

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“We were able to successfully make the case for why public sector funding should go to the arts as part of our pandemic recovery,” Sakoda says, “but also for the arts sector, for our communities, for all of the benefits of arts and culture, for quality of life.”

The demand is huge.

Five hundred groups, producers and individuals applied for a share of the one-time L.A. County Performing Arts Recovery Grant. Eventually, 40 were awarded $30,000 each, mostly theater groups but also dance companies, music presenters and individual artists.

The grants are a bright light for small nonprofit arts organizations such as The Braid, which presents

stories grounded in Jewish culture and experience.

“The signal it sends from the county is that arts are valuable, that arts are important, that Los Angeles is going to be a cultural center and we’re investing in bringing theater,” says David Chiu, a writer and The Braid’s marketing and communications manager.

“It’s a powerful message. It cannot be underestimated what it means for us and for [the city’’s] cultural landscape.”

The Braid will use its $30,000 for the develop-

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ment of What Do I Do With All This Heritage?, which gives face to Asian Jews, a little-discussed community of people such as Chiu, who is Jewish and Chinese and a contributor to the project.

“Being Chinese doesn’t make me less Jewish, and being Jewish doesn’t make me less Chinese,” Chiu says. “By being part of our show, it makes me love both those heritages even more and embrace them even more tightly.”

The Braid aims to present What Do I Do With All This Heritage? in locations across the county in May, timed for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as well as Jewish American Heritage Month.

The grant is the difference-maker.

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PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE 33

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“I don’t think any of us would be here doing the work that we’re doing without that kind of support,” says the Braid artistic director Ronda Spinak.

For 32 years, Deaf West Theatre has earned acclaim for inventive stagings that blend sign language and spoken English. Two of its musicals, Big River and Spring Awakening, successfully transferred to Broadway, where they went on to receive Tony nominations.

Deaf West is in the early stages of developing a stage version of the 2009 short documentary Ingelore, about Ingelore Herz Honigstein. Born deaf and Jewish in 1924, Honigstein lived a harrowing life during the Holocaust before she eventually escaped to the United States.

The play is written and directed by her son, documentarian Frank Stiefel, and will star Linda Bove, a deaf actress who appeared in a recurring role for many years on Sesame Street.

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Ronda Spinak, artistic director of The Braid

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The county’s grant is helping to make the play happen: “$30,000 is a very significant amount for us!” writes Deaf West artistic director David Kurs via email. “It allows us to dedicate our funding to new work, where the funding is most needed.”

Ingelore will be workshopped at the Wallis Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, where Deaf West saw great success with its Spring Awakening revival.

The new play could be mounted in late 2024 or early 2025.

Even an established company with three decades of success is still finding its footing after COVID-19.

“We faced significant challenges due to the pandemic: the suspension of our in-person programming, additional costs associated with implementing safety measures, and so forth,” Kurs writes.

“Our priority was to create an environment where all participants and audience members could feel safe and comfortable.”

Another company with deep roots in the L.A. arts world is Heidi Duckler Dance, which has been creating site-specific works for non-traditional spaces since 1985.

Most of its performances are free to the public; grants and donations are critical for a company that

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doesn’t count on ticket income.

“The county is wonderful,” Duckler says. “It supports us in many different ways.” County funds help to underwrite her company’s festivals, salons and interns.

The recovery grant will help cover costs for Herald In and Examine Throughout, taking place next spring at the distinctive Herald-Examiner building, designed by architect Julia Morgan and constructed in 1914 for William Randolph Hearst.

It might seem cheaper for a company to use another building rather than to have its own space but, according to Duckler, that’s not necessarily the case.

“Everything is expensive in all of our of productions,” she says.

“When you’re using a space that isn’t intended to be a theater, you need to think about all the lighting and sound and all the things that you want to bring to the space so that the audience can have a theatrical experience.”

As a site-specific company, on the other hand, the company was more flexible than most during the shutdown, Duckler says, and was able to pivot to video when in-person perfor-

losang LAB B

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mances weren’t possible.

When the county put out the call for grant applicants, it had hoped to fund specific projects.

The timing was ideal for Duckler’s team.“We were in the throes of trying to find money to do our project at the HeraldExaminer,” she says.

Grants are made by the county’s arts and culture department, overseen by Sakoda since its launch in 2019. Its funding support extends beyond performing arts to museums and cultural centers.

But for Sakoda, performance is especially meaningful: She studied ballet as a child and once performed professionally.

“It’s a part of the field that’s near and dear to my heart,” she says.

But it’s more than personal. Her department’s mission, she says, is big and broad: to support creativity but also the well-being of its diverse communities, so that everybody might have access to the arts.

That’s more necessary post-pandemic, she says, noting the ongoing national concern about social isolation.

“Bringing people together around music or shared experience really is a powerful way to address that.”

38 PERFORMANCES MAGAZINE

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PARTIN G TH O U G H T

reprogra mmed!

Performances Magazine unveils a digital program platform for shows and concerts

DROP DOWN MENU Table of app contents.

SEARCH Find whatever it is you want to know—easily.

REGISTER Stay arts-engaged, access past programs.

SIGN IN Link to your performing-arts companies and venues.

THE ESSENTIALS Acts, scenes, synopses, repertory and notes.

THE PLAYERS Bios and background for cast, crew and creators.

CONTRIBUTORS Donors and sponsors who make it all possible—you!

The touchless platform provides cast and player bios, donor and season updates and arts-centric features. Audiences receive a link and code word that instantly activate the app; QR codes are posted, too.

Screens go dark when curtains rise and return with the house lights.

Updates—repertory changes, understudy substitutions, significant donations—can be made right up to showtime, no inserts necessary.

Other features include video and audio streams, translations and expanded biographies.

For those who consider printed programs keepsakes, a limited number, as well as commemorative issues for special events, continue to be produced. Collectibles!

Meanwhile, there is less deforestation, consumption of petroleum inks and programs headed for landfills. For the ecologically minded, the platform gets a standing ovation.

Theaters and concert halls reopened after a long intermission.

Stages are live, the excitement is back. Activate your link and enjoy the shows. —CALEB WACHS

COURTESY L.A. PHIL

NO RUSTLING PAGES, no killing trees . . . Of all the innovations to have come out of the pandemic, the new Performances program platform, accessed on any digital device, may be least likely to disappear in the foreseeable future.

Not only had its time come—it had been long overdue.

Performances provides the programs for 20 SoCal performingarts organizations, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Ahmanson to San Diego Opera, where the app made its debut.

WHAT’S ON What’s coming at a glance and ticket information.

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