presents
SPIRE FOUNDING PARTNERS Spire will be forever grateful to these visionary individuals who helped found this organization. Paulette Blunt and family Roland and Dolores Boehnke Silvia and Phil Braniff Elizabeth Coleman Larry and Elaine Conrad Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc. Eric and Lana Hansen Rev. Lee Hovel Eric and Deb Justin Stan and Paula Knocke
Phil and Marilyn Kubler Chris and Laura Pace Juanita Paris Les and Helen Schmidt Terry and Betty Snapp Ben and Stephanie Spalding Eric and Gay Spalding Mark and Nancy Viets Janet Vetter Renee Walker
Donors Thank you to the following for their generous support of Spire Chamber Ensemble for the 2014-2015 Season.
Arch Angels ($10,000+): Trinity Lutheran Church and Foundation Missouri Arts Council Greg and Carlene Smith Major Benefactors ($2,500-$5,999) Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation KSLCMS Mark and Nancy Viets Renee Walker Benefactors ($1000-$2499): ArtsKC-Regional Arts Council Steven and Julie Christiansen Eric and Lana Hansen Ben and Stephanie Spalding
Patrons ($500-$999): Boeing International Phil and Silvia Braniff Lee and Susan Hovel Alfred and Traute Kohler Stan and Paula Knocke Mark and Nancy Schulz Les and Helen Schmidt Abigail and Charlie Singleton Martha Lee Cain Tranby Music Enrichment Fund Jim and Aileen Tichenor Partners ($250-$499): Larry and Elaine Conrad Shaun and Gwenda Hawk Eric and Deb Justin Chris and Laura Pace Janet Vetter
Supporters ($100-$249): Steve and Sally Burke George and Caroline Helmkamp Stephanie Henry Kathryn Huey Phil and Marilyn Kubler Elizabeth Ann Liston Wayne and Nancy Meyer Bill and Charlene Millsap Shalon Fund Jim Taylor Peter Tremain Danielle and Ryan Warner Contributors: (Up to $99): Harlan E. Brockman Don and Patricia Dagenais Blanche Gangwere Willis and Katherine Hallman Lawrence Hamel Roselea and Howard Nellis Becky Welch
As of August 18, 2015. We apologize for any errors or omissions.
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Artist Hosts
Friends of Spire
Spire wouldn’t exist without the generosity and hospitality of the following, who open their homes to host Spire artists during projects throughout the season.
Special thanks to our friends who offered their invaluable service, facilities, time, and support.
Kayleigh and Jason Aytes Arthur Butler Jay and Melissa Carter Marilyn and Bruce Charlton Larry and Elaine Conrad Kevin and Cindy Dye Eric and Lana Hansen Scott and Katie Hansen Ashley Hardin Shaun and Gwenda Hawk Lee and Susan Hovel Eric and Deb Justin Stan and Paula Knocke Phil and Marilyn Kubler Lindsay Lang and Frank Fleschner Wayne and Nancy Meyer
Mark Ball Terry Barham Michael Bauer Elisa Bickers Steve Burke Larry Conrad Oliver Finney First Presbyterian Church, Manhattan, KS Grace Cathedral Jane Gardner Amy Inderleid KC Baroque Consortium KC Metropolis KC Star KC Studio Gretchen Holman
Mary O’Connell Laura and Chris Pace Bruce and Helga Pennington Mark Rendina Jenifer Richison Iva Schlatter Les and Helen Schmidt Mark and Nancy Schulz Matthew Shepard Norman and Kathie Smith Gay and Eric Spalding Irene Starr Jim and Aileen Tichenor Janet Vetter Renee Walker
Kellie Hour Jan Katterhenry Jan Kraybill Tony Maglione Alejandro Manso Patrick Neas Laura Pace Dr. Reginald Pittman John L. Schaefer Claudette Schiratti Les and Helen Schmidt Mark Schulz Bill Shaltis Patricia Thompson Brenda Williams Visitation Church
The 2015-2016 Season is sponsored in part by generous support from:
Board of Directors Lee Hovel, president Helen Schmidt, secretary Lana Hansen Matthew Naylor
Artistic Advisory Committee Terry Barham Elisa Bickers Robert Bode Jan Kraybill Tony Maglione John Schaefer
Staff Ben A. Spalding, Founder and Artistic Director Margo Stedman, General Manager Jan Katterhenry, Financial Manager Laura Pace, Development Consultant, Capacity Builders
Spire Chamber Ensemble is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization 5601 W. 62nd Street, Mission, KS 66202 3
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PROGRAM NOTES Dear Friends: Welcome to the first performance series of our sixth season, featuring some of the most beautiful devotional pieces in the choral repertory paired with modern reflections in honor of the Virgin Mary. In the incomparably rich history of Western liturgical music, few tenets of Christian belief have stronger influence on the work of composers than Marianism. Tracing its origins to the very beginning of the church, the Blessed Virgin took on increased importance within the standard liturgy in the early centuries after the Papacy of Saint Paul. In the two thousand years that have followed, veneration of Mary has grown stronger and more widespread throughout the world. Many of the greatest composers have applied their talents to settings of Marian antiphons: Monteverdi, whose 1610 Vespro della Beata Virgine (performed by Spire last season) is anchored by inspired settings of Marian hymns; Händel, Mozart, and even Brahms were inspired by Mary as well.
Our program is perceptively chosen to show how much wonderful music the image of the Virgin Mary has inspired over many centuries. Part of our journey will transport us back to a time when ritual chanting of the Divine Office was a hallmark of a medieval cleric's life, sounding each day before sunrise and continuing deep into the night. From Compline hymns sung in the darkness to the Salve Regina sung by religious warriors, we will intone the otherworldly chants to the Virgin Mary that were part of everyday medieval life. The concert also features a significant amount of Marian antiphons and Vespers hymns by some of the greatest exponents of Renaissance polyphony, including settings by Palestrina, Victoria, Josquin, and Lassus. These motets are complemented by plainchant settings from the different traditions that influenced the development of these composers’ distinctive styles. You will also hear works from Bruckner, Rachmaninoff, Duruflé, Britten, and contemporary composers, including a world premiere especially written for this concert, my setting of Ave, Maris Stella. This powerful collection of music, whether it was composed five years or five centuries ago, can transcend divisiveness and be a means of universal communication. The Blessed Virgin Mary has been the subject of theological discussion, admiration, veneration, and musical composition throughout the history of Christendom, and we can clearly see that there’s still something very special about Mary. Enjoy the performance!
Ben A. Spalding
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Friday, August 28, 7:30pm | First Presbyterian Church | Manhattan, KS Saturday, August 29, 7:30pm | Visitation Catholic Church | Kansas City, MO
Sunday, August 30, 5:00pm | Grace Episcopal Cathedral | Topeka, KS
Ave Maria: Chants and Songs in Honor of Mary Spire Chamber Ensemble Ben A. Spalding, Founder and Artistic Director Soprano Kayleigh Aytes Elizabeth Hungerford Gitanjali Mathur Nacole Palmer Clara Rottsolk Melanie Russell
Alto/Countertenor Luthien Brackett Jay Carter Reginald L. Mobley Patricia Thompson
Tenor David Adams Brian Giebler Erik Gustafson Patrick Muehleise
Bass Brian Chu Thomas McCargar Daniel Moore Paul Max Tipton Jonathan Woody
PROGRAM To be selected from the following. Please withhold applause until the conclusion of each numbered section.
PART I: Alma redemptoris mater
Plainchant
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594)
Alma Redemptoris Mater, quae pervia caeli porta manes, Loving Mother of the Redeemer, who remains the gate by which we mortals enter heaven, et stella maris, succurre cadenti surgere qui curat populo: and star of the sea, help your fallen people who strive to rise: Tu quae genuisti, natura mirante, tuum You who gave birth, amazing nature, to your sanctum Genitorem: sacred Creator: Virgo prius ac posterius, Gabrielis ab ore Virgin prior and following, taking from the mouth of Gabrisumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere. el that Hail! have mercy on our sins.
Please remember to silence all electronic devices. Recording any part of this performance is prohibited.
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Salve Regina
Plainchant
Salve Regina a 8
Tomás Luis de Victoria (1548-1611)
Salve Regina, Mater Misericordiae, Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, Salve! Ad te clamamus, exsules filii [H]evae, Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes, In hac lacrimarum valle. Eja ergo, Advocata nostra, Illos tuos misericordes oculos ad nos converte Et Jesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, Nobis, post hoc exilium, ostende, O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.
Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, [Hail] our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.
PART II: Tota Pulchra Es
Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986)
Tota pulchra es, Maria et macula originalis non est in te. Vestimentum tuum candidum quasi nix, et facies tua sicut sol. Tota pulchra es, Maria, et macula originalis non est in te. Tu gloria Jerusalem, tu laetitia Israel, tu honorificentia populi nostri. Tota pulchra es, Maria.
Ave Maria, Mater Dei
You are completely pure, Mary, and the stain of original sin is not within you. Your clothing is white like snow, and your face is like the sun. You are completely pure, Mary, and the stain of original sin is not within you. You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the joy of Israel, you are the honoured of our people. You are completely pure, Mary.
William Cornysh (1465-1523)
Ave Maria, mater Dei, regina caeli, domina mundi, imperatrix inferni, miserere mei et totius populi Christiani; et ne permitas nos mortaliter peccare; sed tuam sanctissimam voluntatem adimplere. Amen.
Bogoroditse Devo from All-Night Vigil
Hail Mary, mother of God, queen of heaven, mistress of the world, empress of hell: have mercy on me and on all Christian people; and do not allow us to commit mortal sins; but help us to fulfil your most holy will. Amen.
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873– 1943)
Performed in honor of the 100th anniversary of the premiere performance Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with You. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Savior of our souls.
Gaude Virgo Mater Christi
Josquin Des Prez (c. 1450/1455–1521)
Gaude, virgo mater Christi, Quae per aurem concepisti, Gabriele nuntio.
Rejoice, virgin mother of Christ who hast conceived by ear, with Gabriel as messenger.
Gaude, quia Deo plena Peperisti sine poena, Cum pudoris lilio.
Rejoice, for full of God thou gavest birth without pain, with the lily of purity.
Gaude, quia tui nati Quem dolebas mortem pati, Fulget resurrectio.
Rejoice, for the resurrection of thy Son now shines, whose death thou mourned,
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Gaude Christo ascendente, Et in coelum te vidente, Motu fertur proprio.
Rejoice, as Christ ascends, and, in thy sight, is carried into heaven by his own strength.
Gaude que post ipsum scandis, Et est honor tibi grandis, In caeli palatio.
Rejoice, thou who riseth after him and to whom great honor is due in the palace of heaven,
Ubi fructus ventris tui, Nobis detur per te frui, In perenni gaudio.
Where the fruit of thy womb is granted us, through thee, to enjoy in eternal rejoicing.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
PART III: Ave regina caelorum, Ave Domina
Leonel Power (?-1445)
Ave, Regina caelorum, ave, Domina angelorum, salve, radix, salve, porta, ex qua mundo lux est orta. Gaude, Virgo gloriosa, super omnes speciosa; vale, o valde decora, et pro nobis Christum exora.
Ave Generosa
Hail, Queen of heaven; Hail, Mistress of the Angels; Hail, root of Jesus; Hail, the gate through which the Light rose over the earth. Rejoice, Virgin most renowned and of unsurpassed beauty, and pray for us to Christ.
Margaret Rizza (b. 1929)
Elizabeth Hungerford, soprano; Luthien Brackett, mezzo-soprano
Ave generosa, gloriosa et intacta puella Tu pupilla castitatis, tu materia sanctitatis, que Deo placuit. Nam hec superna infusio in te fuit, Quod supernum Verbum in te carnem induit Tu candidum lilium quod Deus ante omnem creaturam inspexit. O pulcherrima et dulcissima, quam valde Deus in te delectabatur, cum amplexionem caloris sui in te posuit, ita quod Filius eius de te lactatus est. Venter enim tuus gaudium habuit cum omnis celestis symphonia de te sonuit, quia virgo filium Dei portasti, ubi castitas tua in Deo claruit.
Hail, high-born, glorious, inviolate Maid! You are the pupil of chastity, the matrix of sanctity, pleasing to God. For this supernal flood was within you, As the supernal word put on flesh in you. You are the shining lily on which God before all creation gazed. O fairest and sweetest one, how greatly God delighted in you, when he set within you the embrace of his warmth so that his son took milk from you. For your womb held joy when all the harmony of heaven resounded from you; for as a virgin you bore GodĘťs own son when your chastity shone bright in God.
-Hildegard of Bingen
INTERMISSION PART IV: Regina coeli, laetare, alleluia Regina caeli laetare, alleluia. Quia quem meruisti portare, alleluia. Resurrexit, sicut dixit, alleluia. Ora pro nobis Deum, alleluia.
Ave Maria
Victoria Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia. Has risen, as He said, alleluia. Pray for us to God, alleluia.
Anton Bruckner (1824–1896)
Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum; benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus [Christus]. Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus [Christ]. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
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Ave Maris Stella
Ben A. Spalding (b. 1983) World Premiere Performance
Ave maris stella. Dei Mater alma, Atque semper virgo, felix coeli porta. Solve vincla reis, profer lumen caecis: Mala nostra pelle bona cuncta posce.
Hail star of the sea. God’s cherishing mother, And, though still a virgin, the blessed entrance-way of heaven. Bound by Satan’s fetters, health and vision needing. God will aid and light us at thy gentle pleading.
Vitam praesta puram, iter para tutum: Ut videntes Iesum semper collaetemur. Sit laus Deo Patri summo Christo decus, Spiritui Sancto, tribus honor unus. Amen.
So, as now we journey, aid our weak endeavour, Till we gaze on Jesus and rejoice for ever. Father, Son and Spirit. Three in one confessing, Give us equal glory, equal praise and blessing. Amen.
PART V: Hymn to the Virgin
Benjamin Britten (1913–1976)
Solo Quartet: Clara Rottsolk, Luthien Brackett, Brian Giebler, Paul Tipton Of one who is so fair and bright Velut maris stella, [Like a star of the sea] Brighter than the day is light, Parens et puella: [Both mother and maiden] I cry to thee, thou see to me, Lady, pray thy Son for me, Tam pia, [so pure] That I may come to thee. Maria! [Mary] All this world was forlorn, Eva peccatrice, [because of Eve, a sinner] Till our Lord was yborn, De te genetrice. [through you, his mother] With ave it went away, Darkest night, and comes the day Salutis; [of salvation] The well springeth out of thee. Virtutis. [of virtue] Lady, flower of everything, Rosa sine spina, [Rose without thorn] Thou bare Jesu, heaven's king, Gratia divina: [by divine grace] Of all thou bearest the prize, Lady, queen of paradise Electa: [chosen] Maid mild, mother es effecta. [you are made]
Sicut Lilium Inter Spinas Sicut lilium inter spinas, sic amica mea inter filias [Adae] Sicut malus inter ligna silvarum, sic dilectus meus inter filios Sub umbra illius quem desideraveram sedi et fructus eius dulcis gutturi meo.
Palestrina As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters [of Adam] As the apple tree among the trees of the woods, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow, whom I desired: and his fruit was sweet to my palate.
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Splendid Jewel
Stephen Paulus (1949-2014)
Melanie Russell, soprano
Hail, hail devout virgin, splendid jewel, Maria! Now sing we with great delight of our perfect love, who prays for us to Christ who is our light and way. Hail, hail devout virgin, splendid jewel, Maria! All you whose minds are in heaven, now sing sweetly, rightly presenting this gift to Christ and the Virgin Mary. Hail, hail devout virgin. High and glorious lady, mother of the most merciful Jesus, you are the rose of heaven, than which there is none more beautiful. Splendid Maria! Hail, hail devout virgin, splendid jewel, Maria!
PART VI: Magnificat
Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Magníficat ánima mea Dóminum. Et exultávit spíritus meus: in Deo salutári meo. Quia respéxit humilitátem ancíllae suae: Ecce enim ex hoc beátam me dicent omnes generatiónes. Quia fécit mihi mágna qui pótens est: et sánctum nómen eius. Et misericórdia eius in progénies et progénies timéntibus eum. Fécit poténtiam in bráchio suo: dispérsit supérbos mente cordis sui. Depósuit poténtes de sede: et exaltávit húmiles. Esuriéntes implévit bonis: et dívites dimísit inánes. Suscépit Ísrael púerum suum: recordátus misericórdiae suae.
Sicut locútus est ad patres nostros: Ábraham, et sémini eius in saecula. Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto, Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sæcula sæculórum. Amen. My soul doth magnify the Lord.
And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because He hath regarded the humility of His slave: For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because He that is mighty hath done great things to me; and holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever. Glory be the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forever and ever, Amen.
Salve Regina
Orlande de Lassus (1532-1594)
To Morning
Gabriel Jackson (b.1962)
O holy virgin! clad in purest white, Unlock heav’n’s golden gates, and issue forth; Awake the dawn that sleeps in heaven; let light Rise from the chambers of the east, and bring The honey’d dew that cometh on waking day. O radiant morning, salute the sun Rous’d like a huntsman to the chase, and with Thy buskin’d feet appear upon our hills.
PART VII: Ave Maria
Franz Biebl (1906–2001)
Thomas McCargar, baritone; Brian Giebler, tenor
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BIOGRAPHIES Ben A. Spalding, Founder and Artistic Director Ben A. Spalding is the founder and artistic director of the Spire Chamber Ensemble, which is gaining a national reputation for excellence in choral performances. He received undergraduate degrees in voice and piano from Emporia State University and two Master’s Degrees in conducting and composition from Rowan University. He was a student of renowned conductor and composer Z. Randall Stroope, and has also studied conducting with Terry Barham and Sir David Willcocks in Cambridge. Spalding is up and coming as a professional choral conductor, working with the best choral artists in the country and gaining a reputation as a fine interpreter of both early and contemporary repertoire. He is sought after as a clinician, most recently leading Festivals and Honor Choirs throughout the Midwest. Spalding is also active as a composer, regularly accepting commissions. As an educator, he has held positions at the high school and university levels. In addition to his work with Spire Chamber Ensemble, Spalding is Director of Music and the Arts at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mission, KS, where he has built one of the most prestigious concert series and arts programs in the Kansas City area.
David Adams, tenor
David Adams has performed in a variety of settings throughout the United States and Europe. His work in opera has been described in Opera News as ‘light and flexible, yet fiery and expressive’. Performance opportunities in both opera and oratorio have brought Mr. Adams to some of the finest companies in the country, including The Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kauffman Center, Kansas City’s new performing arts venue. He has recently participated as a soloist on Life and Breath: The Choral Works of Rene Clausen for Chandos Records which received two Grammy Awards, including Best Choral Performance.
Luthein Brackett, mezzo-soprano
Praised by the press for her “easy, appealing alto” and “silky tone among all registers,” New York-based mezzosoprano Luthien Brackett’s most recent solo appearances include Charpentier Vespers with the Green Mountain Project, Handel’s Messiah with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Trinity Baroque Orchestra, J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with Princeton Pro Musica and the Chorus of Westerly, and Arvo Pärt’s Passio with TENET for Carnegie Hall's ‘collected stories’ Festival. She has also performed recent engagements with the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, Early Music Festival: NYC, The English Concert, The Knights, The Sebastians and The Washington Chorus. Regional opera credits include Handel's Semele with Music in the Somerset Hills, Kayleigh Aytes, soprano Mozart’s Il Sogno di Scipione with Gotham Chamber Soprano, Kayleigh Aytes, is enchanting Opera, and numerous productions with Spoleto Festival, audiences with her graceful voice and U.S.A. She is a featured soloist on the Choir of Trinity Wall elegant musicianship. This past Street’s acclaimed recording of the Complete Haydn summer she performed at the NAPA Masses (Naxos), and its recent GRAMMY-nominated Music Festival in Napa Valley, recording of Handel’s Israel in Egypt (Musica Omnia). A California. Recent engagements specialist in music of the Renaissance and Baroque include collaborations with the Te periods, Luthien is a frequent soloist for Trinity Wall Deum Chamber Choir and the Kansas City Baroque Street’s Bach at One series, and Holy Trinity Lutheran Consortium as a guest soloist. Ms. Aytes is a featured Church’s venerable Bach Vespers series in New York. In artist in Trinity Lutheran’s Bach Cantata Series. As a great demand as an ensemble performer, she is a member member, she has performed with the respected Simon of the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and appears regularly Carrington Chamber Singers and Spire Chamber with some of the country's preeminent vocal groups, Ensemble. Some of Ms. Aytes’ operatic credits include including The Antioch Chamber Ensemble, TENET, Vox, work with the Kansas City Puccini Festival, Symphony of Voices of Ascension, Pomerium, Clarion Music Society, the Mountains, and Knoxville Opera. Ms. Aytes received a and Seraphic Fire. B.M. at the Conservatory of Music in Kansas City and a M.M. at the University of Tennessee, where she was a member of the Knoxville Opera Studio.
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Jay Carter, countertenor
Jay Carter is quickly gaining recognition as one of the nation’s finest, lauded for his luminous tone and stylish interpretations especially in the music of Bach, Bernstein, Handel, Purcell and Vivaldi. Equally at home in the modern recital repertoire, he has gained acclaim for programs of modern classics typically outside the standard countertenor repertory. Carter is a featured soloist on recordings of Bach’s Magnificat in D, Mendelssohn’s Magnificat, on Le Stagioni: Italian Virtuoso Madrigals with Gravitacion, and on Handel and Caldara Cantatas. Mr. Carter received a Masters from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music, and his undergraduate degree from William Jewell College. He lives in Liberty, Missouri with his wife and two children, and serves as Artist-in-residence at William Jewell College.
Brian Giebler, tenor
Hailed as "most impressive... with bright, clear tone and lively personality" (New York Times), tenor Brian Giebler performs nationwide as a soloist and chamber musician. Brian has been commended as a “faultless high tenor” (Seattle Times) with “great elegance of tone and phrasing” (Baltimore Sun). He made his Carnegie Hall solo debut this past season in Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai under the baton of Anton Armstrong, and his Lincoln Center solo debut in Handel’s Messiah with Trinity Wall Street. Brian performs with ensembles throughout the country, including GRAMMY® Awardwinning Conspirare of Austin and GRAMMY® nominated Seraphic Fire of Miami, and he is a member of the GRAMMY® nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street in Manhattan, where he currently resides. Recent notable solo engagements include Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with Green Mountain Project (“splendid… agile figuration”, Boston Music Intelligencer), and Bach’s Magnificat with Seraphic Fire ("gleaming tones", South Florida Classical Review). www.briangiebler.com
Erik Gustafson, tenor
Erik is highly active across the nation as an oratorio soloist and choral artist. For the past two years, Erik lived in New York City and performed as a soloist and chorister with the renowned Bach Vespers series at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. Other recent highlights include being featured as tenor soloist for the New England premiere of Bob Chilcott's Requiem with Delaware Valley Chorale, and performing the role of Testis at the Oregon Bach Festival's performance of the St. Matthew Passion under the direction of Helmuth Rilling. He currently resides in Phoenix, AZ where he is in his ninth season with the Grammy award-winning Phoenix Chorale, and is also a core member of Tucson Chamber Artists.
Elizabeth Hungerford, soprano
Elizabeth Hungerford, Soprano has been praised for her “clarion” sound (Washington Post) and a voice that is “refreshingly natural” (Göttinger Tagesblatt). Recent engagements include performances at the Göttingen Historical Music Series in Germany, with Grammynominated Seraphic Fire in the United States, at the Teatro Olimpico in Italy with the European Lute Orchestra, with the Catacoustic Consort at the Indianapolis Early Music Festival, with the award-winning Eya Ensemble for Medieval Music, and a one-per-part performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the National Cathedral in Washington DC. Elizabeth’s repertoire ranges from medieval chant to Contemporary masterworks, although she has a particular affinity for the early Baroque and Renaissance periods. Elizabeth has been featured on fifteen recordings to date and has just released a new disc with viola da gambist Andrew Arceci which can be found on iTunes or via her website: www.elizabethhungerford.com
Gitanjali Mathur, soprano
Grammy winning artist Gitanjali Mathur is hailed as having "skyrocketing coloratura", "fluid and dexterous voice", "piercingly clear soprano" and being a "natural and convincing comedic actress". Ms. Mathur completed her higher studies in voice performance at Indiana University, Bloomington, along with minors in Math and Computer Science. She resides in Austin, Texas where she is a full time singer with Texas Early Music Project, the early music group Ensemble viii, and GRAMMY®-winning ensemble Conspirare conducted by Craig Hella Johnson. In addition, Ms. Mathur is a part of the eclectic ensemble Convergence (winner of the 2013 Austin Critics’ Table Awards for Best Small Ensemble). She has performed in France, Italy, Germany, and Denmark. Proud to sing with Seraphic Fire, Ms. Mathur is featured on their GRAMMY®-nominated CD A Seraphic Fire Christmas. Most recently, she has sung the roles of Serpina in Pergolesi’s La Serva Padrona, Gabriel in The Creation by Haydn, Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate, “The Witch” in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Venus in John Blow’s baroque opera Venus and Adonis, and made her solo Carnegie Hall debut with Helmuth Rilling in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. She will be debuting with Bach Collegium San Diego this year.
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Thomas McCargar, baritone
Called "gripping" by The New York Times, and described as singing with "calm fluidity" by The Washington Post, baritone Thomas McCargar has established himself as one of New York City's most sought-after ensemble singers. In addition to being
a member of the acclaimed Choir of Trinity Wall Street and Pomerium, he also performs regularly with Grammy Award-winning Roomful of Teeth, Seraphic Fire, TENET, Green Mountain Project, Musica Sacra, VOX Vocal Ensemble, Voices of Ascension, New York Virtuoso Singers, Early Music New York, Yale Choral Artists and Meridionalis. As a soloist, Thomas recently sang the role of Evangelist in Ginastera's Turbae ad Passionem Gregorianam with Trinity at Carnegie Hall, and earlier made his Carnegie Hall solo debut singing Haydn's St Nicholas Mass with the Masterworks Festival Chorus. Other engagements include Steve Reich's Three Tales with Ensemble Signal at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Anne Hamilton's The Event of a Thread at Park Avenue Armory and singing You Can't Always Get What You Want with the Rolling Stones.
Reginald L. Mobley, countertenor
Countertenor Reginald Mobley fully intended to speak his art through watercolors and oil pastels until circumstance demanded that his own voice should speak for itself. Since reducing his visual color palette to the black and white of a score, he has endeavored to open a wider spectrum onstage. Particularly noted for his “crystalline diction and pure, evenly produced tone” (Miami Herald), as well as “elaborate and inventive ornamentation” (South Florida Classical Review), the "Barn -burning, [...]phenomenal" (Knoxville Metro Pulse) Reggie is rapidly making a name for himself in Baroque, Classical, and modern repertoire. His natural and preferred habitat is within the works of Bach, Handel, Purcell, as well as other known Baroque mainstays. Not to be undone by a strict diet of the baroque, Reggie finds himself equally comfortable in other periods and genres. Not just in Medieval and Renaissance, but also a literacy in Jazz, Gospel, Musical Theatre, and Barbershop singing. www.reginaldmobley.com
Patrick Muehleise, tenor
Patrick Muehleise, tenor, regularly collaborates with nationally acclaimed ensembles such as Seraphic Fire, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, True Concord (formerly Tucson Chamber Artists), and Music of the Baroque. Recent engagements include performances with The Santa Fe Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Haymarket Opera Company, Bella Voce Camerata, and the American Chamber Orchestra in New York City. Highlights from this upcoming season include solo debuts with Music of the Baroque performing Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 under the direction of Jane Glover, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra and Apollo Chorus of Chicago, Bach’s Mass in B Minor with the St. Luke Bach Choir, and the esteemed New World Symphony performing Steve Reich’s The Desert Music.
Nacole Palmer, soprano
Nacole Palmer sang her Carnegie Hall debut this December as the soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Oratorio Society of New York. Later that week, she sang her Lincoln Center debut in Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Other credits in New York and elsewhere include Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Carissimi’s Jephte with the Trinity Choir, Orff's Carmina Burana and Bach's St. John Mass with Seraphic Fire, and Haydn’s The Creation with the Ulster Chorale. A recent winner in the the NY Oratorio Competition, Ms. Palmer is the soprano soloist in three masses of the Naxos CD recording The Complete Haydn Masses, conducted by Jane Glover and recorded with the Trinity Choir.
Clara Rottsolk, soprano
“Pure and shining” soprano Clara Rottsolk has been lauded by The New York Times for her “clear, appealing voice and expressive conviction.” In a Dan Moore, baritone repertoire extending from the Hailed for his "warm" and "voluminous" Renaissance to the contemporary, her sound by the South Florida Classical solo appearances with orchestras and Review, baritone Dan Moore is a sought -after performer of both solo and choral chamber ensembles have taken her across the globe with ensembles such as American Bach Soloists, Tempesta di classical music. Dan has performed throughout the US and Asia with groups Mare, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Les Délices, Pacific including Grammy-nominated ensemble Musicworks, the Carmel Bach Festival, Trinity Wall Street Choir and Seraphic Fire among others. Her solo recordings Seraphic Fire, Spire Chamber Ensemble, The American include French cantatas with Les Délices, and a recording Baroque Orchestra, and Yale Schola Cantorum, among of Scarlatti Cantatas with Tempesta di Mare. A native of others. In addition to performing Baroque and Classical Seattle, Ms. Rottsolk earned her music degrees at Rice choral repertoire, Dan also enjoys singing the solo repertoire of 19th and 20th centuries, such as Ravel, Tosti University and Westminster Choir College. Currently she is based in Philadelphia and teaches voice at Swarthmore, and Vaughan Williams, among others. Dan received his Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges. Masters of Music degree at the Yale School of Music, where he also received a certificate in early music, oratorio and chamber ensemble from the Institute of Sacred Music.
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Melanie Russell, soprano
Melanie Russell has performed and recorded with premier ensembles in the U.S., including the Grammy-nominated choirs Trinity Wall Street and Seraphic Fire, and Grammy-winners Conspirare and The Rolling Stones. Solo engagements in opera, musical theater, and concert repertoire have taken her from her hometown of New Orleans to New York, and all over the world with Philip Glass and Robert Wilson’s Einstein on the Beach. Recent solo highlights include The Magic Flute (Queen of the Night/ Papagena) with American Classical Orchestra's "Classical Music for Kids" outreach program in NYC, Bach's St. John Passion with Grand Philharmonic Choir and Spire, and Bach's Mass in B-minor with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra.
Patricia Thompson, mezzo-soprano
Patricia has been a frequent soloist with the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, the Bach Societies of Louisville, West Lafayette and St. Louis; and the Masterworks Chorus of New Jersey, making her Carnegie Hall solo debut in 2009. She has sung with the famed Dale Warland Singers, where she was featured on the award winning recordings Cathedral Classics and December Stillness, and with the Ensemble Singers of Vocalessense. Patricia is a current member of the Professional Chorale of the Carmel Bach Festival, and a founding member of the ensemble Luminous Voices of Calgary, Canada. She holds degrees from St. Olaf College (BM) and Indiana University (MM and DM), and is an Associate Professor of Voice at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.
made a Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow in 2012 at Emmanuel Music in Boston. www.paulmaxtipton.com.
Jonathan Woody, baritone
Bass-baritone Jonathan Woody is a sought-after performer of early and new music in New York and across the United States. Equally comfortable as soloist and ensemble member, Jonathan is a member of the Grammy® -nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street, where he has been featured in performances of works by G.F. Handel and J.S. Bach, earning praise as "charismatic" and "riveting" from the New York Times. He maintains an active performance schedule; recent highlights include the premiere of Ted Hearne's The Source at Brooklyn Academy of Music and a nationwide tour of Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 with Apollo's Fire. Jonathan has recorded with the Choir of Trinity Wall Street under the Musica Omnia label, most recently being featured on the premiere recording of Ralf Yusuf Gawlick's Missa Gentis Humanae for 8 voices. Upcoming engagements include performances with Handel & Haydn Society, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn and Pegasus Early Music.
Paul Max Tipton, baritone
Paul Max Tipton is a bass-baritone hailed for his “dignity, beauty, and compassion” (Atlanta JournalConstitutional) and his “lustrous, rounded strength” (The Miami Herald), and has performed and recorded throughout North America, Europe, China, and Korea. He solos under such notable figures as Masaaki Suzuki, Matthias Pintscher, Nicholas McGegan, Leonard Slatkin, Ton Koopman, Helmuth Rilling, Craig Hella Johnson, and Martin Katz, and with such organizations as the Bach Collegium Japan, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Apollo’s Fire, Conspirare (Austin), and the New York Philharmonic in their first-ever Bach Festival. Recent engagements include Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum at Carnegie Hall, Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion (Christus) at Spoleto Festival USA, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Grand Rapids Symphony, Rameau’s La Lyre Enchantée with Jacques Ogg, and a recording of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with Seraphic Fire which earned a 2012 Grammy nomination. Tipton studied at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and Yale University, and was
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