Yale Philharmonia February 25, 2012
william christie guest conductor Saturday at 8 pm Sprague Memorial Hall Music of Handel
Robert Blocker, Dean
february 25, 2012
Yale Philharmonia William Christie, guest conductor
george frideric handel 1685–1759
Overture to Solomon, HWV 67 I. [Grave] – Fuga: Allegro moderato II. Allegro
The Ways of Zion Do Mourn: Anthem for the Funeral of Queen Caroline, HWV 264 I. Symphony II. The ways of Zion do mourn III. How are the mighty fall’n IV. She put on righteousness and it cloathed her V. When the ear heard her, then it blessed her Jane Sheldon, soprano • Biraj Barkakaty, alto Alex Guerrero, tenor • Jason Thoms, bass VI. How are the mighty fall’n VII. She deliver’d the poor that cried Sherezade Panthaki, soprano • Eric Brenner, alto Dann Coakwell, tenor • David Dong-Geun Kim, bass VIII. How are the mighty fall’n IX. The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance X. Their bodies are buried in peace XI. The people will tell of their wisdom XII. They shall receive a glorious kingdom Sherezade Panthaki, soprano • Eric Brenner, alto Dann Coakwell, tenor • David Dong-Geun Kim, bass XIII. The merciful goodness of the Lord
Intermission
yale school of music
Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 6, HWV 324 I. Larghetto e affettuoso II. Allegro, ma non troppo III. Musette IV. Allegro V. Allegro concertino Soo Ryun Baek, violin Tess Isaac, violin Hannah Collins, cello
Coronation Anthem III, “The King Shall Rejoice,” HWV 260 I. The King shall rejoice II. Exceeding glad shall he be III. Glory and Worship IV. Alleluia
As a courtesy to others, please silence all cell phones and devices. Photography and recording of any kind are strictly prohibited. Please do not leave the hall during musical selections. Thank you.
texts
The ways of Zion do mourn Chorus: The ways of Zion do mourn and she is in bitterness (Lamentations 1:4); all her people sigh (Lamentations 1:11) and hang down their heads to the ground (Lamentations 2:10). Chorus: How are the mighty fall’n (Samuel 2, 1:19). She that was great among the nations and princess of the provinces! (Lamentations 1:1). Chorus: She put on righteousness and it cloathed her; her judgment was a robe and a diadem (Job 29:14). Soli When the ear heard her, then it blessed her, and when the eye saw her, it gave witness of her (Job 29:11). Chorus: How are the mighty fall’n (Samuel 2, 1:19). She that was great, great among the nations, and princess of the provinces! (Lamentations 1:1) Chorus: She delivered the poor that cried, the fatherless and him that had none to help him (Job 29:12). Kindness, meekness and comfort were her tongue (Sirach 36:23); if there was any virtue, and if there was any praise, she thought on those things (Philippians 4:8). Chorus: How are the mighty fall’n (Samuel 2, 1:19). She that was great, great among the nations, and princess of the provinces! (Lamentations 1:1). Chorus: The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance (Psalms 112:6) and the wise will shine as the brightness of the firmament (Daniel 12:3). Chorus: Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth evermore
texts
(Sirach 44:13). Chorus: The people will tell of their wisdom and the congregation will shew forth their praise (Sirach 44:14); their reward also is with the Lord and the care of them is with the Most High (Wisdom of Solomon 5:15). Soli: They shall receive a glorious kingdom and a beautiful crown from the Lord’s hand (Wisdom of Solomon 5:16). Chorus: The merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever on them that fear him and his righteousness on children’s children (Psalm 103:17).
Coronation Anthem No. 3, “The King Shall Rejoice” (Psalm 21: 1, 2, 3, 5) 1. The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord. 2. Exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation. 3. Glory and great worship hast thou laid upon him. Thou hast prevented him with the blessings of goodness and hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head. 4. Alleluia.
philharmonia orchestra of yale
William Christie Guest Conductor
Robert Mealy Director, Yale Baroque Ensemble Shinik Hahm Conductor Krista Johnson Managing Director Roberta Senatore Librarian Kate Gonzales Production Assistant Yang Jiao Assistant Conductor Paolo Bortolameolli Assistant Conductor
Violin I Soo Ryun Baek * Edson Scheid David Radzynski Jacob Ashworth Holly Piccoli Victor Fournelle-Blain Hyun Sun Sul
Bass Paul Nemeth Nicholas Jones
Violin II Tess Isaac * Edward Tan Nayeon Kim Corin Lee Tao Zhang
Bassoon Yuki Katayama Meryl Summers
Viola Colin Meinecke * Jane Mitchell Dashiel Nesbitt Jessica Li Cello Hannah Collins * Soo Jin Chung Qizhen Liu Weipeng Liu Andrew Hayhurst
Oboe Hsuan-Fong Chen Kristin Kall Caroline Ross
Trumpet Paul Futer Gerald Villella John Allen Timpani Michael Compitello Harpsichord and Organ Arthur Haas Theorbo Daniel Swenberg *Member of the Yale Baroque Ensemble
philharmonia orchestra of yale
Assistant Benjamin Firer Music Librarians Cristobal Gajardo-Benitez Timothy Hilgert Wai Lau Qizhen Liu Rachel Perfecto Holly Piccoli Matthew Rosenthal Kathryn Salfelder Kaitlin Taylor Stage Crew John Allen Jonathan Allen Jeffery Arredondo Colin Brookes Timothy Hilgert Michael Levin Jonathan McWilliams Shawn Moore Matthew Rosenthal Aaron Sorensen Gerald Villella
The Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale is one of America’s foremost music school ensembles. The largest performing group at the Yale School of Music, the Philharmonia offers superb training in orchestral playing and repertoire. Performances include an annual series of concerts in Woolsey Hall, as well as Yale Opera productions in the Shubert Performing Arts Center. In addition to its New Haven appearances, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale has performed on numerous occasions in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2008, the Philharmonia undertook its first tour of Asia, with acclaimed performances in the Seoul Arts Center, the Forbidden City Concert Hall and National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing), and the Shanghai Grand Theatre. The beginnings of the Yale Philharmonia can be traced to 1894, when an orchestra was organized under the leadership of the School’s first dean, Horatio Parker. The orchestra became known as the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale in 1973, with the appointment of Otto-Werner Mueller as resident conductor and William Steinberg, then music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony, as Sanford Professor of Music. Brazilian conductor Eleazar di Carvalho became music director in 1987, and Gunther Herbig joined the conducting staff as guest conductor and director of the Affiliate Artists Conductors program in 1990. Lawrence Leighton Smith, music director of the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, conducted the Philharmonia for a decade, and upon his retirement in 2004, Shinik Hahm was appointed music director.
yale choral artists
Jeffrey Douma Musical Director T. Sean Maher Manager
Soprano Doreen Fryling Sherezade Panthaki Jane Sheldon Amanda Sidebottom Sonja Tengblad Anna Ward Brenna Wells
Tenor Max Blum Dann Coakwell David Fryling Alex Guerrero Isai Jess Mu単oz Dana Wilson
Alto Biraj Barkakaty Judy Bowers Eric Brenner Carrie Cheron Mary Gerbi Yonah Gershator
Bass Jeremy Anderson Brian Chu Paul Fletcher David Dong-Geun Kim Brian Mummert Tian-Hui Ng Jason Thoms
notes on the program
Overture to Solomon, HWV 67 George Frideric Handel, though born in Germany, went on to revolutionize the musical life of his adopted country, England. He wrote the first Italian operas intended specifically for British audiences, penned music for royal events and public spectacles, and invented an important genre, the English oratorio, in which he composed some of the world’s most beloved music. Handel composed no fewer than 26 oratorios, of which the best-known is the near-ubiquitous Messiah. george frideric handel 1685–1759 Program notes by Jordan Kuspa
Composed in May and June of 1748, Solomon is one of Handel’s later oratorios. He divides the story into three sections: the first portrays Solomon and his queen as the sensuous young lovers of the Song of Songs; the second shows Solomon’s wisdom in settling a dispute between two women over the identity of a child; and the third depicts the visit of the Queen of Sheba and a musical masque that Solomon throws to show off the artistic wealth of his kingdom. Interestingly, the Overture to Solomon is also divided into three sections. Taken together, the first two parts comprise a standard French overture—that is, a slow introduction featuring a characteristic dotted rhythm followed by a fast fugue. The third section is a fast triple-meter dance, a kind of Italian corrente. By expanding the standard form of the French overture into a three-part structure, Handel brilliantly foreshadows the dramatic arc of the massive oratorio in microcosm.
The Ways of Zion Do Mourn: Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline, HWV 264 Handel first met the future King George II and his wife Caroline when he served as Kapellmeister to the electoral court of George I in Hanover. While in Hanover, Handel delighted the future king and queen with his harpsichord playing. Upon moving to London in 1712, Handel continued to seek out commissions from the monarchy, first securing the favor of Queen Anne, who awarded him an annual pension of 200 pounds, and then both Kings George I and George II in turn. Handel was appointed music master to the royal princesses (the daughters of George II and Caroline), and in February 1727, he became a naturalized British subject. Despite wanting to prove himself as a master of large choral compositions, in these years Handel was most famous for his work with
Right: George Frideric Handel with King George of England
Italian operas. Handel not only composed dozens of operas, but also formed several opera companies to present his and other works to the British public. In October 1737, Handel returned to work at the King’s Theater, as his latest company, the Nobility Opera, had failed. Queen Caroline died on 20 November of that year, which caused the theater to be shut down until the new year. In this gap between performances, Handel composed the magnificent anthem The Ways Of Zion Do Mourn, a 45-minute elegy for the deceased Queen. In thirteen parts, the work is appropriately somber and genuinely heartfelt, befitting the relative closeness of Handel to the Queen herself. Of particular note are the fifth and twelfth sections, which feature a quartet of solo singers rather than the full choir. Also notable is the theme of the first chorus, which was later used by Mozart in the Requiem Aeternam movement of his own requiem mass.
Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 6, HWV 324 Handel composed his Twelve Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, in 1739. Though Handel wrote these concerti towards the end of the Baroque era of music, he fashioned them after the older concerto da chiesa form perfected by Arcangelo Corelli, rather than the more contemporary three-movement Venetian form favored by Antonio Vivaldi and Johann Sebastian Bach. Cast in the basic pattern of a dance suite, these concerti evince the virtuosity that is so apparent in Handel’s vocal writing—now brought to bear on purely instrumental forces. Of the twelve concerti, the sixth, in G minor, is particularly striking. It begins with a darkly tragic Larghetto e affettuoso and continues into a highly chromatic fugue, marked Allegro, ma non troppo. The third movement Musette is the emotional centerpiece of the concerto. In 1784, the eminent music historian Charles Burney described the movement as “always in favour with the composer himself, as well as the public; for I well remember that Handel frequently introduced
notes on the program
it between the parts of his Oratorios, both before and after publication. Indeed no instrumental composition that I have ever heard during the long favour of this, seemed to me more grateful and pleasing, particularly, in subject.” In order to balance the weight and depth of the Musette, Handel concluded the concerto with two lighter movements, both marked Allegro. The first of these is in 4/4 meter, with a distinctly Italian flavor, while the concluding movement is a lively dance in triple time.
Coronation Anthem No. 3: The King Shall Rejoice, HWV 260 Handel wrote four anthems for the coronation ceremony of King George II and Queen Caroline, which took place on 11 October 1727 at Westminster Abbey. Handel had a particular skill in composing for royalty, as his spectacular outdoor entertainments, Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks, attest. His sense of occasion imbued the four Coronation Anthems with profound gravitas. Indeed, the first of these, Zadok the Priest, has been performed at every British coronation service since the ascendance of George II. The third Coronation Anthem, The King Shall Rejoice, is a setting of the first few lines of Psalm 21. Handel divided the work into five sections, each of which is a development of one particular facet of the text. The first, “The King shall rejoice,” begins with a lengthy orchestral introduction before the chorus declaims the text joyously. A particular hallmark of the opening section is the powerful use of trumpets and timpani throughout. The second section, “Exceeding glad shall he be,” is lighter, almost dance-like. The powerful blast of “Glory and worship” is extremely brief, leading into the more subdued (though highly contrapuntal) fourth section, “Thou hast prevented him.” The intricate counterpoint remains embedded in the fabric of the final “Alleluia,” while the pomp of the brass and timpani returns to express the grandeur of royal ceremony.
artist profiles
William Christie, harpsichordist, conductor, musicologist and teacher, is the inspiration behind the exciting vocal and instrumental ensemble Les Arts Florissants. Born in Buffalo, Christie studied at Harvard University and the Yale School of Music, and has lived in France since 1971. The major turning point in his career came in 1979, when he founded Les Arts Florissants. As director, Christie soon made his mark in both the concert hall and the opera house, with new interpretations of largely neglected or forgotten repertoire. william christie conductor
His extensive discography (over 70 recordings, many of which have won awards) with Harmonia Mundi and Warner Classics/Erato displays his versatility. Since November 2002, William Christie and Les Arts Florissants have recorded for Virgin Classics. In an increasingly busy operatic career, his collaborations with renowned theatre and opera directors include Jean-Marie Villégier, Robert Carsen, Alfredo Arias, Jorge Lavelli, Graham Vick, Adrian Noble, Andrei Serban and Luc Bondy, and he has worked on productions at the Opéra de Paris, Théâtre de Caen, Opéra du Rhin, and Théâtre du Châtelet (Paris), as well as engagements with Les Arts Florissants at the Aix-en-Provence Festival and Teatro Real de Madrid. Much in demand as a guest conductor, William Christie receives regular invitations from prestigious opera festivals such as Glyndebourne, Zurich Opera, and Opéra National de Lyon. Since 2002, he has appeared regularly as a guest conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic. Between 1982 and 1995, Christie was a Professor at the Paris Conservatoire, with responsibility for the early music class. He is often invited to give masterclasses, or to lead academies such as those at Aix-en-Provence and Ambronay. He created Le Jardin des Voix, an academy for young singers in Caen. William Christie acquired French nationality in 1995. He is a Commandeur dans l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur as well as Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. In November 2008, William Christie was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts and he was officially received under the dome of the Institut de France in January 2010. He also received the 2005 Georges Pompidou Prize as well as the Liliane Bettencourt Choral Singing Prize awarded by the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 2004.
yale ensembles
yale choral artists
The Yale Choral Artists is a new professional choir, organized by the Yale School of Music and the Yale Glee Club to enhance and enrich Yale's strong commitment to the choral arts. The choir is a projectbased ensemble comprised of leading singers from around the country and is directed by School of Music faculty member Jeffrey Douma. Current members of Choral Artists perform in the ranks of such acclaimed ensembles as the Trinity Wall Street Choir, the Handel and Haydn Society Chorus, Musica Sacra, the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, Conspirare, and many others, and are also leading concert soloists, particularly in the area of early music. Tonight's collaboration with Maestro William Christie marks the debut of the Choral Artists. This coming June, they will perform a program of contemporary American music as a featured ensemble at the Yale International Choral Festival. During their residence at the festival, they will also mentor current Yale undergraduate singers and the festival's Conducting Fellows, and will collaborate on a performance of Bach and Vivaldi with the Mark Morris Dance Group.
philharmonia orchestra of yale
The Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale is one of America’s foremost music school ensembles. The largest performing group at the Yale School of Music, the Philharmonia offers superb training in orchestral playing and repertoire. Performances include an annual series of concerts in Woolsey Hall, as well as Yale Opera productions in the Shubert Performing Arts Center. In addition to its New Haven appearances, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale has performed on numerous occasions in Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall in New York City and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In 2008, the Philharmonia undertook its first tour of Asia, with acclaimed performances in the Seoul Arts Center, the Forbidden City Concert Hall and National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing), and the Shanghai Grand Theatre.
artist profiles
Jeffrey Douma is the director of the Yale Glee Club, hailed last season by The New York Times as “one of the best collegiate singing ensembles, and one of the most adventurous.” He is also founding director of the Yale Choral Artists, and associate professor of conducting at the Yale School of Music, where he teaches in the graduate choral program.
jeffrey douma
Douma has appeared as guest conductor with choruses and orchestras on six continents, and has prepared choruses for performances under such eminent conductors as Valery Gergiev, Sir Neville Marriner, Sir David Willcocks, Krzysztof Penderecki, Nicholas McGegan, and Helmuth Rilling. He is also currently musical director of the Yale Alumni Chorus and choirmaster at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford. An advocate of new music, Douma has premiered new works with the Glee Club by such composers as Dominick Argento, Ned Rorem, Jan Sandström, Lee Hoiby, Ted Hearne, and James MacMillan, has established two competitions for young composers, and is editor of the Yale Glee Club New Classics Choral Series, Boosey & Hawkes. His choral arrangements are published by G. Schirmer. A tenor, Douma has appeared as ensemble member and frequent tenor soloist with the nation’s leading professional choirs, including the Dale Warland Singers, Oregon Bach Festival Chorus under Helmuth Rilling, and Robert Shaw Festival Singers. A former conducting faculty member at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, he appears frequently as clinician and guest conductor for festivals and honor choirs. Douma served previously on the conducting faculties of Smith College and Carroll College. He holds the Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia College (Moorhead, MN) and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the University of Michigan.
artist profiles
robert mealy
yale baroque ensemble
Robert Mealy is one of America’s leading historical string players. He has been praised by the Boston Globe for his “imagination, taste, subtlety, and daring,” and the New Yorker called him “a world-class early music violinist.” He has performed on more than fifty recordings on most major labels, in works ranging from Hildegard of Bingen with Sequentia and Renaissance consorts with the Boston Camerata to Rameau operas with Les Arts Florissants. In New York he is a frequent leader and soloist with the New York Collegium, ARTEK, Early Music New York, and the Clarion Society. He also leads the distinguished Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra and has appeared as guest concertmaster and director with the Phoenix Symphony. A devoted chamber musician, he is a member of the medieval ensemble Fortune’s Wheel, the Renaissance violin band The King’s Noyse, and the 17th-century ensemble Spiritus Collective. Since 2002 he has performed frequently at Yale as director of the Yale Collegium Musicum players, and he received Early Music America’s Binkley Award for outstanding teaching at Yale and Harvard in 2004. He joined the School of Music faculty in 2008 as a professor (adjunct) of violin and early music. The Yale Baroque Ensemble, directed by baroque violinist Robert Mealy, is a postgraduate ensemble at the Yale School of Music dedicated to the highest level of study and performance of the baroque repertoire. Using the Yale Collection of Musical Instruments’ set of new baroque instruments, members of the Ensemble go through an intensive one-year program of study, immersing themselves in the chamber and solo repertoire from 1600 to 1785 to create idiomatic and virtuosic performances of this music. The Yale Baroque Ensemble is presented in a series of concerts each year, including a special appearance last spring at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall as part of the Yale in New York series and an Italian tour with Yale Schola Cantorum. As resident ensemble of the Yale Collection ofMusical Instruments, the Yale Baroque Ensemble performs recitals each term. The Yale Baroque Ensemble plays on the Collection’s new baroque string instruments made by Jason Viseltear of New York City, after del Gesu, Amati, and Testore. Bows are from the YCMI collection, by David Hawthorne and Christopher English after 17thand 18th-century originals.
artist profiles
arthur haas
daniel swenberg
The American harpsichordist and organist Arthur Haas is renowned throughout Europe and the United States as a peerless pedagogue and performer of Baroque and contemporary music. After receiving top prize in the 1975 Paris harpsichord competition, he performed at most major French early music festivals, including le Festival Estival de Paris, Mai Musical de Bordeaux, and the Saintes Early Music Festival. He has also appeared as a soloist in the Festival de Musique Ancienne de Saintes, Spectaculum (Vienna), Innsbruck Festwoche für alte Musik, Festival di Ascona, Dresdner Festspiele, Mostly Mozart Festival, and Berkeley Music Festival. His partners for duo recitals and concerts with early music specialists include Marius van Altena, Julianne Baird, James Bowman, Phoebe Carrai, William Christie, Alan Curtis, Bruce Dickey, Jan DeGaetani, Laurence Dreyfus, Paul Leenhouts, Judith Nelson, Paul O’Dette, Stephen Preston, and Marion Verbruggen. Mr. Haas played the premiere performance of William Albright’s Concerto for Harpsichord and Orchestra in 1994. Currently he is a member of the Aulos Ensemble, Musical Assembly, and Collegium Atlantis. Praised by Le Monde for his interpretation of French keyboard music, Mr. Haas has recorded duo harpsichord music of Gaspard LeRoux with William Christie and solo CDs of music by Jean-Henri d’Anglebert, Forqueray, and harpsichord music of the English Restoration. Much in demand as a teacher, Mr. Haas is a faculty member of summer early music music institutes in Berkeley, Amherst, and the Longy School of Music. Lutenist Daniel Swenberg concentrates on Renaissance and baroque performance practices, especially the role of basso-continuo playing and the instruments central to its practice: the theorbo/chitaronne, Renaissance and baroque lutes, early guitars, and the gallizona/ callichon. He works regularly with a variety of ensembles, including ARTEK, REBEL, Visceral Reaction, The New York Collegium, the Metropolitan Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Staatstheater Stuttgart, New York City Opera, Mark Morris Dance Group, Stadtstheater Klagenfurt, Tafelmusik, Opera Atelier, Les Violons du Roy, Piffaro, Spiritus Collective, Les Voix Baroques, Musica Pacifica, Sejong Soloists, Les Voix Baroques, Apollo’s Fire, and Lizzy and the Theorboys. Recently, he has accompanied Renee Fleming at the MET, Carnegie Hall, and on Live From Lincoln Center with the Mostly Mozart Festival, and was on staff at the inauguration of the Aspen Music Festival’s baroque mini-festival. He has received awards from the Belgian American Educational Foundation (2000) for a study of 18th-century chamber music for the lute, and a Fulbright Scholarship (1997) to study in Bremen, Germany with
artist profiles
Stephen Stubbs and Andrew Lawrence King, at the Hochschule für Künste. Mr. Swenberg studied with Pat O’Brien at the Mannes College of Music, receiving a master’s degree in historical performance (lute). He also studied musicology at Washington University (St. Louis) and received a bachelor of music degree in classical guitar from the North Carolina School of the Arts.
eric s. brenner
sherezade panthaki
Countertenor Eric S. Brenner's singing has been described as "remarkable," “dazzling,” “startlingly true,” and “arrestingly beautiful.” Some of Eric's current projects include: Soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah at Alice Tully Hall & the Cathedral of St. John's in Albuquerque, NM; Alto soloist at the Boulder Bach Festival; Treble soloist in Bernstein's Chichester Psalms at Avery Fisher Hall, presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York; Countertenor soloist on Hannah Lash's Requiem for Extinct Birds; Beast in Lash's Blood Rose; Doodle in Stefan Weisman's & David Cote's Scarlet Ibis; D.A.V.E. in Kamala Sankaram's Miranda ("Brenner presides...like an autotuned H.A.L. on steroids."); Soloist/ensemble on Guggenheim Fellow Toby Twining's new CD EURYDICE (Cantaloupe Music), and area appearances with Toby Twining Music. Mr. Brenner is also co-composing music with Matt Schloss for Rob Reese's new play, Yahweh's Follies; Prior to his return to NYC, Eric sang soprano for three seasons with the Grammy Award winning ensemble Chanticleer. Soprano Sherezade Panthaki has been praised by critics as “luminous” and “exquisitely supple” (The New York Times) "a radiant voiced stand-out" (The Washington Post), and is in constant demand as an opera and oratorio soloist. Ms. Panthaki's recent engagements as soprano soloist include Bach's St. Matthew Passion and Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 with Masaaki Suzuki, Bach's Mass in B minor with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Nicholas McGegan, Handel's Solomon under Kenneth Montgomery with the Radio Kamer Filharmonie Holland, and Bach's St. John Passion with the Choir of St. Thomas Fifth Avenue and director John Scott. She makes her New York Philharmonic solo debut in March 2013. In New York City she is a frequent soloist with the most accomplished early music ensembles, including the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Choir and Orchestra of Trinity Church Wall Street, and the Clarion Music Ensemble. Ms. Panthaki holds an Artist Diploma from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music.
artist profiles
dann coakwell
jane sheldon
jason thoms
Dann Coakwell, tenor, made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall in New York in February 2010 as the lead role of Andrey in the world premiere of Prokofiev's newly discovered and reconstructed opera act, Dalyekie Morya (Distant Seas), and has since performed there as recently as December 2011, in Britten’s Serenade for tenor, horn, and strings, Op. 31. He is a featured soloist on the 2009 Grammy Awardnominated album Conspirare: A Company of Voices (Harmonia Mundi records), and he has performed as a soloist internationally and stateside with such acclaimed conductors as Helmuth Rilling, Masaaki Suzuki, Matthew Halls, Craig Hella Johnson, and former King’s Singers Simon Carrington and Gabriel Crouch. Mr. Coakwell holds an Artist Diploma in Vocal Performance from Yale University, an MM from Texas Tech University, and a BM from the University of Texas at Austin. »www.danncoakwell.com Praised for “impressive musicality, soaring beauty and great skill” (Opera, Opera) and described as “superb, with a voice of penetrating beauty, precision and variegated colours” (Sydney Morning Herald), Australian soprano Jane Sheldon has sung under the direction of Charles Dutoit, Antony Walker, Reinbert de Leeuw, and Ola Rudner, amongst others. Specializing in early music, and active in the commission, creation and performance of new works, she has performed with ensembles such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Pinchgut Opera, Boston Camerata, Halcyon, Boston’s Firebird Ensemble, Synergy Percussion, and the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra. In 2011 Jane was awarded Performance of the Year at the Australian Art Music Awards for The Origin Cycle at The Australian Museum. Dr. Jason Thoms is the Director of Choral Activities at Concordia College-New York in Bronxville, NY, and a professional Bass/ Baritone soloist and chorister. At Concordia, Jason conducts the Concordia Tour Choir, the Concordia Festival Choir, and the newlyformed Concordia Camerata. In March 2008, Dr. Thoms had his Carnegie Hall debut as soloist in Faure’s Requiem and in May 2009, Dr. Thoms had his Carnegie Hall conducting debut. Dr. Thoms has conducted concerts in 35 states, 2 Canadian Provinces, and Italy during his 15-year career as a professional conductor. He is a graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota and Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, where he studied conducting with Anton Armstrong, Robert Scholz, Charles Smith, David Rayl, and Jonathan Reed. This year Dr. Thoms will perform with the Spire Chamber Ensemble, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Yale Choral Artists, and as soloist in Baltimore and Grand Rapids.
artist profiles
biraj barkakaty
alex guerrero
Biraj Barkakaty, countertenor, has recently sung Bach’s Cantata 134 in Baltimore and Oberon at the Aspen Music Festival under the baton of Jane Glover. He has performed Bach’s Mass in B minor and St. John Passion in Baltimore in 2010 and 2011, and Polinesso in Handel’s Ariodante for the Hub Opera Ensemble in 2010. Opera credits include Tolomeo with Bel Cantanti Opera, Oberon with the International Vocal Arts Insititute (Tel Aviv) and Opera Minima (U.K.), Joachim in Handel's Susanna (Manhattan School of Music), the title role in the U.S. premiere of Handel's Silla (Bay Area Opera Institute), Athamas (British Youth Opera), Ottone (Trinity College of Music), and Peaseblossom (Aix-en-Provence Festival). Biraj is a regular member of professional choirs including Musica Sacra, New York Virtuoso Singers, and the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space Concert Series at St Ignatius Loyola. He is currently a member of the Cathedral Choir at St. John the Divine. He has collaborated with early music specialists including Daniel Taylor, Drew Minter, Julianne Baird, James Bowman, and Stephen Stubbs. He was also a member of the noted ensemble ARTEK for the 2008–09 season. A native of London, Biraj holds a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Manchester (U.K.), as well as a Postgraduate Certificate (Distinction) and Postgraduate Advanced Diploma (Distinction) from Trinity College of Music (London). He graduated magna cum laude from the Manhattan School of Music in 2008 with a Master of Music degree in vocal performance.
Alex Guerrero has been praised by The New York Times for his “apt comic timing” as Ali in Grétry's Zémire et Azor with American Classical Orchestra, and by the Culvert Chronicles for his “beautiful lyric voice” as recorded in Martin Hennessey’s Give Us Our Peace. He was featured on the Marble Collegiate Church’s CD Songs of Simple Faith, and covered the role of Senator in Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra with New York City Opera. Mr. Guerrero made his Avery Fisher Hall debut in October 2009 with the American Symphony Orchestra in a concert performance of D’Indy’s opera Fervaal. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mannes College, where, as part of Mannes Opera, he performed as Tinca in its production of Puccini’s Il Tabarro, coached by resident artist Regina Resnik.
artist profiles
david deong-geun kim
soo ryun baek
Baritone David Dong-Geun Kim has performed in numerous recitals across the United States and Canada. He has performed many of the major works by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Mahler, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, and Finzi, as well as earlier repertoire such as the lute songs of John Dowland. His performances of Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 5, “Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya,” led the composer himself to praise the “special character” of Mr. Kim’s “rich voice.” Since the summer of 2008, Mr. Kim has been appearing as a soloist for the Discovery Concert series at the Oregon Bach Festival (OBF), for which his repertoire includes Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, St. John Passion, and the Mass in B minor. In March 2011 Mr. Kim was invited to the Taipei Bach Festival for four Discovery concerts and one complete performance of the St. John Passion conducted by Helmuth Rilling. In December 2010 he sang two Christmas Oratorio concerts with the Leipziger Vocalensemble at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Germany. A recording of Mendelssohn and Bach’s Magnificat settings, conducted by Simon Carrington, was released in 2009. Mr. Kim completed his artist diploma at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, specializing in baroque music and German oratorio. Australian Art Music Awards for The Origin Cycle at The Australian Museum. Violinist Soo Ryun Baek was born in Korea and enjoyed a successful career at home before her move to the U.S. in 2006. Her solo awards include the grand prize in the Sung Jung Music, Nanpa, Korea Music Society, and Eumag Journal competitions. Ms. Baek also won a special prize in the Korean Philharmonic Orchestra Competition. In Korea, she performed with the City of Bucheon Symphony Junior Orchestra, Seoul Soloists, and in an invitational Kumho Company special concert. As a chamber musician, Ms. Baek has performed in Spain and toured Germany and the U.S. She was broadcast on national radio during a chamber performance at the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of the Arts. She has collaborated with Ani Kavafian, Paul Neubauer, Ronald Leonard, Kathleen Winkler, Donald McInnes, Alan Stepansky, and Richard O'Neil. Ms. Baek has also performed in master classes given by the Takacs Quartet, Peter Salaf, Arnold Steinhardt, and Anne-Akiko Myers. Ms. Baek is currently a visiting fellow in the Yale Baroque Ensemble, where she works with renowned baroque violinist Robert Mealy. She received both the Leni Fe Bland Scholarship and the Leni Fe Bland Fellowship for the Music Academy of the West. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University with honors, the Artist Diploma from Colburn Conservatory, and the Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music under Ani Kavafian.
artist profiles
tess isaac
hannah collins
A native of Denton, Texas, Tess Isaac graduated from the University of North Texas, having studied baroque violin with Cynthia Roberts, and is currently a violinist in the Yale Baroque Ensemble at the Yale School of Music under director Robert Mealy. Tess is an active performer with the San Francisco Bach Choir, Dallas Orchestra of New Spain, Denton Bach Society, Victoria Bach Society, and Austin Bach Society, and has appeared several times at the Boston Early Music Festival. Tess has performed with musicians such as Itzhak Perlman, Dave Brubeck, Kanye West, William Prucell, and Edgar Meyer. Having gained many insights touring Asia, North and South America, and Europe with various chamber and orchestral ensembles, she has expanded her knowledge of baroque style through attendance at Oberlin, Longy, and American Bach Soloists summer academies. She was chosen as a Cecil Atkins Scholarship Award recipient at UNT for the terms of 2006–2008 and was the recipient for the Nordstrom-Adams UNT Early Music Endowment Award for the 2008–2009 term. Interested in improvisational work, she is also a pianist, a composer, and a baritone violinist in celtic, bluegrass, and jazz ensembles, which have performed at the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival in Texas. A native of Geneva, NY, cellist Hannah Collins has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at festivals throughout Europe and North America, including the Aldeburgh Festival (UK), Musique de Chambre à Giverny (France), Orford Centre d'arts (Canada), and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Creative Dialogue Workshop (U.S.). With support from the Presser Foundation, Hannah spent 2009–2011 in France and the Netherlands researching and performing modern solo cello repertoire. She was the winner of De Link Competition 2010 for contemporary interpretation and has recently commissioned and premiered several new solo works including Monologue (2011) for speaking, singing, and acting cellist by Dutch composer Patrick van Deurzen. Hannah is also an active performer of early music, having appeared frequently with the Yale Collegium Players, the Yale Temperament Viol Consort, and the Quodlibet Ensemble. She was the principal continuo player for Yale Schola Cantorum's 2009 Naxos recording of the Bach and Mendelssohn Magnificats, led by Simon Carrington. Hannah recently completed a graduate degree at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and also holds degrees in biomedical engineering and music from Yale University. Her teachers have included Stefan Reuss, Ole Akahoshi, Aldo Parisot, and Michel Strauss.
yale philharmonia 2011-12 Patrons
Becoming a Yale School of Music Patron is a wonderful way to support our performance programs. We offer benefits to our patrons that range from preferred seating to invitations for the School’s Academic Convocation. To find out more about becoming a Yale School of Music Patron:
» music.yale.edu/giving You can also add a contribution to your ticket purchase to any of the Yale School of Music concerts. Concert Office · 203 432-4158
charles ives circle $600 and above Myrna F. Baskin Richard H. Dumas Ronald & Susan Netter Thomas Masse & Dr. James M. Perlotto paul hindemith circle $250 to $599 Serena & Robert Blocker Carole & Arthur Broadus Marbelia Gonzalez Dr. & Mrs. James Kupiec Ms. Dezarie Mayers Tom & Patty Pollard Clifford & Carolyn Slayman horatio parker circle $125 to $249 Angelo A. Alonzo & Nancy R. Reynolds Roger & Linda Astmann Brenda & Sheldon Baker Ann Bliss Prof. Michael Bracken & Maryann Bracken Derek & Jennifer Briggs Joan K. Dreyfus Edwin M. & Karen C. Duval Mrs. Lory ffrench-Mullen Paul Gacek
Evelyn & Richard Gard Francesco Iachello Paul Jacobs Carleton & Barbara Loucks Rev. Hugh J. MacDonald Susan Matheson & Jerome Pollitt Jane & Alfred Ross Richard & Mary-Jo Warren Ransom Wilson & Walter Foery samuel simons sanford circle $50 to $124 Anonymous Cecle & Josef Adler Nancy Ahlstrom William & Joyce Alton L.S. Auth Irma & Bob Bachman Annette & Max Bailey Dr. & Mrs. Dwight P. Baker Blake & Helen Bidwell Henry & Joan Binder Peter & Nancy Blomstrom Muriel & Ernest Bodenweber Michael Hall & Otto Bohlmann Harold & Maureen Bornstein Anna Broell Bresnick Antonio Cavaliere Joel Cogen & Elizabeth Gilson Mimi & John Cole Leo Cristofar & Bernadette DiGiulian Frank & Barbara Dahm R.R. D’Ambruoso Mr. & Mrs. Dana Becky Daymon Mr. & Mrs. William C. Dickerson Elizabeth M. Dock Keita Ebisu Thomas & Judith Foley Dolores M. Gall Martin & Katie Gehner Saul & Sonya Goldberg Henry Harrison & Ruth Lambert Sharon & Thomas Haskell Marjorie M. Healy Susan Holahan Raejeanne Kier Margaret Lord & Arthur Kover Dave & Liz Kozma Colonel & Mrs. Thomas LaCrosse David & Diane Lawrence Peter & Suzanna Lengyel Judith & Karl-Otto Liebmann Nancy C. Liedlich & William R. Liedlich Judy Long Helen & Doug MacRae Betty Mettler Donald & Eva Nemeth Jim & Mimi Niederman Martha & Vincent Oneppo Dr. E. Anthony Petrelli James V. Pocock Rocco & Velma Pugliese Helen & Fred Robinson
Arthur T. Rosenfield, MD Red Wine Audio Suzanne Solensky & Jay Rozgonyi Joseph C. Stevens Caesar T. Storlazzi Rev. Dr. Michael Tessman & Mrs. Carol Tessman Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Tumminio Robert B. Wheeler Werner & Elizabeth Wolf gustave jacob stoeckel circle $25 to $49 Anonymous (2) Greg Berg & Nina Binin Jennifer Bonito Rose & Frank Bonito Mindy & Stan Brownstein Rosemarie S. Chaves Mr. Charles Forman Fred & Bernice Gillman Mr. Eric J. Glover Helen W. Greene Mrs. Ken L. Grubbs Debra & Mark Halvorsen Mary Ann Harback Victoria Hoffer Charles & Shirley Johnson Tom & Fran King J. & A. Kugielsky Joel Marks Ann Marlowe Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Miller Dr. Adria Pearlman Kevin R. Poole Sondra Rothberg Leonard Rutkosky Patricia & Joseph Rutlin Henry & Doris Rutz Betsy Schwammberger Karen & Mel Selsky Allan R. Silverstein Mr. James N. Trimble Mr. & Mrs. Gordon Turnbull Peter & Dana Uhrynowski Monika & Fred Volker as of 21 February 2012
upcoming
La Morra february 26 media sponsor 91.1 fm · 800 937-6045 yale school of music Box Office · 203 432-4158 concerts & public relations Dana Astmann Danielle Heller Dashon Burton new media Monica Ong Reed Austin Kase operations Tara Deming Christopher Melillo
Collection of Musical Instruments | Sunday | 3 pm Tickets $20, Seniors & Yale Staff $15, Students $10 Lacrime di Leo: A Concert for Pope Leo X Featuring madrigals, frottole, chansons, and instrumental music by Constanzo Festa, Bartolomeo Tromboncino, Alexander Agricola, Josquin des Prez, Johannes Ghiselin, Pope Leo X, and more.
Stefan Parkman, guest conductor february 26 Woolsey Hall | Sunday | 4 pm Free Admission Music of Bach, Bossi, Brahms, Mäntyjärvi, and Sandström with the Yale Glee Club, Yale Schola Cantorum, and Yale Camerata. Presented by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music with Yale Glee Club.
Yefim Bronfman, piano piano curators Brian Daley William Harold recording studio Eugene Kimball
music.yale.edu
february 28 Morse Recital Hall | Tuesday | 8 pm Tickets $18–$28, Students $10–$15 The Horowitz Piano Series presents a solo recital by Yefim Bronfman, featuring sonatas of Haydn, Brahms, and Prokofiev. “A marvel of digital dexterity, warmly romantic sentiment, and jaw-dropping bravura.” —Chicago Tribune