The USC Chamber Singers will return to All Saints Church with a performance of the stunning Fauré Requiem, featuring Dr. Weicheng Zhao at the organ. This summer, Dr. Tram Sparks, Department of Choral and Sacred Music Chair and Conductor of the Chamber Singers, will headline a festival performance of the piece this June at Carnegie Hall in New York City with the USC Chamber Singers and several choruses from across the country. Come hear the ensemble’s solo performance of this masterwork! Coupled with the Fauré are other works by modern composers, especially Dr. Zanaida Robles, one of All Saints’ soloists for more than a decade. Other works by composers will be featured including USC’s own choral professor Nick Strimple, Los Angeles natives Shawn Kirchner and Moira Smiley, DMA Choral Music student and member of the ensemble Duncan Toumi, and Roderick Williams.
Tag: Performances
Humanity: A Musical Exploration of the Human Experience
Presented by Elektra Women’s Choir — Read more here
Elektra Women’s Choir is presenting Humanity: A Musical Exploration of the Human Experience on March 10 at 7:30 pm at the Pacific Spirit United Church.
The 40-voice choir—led by artistic director Morna Edmundson—will take a deep dive into an exploration of despair, hope, love, solidarity, and boldness alongside pianist Stephen Smith. The evening features a lineup of music from Zanaida Robles, Claudio Monteverdi, Marie-Claire Saindon, Libby Larsen, and more, with a focus on recent works by Canadian composer Laura Hawley.
Commissioned pieces that will be performed include “The Secret Wisdom of Flowers” by Hawley, and “Ya Amar (The Moon)” by Toronto-based Palestinian-Jordanian composer Natalie Fasheh,
The students of Elektra’s Mira Youth Mentorship program are also set to join the choir for part of the concert. The program, which is open to sopranos and altos in their final years of high school, was created to encourage students to develop their love of choral singing and build vocal skills alongside Elektra Women’s Choir.
Throughout the concert, to enrich the listening experience of the audience, there will be large-screen projections of photographs by South Hazelton photographer Elizabeth Larsen.
“Elizabeth has a wonderful ability to capture the spirit of a spontaneous moment,” says Edmundson. “Concert-goers will see through her lens people and communities of Northwest B.C. as well as the region’s breathtaking natural beauty.”
In the video interview below produced by her son Elijah, Larsen shares that some of the photos selected for the concert were chosen by Edmundson and herself. They are a collection of her archive and gallery shots that show children, couples, marriages, and other tender moments of emotion.
A collection of Larsen’s printed photographs will also be on display at the concert venue before and after the show.
Tickets for the show can be purchased through Elektra and more information about the show can also be found on their website.
LAMC Gala 2023
From the Los Angeles Master Chorale:
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2023
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
6 PM — RECEPTION
7 PM — CONCERT
8 PM — DINNER
GALA 2023 will feature the Los Angeles Master Chorale in a one-night-only concert event that highlights Germaine Franco’s distinctive musical achievements and influences, with newly-commissioned arrangements created specifically for this program and heard for the first time. Franco will join the Chorale on stage to perform on percussion, alongside a 17-member orchestra. Special guest soloists include sought-after live and session vocalist Toni Scruggs and emerging young talent Danny Duran. Conducted by Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director, and Jenny Wong, Associate Artistic Director, this landmark concert will also spotlight music that makes L.A. culture so unique, including works by Zanaida Robles, Carlos Guastavino, Antonio Estévez and Otilio Galíndez. The program will open with the Chorale’s legendary Surround Sing, with voices enveloping the audience from the highest reaches of Walt Disney Concert Hall, an experience that Alex Ross, writing in The New Yorker, recently described as “shiver-inducing”.
ARTISTIC HONOREE
GERMAINE FRANCO is an Oscar-nominated composer, music producer, percussionist and educator who combines her passion for music with her technical and orchestral expertise across a multitude of projects. Franco is the first woman to score a Disney animated feature film with 2021’s Encanto, for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score, an SCL Award for Outstanding Original Score, an Annie Award for Best Music in a Feature, a Grammy Award win for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media (including Film and Television) and a Billboard Music Award for Best Soundtrack.
Germaine co-wrote and produced five of Coco’s six original songs with co-director, Adrian Molina, including “Un Poco Loco” and “Proud Corazón”, and provided additional music. In 2018, Univision celebrated her work as one of “15 Latinas Who Are Changing The World As We Know It,” alongside Rita Moreno and Emma Gonzalez. Franco is an advocate of music education and serves on the Advisory Board for Women In Media and The Neighborhood Music School.
Germaine’s work is heard in concert halls around the world including the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Puerto Rico Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Philharmonic, among others. Franco holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Music from the Rice Shepherd School of Music.
PHILANTHROPIC HONOREE
The LA Arts Recovery Fund was created to provide support to small and mid-sized nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in LA County as they rebuild and re-imagine a new path forward, providing grants and resources to assist with long-term recovery. In 2021, after raising over $40 million from more than 25 local and national contributors, the Fund awarded 90 organizations unrestricted, multi-year general operating support grants. The nonprofit grant recipients span visual arts, theater, music, dance, literary arts, and arts education and demonstrate exceptional regional and local significance in LA County.
Made in LA: Identity and Belonging in Los Angeles
Saturday, March 11 at 7PM
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles
Join us as we celebrate the many cultures and communities that define our “City of Angels!” Explore the unique soundscape created by the diverse communities of Los Angeles and enjoy music in English, Spanish, Hebrew, and Farsi, honoring the eclectic populations of the city. Featuring new works by LA-based composers Zanaida Stewart Robles, and Saunder Choi, plus a collaboration with GMCLA a cappella group Aftershock!
Tonality: “Democracy in Action”
Zanaida’s newest work, called “Can You See”, will receive its world premiere performance during this concert.
It was said by a great leader… “Don’t boo… vote.” In Tonality’s first concert of the season, the professional ensemble will sing works that focus on action within our political process, not just anger. These pieces will speak about the ideals of the democratic process, highlight some of our country’s shortcoming, and encourage individual and communal action. Compositions by Shawn Kirchner, Zanaida Robles, Benjamin Britten, Jared Jenkins and more! Also, for those who have not registered to vote? Do not fear! We will have resources available in the concert for that! Also, we are so excited to be in our new home for this year at First Congregation Church Los Angeles! This historic venue is not only mesmerizing, but also hosts a community of leaders who share our interest in social justice and unity. Come join us and join the movement! Info & Tickets
