A NOTE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Welcome to Musica Viva NY’s second concert of the 2024–25 season!
This evening, we are thrilled to present J. S. Bach’s Magnificat and Reena Esmail’s This Love Between Us, two works that offer a dialogue between the past and the present. Esmail’s piece, conceived as a modern response to Bach’s masterpiece, shares the same instrumentation but adds the unique textures of tabla and sitar, bringing a global perspective to the performance. Together, these compositions reflect and enhance one another, offering new insights and inspiration.
We are also delighted to announce the release of our first CD under Alejandro’s baton, Crimson Roses, on the renowned Naxos label! This recording features Joe Turrin’s And Crimson Roses May Once Again Be Fair, Richard Einhorn’s The Luminous Ground, and Gilda Lyons’ Momotombo, which together stand as brilliant contributions to the American classical canon.
Musica Viva NY’s choir and orchestra are featured on this recording, as well as our own soprano soloist Erinn Sensenig and the legendary Frederica von Stade. Frederica’s poignant solo in Turrin’s piece, deeply personally meaningful to her, marks the conclusion of her extraordinary recording career. We invite you to experience this remarkable project, which promises to bring joy, reflection, and a profound sense of connection.
Our community engagement programs continue to thrive, supported by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Heart and Souls Foundation, Rea Charitable Fund, and individual Patrons. These initiatives bring the joy of music to audiences across the Bronx, East Harlem, and Chinatown, engaging all ages—from toddlers to seniors. Through these efforts, we aim to inspire future music lovers and concertgoers while enriching the communities we serve.
We continue to celebrate a decade of artistic excellence with our Artistic Director, Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez. His visionary programming, collaborative leadership, talent for discovering new talent, and passion for contemporary composers have shaped an extraordinary ten years for Musica Viva NY.
We hope you enjoy tonight’s concert and invite you to join us afterwards for a festive recording release party downstairs in Reidy Hall. Thank you for being part of this special evening and for supporting Musica Viva NY!
Warm regards,
– Jasna Vasić, Executive Director
Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 5pm
All Souls NYC
THIS LOVE BETWEEN US
Bach and Esmail
Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez, Artistic Director and Conductor
Trent Johnson, Assistant Artistic Director
Musica Viva NY choir and orchestra
Musica Viva NY soloists
Tabla - Tripp Dudley
Sitar - Neel Murgai
Reena Esmail [b.1983-] ......This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity
I. Buddhism
II. Sikhism
III. Christianity
IV. Zoroastrianism
V. Hinduism
Rodolfo Girón, countertenor
Matt Mueller, bass
Shabnam Abedi, soprano
Shawn Bartels, tenor
VI. Jainism
VII. Islam
J. S. Bach [1685-1750] ..........................
Magnificat, BWV 243
I. Magnificat
II. Et exultavit
III. Quia respexit
Anna Aistova, soprano
Erinn Sensenig, soprano
IV. Omnes generationes
V. Quia fecit
VI. Et misericordia
Nick Hay, bass
Caitlin Caruso Dobbs, mezzo-soprano
Nathan Siler, tenor
VII. Fecit potentiam
VIII. Deposuit potentes
Juan Hernández, tenor
IX. Esurientes
Rodolfo Girón, countertenor
X. Suscepit Israel
Kathryn McCreary, soprano
Erinn Sensenig, soprano
Caitlin Caruso Dobbs, mezzo-soprano
XI. Sicut locutus est
XII. Gloria Patri
We hope you will join us for a party downstairs in Reidy Hall after the concert to celebrate the release of our recording CRIMSON ROSES.
MEET THE ARTISTS
Musica Viva NY is a non-profit arts organization that was established nearly fifty years ago. Its mission is to bring world-class music to a wide community through an annual concert series, an active community engagement program, and an ambitious artistic vision. Under the baton of Artistic Director Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez since 2015, Musica Viva NY strives to offer joy, solace and renewal in a complex world by presenting new compositions and classic masterworks in transformative interpretations that ennoble the human spirit.
Musica Viva NY’s superb chamber choir and world class collaborating instrumentalists make their concert home at Manhattan’s historic All Souls NYC. “Musica Viva NY is a treasured institution that makes living in New York a joy” (Front Row Center).
Musica Viva NY regularly combines its presentation of the classical repertoire with less widely known works, as part of its commitment to perform the works of living American composers, women composers and composers of color, including works that address social, racial or environmental issues.
Musica Viva NY has commissioned and premiered numerous works by contemporary composers including Bora Yoon, Seymour Bernstein, Elena Ruehr, Joseph Turrin, Bruce Saylor, Jean-Louis Petit, Eugenio Toussaint, Gilda Lyons, Richard Einhorn, Trent Johnson and Trevor Weston. “With a commitment to new music and diverse composers, New York City choir Musica Viva NY is paving the way for daring collaborations” (Choir & Organ Magazine).
Dr. Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez is a celebrated conductor and pianist whose artistry and leadership have earned him widespread acclaim. He serves as the Artistic Director of Musica Viva NY and Director of Music at Manhattan’s historic Unitarian Church of All Souls. He is also the co-founder and Artistic Director of the New Orchestra of Washington (NOW) and Artistic Director of the Victoria Bach Festival in Texas.
Dr. Hernandez-Valdez has garnered accolades from The Washington Post, describing him as a conductor “with the incisive clarity of someone born to the idiom,” and from The New York Times, which praised his direction of “a stirring performance” of Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. Reflecting on his 2018 performance commemorating the WWI Armistice centenary—which featured the world premiere of Joseph Turrin’s cantata, And Crimson Roses Once Again Be Fair Oberon’s Grove wrote: “Maestro Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez drew rich, warm sounds from the musicians” in “a beautiful and deeply moving program.”
Internationally recognized, Dr. Hernandez-Valdez is featured in El Mundo en las Manos/Creadores Mexicanos en el Extranjero (The World in Their Hands/Creative Mexicans Abroad), a publication by the Mexican Ministry
MEET THE ARTISTS
of Foreign Affairs celebrating influential Mexican artists. His achievements have been further honored with the 2016 Shenandoah Conservatory Alumni of Excellence Award, recognizing his national prominence, professional contributions, and exceptional integrity.
Dr. Hernandez-Valdez resides in New York City, where his work continues to inspire and elevate the world of classical music.
Tripp Dudley is an accomplished tabla player, drummer and percussionist with performance experience in many diverse musical traditions. His deep groove and virtuosity across multiple instruments have paved the way for his many journeys around the world with many different artists.
Tripp’s strength with uncommon rhythmic cycles and polyrhythmic concepts led him to find the tabla, a drum from the North Indian classical tradition. He has been a dedicated student of tabla for over 20 years, and was initiated as a formal disciple by Pandit Samir Chatterjee, continuing a teacher-student lineage that dates back almost 300 years. Tripp has taught many workshops and private lessons, and has played thousands of concerts in more than 25 different countries. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and is a founding member of the Indian-flamenco group Compass Trio.
Neel Murgai is a sitarist, overtone singer, daf player, composer and teacher from Brooklyn, NY. He is the Artistic Director of the raga music collective, Brooklyn Raga Massive. Neel has studied sitar for over 25 years, most recently with Pundit Krishna Mohan Bhatt. He is a graduate of Goddard College’s MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program. Neel’s latest group, Quadrature, features music at the intersection of raga, rock, jazz and psychedelia, as Neel redefines his sitar sound with effects. Neel has performed around the world with numerous artists from varying disciplines including, Bill T. Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Wyclef Jean, Andre DeShields, Karsh Kale, Vijay Iyer, Adam Rudolph, Daniel Bernard Romain, Dana Leong, Ellen Stewart, Laraaji and many more. He has performed at venues ranging from the Lincoln Center and Kennedy Center to Late Night with David Letterman to jazz clubs such as the Blue Note and at festivals around the world.
Former soprano soloist with Musica Viva NY, Shabnam Abedi currently sings with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street. Shabnam is Juilliard’s first South-Asian American jazz voice graduate. A versatile artist with a reputation for high-level music making in a variety of genres, Shabnam also studied opera and education at Rutgers. Extensively trained in Indian Classical Music,
MEET THE ARTISTS
Shabnam’s album “Amar Bijon Ghore” was released to great acclaim in South Asia. She has been recognized by the The New York Times multiple times and performs in various jazz venues like Jazz at Lincoln Center and Mezzrow. She is one of the six founding members of Voces8 Foundation’s ensemble Lyyra. Her debut jazz album is set to release this year.
Soprano Anna Aistova began her musical journey at age six, studying piano before earning voice degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory and a Master’s in Opera from the Mannes School of Music. She has collaborated with the Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky theaters, performed with the Folk Orchestra of Saint Petersburg, and portrayed roles such as Josephine in The Comedy on the Bridge, Norina in Don Pasquale, Calisto in La Calisto, and Adele in Die Fledermaus. A finalist in the SAS Performing Arts Competition and Second Prize winner in the John Alexander National Competition (2024), Anna is an Emerging Artist with MABC for 2024/25 and will sing Gabriel in Haydn’s The Creation on December 19th, 2024.
Kathryn McCreary is a singer, actor and puppeteer. Kathryn toured with The Phantom of the Opera as an ensemble member and Carlotta cover. Kathryn was featured off Broadway in Encores!’ The New Yorkers, the reconstructed Cole Porter musical, and puppeteering the role of Ms. Gladys, a kooky fairy Dog Mother in Rescue Rue. She is also a founding member of the “All’s Well Sisters”, a Boswell Sisters inspired Jazz Trio. She was the 2019 Musical Theater winner of the American Traditions Vocal Competition as well as a Regional Met Competition finalist. You can find her every Sunday at All Souls NYC. Love you fam!
Erinn Sensenig is an NYC based soprano and voice teacher. She is featured soloist on two albums releasing later this year, one with Musica Viva NY and the other with Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church Chamber Choir. This season, she performed as soprano soloist on Poulenc Gloria, Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore and Coronation Mass, Faure’s Requiem, and as featured artist with Mexamorphosis and Fresh Squeezed Opera. This season, she also performs with Voices of Ascension, Musica Sacra, Clarion, Bard Summerscape, among others, and sings at churches around NYC. Erinn is a graduate of Westminster Choir College. Full bio and voice studio info at www.erinnsensenig.com
MEET THE ARTISTS
Caitlin Caruso Dobbs (she/her/hers) is a multi-genre singer, actor, and teaching artist. She is a member of the NY Philharmonic Chorus, and a soloist at All Souls NYC and Musica Viva NY. Favorite credits include: Stage: Bon Appétit (Hoiby), The Joe Hill Revival (Original Cast), Man of La Mancha, Into the Woods, Les Miserables, Tosca, La Traviata. Concert: Hänsel und Gretel (Hansel), David Geffen Hall Reopening Galas (Lincoln Center), SNL with Sam Smith, Soundscapes w/ Shabnam Abedi, Copland’s In the Beginning Soloist with The New York Chamber Choir. Education: B.M. NYU Steinhardt. www.caitlincarusodobbs.net
Mexican-American countertenor Rodolfo Girón, described as “an ethereal countertenor with a rare gift” by The Berkshire Eagle, is currently collaborating with Beth Morrison Projects on Paola Prestini’s Old Man and the Sea alongside Nathan Gunn and Measha Brueggergosman-Lee. He recently performed with the New York Philharmonic in Olga Neuwirth’s Keyframes for a Hippogriff and appeared in The Dallas Opera’s production of Flight. A semi-finalist in Fort Worth Opera’s McCammon Competition, he won the Carolyn Bailey Argento Competition Legacy Award and the Metropolitan Opera Council Audition District of Puerto Rico. He holds degrees from Pepperdine University and Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Shawn Bartels, tenor , has been a soloist with Musica Viva NY since 1996. Roles include Almaviva ( Il Barbiere di Siviglia ), Nanki-Poo ( Mikado ), Vain Man/Snake ( Little Prince ), Quint ( Turn of the Screw ), Ottavio ( Don Giovanni ) and Nicolas in Britten’s Saint Nicolas . Mr. Bartels sang Uriel ( Creation ) with Robert Shaw, in Jonathan Miller’s staging of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and as a soloist at Carnegie Hall.
Shawn has appeared with the Victoria Bach Festival, the Society of Musical Arts and the New Orchestra of Washington. He received his BM in Vocal Performance from the University of Northern Colorado and his MM in Vocal Performance from FSU.
In the 2024-2025 season, Puerto Rican tenor Juan Hernández will be joining Sarasota Opera’s Apprentice Artist Program as Federico in Stiffelio and covering the role of Conte Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Role credits include: Tebaldo in Capuletti e i Montecchi (TN Cover), Bearnardo in Abrazo de Oso (CI), Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore (CTO), Jerome in Great Moments in Human History (TOND), Danieli in
MEET THE ARTISTS
I Vespri Siciliani (NAO). Recent awards include: MO Laffont Competition PR District Encouragement Award (2022), Revelación Masculina FOSLP Concurso de Canto Linus Lerner (2021), MO Laffont Competition PR District Encouragement Award (2019), NATS NYC District Competition First Place (2019).
Nathan Siler is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in New York City. In addition to singing as a soloist for Musica Viva NY, he sings in a number of other musical groups. When not singing, Nathan keeps a busy schedule as a music producer, recording engineer, and composer. He has had several composition commissions over the last two years including an arrangement for orchestra to accompany Philharmonic shows with Grammy award-winning “kindie rock” band Sugar Free Allstars; an arrangement from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and a reimagined version of Led Zeppelin’s Rain Song For more information, follow Nathan on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok @plafondaudiovisual.
Nicholas Hay, bass, has an active performance career as an ensemble singer with many choral organizations in the U.S. He started singing at a young age and joined the American Boychoir, previously one of the country’s premier music schools and a training ground for professional musicians. He has appeared with Opera Philadelphia, Baltimore Opera Company, Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble, Amore Opera, New York Lyric Opera Theatre, the Peabody Opera Theatre, Chelsea Opera, and the Opera Festival of New Jersey. An active choral singer and chamber musician, he sings regularly with the All Souls Choir in New York City, Musica Viva NY, New York Virtuoso Singers, The Crossing, Bard Festival Chorale, and other choral ensembles
Matt Mueller, bass, is a versatile and sensitive singing actor whose distinctive performances have been seen on stages including the New York Philharmonic, Florentine Opera and Cleveland Opera Theater, among many others. Highlights include Sarastro (Die Zauberflöte), Pluton (Hippolyte et Aricie), Betto (Gianni Schicchi) and more. Matt recently completed a stint as Artist-in-Residence with the Ohio Light Opera (Lancelot in Camelot, Dick Deadeye in H.M.S. Pinafore). He completed his master’s degree in music at the Cleveland Institute of Music and previously trained at the University of Oklahoma (BMA, piano), Berlin Opera Academy and Middlebury Language Institute where he studied both German and Italian.
Photo, Jack Cotterell
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
In 1723, J. S. Bach was busy with his manifold responsibilities as the city of Leipzig’s brand new music director when he started composing the first version of his Magnificat. After several years of primarily secular composition under his previous employer, the German composer was now immersed in managing the liturgical worship for the city’s churches. A full decade later, Bach revisited his twelve-movement piece, reworked the orchestration, and transposed it into a new key (D major) to create the version most often performed today. The work’s relatively short movements use five-part (SSATB) choruses and five soloists for solos, duets, and trios with featured instrumental accompaniments.
The Magnificat text comes from a scene in the Gospel of Luke referred to as the Visitation during which Mary, newly pregnant with Jesus, visits her cousin Elizabeth who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Upon Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s baby leaps within her womb. Elizabeth then recognizes Mary as “blessed among women” as the mother of God’s child, and Mary responds with a poetic monologue that opens, “My soul magnifies the lord,” or Magnificat anima mea Dominum. Today, the passage is used in worship during the Advent season and throughout the year as part of the morning prayers of the Orthodox churches and the evening prayers of the Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican churches. Bach’s final movement, Gloria Patri, is not a Biblical text but follows the Western liturgical tradition of appending a doxology—a short hymn of praise—to the end of Psalms and canticles.
Although New Testament texts were first written in Koine Greek, they were followed by a proliferation of translations of Biblical texts in Latin as the longtime lingua franca of the Catholic church. As Bach wrote sacred music mainly for the Lutheran church, his Latin text settings—including his celebrated Mass in B Minor (1749)—are relatively few. In the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation, rules around the use of Latin as opposed to the vernacular varied by locality and sometimes held exceptions for liturgies related to high holidays and feasts, like that of the Visitation. Whatever the language he set, Bach conveyed his deep familiarity with the meaning of these Biblical stories through his music for numerous cantatas and Passions. In the Magnificat, this characterization begins with the opening movement as the jolts of John leaping in Elizabeth’s womb resound in the strings and timpani and are followed by the energized soprano line assuming Mary’s voice in her awed exclamation.
In 2016, Indian-American composer Reena Esmail wrote This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity for a commission from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. The world premiere took place in New York the next year and has since been followed by dozens of performances in the US and abroad. The composer’s vision for the piece was to draw together eclectic religious and musical traditions in a concerted message of unity. For this purpose, she collaborated with various specialists including linguists
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
and faith leaders to identify relevant religious scriptures and poetry from seven prominent religions in India: Buddhism, Sikhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Islam.
For her score, Esmail worked across a spectrum of Hindustani and Western traditional elements to create distinct combinations for each of the seven movements and coda. While the composer wrote parts for a Baroque orchestra similar to Bach’s, she included two instruments ubiquitous in the Indian classical world. The tabla and sitar metamorphize the rhythmic and harmonic functions, respectively, of traditional basso continuo components like the harpsichord and lute. She also purposefully wove together original texts and their English translations in the vocal parts so that audiences can easily follow scriptural meanings. Additionally, Hindustani music is primarily an oral tradition, meaning music is learned through listening and watching rather than reading notation. Esmail followed this practice and drew upon her background as a trained Hindustani singer to provide online language, pronunciation, style, and technique tutorials to supplement her score.
The Dhammapada is traditionally believed to be the versified teachings of the Buddha himself, and the earliest manuscripts of the sacred Buddhist text are in Pali-Magadhi language. Immediately, we are met with two distinct yet equally formidable iterations of “All things tremble before violence” as the voices move from a uniform English exclamation to their unraveling Pali echo. The sitar and tabla awaken as the voices sing “All love life,” and our sense of time and place shifts as they accompany us through Esmail’s scriptural meditation.
The text for movement two comes from the Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, which is believed to be inhabited by the spirit of the eternal Guru. Although primarily in the Punjabi language, the text is written down in the sacred Gurmukhi script—Gurmukhi meaning “from the mouth of the Guru.” In a recent interview, Esmail explained she was interested in the idea of exchange while composing this piece, and we hear this as the shadow of the sitar’s opening improvisations dance to the oboe d’amore’s notated music. The choir’s lingering question, “How can we call someone evil?” is amplified through the soloist’s melismatic freedom.
The third movement has a typical Baroque opening with a full texture and percussive outbursts akin to the overtures of Monteverdi’s Orfeo and Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks. Although Esmail wrote the voices in a relatively Western style, she chose to set the Biblical verse in the Malayalam language, which is associated with India’s largest Christian population in the southwestern coastal state of Kerala. The sitar and tabla join the ceaseless flow of the ensemble led by the voices declaring the Old Testament commandments as quoted by Paul the Apostle in the book of Romans.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Although only around 50,000 Indians identify with the Zoroastrian faith today, it is one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world and has some fundamental connections with the Abrahamic religions. The text comes from the Pahlavi Rivayat in the Pahlavi language, which has similarities to Hindi but utilizes a glottal “ch” similar to that heard in Hebrew and other Middle Eastern languages. Esmail has identified this movement as demonstrating the most traditional Hindustani classical style of the entire work. The first element we are introduced to is the rhythmic structure, or taal, which is a rhythmic cycle in which each beat is characterized as being open or closed, and high or low. In this case, Jhaptaal is a 10-beat rhythmic cycle Esmail divides into two measures each with 5 distinct beats. Then we hear the soloist enter with the main theme of the movement, referred to as a bandish. In this case, the bandish adheres to a specific kind of melodic framework (raag) known as Bhimpalasi. In traditional Hindustani performances, this initial melody would be used in a similar manner as a jazz tune is for a substantial improvisation session.
Movement five is a love duet between the tenor and soprano as they intertwine in English and Hindi. Their text comes from the mystic poet, Kabir (1440–1518), who drew inspiration from Hindu and Islamic texts to craft verses that transform the mundane details of life into evocative imagery. The choral text nestled between the duet comes from the Upanishads, a consequential Hindu text that marked a transition within the religion from prioritizing the performance of rituals to encouraging individual enlightenment.
The text for movement six comes from the Acharanga Sutra, a Jain scripture in the Ardha-Magadhi language. Jainism teaches that time has no beginning or end but rather moves cyclically. Within that time, beings are subjected to a continual condition of life and death symbolized by a sea named saṃsāra. Esmail takes us to that vast seascape, where the choir’s repetitions of sacred wisdom against harming others persistently crash over the ensemble’s sweeping currents.
Because the use of music and, especially musical settings of the Quran, is fiercely contested between diverse Muslim communities, Esmail has been careful to specify that her seventh movement draws specifically from Sufi Islam tradition. Sufi communities within both the Sunni and Shiite sects participate in meditative musical ceremonies called Samas that encourage introspection and contemplation. Here, verses of the Sufi poet Rumi (1207–1273) emit a contemplative atmosphere as the individual voice parts contribute phrases culminating in a reflection that “Religions are many, but God is one.” Without hesitation, the oboes and sitar guide the voices as they are drawn forward into the coda, professing each of the featured religions’ equivalent of “Amen.”
—Evangeline Athanasiou
I. Buddhism
All beings tremble before violence
sǝbbĕ tāntǝsī dǝndāsǝǝ
All fear death
sǝbbĕ bhǝyyǝntĭ mǝchūnō
All love life
sǝbbĕ sǝm jĭvītǝm pĭyǝm
See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt?
What harm can you do?
For he who seeks happiness (su-khǝ)
By hurting those who seek happiness
Will never find happiness
For your brother and your sister, they are like you
They, too, long to be happy
Never harm them.
dǝndēnā nǝ hĭmsǝtī
And when you leave this life
Then you will find happiness too
— from the DhammapadaBuddhist text
Danda Vagga - 10:129-132
English and Pali
II. Sikhism
How can we call someone evil, when all are the creation of One?
mǝndā kĭs nō akhĭyāī jān sǝbhnā
sāhĭb ēk
— from the Guru Granth Sahib p.1238
English and Gurumukhi
III. Christianity
Owe no man anything but to love one another.
ǝnyōnyĕm snĕhĭkyūgā
For he that loveth his neighbor hath fulfilled the law.
Thou shalt not kill kŭllā chĕyyĭǝrūth
Thou Shalt not steal mōshtĭkĕrūth
Thou Shalt not bear false witness kǝllǝ sāchyǝm pārāyǝdǝdā
Thou shalt not covet mōhikkĕrūth
And if there be any other commandment, it is comprised in this word:
Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
nĭnnĕpolĕ nĭntĕ ǝyyālkārǝnĕyūm
snēhĭkĕnǝm
The love of our neighbor hath no evil. Love, therefore, is the fulfilling of the law.
The night is passed and the day is at hand.
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.
Jēātĭs
— Romans 13:8-13 - Bible
English and Malayalam
IV. Zoroastrianism
All humankind would know its own lineage and stock; hamāg mardōm paywand ud tōhmag ī xwēš dānist hē;
never would a brother be abandoned in love by his brother nor a sister by her sister.
haguriz brād ōy ī brād ud xwah ōy ī xwah az dōstīh bē nē hišt hē.
— from the Pahlavi Rivayat (8a8) English and Pahlavi
V. Hinduism
This love between us was born from the first humans;
mōhī tōhī ādī ǝnt bǝnāī
It cannot be eradicated
ǝb kăsĕ lǝgǝn dŭrāī
as the river finds its way into the ocean
jăsĕ sǝrītā sĭndh sǝmāī
what is inside me flows into you. hǝmǝrā mǝn lāgā
[For the] one who sees all beings in the Self and the Self in all beings, [he] harbors no hatred;
To the seer, all things become the Self.
What delusion, what sorrow can there be for him (the one?) who beholds such oneness?
Are you searching for me?
mōkō kǝhĩ ḍhūnḍhĕ bǝndĕ
I am in the next seat
My shoulder rests against yours.
mẽ tō tĕrĕ pās hĕ
The [Lord] is inside you, and also inside me;
sāhĕb hǝm mẽ sāhĕb tŭm mẽ
[just as] the bloom is hidden in the seed.
jăsĕ prānā bīj mẽ
— Isa Upanishad verses 6-7 and selections from Kabir English and Hindi
VI. Jainism
If the mind is sinful, blamable, intent on works, acting on impulses, producing cutting and splitting, quarrels, faults and pains, if it injures living beings, if it kills creatures, then one should not employ such a mind in action.
tǝhǝpǝgārǝm mǝnǝm nō pǝdhārĭjjā gǝmǝnāĕ.
If the speech is sinful, blamable, intent on works, acting on impulses, producing cutting and splitting, quarrels, faults and pains, if it injures living beings, if it kills creatures, then one should not utter that sinful speech.
tǝhǝpǝgārǝm vāĭm nō ŭccārĭjjā.
jĕ yĕ mǝnĕ pāvǝĕ
sāvǝjjĕ
sǝkĭrĭyĕ
ǝnhǝyǝkǝrĕ
chǝyǝkǝrĕ
bhǝyǝkǝrĕ
ǝhĭgǝrǝnĭĕ
pāŭsĭĕ
pārĭyāvĭĕ
bhūōvǝghāĭĕ
tǝhǝpǝgārǝm mǝnǝm nō pǝdhārĭjjā
gǝmǝnāĕ.
— from the Acharanga SutraJain text
Part 3: Lecture 15
English and Adha Maghadi
VII. Islam
The lamps may be different, but the Light is the same All religions, all this singing, one song.
I have bestowed on each one a unique mode of worship, I have given every one a unique form of expression.
I look not at the tongue and speech, I look at the spirit and the inward feeling.
Religions are many, God is one. The lamps are different, but the Light is the same: it comes from Beyond.
Concentrate on the essence, Concentrate on the Light.
Ōm shāntĭ shāntĭ shāntĭ
Sādhū Sādhū
Wāhĕgŭrū
Āmīn
Āmĕn
Wāj Bāj
Concentrate on the Light.
— Rumi (along with affirming phrases in other religions)
February 11, 2025 - A special musical evening at the Harvard Club
Save the date for “Songs of Love”, an evening hosted by Melanie and Dave Niemiec, and Heidi and Nicholas DuBois, at the Harvard Club to benefit Musica Viva NY. Paul Whelan, a Musica Viva NY soloist, will perform works whose common theme is love, by a variety of composers (Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Cole Porter and others.) Alejandro will accompany on the piano.
More information coming soon.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, MAGNIFICAT,
I. Magnificat anima mea Dominum.
II. Et exsultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo
III. Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae; ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent
IV. Omnes generationes.
V. Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen eius.
My soul magnifies the Lord.
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my savior.
For he has regarded the lowliness of his servant; for behold! from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
All generations.
Because he who is mighty has magnified me, and holy is his name.
VI. Et misericordia a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
VII. Fecit potentiam in brachio suo, dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered those who are proud in the thoughts of their heart.
VIII. Deposuit potentes de sede et exaltavit humiles.
He has put down the mighty from their seats of power and raised up the humble and meek.
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH, MAGNIFICAT,
IX. Esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes.
X. Suscepit Israel puerum suum recordatus misericordiae suae.
XI. Sicut locutus est ad Patres nostros, Abraham et semini eius in saecula.
The hungry he has filled with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant, and remembered his mercy.
In accordance with what he said to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.
XII. Gloria Patri, gloria Filio, gloria et Spiritui Sancto! Sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit! As it was in the beginning and is now and always and throughout ages of ages.
MUSICA VIVA NY 2024-2025 SEASON
Save the dates for the rest of our 2024-2025 anniversary season:
March 2, 2025
CURSE UPON IRON
Tormis, Pärt, Allegri and Boulanger
May 18, 2025
A HUMAN REQUIEM
Brahms and Schubert
Soprano
Shabnam Abedi*
Anna Aistova*
Gloria Bangiola*
Mary Esbjornson
Ching-Ying Huang*
Kate Wolfe Johnson
Kathryn McCreary*
Erinn Sensenig*
CC Treadway
Reldalee Wagner
Elena Williamson*
Alto
Caitlin Caruso Dobbs*
Rodolfo Girón*
Kate Katigbak
Natalie Lebert
Emily Mikesell
Dinah Nissen
MUSICA VIVA NY
Musica Viva NY choir
Andrew Taylor-Troup*
Laura Villanueva
Gianna Zampardo
Tenor
Shawn Bartels*
Juan Hernández*
Doug Purcell*
Nathan Siler*
Bass
Nick Hay*
Matt Mueller*
Harold Norris
Christopher Rothko
John Verkuilen*
Paul Whelan*
Augustus Young
Musica Viva NY orchestra
* Section leader
Violin I
Jeremiah Blacklow
Adda Kridler
Keiko Tokunaga, concertmaster
Georgy Valtchev
Violin 2
Clare Armenante
Valerie Kim
Michelle Lie*
Edson Scheid de Andrade
Viola
Maurycy Banaszek*
Peter Dudek
Greg Luce
Cello
Laura Andrade
Sofia Nowik*
Bass
Andrew Trombley
Flute
Ryu Cipris
Jesse Han*
Oboe/oboe d’amore
Hsuan Fong Chen*
Ian Egeberg
Bassoon
Josh Hodge
Trumpet
Kate Amrine*
JoAnn Lamolino
Tim Schadt
Timpani
David Stevens
Sitar
Neel Murgai
Tabla
Tripp Dudley
* Principal
MUSICA VIVA NY
Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez
Artistic Director
Jasna Vasić
Executive Director
Trent Johnson
Assistant Artistic Director
Erinn Sensenig
Operations and Production Manager
Our Team
Dinah Nissen, Esq.
Marketing Director
Kate Phillips Director of Community Engagement
Barbara de Bellis Librarian
Nathan Siler
Digital Marketing Consultant
Board of Directors
Julie Brannan President
Heidi DuBois Vice-President
Shawn Bartels Secretary
Seymour Bernstein
Laurel Blossom
Renée Fleming
Lisa O’Brien, Esq. Treasurer
Constance Beavon
Shu-Wie Chen
Melanie Niemiec
Dinah Nissen, Esq.
Advisory Board
Galen Guengerich
Susan Jolles
Walter Klauss
Artistic Director Emeritus
Winnie Olsen
Kate Phillips
David Rockefeller, Jr.
Jean-Louis Petit
Bruce Saylor
Epp Sonin
To find out about ways to support Musica Viva NY through employer matching, volunteering, and monthly giving, please contact our Executive Director at jasna@musicaviva.org .
PATRON SUPPORT LEVELS FOR OUR 2024-2025 SEASON
This 2024-2025 season is Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez’ 10th season as Artistic Director of Musica Viva NY. We need your generous contributions for this 2024-2025 season to celebrate this anniversary, and to support the outstanding concerts and community engagement programming of the Musica Viva NY choir and instrumentalists. There is a level for every budget, and you will enjoy special benefits as a measure of our thanks. Your contribution can be made as a one-time gift, or on a recurring basis.
PATRON LEVELS
APPASSIONATO
$10,000 and above
• Invitation to a dinner featuring a special performance by the Artistic Director
• Invitation to a season preview with the Artistic Director in the choir loft
• Six complimentary season subscriptions
• Reserved seating
• Two free passes to each concert’s Saturday dress rehearsal
CON FUOCO
$5,000 to $9,999
• Invitation to a dinner featuring a special performance by the Artistic Director
• Invitation to a season preview with the Artistic Director in the choir loft
• Five complimentary season subscriptions
• Reserved seating
• Two free passes to each concert’s Saturday dress rehearsal
CON BRIO
$3,000 to $4,999
• Invitation to a dinner featuring a special performance by the Artistic Director
• Invitation to a season preview with the Artistic Director in the choir loft
• Four complimentary season subscriptions
• Reserved seating
• Two free passes to each concert’s Saturday dress rehearsal
RISOLUTO
$1,000 to $2,999
• Invitation to a season preview with the Artistic Director in the choir loft
• Three complimentary season subscriptions
• Reserved seating
• Two free passes to each concert’s Saturday dress rehearsal
ESPRESSIVO
$500 to $999
• Invitation to a season preview with the Artistic Director in the choir loft
• Two complimentary season subscriptions
• Preferred seating
CANTABILE
$200-$499
• Invitation to a season preview with the Artistic Director in the choir loft
• One complimentary season subscription
• Preferred seating
DOLCE
$25-$199
• Acknowledgment in program at all levels
MUSICA VIVA NY PATRONS 2024-2025
We are deeply grateful to our Patrons listed below for their support of our 2024-2025 season. Thank you for joining us! Your support for our outstanding Musica Viva NY artists, our high-caliber, innovative choral and chamber music performances, and our community engagement is vital and essential.
Corporate and Foundation Support
The Heart & Soul Charitable Fund
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
The Rea Charitable Fund
Appassionato $10,000 and above
Barbara Cohn
Don & Georgia Gogel
Melanie & David Niemiec
Susan & David Rockefeller, Jr.
Con Fuoco $5,000 to $9,999
Heidi & Nicholas DuBois
Fritz Reuter
Bradford & Gail Rodney
Jennifer Shotwell
Con Brio $3,000 to $4,999
Shu-Wie Chen
Victor Fidel & Heather Floyd
Lois Gaeta, in Memory of David
Remember Baker
Pamela Healey
Margaret MacCary
Dinah Nissen & Elizabeth Apelles
Lisa O’Brien
Laura Pedersen
Madonna K. Starr
Risoluto $1,000 - $2,999
Constance Beavon
Tom & Heli Blum
Julie Brannan
Lisa & Dick Cashin
Elizabeth Harvey
Harold Norris & Kell Julliard
Winnie Olsen
Judith Samuelson & Vic Henschel
Thomas Simpson
Epp Sonin
Deborah Taylor
Brenda Walker
Espressivo $500 - $999
Lynne & Richard Allen
Shawn Bartels
Astrid & John Baumgardner
Barbara de Bellis, in memory of Greta Minsky
Miles Chapin
Dixie Goss & Dan Cryer
Mary Gundermann
Dana Ivey
Michele Jawin & Dr. Mark Kroll
John Mascio
James Moskin
Kate Phillips
Lynne Randall
MUSICA VIVA NY PATRONS 2024-2025
Karen Steele
Aracy Winter
Rachel Ziemba
Cantabile $200 - $499
Robin Bossert
Michelle Boston
Anne Brewer
Alice Cheng
Richard Einhorn
Anne Fraenkel-Thonet
Marjory & Jeff Friedlander
Mary Geissman
Carol Kirkman
Steven Lane
Millie & John Liebmann
Patricia Lloyd
Colleen McCourtney
Tara McNamara
Alison Tung
Dolce $25 - $199
Betsy & David Bennett
Mary Dugan
Marye Elmlinger
Christine Goodwin
Margaret Kampmeier & Edward
Harsh
Susan & Stephen Langley
Dede McMahon
Steven Ostrow
Eleanor Preiss
Marilyn Reagan
William Steele
This list reflects gifts received from June 1, 2024 to November 28, 2024.
Sponsor Musica Viva NY
There are many opportunities to play a role in bringing Musica Viva NY ’s season to life as a sponsor, including:
• Underwrite a concert
• Underwrite a recording
• Underwrite a tour
• Underwrite the appearance of a guest artist
Naming opportunities are available for sponsors.
Contact Jasna Vasić, Executive Director at jasna@musicaviva.org .
Look for an opportunity to double your donation soon if you give in honor of Alejandro’s 10th season with Musica Viva NY - details coming shortly!
facebook.com/musicavivany
Musica Viva NY is extremely grateful for the following help with its 2024-25 season from:
All Souls NYC (www.AllSoulsNYC.org) for Musica Viva NY’s meeting, rehearsal, performance, and reception spaces as well as for the facilities and events staff who help make all productions run smoothly
Heart & Soul Fund, Inc. for its longtime support of our community engagement programming
MVNY’s community engagement is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council
