MUSIC
2023 | 2024
Welcome to the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.
This concert is presented by the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts and is made possible by the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Foundation Artist-in-Residence program.
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Audience Information
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Cover Design: Lisa Baron | Cover Photo: Mark Teague
2023 | 2024
MUSIC
Messa da Requiem
Giuseppe Verdi, composer
Emory University Symphony Orchestra
Paul Bhasin, conductor
Emory University Chorus
Eric Nelson, director
Johanny Navarro, guest composer
2024 Schwartz Artist in Residence
Samantha Frischling, soprano
Laura Zahn, mezzo-soprano
Lucas Levy, tenor
Daniel Scofield, baritone
Friday, April 26, 2024, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 27, 2024, 8:00 p.m.
Emerson Concert Hall
Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
Program
Marejada de los Muertos Johanny Navarro (b. 1992)
World Premiere
Messa da Requiem Giuseppe Verdi
I. Requiem (1813–1901)
II. Dies irae
III. Offertorium
IV. Sanctus
V. Agnus Dei
VI. Lux aeterna
VII. Libera me
Samantha Frischling, soprano; Laura Zahn, mezzo-soprano; Lucas Levy, tenor; Daniel Scofield, baritone
This concert is performed without intermission.
The Composer Commission Project—now in its third year—is a collaboration between the Schwartz Artist-in-Residence program, Emory University Symphony Orchestra (EUSO), and Emory composition faculty to invite emerging composers from underrepresented backgrounds within American classical music to Emory’s campus. In addition to EUSO and Emory Choirs performing Verdi’s Requiem this evening, EUSO premieres the new orchestral work, Marejada de los Muertos, by Johanny Navarro, winner of the 2024 “Call for Compositions.”
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Texts and Translations
Messa da Requiem (1874)
I. Requiem
Requiem aeternum (soloists and chorus)
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Grant them eternal rest, Domine, O Lord, et lux perpetua and may perpetual light luceat eis. shine upon them.
Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, Thou shalt have praise in Zion, oh God, et tibi redetur and homage shall be paid votum in Jerusalem. to Thee in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam. Hear my prayer. Ad te omnis caro veniet. To Thee all flesh shall come.
Requiem aeternum dona eis, Grant them eternal rest, Domine, O Lord, et lux perpetua and may perpetual light luceat eis. shine upon them.
Kyrie eleison; Lord, have mercy upon us; Christe eleison. Christ have mercy upon us.
II. Dies Irae
Dies Irae (chorus)
Dies irae, dies illa
This day, this day of wrath solvet saeclum in favilla, shall consume the world in ashes, teste David cum Sibylla. as prophesied by David and the Sibyl. Quantus tremor est futurus, What trembling there shall be quando judex est venturus when the Judge shall come cuncta stricte discussurus. to weigh everything strictly.
Tuba mirum (bass and chorus)
Tuba mirum spargens sonum The trumpet, scattering its awful sound per sepulchra regionum across the graves of all lands, coget omnes ante tronum. summons all before the throne. Mors stupebit et natura, Death and nature shall stand amazed cum resurget creatura when creation arises judicanti responsura. to answer to the Judge.
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Liber scriptus (mezzo-soprano and chorus)
Liber scriptus proferetur
A written book shall be brought forth in quo totum continetur, that contains everything, unde mundus judicetur. whereby the world shall be judged.
Judex ergo cum sedebit When the Judge takes his seat quidquid latet apparebit, all that is hidden shall appear, nil inultum remanebit. nothing shall remain unavenged.
Quid sum miser (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and tenor)
Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? What shall I, a wretch, say?
Quem patronem rogaturus To which protector shall I appeal cum vix justus sit securus? when even the righteous is barely safe?
Rex tremendae (soloists and chorus)
Rex tremendae majestatis, King of awful majesty, qui salvandos salvas gratis, who freely saves the redeemed, salve me, fons pietatis. save me, fount of pity.
Recordare (soprano and mezzo-soprano)
Recordare, Jesu pie, Remember, gentle Jesus, quod sum causa tuae viae, that I am the reason for Thy time on earth, ne me perdas illa die. do not cast me out on that day.
Quaerens me sedisti lassus, Seeking me, Thou didst sink down wearily, redemisti crucem passus; Thou redeemed me by enduring the cross; tantus labor non sit cassus. such travail must not be in vain.
Juste judex ultionis, Just judge of vengeance, donum fac remissionis give me the gift of redemption ante diem rationis. before the day of reckoning.
Ingemisco (tenor)
Ingemisco tamquam reus, I groan, like the sinner that I am, culpa rubet vultus meus, and my face reddens with guilt, supplicanti parce, Deus. spare the supplicant, O God.
Qui Mariam absolvisti Thou, who pardoned Mary et latronem exaudisti, and heard the prayer of the thief, mihi quoque spem dedisti. hast given me hope as well.
Preces meae non sunt dignae, My prayers are not worthy, sed tu bonus fac benigne, but Thou, good one, in pity ne perenni cremer igne. let me not burn in the everlasting fire. Inter oves locum praesta Give me a place among the sheep et ab hoedis me sequestra, and separate me from the goats, statuens in parte dextra. placing me on Thy right hand.
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Confutatis (bass and chorus)
Confutatis maledictis, When the damned are cast away flammis acribus afflictis, and consigned to the searing flames, voca me cum benedictis. call me with the blessed.
Ora supplex et acclinis, Bowed down in supplication I beg Thee, cor contritum quasi cinis, my heart as contrite as ashes: gere curam mei finis. take Thou my ending into Thy care.
Lacrimosa (soloists and chorus)
Lacrimosa dies illa
Oh this day full of weeping qua resurget ex favilla when from the ashes arises judicandus homo reus; the guilty man, to be judged; huic ergo parce Deus. have mercy upon him, O Lord.
Pie Jesu, Domine, merciful Lord Jesus, dona eis requiem. grant them rest. Amen. Amen.
III. Offertorium
Domine Jesu Christe (soloists)
Domine Jesu Christe, Lord Jesus Christ, Rex gloriae, King of glory, Libera animas omnium deliver the souls
fidelium defunctorum of the faithful departed de poenis inferni from the pains of hell et de profundo lacu. and the deep pit.
Libera eas de ore leonis, Deliver them from the mouth of the lion, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, that hell may not engulf them, ne cadant in obscurum; nor they be plunged into darkness; sed signifier sanctus Michael but may the holy standard-bearer Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam, lead them into the holy light, quam olim Abrahae pomisisti as Thou didst promise of old to Abraham et semini ejus. and his seed.
Hostias et preces tibi, Domine, In praise we offer to Thee, O Lord, laudis offerimus, sacrifices and prayers, tu suscipe pro do Thou receive them
animabus illis on behalf of souls of those quarum hodie whom we memoriam facimus: remember this day: fac eas, Domine, de morte allow them, O Lord, to pass transire ad vitam, from death to life, quam olim Abrahae promisisti as Thou didst promise of old to Abraham et semini ejus. and his seed.
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IV. Sanctus
Sanctus (chorus)
Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus, Holy, holy, holy, Dominus Deus Sabaoth! Lord God of hosts!
Pleni sunt coeli et terra
Heaven and earth are full of gloria tua. Thy glory.
Hosanna in excelsis!
Benedictus qui venit
Glory to God in the highest!
Blessed is he who cometh in nomine Domini! in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in excelsis!
V. Agnus Dei
Glory to God in the highest!
Agnus Dei (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and chorus)
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
Lamb of God, that taketh away peccata mundi, the sins of the world, dona eis requiem. grant them rest.
Agnus Dei, qui tollis
Lamb of God, that taketh away peccata mundi, the sins of the world, dona eis requiem sempiternam. grant them eternal rest.
VI. Lux aeterna
Lux aeterna (mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass)
Lux aeterna luceat eis, May everlasting light shine upon them, Domine, O Lord, cum sanctis tuis in aeternam, with Thy saints forever, quia pius es. for Thou art merciful.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Grant them eternal rest Domine, O Lord, et lux perpetua luceat eis and let perpetual light shine upon them cum sanctis tuis in aeternam, with Thy Saints forever, quia pius es. for Thou art merciful.
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VII. Libera me
Libera me (soprano and chorus)
Libera me, Domine, Deliver me, O Lord, de morte aeterna from eternal death in die illa tremenda, on that awful day, quando coeli movendi when the heavens sunt et terra, and earth shall be moved, dum veneris judicare when Thou shalt come to judge saeculum per ignem. the world by fire.
Tremens factus sum ego et timeo, I am seized with fear and trembling, dum discussio venerit until the trial shall be at hand atque venture ira: and the wrath to come: quando coeli movendi when the heavens sunt et terra. and the earth shall be moved.
Dies irae, dies illa, This day, this day of wrath, calamitatis et miseriae, of calamity and misery, dies magna et amara valde, a great day and bitter indeed, dum veneris judicare when Thou shalt come to judge saeculum per ignem. the world by fire.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Grant them eternal rest, Domine, O Lord, et lux perpetua and may the perpetual luceat eis. light shine upon them.
Libera me, Domine, etc. Deliver me, O Lord, etc.
—English translations by Ken Meltzer
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Program Notes
Marejada de los Muertos (World Premiere)
As November unfolds, North America is swept by winter storms ushered in by cold fronts. These atmospheric systems traverse the continent, stirring a liquid commotion as the accompanying low pressure comes to life, surging vigorously across the expansive Atlantic Ocean and ultimately embracing the shores of Puerto Rico. This surge, reaching its zenith around the Day of the Dead, is called the “Surge of the Dead.” The composition skillfully paints a vivid coastal panorama, spotlighting the undulating waves and the subtle nuances within the orchestral arrangement. The woodwinds orchestrate the Sea’s thematic introduction, its motif seamlessly transitioning through a spectrum of colors, harmonies, and rhythms. The orchestra gracefully dances upon the waves while Caribbean rhythms embellish the piece with vibrant hues and dramatic flair. In its crescendo, the surge crescendos into a state of controlled chaos until it reaches a pivotal juncture where emotion collides with yearning, unveiling the enchanting magic concealed within the sea’s depths.
—Program note by the composer
Young Puerto Rican composer Johanny Navarro is one of the most exceptional artists of her generation. Navarro has worked on commissions for important music soloists like Elisa Torres, Luis Miguel Rojas, and Andrea González Caballero; organizations like Multicultural Music Group Inc., and Boston Opera Collaborative; and has also composed for ensembles including the Catholic University of America Symphony Orchestra, American Harp Society Inc., New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy, Victory Players, and Coralia from the University of Puerto Rico. Her piece Celebration for piano trio (2016), was selected by the Arts Club of Washington, D.C., as a commemorative work for the celebration of its centenary. Videntes Stellam for choir and orchestra (2016) was premiered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and televised on EWTN channel. With this majestic and colorful work, the composer made her debut with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, conducted by maestro Roselín Pabón at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum of Puerto Rico. Navarro’s first chamber opera,
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Photo by Ricardo Acevedo
Frenesí (2017), was premiered in Washington, D.C. The next year, it was presented at the Bertita y Guillermo L. Martínez Theater of the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, and in 2019 achieved repositioning of its setting to opera al fresco, at the Ballajá Barracks in Viejo San Juan in a production of the Opera Theater. Consequently, Navarro was chosen as participant in the Puccini International Opera Composition Course in Lucca, Italy, where she was mentored by composer and director Giralomo Deraco. Her second chamber opera, Redención (2019), premiered at the Puccini Chamber Opera Festival 2021 in Italy.
Navarro has an ample catalog of diverse work and is deeply rooted in Afro Caribbean musical aesthetics, essentially in Puerto Rican musical culture. Her music, moreover, has been presented in Cuba, Mexico, Spain, and France. In 2020, she was featured as resident artist at the Massachusetts International Festival of Arts (MIFA) and her piece Celebration was part of the Casals Festival program. Her opera ¿Y los Pasteles? Ópera Jíbara en dos actos—work for which she was awarded the Discovery Grant (2020) from Opera Grants for Female Composers by Opera America—premiered in July 2022 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Navarro is a resident artist at the American Lyric Theater in New York.
Messa da requiem (1874)
“Stay away from priests”
Composer Arrigo Boito, the librettist for Giuseppe Verdi’s final operatic masterworks, Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893), offered this description of the maestro’s religious beliefs:
This is the day, of all days of the year, that he loved best. Christmas eve reminded him of the holy marvels of childhood, the enchantments of a faith that is truly celestial only when it attains to belief in miracles. That belief, alas, he lost early, like all of us, but perhaps more than the rest of us he retained all his life a keen regret for it.
He provided an example of Christian faith by the moving beauty of his religious works, by observing rites (you must remember his beautiful head bowed in the chapel of [his home in] Sant’Agata), by his illustrious homage to (Alessandro) Manzoni (the Messa da requiem), by the directions for his funeral found in his will: “one priest, one candle, one cross.” He knew that faith was the sustenance of hearts.
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. . . In the ideal and moral sense he was a great Christian, but one should take care not to present him as a Catholic in the political and strictly theological sense of the word: nothing could be further from the truth.
The “truth” was that Giuseppe Verdi harbored a lifelong distrust for organized religion. “Sta lontan dai pret” (“Stay away from priests”), he once cautioned a member of his family. And in such operas as Don Carlos and Aida, Verdi fearlessly portrays hypocrisy within the religious hierarchy.
Verdi’s negative feelings toward organized religion may have had their origins in his childhood. When Verdi was about seven years old, he served as an altar boy at the church of San Michele in his birthplace of Roncole. During Mass, the young Verdi failed to respond promptly to the priest’s request for water and wine. The priest shoved Verdi, and the child fell from the altar. The humiliated boy responded with the peasant curse: “Dio t’manda ‘na sajetta!” (“May God strike you with lightning!”). In a surreal turn of events, eight years later the priest was indeed struck by lightning and killed.
But Verdi was also capable of writing music that portrayed sincere religious fervor with the utmost beauty. One need only hear the supplications of Amelia in Un ballo in maschera, Leonora in La forza del destino, Aida, or Desdemona in Otello to realize that Verdi’s operatic characters could pray with as much devotion as anyone. And it should be noted that Italy’s foremost opera composer ended his career with a sacred work, the Quattro pezzi sacri (1898).
“I would have knelt before him”
The 1874 Requiem Mass represents Verdi’s greatest achievement in the realm of sacred music. The work had its origin in the November 13, 1868 passing of opera composer Gioachino Rossini. Verdi proposed that several Italian composers collaborate on a Requiem Mass to be presented on the first anniversary of Rossini’s death. Verdi contributed the concluding Libera me to the Messa per Rossini. Due to various political intrigues, the work was not performed until 1988. However, the death of another immortal Italian artist five years after Rossini’s demise inspired Verdi to compose his Requiem Mass.
Throughout his life, Verdi revered the beloved Italian writer Alessandro Manzoni (1785–1873), the author of the epic 1827 novel, I promessi sposi (The Betrothed). I promessi sposi tells the story of a young couple in early 17th-century Italy who are separated by political and social tyranny. This magnificent work resonated with those who, like Verdi, advocated the overthrow of foreign rulers, and the unification of Italy. Verdi himself
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called I promessi sposi “not just a book, but a consolation to all mankind.” After finally meeting the author in 1868, Verdi wrote: “What can I say of Manzoni? How to describe the extraordinary, indefinable sensation the presence of that saint . . . produced in me? I would have knelt down before him if we were allowed to worship men.”
Manzoni died on May 22, 1873. Verdi was so devastated by the loss that he could not bring himself to attend the funeral. But Verdi wrote to publisher Giulio Ricordi: “I shall come in a little while to visit his grave, alone and without being seen, and perhaps (after further reflection, and after I have weighed up my strength) to propose some way of honoring his memory.” Verdi decided his homage to Manzoni would be in the form of a Requiem Mass, to be offered on the first anniversary of the author’s death. In the Manzoni Requiem, Verdi incorporated his Libera me from the ill-fated Messa per Rossini.
“His latest opera in ecclesiastical garb”
The premiere of Verdi’s Requiem Mass took place in Milan at the Church of San Marco on May 22, 1874. Verdi himself conducted the orchestra, chorus, and distinguished vocal quartet of soprano Teresa Stolz, mezzosoprano Maria Waldmann, tenor Giuseppe Capponi, and bass Ormondo Maini. Reactions of the audience and critics were generally favorable. However, on the day before the premiere, conductor, pianist, and Richard Wagner disciple, Hans von Bülow, wrote the following for the Allgemeine Zeitung:
Tomorrow will see at the Church of St. Mark, Milan, decked out like a theatre for the event, a monster performance of Verdi’s Requiem, conducted, exceptionally by the composer himself . . . a work with which the all-powerful corrupter of Italian artistic taste presumably hopes to sweep away the remains of Rossini’s immortality, which is so troublesome to his ambition. His latest opera in ecclesiastical garb will then be exposed to public admiration at La Scala for three evenings in succession . . .
These words prompted Bülow’s friend Johannes Brahms to remark: “Bülow has made a fool of himself for all time; only a genius could write such a work.” Several years later, Bülow wrote to Verdi and confessed that a performance of the Requiem had moved him to tears. “Now I admire you, I love you!”, Bülow exclaimed. “Will you forgive me, will you use the sovereign’s right to grant pardon? . . . Long live Verdi, the Wagner of our dear allies!” Verdi replied: “There is no trace of sin in you. Besides, who knows? Perhaps you were right the first time!” Privately, however, Verdi told Ricordi that Bülow was “decidedly mad.”
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“To the greater glory of God”
Bülow’s original observations, as caustic as they are, do point to a criticism that has often been leveled against the Verdi Requiem specifically, that the music is too operatic, too overtly dramatic for a liturgical text. It is true that in the composition of the Requiem, Verdi drew upon his 35 years of experience in the theater. Verdi was 60 at the time of the Requiem’s premiere and had composed all but two of his 28 operas. In Verdi’s defense, however, one might rhetorically inquire what text is more dramatic than that depicting man at the end of his days upon Earth, awaiting eternal judgment?
While some may question the appropriateness of Verdi’s setting of the Requiem, few would argue with the proposition that the work is the creation of a genius at the height of his powers. For Verdi’s part, he summarized his feelings about the Manzoni Requiem: “I have done nothing but write note after note, to the greater glory of God . . . Now the music is done, and I am happy to have written it.”
—Program notes by Ken Meltzer unless otherwise indicated
Samantha Frischling, soprano
Praised for her voice of “terrific force” and her “scene-stealing performances” ( South Florida Classical Review), soprano Samantha Frischling is a Los Angeles native currently based in Atlanta. Her past roles include both Blanche and Madame Lidoine in Dialogues des Carmélites, Almera in Nico Muhly’s Dark Sisters, and Micaëla in Carmen. Equally at home on the concert stage, she has been a soloist in works such as Mozart’s Requiem, Bach’s St. John Passion, and Corigliano’s Fern Hill, and has given recitals across the country.
Frischling has been a young artist with festivals throughout the United States and abroad, including SongFest, the Savannah Voice Festival, Miami Music Festival, and IVAI New York. She was part of the inaugural cohort of vocal fellows at Spoleto Festival USA and will return to the festival for a third season this summer. Offstage, she serves on the voice faculty at Georgia College and State University and teaches lessons through Atlanta International School, the Galloway School, and her private studio. She also enjoys serving musicians from behind the scenes as an arts administrator for various collegiate ensembles.
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In May 2019, Frischling received a master of music degree from the Mannes School of Music, where she was a recipient of the Provost’s Scholarship and studied with Beth Roberts. She is also an alumna of Emory University, where she graduated with a bachelor of arts in music and psychology. In her free time, Frischling enjoys exploring museums, watching detective shows, or visiting with family and her labradoodle, Charlie, back in Los Angeles.
Laura Zahn, mezzo-soprano
A rising dramatic mezzo-soprano, Laura Zahn has been praised for her “warm, voluptuous voice” “captivating with her powerful delivery.” In the current season, Zahn is scheduled to make several role debuts in the dramatic repertoire including Santuzza (Cavalleria Rusticana), Zita (Gianni Schicchi), and the Witch (Hansel and Gretel), as well as her international debut in Hong Kong singing highlights from Carmen and a house debut with Opera Delaware.
Highlights of Zahn’s recent seasons include Giulietta di Kelbar (Un giorno di regno) and Maddalena (Rigoletto) with Opera Orlando, role debuts as Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi and Secretary in Menotti’s The Consul, and a Carnegie Hall debut singing highlights of Amneris in Aida and Suzuki in Madama Butterfly. In April 2023, Zahn stepped in for an ailing colleague to reprise the role of Siebel in Faust, marking her debut with Opera Baltimore. Zahn has also spent the last several summers as the alto soloist in residence at Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, performing in their historic 6,000-seat Great Auditorium and she plans to return in 2024.
In 2020–2021, Zahn was scheduled to make several debuts including alto soloist in a world premiere production of Lori Laitman’s Vedem with Indianapolis Opera and Eboli (Don Carlo) with Festival of the Aegean in Syros, Greece. These productions were canceled due to the pandemic.
Other notable roles Zahn has performed include La frugola (Il Tabarro), Mother (Amahl and the Night Visitors), Dorabella (Così fan tutte), Flora (La traviata), Florence Pike (Albert Herring), Mamma Lucia (Cavalleria Rusticana) and Marcellina (Le nozze di Figaro). She has also covered Mistress Quickly (Falstaff), La Zia Principessa (Suor Angelica), Minskwoman (Flight), Mother (The Consul) and the Moll in a world
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premiere production of The Cradle Will Rock. She has also performed with the Boston Lyric Opera and LA Opera.
Zahn has degrees from the Boston Conservatory and Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and has participated in apprenticeships with Indianapolis Opera, the Savannah Voice Festival, and with Opera Saratoga for two seasons. Zahn was most recently a finalist in Opera Mississippi’s 2021 John Alexander National Vocal competition. She was also a semi-finalist in the NYIOP/Premiere Opera Foundation Competition and the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition.
Lucas Levy, tenor
Described by Opera News as having “dominated the scene vocally,” American tenor Lucas Levy brings “operatic power” (Tampa Bay Times) to his portrayals, is “a joy to watch” (Broadway World), and has been praised by the Wall Street Journal for being “remarkably loud.” In the 2023–2024 season, Levy appears in concert with Teatro Nuovo and the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, sings Faust with I Filarmonici Columbus, sings the Verdi Requiem with the Emory University Symphony Orchestra and University Chorus, and returns to Teatro Nuovo for a bel canto modern premiere, Anna di Resburgo.
In recent seasons, Levy appeared in recital for the Joy in Singing Art Song Competition, joined Maryland Lyric Opera for Turandot, and was featured in an immersive production of Rigoletto at the infamous New York City nightclub the Box. Earlier in his career, Levy debuted at Opera Omaha as Dr. Caius in Falstaff and joined LoftOpera as Doge in its production of Rossini’s rarely heard Otello. He was an apprentice artist with Sarasota Opera, where he performed Araldo in Verdi’s La battaglia di Legnano, the final opera of Sarasota Opera’s 28-year Verdi Cycle. In the season prior, Levy joined Sarasota Opera in its fall production of Pagliacci in the leading role of Canio. He was immediately reengaged for their Winter Festival to portray Prince Gvidon in Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Golden Cockerel. Levy also portrayed the Trio Tenor in performances of Trouble in Tahiti in several locations around Maine, followed by Spoletta in Tosca opposite James Morris as Scarpia. The Portland Press Herald singled out his performance, saying, “Levy brought a sadistic edge to Spoletta, a henchman of Scarpia’s who is usually not worth noting.”
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In spring 2012, Levy made his professional debut with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He sang the role of Duck in the North American premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland, while also being responsible for covering the tenor roles of Mouse, Dormouse, and Invisible Man.
No stranger to the concert stage, Levy has performed as soloist with varied orchestras and ensembles for such seminal works as Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and Mozart’s Requiem.
An avid recitalist, he enjoys the intimacy of presenting song repertoire not afforded to the operatic stage.
An alumnus of the young artist programs of Sarasota Opera, Opera Maine, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, he has a bachelor’s degree in music from Oberlin Conservatory and a master’s degree in music from Westminster Choir College. Levy hails from Lexington, Massachusetts, and currently lives in New York City.
Daniel Scofield, baritone
Daniel Scofield has made role debuts as Scarpia in Tosca for Tri-Cities Opera, and Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West for Opera Orlando. In concert with the Rapids Symphony, he performed Germont in La traviata, and in Oklahoma with the quickly rising Painted Sky Opera, he portrayed Rigoletto. Other engagements include performances of Tonio, a signature role with Opera Columbus, Opera Idaho, and Opera Orlando in a collaboration that received high critical praise and national recognition as a must-see production. With Opera San Antonio he returned to Marcello in La bohéme, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with St. Petersburg Opera and Opera Baltimore, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Pacific Opera Project, as well as in his company debut with Maryland Lyric Opera. Other recent performances include Rigoletto with Gulfshore Opera and Independent Opera, Germont in La traviata with Hudson Opera Theater, Four Villains in Les contes d’Hoffmann, and Ford in Falstaff with Pacific Opera Project.
Apart from his opera performances, Scofield is highly regarded as a concert performer. He has showcased his talents with orchestras throughout the country, including the Plano Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and Indiana University Orchestra, among others. His concert repertoire includes works by Haydn, Handel, Britten, Stravinsky, and Mahler, among others.
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Emory University Symphony Orchestra
The 90-member EUSO celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023. The EUSO performs repertoire spanning compositional genres from the Baroque through the present day. With concert programming featuring both classic and emerging literature, the EUSO has been celebrated in both tours (to New York City), recordings (on Atlanta’s NPR affiliate), and collaborations with soloists and organizations including Janelle Monae, Matt Haimovitz, HBO, the National Basketball Association, and Ben Folds. Membership is by competitive audition and comprises undergraduate and graduate students from diverse disciplines. While the majority of the EUSO includes music majors, many minors and non-majors also participate. The EUSO is recorded on the Centaur Record label, with a 2023 release (iTunes, Spotify) of works for Atlanta and Dallas Symphony wind soloists and orchestra as well as a 2023 film score performance (Sister Carrie, 9:23 Films).
The Joel M. Felner, MD, and Edward Goodwin Scruggs Chairs
The two named chairs, concertmaster and principal second violin, are in recognition of instruments given to the EUSO in the value of $350,000. Joel M. Felner is associate dean at the Emory University School of Medicine; Edward Goodwin Scruggs was for 37 years a tenured member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The lives of both men represent distinguished careers and great philanthropy as patrons of music and friends of Emory University. The concertmaster plays a 1687 Grancino and the principal second an 1870 Scarampella.
Paul Bhasin, conductor
Paul Bhasin serves as director of orchestral studies at Emory University where he holds the Donna and Marvin Schwartz Professorship in Music. In this capacity, he conducts the Emory University Symphony Orchestra, Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, oversees music research programs, and teaches conducting. Praised for his “crisp, clear” conducting and “highly expressive” interpretations, Bhasin’s career began when he won the Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition in 1998. As a conductor, composer/arranger, and instrumentalist, Bhasin has collaborated with diverse institutions including the San Francisco Symphony, Virginia
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Symphony, the “President’s Own” United States Marine Band, the International Computer Music Conference, St. Louis Opera, New World Symphony, Interlochen Arts Academy, International Dvořák Festival (Prague, Czech Republic), and the Chicago Civic Orchestra. Bhasin has performed on National Public Radio, Detroit PBS-TV, and at the Aspen, Tanglewood, Grand Teton, and Ravinia music festivals. Bhasin has recorded as trumpeter and conductor for the Centaur, ACA, and Interscope record labels. Bhasin also serves as music director and conductor of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra and Atlanta Chamber Music Festival. An avid educator, Bhasin has collaborated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Musicorps program and the Grammywinning sextet Eighth Blackbird, led honor orchestras and bands (including at the All-State level), and has presented at national conferences including the Midwest Orchestra Clinic and the National Music Teachers Association Conference. Bhasin’s trumpet students have won first prize at major competitions including the National Trumpet Competition.
Bhasin composed and conducted the orchestral scores to the motion pictures Sister Carrie (recently premiered at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago) and Hogtown, named a “Critic’s Pick” and one of the “Top 10 Films of 2016” by the New York Times (also an award-winner at the Berlin, Los Angeles, and Nashville International Black film festivals (both films stream on Amazon Prime Video). He received his musical education from Northwestern University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Emory University Chorus
Open to all Emory students as well as to members of the Emory community, the University Chorus holds a unique place in Emory life. Music majors and nonmajors, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff, parents and their children, workers and retirees, alumni and neighbors, all come together to rehearse each Monday evening, united by their common love of singing. The chorus regularly collaborates with the Emory University Symphony Orchestra to present major works, including the 2023 performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The members of the chorus are excited to perform tonight Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem.
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Eric Nelson, director
Eric Nelson is the director of choral studies at Emory University and artistic director of Atlanta Master Chorale. Nelson’s choirs have performed throughout the world, including in London, Rome, Berlin, Moscow, Seoul, Carnegie Hall, the Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, and the Sydney Opera House. He has conducted choirs at eight American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) conventions, including the Atlanta Master Chorale’s performance at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis and Emory Concert Choir’s performances at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and Lincoln Center in New York City.
Nelson’s ensembles are characterized by their variety of repertoire and their ability to fuse technical precision with warmth of musical expression. Nelson appears regularly as clinician, lecturer, and guest conductor for honor choirs, conventions, symposiums, workshops, and all-state choral festivals. He is also past president of the Georgia chapter of the ACDA.
Nelson’s choral compositions and arrangements are sung regularly by ensembles throughout the United States. He is the editor of the Atlanta Master Chorale Choral Series, a division of Morningstar Music Publishers and EC Schirmer. His compositions are also published by Colla Voce and Augsburg Fortress. Nelson has degrees in voice and conducting from Houghton College, Westminster Choir College, and Indiana University.
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Emory University Symphony Orchestra
Violin I
Carol Xu | Dallas, TX | Economics and Human Health and Music Performance
Joel M. Felner MD Concertmaster Chair
Performing on the Giovanni Grancino violin, Milan, 1687
Doowon Kim, assistant concertmaster | Suwanee, GA | Business and Music
Chloe Nelson | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | Chemistry and Music Performance
Kaitlyn Kaminuma | Chulmsford, MA | Music and Human Health
Ruth Jao | Clarksburg, MD | NBB
Christopher Li | Holmdel, NJ | Biology
Seungchan Min | Chandler, AZ | Mathematics and Computer Science
Louisa Ma | Phoenix, AZ | Business and Economics
Brandon Lee | Duluth, GA | Chemistry
Isabella Lin | Alpharetta, GA | Music and Biology
Alex Zhu | Wilmington, MA | Undecided
Katie Shin | Auburn, GA | Engineering Sciences and Music
Ashley Kim | South Salem, NY | Business and Sociology
Noah Kann | Bethesda, MD | Business and Music
Christy Song | Ringgold, GA | 23C, Biology and Music
Jennifer Kim | Cupertino, CA | NBB
Judy Oh | Atlanta, GA | 19C
Violin II
Aritro Ray | Carrollton, TX | NBB and Chemistry
Edward Goodwin Scruggs Principal Second Chair
Performing on the Giuseppe Scarampella violin, Brescia, 1870
Seyon Kim, assistant principal | Santa Clara, CA | NBB
David Chung | Atlanta, GA | Business
Ajay Balasubramaniam | Suwanee, GA | Biology and Music
Nora Lee | Short Hill, NJ | Music and Environmental Science
Robin Meyer | Grand Rapids, MI | Music and Environmental Science
Josephine Sim | Woodway, TX | Undecided
Claire Kwon | San Jose, CA | NBB
Emily Huang | Houston, TX | Chemistry
Katherine Mao | Princeton, NJ | Biology
Jessica Liu | San Jose, CA | Biology
Izzy Hipple | Beaufort, SC | Biology and Pre-Med
Ryana Rajesh | Wilmington, DE | Biology and Economics (Pre-Med)
Samantha Hamilton | Cumming, GA | Undecided
Kent Hikama | Frisco, TX | Biology
Jeff Echols | Wellington, AL | Psychology
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Emory University Symphony Orchestra
Viola
Siji Osunkoya, principal | Lilburn, GA | NBB and Music Composition
Sihyun Jeon, assistant principal | San Jose, CA | Biology and Chemistry
Caroline Ma | Phoenix, AZ | Business and Economics
Rachel Lee | Atlanta, GA | Biology and Music
Michael Blankfein | Westport, CT | Anthropology
Christian Chae | Arcadia, CA | BBA
Angelina Lee | Tenafly, NJ | Quantitative Sciences and Psychology
Boyoung Min | Chandler, AZ | Biology
Ivy Xue | Atlanta, GA | Georgia Tech Dual Degree
Dylan Rybacki | San Antonio, TX | Mathematics
Chanhee Park | San Jose, CA | Business
Jihwan Shin | Suwanee, GA | Psychology
Thora Spence | Oak Ridge, TN | Mathematics and Biology
Cello
Andrew Choi, principal | Carrollton, TX | Computer Science and Physics
Rachel Seong, assistant principal | Sugar Hill, GA | Biology and Music Performance
Solomon Kim | Tokyo, Japan | Music Composition and Economics
Sergey Blinov | Atlanta, GA | Physics and Math Georgia Tech Dual Degree
Alexander Moon | Berkeley Heights, NJ | Neuroscience + Healthcare Innovation
Daniel Yoon | San Jose, CA | Business
Alex Banul | Richardson, TX | Biology and Philosophy
Sabrina Sung | Westford, MA | Public Policy
Harrison Helms | Greensboro, NC | History
Chris Park | Rye, NY | Chemistry
Christopher Jang | San Marino, CA | Anthropology
Paul Kim | College Station, TX | NBB
Owen Zealey-Chen | Atlanta, GA | Business and Film
Bass
Jonathan Jacques, principal | Shaker Heights, OH | Music and Biology
Charles Ascone, assistant principal | Manalapan, NJ | Mathematics and Computer Science
Jinsun Yoo | Seoul, South Korea | Computer Science
Tess Kassinger | Chicago, IL | Biology
Jackson Dietz | Port Washington, NY | Business and Computer Science
Ivie-Ann Mergille | Greenlawn, NY | BBA and Political Science
Flute and Piccolo (listed alphabetically)
Robyn Jin | Bellevue, WA | Biology
Sara Ju | Deer Path, NY | Human Health
Brooke Liu | Dallas, TX | BBA
Julia Nagel | Crozet, VA | Music and PPL
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Emory University Symphony Orchestra
Oboe and English Horn (listed alphabetically)
Samantha Lai | Dallas, TX | Anthropology and Human Biology
Isaac Light | Pleasanton, CA | Business and Computer Science
Eric Xu | Short Hills, NJ | Applied Mathematics and Chemistry
Clarinet (listed alphabetically)
Chunjin Park | Duluth, GA | Biology and Architectural Studies
Eli Parrish | Bremen, GA | Music Composition and Environmental Sciences
Nicholas Wandrick | Alpharetta, GA | NBB and Music
Bass Clarinet
Rodrigo Salinas | Lakeland, FL | Chemistry
Bassoon and Contrabassoon (listed alphabetically)
Vishaal Kareti | Marietta, GA | Computer Science and Math
Nolan Smith | Pleasanton, CA | Music and Undecided
Andrew Tang | Atlanta, GA | Undecided
Ethan Thompson | Atlanta, GA | Undecided
Donovan Tong | San Ramon, CA | Business and Quantitative Sciences
Horn (listed alphabetically)
Noah Choe | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Biology
Jackson Jeffries | Decatur, GA | Undecided
Jose Moreno | Dallas, TX | Strategy Management Consulting and Finance
Trumpet (listed alphabetically)
Joey Chen | Beijing, China | Music and Mathematics
Hudson Simmons | Greendale, WI | English and Creative Writing
Austin Watkinson | Great Falls, VA | Business and Music
Trombone and Bass Trombone (listed alphabetically)
Joshua Antony | Duluth, GA | Mathematics Georgia Tech Dual Degree
Timothy Brewer | Mason, OH | Business
Misha Gupta | Marietta, GA | Business and Music
Christopher Park | Lilburn, GA | Biology
Shiven Sinha | Seattle, WA | Political Science
Tuba
Graham Wells | Atlanta, GA | BSc Chemistry, 2007
Percussion and Timpani (listed alphabetically)
Nellie Gregg | Dalton, GA | Anthropology
Ginger Lau | San Ramon, CA | Physics
Peter Rubin | Highland Park, IL | Biology and Environmental Sciences
Emmy Shi | Shanghai, China | Psychology and Computer Science
Jack Xu | Mendham, NJ | Undecided
Alan Zhao | Fremont, CA | Biology
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Emory University Symphony Orchestra
Harp
Brigid May | Holly Springs, NC | Music Performance and Classics and English
Piano and Keyboard
Vivian Zhao | Phoenix, AZ | NBB and Music Performance
NBB: Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology | PPL: Philosophy, Politics, Law
Emory String, Wind, and Percussion Faculty
Violin
Justin Bruns •
Jay Christy •
Emily Daggett Smith H
Jessica Wu H
Viola
Yinzi Kong H
Paul Murphy •
Cello
Karen Freer •
Roee Harran
Guang Wang H
Bass
Michael Kurth •
Flute
Christina Smith •
Jim Zellers s
Oboe
Emily Brebach •
Sasha Shatalova Prior
Clarinet
Marci Gurnow •
Justin Stanley
Bassoon
Anthony Georgeson •
Shelly Unger
Horn
Jason Eklund s
Trumpet
Mark Maliniak •
Michael Tiscione •
Trombone
Ed Nicholson s
Nathan Zgonc •
Tuba
Michael Moore • Saxophone
Gary Paulo
Euphonium
Adam Frey
Percussion
Scott Pollard
Mark Yancich •
Harp
Elisabeth Remy •
• Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
s Atlanta Opera Orchestra
H
Vega Quartet
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Emory University Chorus
Gregory Matteson, rehearsal accompanist
Soprano
Barbara Antley
Jordan Averett
Abigail Balson
Rachael Berkoff
Angela Campbell
Grace Chen
Trinitee Dahn
Mariah DeRenzo
Amy Dunagin
Rachel Reiff Ellis
Greta Franke
Lillian Shaw Friedman
Ariel Gale
Candy Gao
Shayne Goldstein
Sarah Hooker
Vivien Huang
Yiqi Huang
Audrey Isakov
Aidan Kane
Katie King
Ariella Lee
Elizabeth Leslie
Stephanie Lin
Karina Mandock-Saldivar
Theresa Mayo
Ja’Zmin McKeel
Ashwini Narayanan
Naomi Newton
Amanda Noh
Lynn O’Neill
Ellie Paek
Elianna Paljug
Sejal Patel
Zoë Pollock
Diana Ricketts
Emma Rollins
Grace Rutledge
Sonia Ryland
Delia Savin
Lucienne “LuLu” Scully
Hannah Soloff
Soprano (continued)
Kat Springer
Sanika Vaze
Rachel Warhaftig
Sarah Wiley
Crystal Zhang
Serena Zhou
Alto
Sarina Abrishamcar
Ash Aiken
Carol Allums
Lydia Bearss
Srinidhi Bharadwaj
Hadley Bryant
Emma Chatson
Gloria Coble
Isabella Colindres
Carter Douglas-Brown
Dylan Douglas-Brown
Rebecca Follman
Kaley Frye
Alexandra Fulford
Melanie Green
Emily Griswold
Leila Hastings
Sofia Hayes
Rita Helfand
Bryn Higdon
Anika Hofmeister
Savanah Jackle
Katherine Kelley
Mila Kocic
Sia Kripalani
Karyn Lisker
Arohi Majmudar
Ally Mandell
Susan Nelson
Teele Palumaa
Caroline Renner
Alex Rodgers
Lynn Rogers
Abby Rollins
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Emory University Chorus
Alto (continued)
Siu-Lin Sampson
Ava Sandstrom
Faith Schofield
Emma K. Shibley
Mary Slaughter
Olivia Smith
Rosalind Staib
Anusha Sthanunathan
Catalina Varela
Dhwani Venkatarangan
Malia Walewski
Claire Wei
Kelly Weirich
Phyllis Weiss
Kristin Wendland
Michelle Whetsell
Serena Ye
Tenor
Jamie Baker
Charlie Byrne
Kushal Daruwala
Michael Diebert
Peter Duys
James Engstrom
Anthony Gacasan
Ezra Greidinger
Thane Henschel
Bryan Hettick
Zeaven Hoxie
Davis Husk
Andy James
Braden James
Varun Karry
Tyler Krug
Alex Moss
Matthew C. Nails
Jack Nickles
Jonathan Owen
Alexander Panos
Stephen Rogers
Alex Shin
Bill Stiefel
Jaiden Suddee
Bass
Jonathan Ackleh-Tingle
Eric Albanese
Deven Allen
Austin Beale
Daniel Bell
Michael Blankfein
Tom Carswell
Terry Chorba
Aidan Conley
Paul DeSandre
Will Eaglesham
Declan Edwards
Isaac Feiner
Joe Follman
Jordan Friedman
Paul Frysh
Kalani Gella
Christopher Hooker
Alex Isakov
Dennis Jones
Joseph Kim
William Kong
Michael Lammons
John Lilly
Jeffrey Lin
Scott Matthews
Steven Mayo
Geoffrey Middleton
Ed Morris
Tom Morris
Neeraj Palnitkar
Trey Peterson
Charlie Rogers
Michael Sorkin
James Steffen
David Terry
Patan Tippitak
David Travis
Daniel Weiss
George Lin Wu
Paulark Yan
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Department of Music Administration
Stephen Crist, Chair
Kristin Wendland, Director of Undergraduate Studies
Paul Bhasin, Director of Undergraduate Research
Martha Shockey, Senior Secretary
Kathy Summers, Academic Department Administrator
Julia Hudgins, Academic Services Program Coordinator
Simone McGaw Evans, Program Coordinator
Music at Emory
The Department of Music at Emory University provides an exciting and innovative environment for developing knowledge and skills as a performer, composer, and scholar. Led by a faculty of more than 60 nationally and internationally recognized artists and researchers, our undergraduate and graduate students experience a rich diversity of performance and academic opportunities. Undergraduate students in our department earn a BA in music with a specialization in performance, composition, or research, many of whom simultaneously earn a second degree in another department. True to the spirit of Emory, a liberal arts college in the heart of a research university, our faculty and ensembles also welcome the participation of non-major students from across the Emory campus. Become a part of Music at Emory by giving to the Friends of Music. Your gift provides crucial support to all of our activities. To learn more, visit our website at music.emory.edu or call 404.727.6280.
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Music at Emory
Music at Emory brings together students, faculty, and world-class artists to create an exciting and innovative season of performances, lectures, workshops, and master classes. With more than 150 events each year across multiple Emory venues, audiences experience a wide variety of musical offerings.
We hope you enjoy sampling an assortment of work from our student ensembles, community youth ensembles, artists in residence, professional faculty, up-and-coming prodigies, and virtuosos from around the world.
music.emory.edu
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