Performances Magazine | L.A. Master Chorale, December 2024
contents
P1 Program
Cast, performances, who’s who, director’s notes and donors
6 In the Wings
Martha Graham Dance Company marks its 100th anniversary at Segerstrom Center; In Defense of Nature at the Broad; bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green at the Wallis.
12 Something Wicked This Way Comes
The blockbuster musical and global phenomenon has earned $6 billion—so far—and three Tony Awards in its 20 years on the Broadway stage. Now, it's produced for the screen in two parts, the first of them out now.
18 On Track!
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32 Parting Thought
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GRAHAM 100
ONE OF THE MOST influential artistic forces of the 20th century, Martha Graham and her groundbreaking American dance style helped to shape generations of artists and continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Martha Graham Dance Company marks its 100th anniversary Jan. 18 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts as part of the global celebration GRAHAM100. The troupe presents classics from its repertory including Appalachian Spring, created by Graham and composer Aaron
Copland; the work premiered in 1944 and earned Copland the Pulitzer Prize for Music. The solo Immediate Tragedy, set to music by Henry Cowell, was Graham’s 1937 response to the Spanish Civil War and the rise of fascism. Two newer pieces highlight the company’s continued relevance and innovation: the viscerally kinetic Cave (2022), inspired by techno clubs, and We the People (2024), designed to embody the voice of the American people. 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714.556.2787, scfta.org
Martha Graham Dance Company, Immediate Tragedy
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In Defense of Nature
IN A MULTIFACETED effort, The Broad presents a free exhibition, an offsite public reforestation project, and a program series inspired by Joseph Beuys’s art and environmental advocacy. The exhibition Joseph Beuys: In Defense of Nature coincides with the reforestation initiative Social Forest: Oaks of Tovaangar. The dual projects, part of the Getty’s landmark regional event PST ART: Art & Science Collide, present Beuys’s work and practice as more urgent than ever in light of continued global warming. In Defense of Nature presents more than 400 artworks that illuminate Beuys’s practice as
a model for environmental action. The Social Forest initiative echoes its appeals, emphasizing the social and environmental context of Los Angeles today; it encompasses the planting of 100 native trees, mostly coast live oaks, in Elysian Park and at Kuruvungna Village Springs in West L.A. 221 S. Grand Ave., downtown, 213.232.6200, thebroad.org
At the Broad: Elysian Park in Los Angeles, focus of Social Forest, and, above left, Joseph Beuys, Rhine Water Polluted View 1. The initiative and exhibition are dually highlighted as part of the Getty’s landmark PST ART: Art & Science Collide.
TOP LEFT, JOSHUA WHITE
ART
RECITALS OF NOTE
NAMED “THE REAL showstopper” by The New York Times, threetime Grammy Award winning bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green has established himself as an
artist in demand at the world’s leading opera houses. Upcoming recital appearances include his much anticipated debut at Carnegie Hall ... and at the Wallis, presented with L.A. Opera in the Bram Goldsmith Theater; pianist Adam Nielsen joins him for the performance Jan. 19. The book Sing for Your Life (2016) chronicles Green’s personal and artistic journey from a trailer park in southeastern Virginia, and time spent in a juvenile facility of last
resort, to the Metropolitan Opera stage. The final installment of the L.A. Opera-Wallis recital series, June 7, features tenor Joshua Guerrero, one of L.A. Opera’s great success stories. Guerrero began his career with the company, quickly graduating to leading roles. Hailed as one of OperaWire’s “Top 11 Singers of 2023,” he now stars at major opera houses around the world. 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.746.4000, thewallis .org
Bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green and, below, tenor Joshua Guerrero
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Something Wicked This Way Comes
The blockbuster Broadway musical is produced for the screen in not one, but two films.
/ by LIBBY SLATE /
In the classic film The Wizard of Oz, poppies have a moment in the spotlight. In the new Universal Pictures film adaptation of the blockbuster Broadway musical Wicked, the featured flowers are tulips—9 million of them, planted in colorful rows in the fields surrounding Munchkinland, evoking impressions of the rainbow so intrinsic to the earlier movie.
Based on Gregory Maguire’s novel of the same name, Wicked tells the story of what transpired “before Dorothy dropped in” to the land of Oz.
It focuses on two seemingly disparate young women, privileged self-absorbed Galinda and green-skinned outsider Elphaba, and how they become friends and ultimately fulfill their destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West, respectively.
Then there’s the Wizard of Oz, who is literally masking his evil intent toward the citizens of Oz.
With songs by composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz and book adapted by Winnie Holzman, the show premiered on Broadway in 2003, where it is still running,
Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, left, and Ariana Grande as Glinda in Wicked
won three Tony Awards and became a global phenomenon, earning $6 billion to date.
The movie adaptation is as supersized as those 9 million tulips suggest: It was shot in England on 17 soundstages and four backlot sets, two of those sets each the size of four football fields.
The project is divided into two films: Part One,
released last month, and Part Two, scheduled for next November.
Directed by Jon M. Chu (In the Heights, Crazy Rich Asians), Wicked stars Ariana Grande as Glinda, Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, Jonathan Bailey as their love interest
Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as sorcery-school headmistress Madame Morrible, and Jeff Goldblum as the
Wizard of Oz. Holzman wrote the screenplay, at times teaming with Dana Fox. Once the stage musical became a success and its creators started contemplating a movie, Holzman recalls, “Stephen and I had an injoke. We used to always refer to it as our ‘little film strip,’ because we were making a joke about the size of it: It’s big.
“But for us, it’s also an intimate story, of friendship, of people uncovering the truth—their own personal truth, and the truth for their country, for their futures. It’s about young women stepping into their own power in different ways, taking that big leap.
“When you’re making it into a movie, you’re all the more able to have those quiet moments where
PHOTOS
you push in and see someone’s face, and their expression, and you can work with more nuance and more delicacy.”
Indeed, a major reason for the decision to make two films was to expand and explore the relationships and nuances between characters. The first film ends with Elphaba’s anthem of /CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR FOR CELEBRATING WHERE YOU’VE BEEN AND WHERE YOU’RE GOING.
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Shiz University. Below from left: Marissa Bode as Nessarose and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba; Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard and Michelle Yeoh as Madame Morrible; Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, who charms both Elphaba and Glinda.
welcome
SCOTT ALTMAN, PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Dear Friend of the Master Chorale,
It is my profound honor to join all of you in celebrating this joyous season, and I am so grateful that you are including the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s extraordinary concerts in your family’s holiday traditions. From the familyfriendly exuberance of the Festival of Carols to the reverence of Handel’s Messiah, the power of collective song truly deepens our appreciation for this time of year. The holiday season is also a reflective time and as we continue our season-long celebration of the Chorale’s 60th anniversary, we pause to acknowledge YOU, our community. From first-time attendees to longtime subscribers and Friends of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, we wouldn’t be able to share the unforgettable experience of world-class choral music without your unwavering support and patronage.
We are so thankful that this year we continued to expand our cultural and educational reach in the region with the launch of a new program—Youth Chorus LA (YCLA). This dynamic program officially began this fall and consists of approximately sixty young singers from East L.A. and Huntington Park schools. These students are able to participate regardless of musical background or economic means, and receive vocal and music instruction with weekly rehearsals and opportunities to sing together. In fact, this group of talented
youngsters is debuting their first-ever public performance at our free community sing-along, LA Sings! Carols on the Plaza, on December 16!
YCLA continues the organization’s longstanding commitment to educating the next generation of choral singers and music lovers as it joins the High School Choir Festival, which launched in 1989 and continues to offer local students a deeper understanding of choral artistry; the award-winning Voices Within program, which offers elementary school students the chance to express themselves through creative voice; and the Oratorio Project, an immersive program for high school students who collaborate and write complex musical works together. Your support gives us the opportunity to impact the lives of so many in our community, which at our core is central to the mission of the Master Chorale.
As the year draws to close, I thank all of you for welcoming me to Los Angeles. I look forward to creating new memories with you during the remainder of this momentous season and in years to come. I wish you and your family the happiest of holidays and a wonderful New Year.
Scott Altman President & Chief Executive Officer
PHOTO CREDIT: AARON CONWAY
grant gershon
KIKI & DAVID GINDLER ARTISTIC
DIRECTOR
Hailed for his adventurous and bold artistic leadership, Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director, celebrates his 24th season with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, which he transformed into the “bestby-far major chorus in America” (Los Angeles Times).
In 2022, Grant and the Chorale received the GRAMMY® Award for Best Choral Performance, followed by Chorus America’s 2022 Korn Founders Award for his career-spanning leadership in the field of choral music.
In July of 2023, Grant and the Chorale made a triumphant return to the famed Salzburg Festival with Music to Accompany a Departure (Heinrich Schütz), directed by Peter Sellars. About the performances, the Süddeutsche Zeitung declared “Everything is warmth, radiance and emotion,” and the Augsburger Allgemein wrote “And what a choir! Flawless intonation . . . lightflooded transparency and an almost unearthly tonal richness.” In the 2023/24 season, the Chorale toured this groundbreaking production to Chicago, Toronto, and Stanford University, and in June of 2025 will take it to Brussels and Paris.
Grant enjoys a close working relationship with many of the leading composers of our time, including his long-time collaborator, John Adams. Grant led the world premiere performances of Adams’s opera Girls of the Golden West with the San Francisco Opera, and his theater piece I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky for the Lincoln Center Festival. Adams wrote his two-piano masterpiece Hallelujah Junction specifically for Grant, who premiered it with fellow pianist Gloria Cheng. Grant also led the world premieres of two operas that have quickly become classics: Daniel Catán’s Il Postino (LA Opera) and Ricky Ian Gordon’s The Grapes of Wrath (Minnesota Opera). With the Chorale, he has led countless premieres of works by composers including Esa-Pekka Salonen,
Steve Reich, Tania Léon, Reena Esmail, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Louis Andriessen, among many others.
In addition to the GRAMMY® Award-winning (Best Choral Performance) Mahler: Symphony No. 8 with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic, Grant’s discography with the Chorale includes recordings of music by Nico Muhly, Henryk Górecki, David Lang, and Steve Reich for Decca, Nonesuch, and Cantaloupe Records. He has also led the Chorale in performances for several major motion picture soundtracks, including, at the request of John Williams, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. On film he has conducted Gianni Schicchi and Il Postino with LA Opera for Sony Classical.
As resident conductor of LA Opera, Grant led the acclaimed West Coast premiere of Philip Glass’s Satyagraha. He made his company debut with a rapturously received run of La Traviata in 2009, and subsequently conducted productions of Il Postino, Madama Butterfly, Carmen, Florencia en el Amazonas, Wonderful Town, The Tales of Hoffmann, and The Pearl Fishers, among others. Grant has frequently led opera performances with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
In New York, Grant has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and at the historic Trinity Wall Street. He has been featured on the Great Performers series at Lincoln Center and the Making Music series at Zankel Hall. Other major appearances include performances at the Ravinia, Aspen, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Salzburg, and Vienna festivals; Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Barbican in London, and the Paris Philharmonie. He has had the honor of working closely with numerous legendary conductors including Claudio Abbado, Pierre Boulez, James Conlon, Gustavo Dudamel, Zubin Mehta, Simon Rattle, and his mentor, Esa-Pekka Salonen.
los angeles master chorale
The Grammy® Award-winning Los Angeles Master Chorale is the “the finest-by-far major chorus in America” ( Los Angeles Times) and a vibrant cultural treasure. Hailed for its powerful performances, technical precision, and artistic daring, the Chorale is led by Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director; Associate Artistic Director Jenny Wong; and President & CEO Scott Altman. Its Swan Family Artist-inResidence is Reena Esmail.
Created by legendary conductor Roger Wagner in 1964, the Chorale is a founding resident company of The Music Center and choir-inresidence at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Chorale reaches over 175,000 people a year through its concert series at Walt Disney Concert Hall, its international touring of innovative works, and its performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and others.
The Chorale’s discography includes the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Deutsche Grammophon recording Mahler’s Symphony No. 8, for which the Chorale won a Best Choral Performance Grammy® with the National Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Children’s Choir, and Pacific Chorale. The Chorale released The Sacred Veil by Eric Whitacre (conducted by the composer) on Signum Records in 2020. Under the direction of Grant Gershon, the Chorale has released eight commercial recordings, including national anthems / the little match girl passion by David Lang on Cantaloupe Records. The Chorale is featured on the soundtracks of many major motion pictures, including Star Wars: The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker
Recently, the Chorale toured its productions of Orlando di Lasso’s Lagrime di San Pietro and Heinrich Schütz’s Music to Accompany a Departure, both directed by Peter Sellars, earning rave reviews across the globe.
Süddeutsche Zeitung called the 2019 Salzburg Festival performance of Lagrime di San Pietro “painfully beautiful,” while the Sydney Morning Herald praised it as “stunning . . . Their voices soared to the heavens.” After the Chorale
LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
performed in London, The Stage called Lagrime a “balm for the soul.” In his review of Music to Accompany a Departure, Mark Swed of the LA Times named the Chorale’s performance, “Transcendent” and “Incomparably moving.”
The Chorale has an industry-defining commitment to fostering new music and living composers. The list of major composers commissioned by the Chorale includes Louis Andriessen, Jeff Beal, Eve Beglarian, Gabriela Lena Frank, Reena Esmail, Shawn Kirchner, David Lang, Morten Lauridsen, Tania León, Meredith Monk, Steve Reich, Ellen Reid, EsaPekka Salonen, Derrick Skye, Moira Smiley, Dale Trumbore, Chinary Ung, and Eric Whitacre. In 2023 the Chorale launched 25 in 5 , an initiative to commission 25 new works over the course of 5 seasons. Composers featured in this series to date include Doug Aitken, Billy Childs, Jason Max Ferdinand, Ernesto Herrera, Zanaida Stewart Robles, Carlos Simon, and Rufus Wainwright.
The Chorale recently launched Youth Chorus LA (YCLA), an after-school choral education program open to all young people regardless of musical background or financial means. The Chorale’s education programs also include Voices Within residencies that encourage students to write and perform their own songs, and an expansive Oratorio Project for high school students. The Chorale also presents an annual High School Choir Festival, which brings teenagers from around the Southland to perform in Walt Disney Concert Hall. In May 2025, the High School Choir Festival will celebrate 36 years as one of the longest-running and widest-reaching arts education programs in Southern California. In July 2018, the Chorale presented Big Sing California, the largest group singing event in state history, featuring a concert in Disney Hall that was broadcast live to venues in five other cities in California and livestreamed online. This season, the Chorale launched LA Sings!, a series of group singing events to bring the transformative power of singing to everyone in Los Angeles. The goal is to make LA a city of singers!
festival of carols
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2024 AT 2 PM
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
GRANT GERSHON
Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director
JENNY WONG
Associate Artistic Director
REENA ESMAIL
Swan Family Artist-in-Residence
LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
GRANT GERSHON, conductor
LISA EDWARDS, piano
JOHN WEST, organ
Come In, Come In
Abbie Betinis (b. 1980)
Angels We Have Heard on High French Carol arr. Donald McCullough (b. 1951)
He Is Carlos Simon (b. 1986)
Lindsay Patterson Abdou, mezzo-soprano*
Joey Krumbein, tenor*
Adrien Redford, bass*
Al HaNisim Traditional Chanukah Folk Song arr. Elliot Z. Levine (b. 1963)
Glorious, Glorious Dale Trumbore (b. 1987)
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer ( sing along ) Johnny Marks (1909–1985)
The Christmas Song Mel Tormé (1925–1999) arr. Jerry Rubino (b. 1952)
The Unexpected Early Hour Reena Esmail (b. 1983)
The Twelve Days of Christmas Traditional English Carol arr. John Rutter (b. 1945)
INTERMISSION
Wassail Song
White Christmas
Santa Claus is Coming to Town ( sing along )
Brightest and Best
Silent Night
Festejo de Navidad
O Holy Night
He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands
English Folk Song arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)
Irving Berlin (1888–1989) arr. Deke Sharon (b. 1967)
J. Fred Coots (1897–1985)
Southern Harmony arr. Shawn Kirchner (b. 1970)
Franz Gruber (1787–1863) arr. David O (b. 1970)
Herbert Bittrich (b. 1960)
Adolphe Adam (1803–1856) arr. Shawn Kirchner
Traditional Spiritual Darita Seth, tenor* arr. Cedric Dent (b. 1962)
* 24/25 jennifer diener soloist
This program is made possible by generous support from the Z. Wayne Griffin and Elinor Remick Warren Choral Classics Fund, and the Jennifer Diener Soloist Fund.
LOS
Acknowledgments
The Los Angeles Master Chorale acknowledges our presence on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Tongva people and their neighbors, whose ancestors ruled the region we now call Southern California for at least 9,000 years. We pay respects to the members and elders of these communities, past and present, who remain stewards, caretakers, and advocates of these lands, river systems, and ocean waters.
The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2024/25 season is made possible by generous support from Terri and Jerry Kohl; the Perenchio Foundation; the Z. Wayne Griffin and Elinor Remick Warren Choral Classics Fund; the Joan and Jeff Beal Artistic Innovation Fund; the Jennifer Diener Soloist Fund; the Susan Erburu Reardon and George Reardon Commissioning Fund; Bryant, Judi, and Debra Danner; Kiki Ramos Gindler and David Gindler; Cheryl Petersen and Roger Lustberg; Tom Strickler; Courtland Palmer; Joni and Miles Benickes; James R. Mulally; Ron Myrick; the Andrea and Gregory Williams Collaborating Artists Fund; Margaret Sheehy Collins; the National Endowment for the Arts; and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture.
The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Swan Family Artist-in-Residence is made possible by Kristan and Philip Swan.
AmaWaterways is the Official River Cruise Line of the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
MEDIA PARTNERS
Your use of a ticket acknowledges your willingness to appear in photographs taken in public areas of The Music Center and releases the Center and its lessees and others from liability resulting from use of such photographs. Use of any phones, cameras, or recording devices is prohibited during the performance.
Program and artists subject to change. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of House Management.
Members of the audience who leave during the performance will be escorted back into the concert hall at the sole discretion of House Management.
text and translations
AL HANISIM
TRADITIONAL FOLK SONG / ARR. ELLIOT Z. LEVINE
Al ha-ni-sim v’al ha-pur-kan
V’al ha-g’vu-rot v’al ha-t’shu-ot
V’al ha-mil-cha-mot she-a-si-ta la-a-vo-tei-nu
Ba-ya-mim ha-heim ba-z’man ha-zeh.
Bi-mei Ma-tit-ya-hu ben Yo-chan-nan
Ko-hen Ga-dol hash-mo-na-i u-va-nav
K’she-am-dah mal-chut Ya-van al am’cha Yis-ra-eil
L’hash-ki-cham to-ra-te-cha
Ul’ha’a-vi-ram mei-chu-kei re-tzo-ne-cha
V’a-tah b’ra-cha-me-cha ha-ra-bim
A-ma-d’ta-la-hem b’et tza-ra-tam.
For the miracles, and for the deliverance, and for the mighty acts, and for the salvation that you gave our forefathers in those days, and in our time.
In the days of Matityahu son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the Greek Empire sought to force your people Israel to abandon your Torah and to deviate from your laws, and you in your great mercy stood with them in the time of their distress.
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER ( sing along )
BY JOHNNY MARKS
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen, but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose and if you ever saw it you would even say it glows. All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names; they never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve Santa came to say, “Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”
Then how the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee, “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history.”
SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN ( sing along )
BY FRED COOTS
You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why: Santa Claus is comin’ to town.
He’s making a list and checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty and nice. Santa Claus is comin’ to town.
He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. he knows if you’ve been bad or good so be good for goodness’ sake!
Oh, you better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why: Santa Claus is comin’ to town.
FESTEJO DE NAVIDAD
BY HERBERT BITTRICH
Señor Don José, Señora María ha nacido en Lima el Niño Manuel. Los negros del Rímac traen para El tondero y festejo, buñuelos con miel. La comadre Juana será su madrina y “pá” hacerle caldo mató a su gallina. Será su padrino el “compai” Quiñones, pa su “aijau” divino ricos picarones.
El negro Gaspar desde Casagrande trae “pál” Niñito caña “pá” chupar. Un fino alfajor su tío Melchor que “pá” su zambito quiere lo mejor. El buen Baltazat agüita de “azar” “pá” que Manuelito no vuelva a llorar.
Jesucito ’e mi alma no llores así que todos los negros se mueren por Tí. Del Paseo de Aguas vienen hasta aquí con arroz con leche flor de capulí. Los de Malambito traen para Tí humitas de dulce, pan de ajonjolí. Jesucito ’e mi alma no llores así que todos los negros ya estamos aquí.
Holy Don Jose, Holy Maria the Child Manuel is born in Lima. The black people of Rímac bring fritters with honey for the dance and celebration. Godmother Juana will be his godmother and to make him broth she killed her hen. His godfather will be Compai Quiñones, for his divine godson, delicious fritters
Black Gaspar from Casagrande brings sugarcane for the Little Child to suck. A fine cookie from his Uncle Melchor that for his little curly haired boy he wants the best. Good Baltazar brought him orange blossom water So that Manuelito does not cry again.
Little Jesus of my soul, don’t cry like that because all the black people are dying for you. From Paseo de Aguas they come here with rice pudding and Capulí flowers. Those from Malambito bring you sweet tamales, sesame seed bread. Little Jesus of my soul, don’t cry like that because all the black people, we are already here.
los angeles master chorale
SOPRANO
April Amante
Tamara Bevard
Christina Bristow
Harriet Fraser
Graycen Gardner
Kelci Hahn
Karen Hogle Brown
Elissa Johnston
Caroline McKenzie
Alina Roitstein
Anna Schubert
Addy Sterrett
Courtney Taylor
Chloé Vaught
Suzanne Waters
ALTO
Garineh Avakian
Anna Caplan
Carmen Edano
Michele Hemmings
Callista
Hoffman-Campbell
Sharmila G. Lash
Hannah Little
Sarah Lynch
Cynthia Marty
Lindsay Patterson Abdou
Jessie Shulman
Laura Smith Roethe
Niké St. Clair
Kimberly Switzer
Tracy Van Fleet
Elyse Willis
TENOR
Casey Breves
Bradley Chapman
Adam Faruqi
Dermot Kiernan
Charlie Kim
Joey Krumbein
Charles Lane
Michael Lichtenauer
Sal Malaki
Matthew Miles
David Morales
Evan Roberts
Darita Seth
Todd Strange
Matt Thomas
BASS
Michael Bannett
Reid Bruton
David Castillo
Kevin Dalbey
Dylan Gentile
Will Goldman
Abdiel Gonzalez
James Hayden
David Kim
Luc Kleiner
Chung Uk Lee
Ben Han-Wei Lin
Brett McDermid
Adrien Redford
Mark Edward Smith
Shuo Zhai
The Artists of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, James Hayden, AGMA Delegate.
HANDEL-MOZART messiah
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2024 AT 7 PM WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
GRANT GERSHON
Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director
JENNY WONG
Associate Artistic Director
REENA ESMAIL
Swan Family Artist-in-Residence
LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE ORCHESTRA GRANT GERSHON, conductor
Music by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
Arr. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
24/25 JENNIFER DIENER SOLOISTS
GRAYCEN GARDNER, soprano
HANNAH LITTLE, mezzo-soprano
EDMOND RODRIGUEZ, tenor STEVE PENCE, bass-baritone
Part the First
MESSIAH
Sinfonia Overture
Recitative (Mr. Rodriguez)
Comfort ye my people Aria (Mr. Rodriguez)
Ev’ry valley shall be exalted Chorus And the glory of the Lord
Recitative (Mr. Pence)
Thus saith the Lord Aria (Mr. Pence)
But who may abide Chorus
Recitative (Ms. Little)
And He shall purify
Behold, a virgin shall conceive Aria/Chorus (Ms. Little and Chorus)
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
Recitative (Mr. Pence)
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth Aria (Mr. Pence)
The people who walked in darkness Chorus For unto us a child is born
Pifa
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Chorus
Aria (Mr. Rodriguez)
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Aria (Ms. Gardner)
Chorus
Pastoral Symphony
There were shepherds abiding in the field
And lo, the angel of the Lord
And the angel said unto them
And suddenly, there was with the angel
Glory to God in the highest
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened
He shall feed his flock/Come unto Him
His yoke is easy
INTERMISSION
Part the Second
Chorus
Aria (Ms. Little)
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Chorus
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Aria (Ms. Gardner)
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Aria (Ms. Gardner)
Chorus
Aria (Ms. Gardner)
Aria (Mr. Pence)
Chorus
Recitative (Mr. Rodriguez)
Aria (Mr. Rodriguez)
Chorus
Part the Third
Aria (Ms. Gardner)
Chorus
Recitative (Mr. Pence)
Aria (Mr. Pence)
Recitative (Ms. Little)
Duet (Ms. Little and Mr. Rodriguez)
Chorus
Recitative (Ms. Gardner)
Chorus
Behold the Lamb of God
He was despised
Surely He hath borne our griefs
And with His stripes
All we like sheep
All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn
He trusted in God
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart
Behold, and see if there be any sorrow
He was cut off out of the land of the living
But Thou didst not leave His soul in hell
Lift up your heads, O ye gates
How beautiful are the feet of them
Why do the nations so furiously rage together
Let us break their bonds asunder
He that dwelleth in heaven
Thou shalt break them
Hallelujah
I know that my Redeemer liveth
Since by man came death
Behold, I tell you a mystery
The trumpet shall sound
Then shall be brought to pass
O death, where is thy sting?
But thanks be to God
If God be for us, who can be against us?
Worthy is the Lamb
This program is made possible by generous support from the Dan Murphy Foundation, the Z. Wayne Griffin and Elinor Remick Warren Choral Classics Fund, and the Jennifer Diener Soloist Fund.
Messiah in Mozartean Guise
THOMAS MAY
Attitudes toward adapting revered art works from the past to reflect contemporary values have been shifting dramatically—as seen, for example, in productions of classic operas that address outdated cultural stereotypes. The entire “historically informed performance” movement, paradoxically, was prompted by a quintessentially modern perspective.
In some ways, this flexibility actually marks a return to commonplace practices that prevailed before the emergence, in the 19th century, of idealized notions of a sacrosanct standard repertoire that should be preserved in amber, free from the stain of time.
Mozart’s version of Messiah presents a particularly fascinating case. Handel’s beloved oratorio not only became a perennial audience favorite but itself played a key role in establishing the concept of an unchanging canon of masterpieces that connect us, in an almost ritualistic way, to the past. Yet Messiah was still making its way around Europe when Mozart prepared his arrangement in 1789 for a special series of concerts aimed at introducing Handel’s oratorio to music lovers in Vienna.
Born just three years before Handel died in faraway London, Mozart had come of age during a period of rapidly changing musical tastes—a transition as pronounced, say, as that between the eras of big-band music and early rock’n’roll. Yet during his final decade in Vienna, Mozart grew fascinated by the Baroque musical legacy, above all that of Bach and Handel, and incorporated its techniques into his own style.
The stimulus for this development was his friendship with Baron Gottfried van Swieten (1733–1803). Born in Holland to a doctor who became personal physician to the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa, van Swieten pursued
a versatile career in the Imperial court as a diplomat, director of the library, educational minister, and supporter of Emperor Joseph II’s reformist policies.
Van Swieten additionally harbored ambitions as a composer, but it was his dedication to music from an earlier time—a time that had come to seem impossibly remote and old-fashioned—that left its mark on posterity. His relationship in particular with Mozart, whose work the Baron enthusiastically supported, has secured him a place in music history. Van Swieten’s enviable collection of Baroque manuscripts enticed Mozart to study the intricate language of counterpoint and to participate in his friend’s regular salon performances exploring Bach and his contemporaries.
A collective of like-minded aristocratic patrons organized by van Swieten sponsored a series of performances of the oratorios of Handel, for whose music the Baron had developed an abiding passion. These were presented in new arrangements intended to accommodate Viennese musical tastes. Messiah, in fact, was not Mozart’s first such undertaking. The year before, in 1788, he introduced his “updating” of Acis and Galatea , while fresh arrangements of Alexander’s Feast and the Ode for Saint Cecilia’s Day followed in 1790.
Following rehearsals in van Swieten’s lodgings, the first performance of “Mozart’s” Messiah took place in March 1789 at the Viennese palace of Count Johann Esterházy (a cousin of Haydn’s famous long-term patron). Additional public performances were given in December. The space limitation in Esterházy’s private palace required a reduction of the choir to a mere dozen total. (For this performance, the LA Master Chorale uses 48 choral singers, as opposed to the usual number of 40 in its annual presentations of Handel’s score.)
Van Swieten supplied Mozart with a working score into which the first edition—published, with some errors, in 1767—had been copied out. Space was left for additional staves to add woodwind and brass scoring as he saw fit. Mozart expanded the orchestral accompaniment to include a larger complement of winds: paired flutes (with piccolo added for the pastoral Pifa interlude), oboes, clarinets, bassoons, and horns; to Handel’s trumpets and timpani, he also added three trombones. Together with the strings, this essentially resembles a classical orchestra, with “operatic” colorings by the piccolo and especially trombones (which optionally double the alto, tenor, and bass choral lines).
Still, the scoring for close to one-third of Handel’s original numbers remains unaltered. The mostobvious modifications tend to occur within the arias—in instrumentation, tempo modifications, cuts of the da capo repeats, and, in several cases, reassignments of voice type (such as the substitution of tenor for soprano in “Rejoice greatly”). Mozart also specifies nuances of articulation and dynamics that are not found in Handel’s score.
Mozart varies the atmosphere with different combinations of timbres, using his instruments with painterly detail. This is the quality above all that makes us immediately aware that we are in a sound world not only different from that of Handel but characteristic of Mozart himself.
“The first time I heard this version, I couldn’t help but think of The Magic Flute and the richness and sensuality of its sonority,” says Grant Gershon, the LA Master Chorale’s Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director. “There’s also a kind of playfulness to some of the writing. Mozart really has fun with it.” He points to the addition of counterpoint from flutes and bassoons for “Ev’ry Valley” (enriching the original strings and continuo).
Another main area of alteration involves the structure of Handel’s work. This complete Messiah moves along with a notable fleetness. Mozart tightens up Parts 2 and 3 by omitting the chorus “Let all the angels” and the aria “Thou art gone up on high” (his only outright cuts), truncating “The trumpet shall sound” (with horn replacing
the virtuoso trumpet part), and recasting the soprano aria “If God be for us” as an accompanied recitative with his own music (a change that particularly met van Swieten’s approval).
“This new music feels like it’s right out of the accompanied recitative before one of the big arias in Don Giovanni or Così,” says Gershon. “It’s a brilliant move, because this is the penultimate number and sets up ‘Worthy is the Lamb.’ It seems clear that Mozart felt this emotional culmination of the piece needed a more dramatic moment.”
In place of Charles Jennens’s English libretto, Mozart’s version (“Der Messias”) substituted a German translation prepared by van Swieten and based on one that had been used for the first German performance of Messiah (in 1775 in Hamburg), which the poet F. G. Klopstock and C. D. Ebeling supplied. The LA Master Chorale, however, sings the original English. “It would be strange for a Los Angeles audience in 2024 to do Messiah in German,” says Gershon.
Mozart’s arrangement was published posthumously, in 1803, and provided a template for later changes to the orchestration. Yet performances of this version have remained a rarity, notwithstanding the allure of Mozart’s name. Although the Victorian era itself gave numerous facelifts to the Handel source— introducing tendencies that persisted into the modern era—the process of idealization that underlies the concept of a permanent canon was already underway.
This can be seen in the objection made by the 19th century music theorist Moritz Hauptmann that Mozart’s arrangement “resembles elegant stucco work upon an old marble temple, which easily might be chipped off again by the weather.”
The beauty of Mozart’s interventions seems to require its own historically informed aesthetic. “There are so many directions you can go,” says Gershon. “I approach this piece as if it had been written by Mozart, with longer phrases and a little more-overt shaping of the large-scale effects while at the same time striving for a Mozartean transparency—especially so that the newly composed parts can shine through.”
Thomas May is the program annotator for the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
los angeles master chorale
SOPRANO
Tamara Bevard
Christina Bristow
Karen Hogle Brown
Elissa Johnston
JuHye Kim
Beth Peregrine
Anna Schubert
Sunmi Shin
Kathryn Shuman
Addy Sterrett
Suzanne Waters
Andrea Zomorodian
ALTO
Monika Bruckner
Anna Caplan
Michele Hemmings
Callista
Hoffman-Campbell
Shabnam Kalbasi
Sarah Lynch
Cynthia Marty
Julia Metzler
Laura Smith Roethe
Niké St. Clair
Jessie Shulman
Nancy Sulahian
TENOR
Casey Breves
Matthew Brown
Bradley Chapman
Adam Faruqi
Charles Lane
Kyuyoung Lee
Michael Lichtenauer
Matthew Miles
Robert Norman
Todd Strange
Matt Thomas
Matthew Tresler
BASS
Michael Bannett
Mark Beasom
John Buffett
David Castillo
Kevin Dalbey
James Hayden
David Dong-Geun Kim
Luc Kleiner
Ben Han-Wei Lin
Brett McDermid
Adrien Redford
Shuo Zhai
The Artists of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, James Hayden, AGMA Delegate.
los angeles master chorale orchestra
VIOLIN I
Joel Pargman Concertmaster
Carrie Kennedy
Associate Concertmaster
Margaret Wooten
Assistant Concertmaster
Florence Titmus
Leslie Katz
Nina Evtuhov
Liliana Filipovic
Nicole Bush
VIOLIN II
Elizabeth Hedman Principal
Cynthia Moussas
Associate Principal
Linda Stone
Anna Kostyucheck
Mui-Yee Chu
Julie Rogers
Colleen Coomber
Kirsten Fife
VIOLA
Diana Wade Principal
Dmitri Bovaird
Associate Principal
Karolina Naziemiec
Linnea Powell
Jing Peng
Alice Ping
CELLO
Cécelia Tsan Principal
Delores Bing
Associate Principal
Nadine Hall
Dane Little
BASS
Peter Doubrovsky Principal
Timothy Eckert
Associate Principal
FLUTE
Geri Rotella Principal
Sarah Weisz
OBOE
Leslie Reed Principal
Michele Forrest
CLARINET
Gary Bovyer Principal
Phil O’Connor
BASSOON
William May Principal
William Wood
HORN
Steve Becknell Principal
Danielle Ondarza
TRUMPET
Ryan Darke Principal
Daniel Rosenboom
TROMBONE
William Booth Principal
Al Veeh
Terry Cravens
TIMPANI
Theresa Dimond Principal
KEYBOARD
Lisa Edwards Principal
LIBRARIAN
Mark Fugina
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER
Brady Steel
The players of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra are represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.
soloists
GRAYCEN GARDNER SOPRANO
Graycen Gardner, soprano, is based in Los Angeles, where she is a professional singer specializing in classical and session vocals. Her ability to deftly alternate between a full operatic vocal production and a light, shimmering sound enables her to sing a variety of repertoire and musical styles. Graycen became a rostered member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2021, and she performed with the Chorale’s touring production of Schütz’s Music to Accompany a Departure (directed by Peter Sellars) this past April. In 2024, she sang the role of Baby Doe in The Opera Buffs’ concert version of The Ballad of Baby Doe, and she performed the role of Mina in Beth Morrison Projects’ workshop of Star Singer by Juhi Bansal. In 2022, Graycen was the soprano soloist in the LA Master Chorale’s Messiah Sing-along at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and she was a studio artist at Central City Opera in 2018, where she performed the role of Galatea in Acis and Galatea and received the Young Artist Award for Excellence. Along with her profound love of performance, Graycen has a passion for teaching, and she provides private voice instruction to students in the greater Los Angeles area and beyond.
HANNAH LITTLE MEZZO-SOPRANO
Hannah Little is a Los Angeles-based mezzo soprano with a passion for connecting through music making. She recently performed in her first season as a roster member of the Los Angeles Master Chorale where she was featured as the mezzo soloist in Handel’s Messiah Sing-along and Herbert Howell’s Requiem. This season, Hannah was also featured as a soloist in Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem with Azusa Pacific’s Choir and Orchestra as well as in Reena Esmail’s When the Violin and the world premiere of David Norland’s Hush the Noise with The Golden Bridge in their 10th Anniversary Concert. In a performance of Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service with Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Hannah’s voice was said to be, “the missing human touch that made a disproportionately deep impression.”
soloists
EDMOND RODRIGUEZ TENOR
Edmond Rodriguez is a tenor in his fifth season with the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Mr. Rodriguez has been recognized for his “pure, guileless high range” (The Boston Globe) and “frightening dignity” (The New York Times). In 2023, Mr. Rodriguez made his debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Steve Reich’s Traveler’s Prayer and his Messiah Debut with the Los Angeles Master Chorale at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Earlier in 2024, he was invited to Renée Fleming’s SongStudio program hosted at Carnegie Hall. This last summer, he was a finalist for the Handel Aria Competition. Mr. Rodriguez has trained at the Tanglewood Music Center, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California. He is currently completing his Master’s Degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. As a member of SAG-AFTRA, his studio credits include: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), Encanto (2021), Nope (2022), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) Rosalia’s Motomami (2022), Wicked (2024).
STEVE PENCE BASS-BARITONE
Steve Pence has recently appeared as a soloist Verdi’s Requiem with the Charleston Symphony and as soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Jacksonville Symphony. He is a frequent soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, having appeared with them in Alexander’s Feast and Messiah by Handel, and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, B-minor Mass, Magnificat, and St. John Passion. He played Hercules in Phillip Glass’s the CIVIL WarS with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and sang the bass solos in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. He created and recorded the role of Kaiser Wilhelm II in John Powell’s oratorio A Prussian Requiem, which he has performed in Lima, Peru and Montevideo, Uruguay. Steve also created the role of Paderewski in Jenni Brandon’s The Three Paderewskis, with performances in Los Angeles, Poznan, Poland and The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Film credits include Muppets Most Wanted, Despicable Me 2, Happy Feet 2, The Secret Life of Pets, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. He lives in Long Beach with his wife and son.
42 nd ANNUAL MESSIAH SING-ALONG LA SINGS!
MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2024 AT 7:30 PM WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
GRANT GERSHON
Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director
JENNY WONG
Associate Artistic Director
REENA ESMAIL
Swan Family Artist-in-Residence
LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE ORCHESTRA
GRANT GERSHON, conductor
Music by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
24/25 JENNIFER DIENER SOLOISTS
CHLOÉ VAUGHT, soprano
CARMEN EDANO, mezzo-soprano
EVAN ROBERTS, tenor
JOHN BUFFETT, baritone
MESSIAH
Part the First
1. Sinfonia Overture
2. Recitative (Mr. Roberts) Comfort ye my people
3. Aria (Mr. Roberts) Ev’ry valley shall be exalted
4. Chorus And the glory of the Lord
5. Recitative (Mr. Buffett) Thus saith the Lord
6. Aria (Mr. Buffett)
7. Chorus
8. Recitative (Ms. Edano)
9. Aria/Chorus (Ms. Edano)
12. Chorus
13. Pifa
14. Recitative (Ms. Vaught)
Recitative (Ms. Vaught)
15. Recitative (Ms. Vaught)
16. Recitative (Ms. Vaught)
17. Chorus
18. Aria (Ms. Vaught)
19. Recitative (Ms. Edano)
20. Aria (Ms. Edano)
Aria (Ms. Vaught)
21. Chorus
Part the Second
22. Chorus
23. Aria (Ms. Edano)
24. Chorus
25. Chorus
26. Chorus
27. Recitative (Mr. Roberts)
28. Chorus
42. Recitative (Mr. Roberts)
43. Aria (Mr. Roberts)
44. Chorus
Part the Third
45. Aria (Ms. Vaught)
46. Chorus
47. Chorus
48. Chorus
49. Chorus
50. Recitative (Mr. Buffett)
51. Aria (Mr. Buffett)
56. Chorus
57. Chorus
But who may abide
And He shall purify
Behold, a virgin shall conceive
O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
For unto us a child is born
Pastoral Symphony
There were shepherds abiding in the field
And lo, the angel of the Lord
And the angel said unto them
And suddenly, there was with the angel
Glory to God in the highest
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened
He shall feed his flock
Come unto Him
His yoke is easy
INTERMISSION
Behold the Lamb of God
He was despised
Surely He hath borne our griefs
And with His stripes
All we like sheep
All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn
He trusted in God
He that dwelleth in heaven
Thou shalt break them
Hallelujah
I know that my Redeemer liveth
Since by man came death
By man came also
For as in Adam all die
Even so in Christ
Behold, I tell you a mystery
The trumpet shall sound
Worthy is the Lamb
Amen
Messiah Sing-Along: LA SINGS! is made possible by generous support from Terri and Jerry Kohl; and Bryant, Judi and Debra Danner
For every new booking on a 2024 Europe or Mekong River cruise, AmaWaterways will donate $100 to the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Must mention promo code LAMC-100 at time of booking. Terms & conditions apply.
Step aboard a world of unparalleled experiences where your journey is our passion. Witness grand capitals illuminate as night falls from the comfort of your spacious stateroom. Explore charming villages through exquisite locally sourced food and wine and a variety of enriching included excursions. Immerse yourself in traditions that have spanned generations while cruising through Europe, Asia, Africa and South America – one river at a time. Call your preferred Travel Advisor or visit www.AmaWaterways.com
THE OFFICIAL RIVER CRUISE LINE OF THE LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE
los angeles master chorale
SOPRANO
April Amante
Tamara Bevard
Kelci Hahn
Elissa Johnston
Beth Peregrine
ALTO
Janelle DeStefano
Amy Fogerson
Sarah Lynch
Lindsay Patterson Abdou
Kimberly Switzer
TENOR
Matthew Brown
Bradley Chapman
Sal Malaki
Matthew Miles
Robert Norman
BASS
Mark Beasom
Kevin Dalbey
Scott Graff
Scott Lehmkuhl
Shuo Zhai
The Artists of the Los Angeles Master Chorale are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO, James Hayden, AGMA Delegate.
los angeles master chorale orchestra
VIOLIN I
Joel Pargman
Concertmaster
Carrie Kennedy
Associate Concertmaster
Margaret Wooten
Assistant Concertmaster
Florence Titmus
Leslie Katz
Nina Evtuhov
VIOLIN II
Elizabeth Hedman Principal
Cynthia Moussas
Associate Principal
Linda Stone
Anna Kostyucheck
Mui-Yee Chu
Liliana Filipovic
VIOLA
Shawn Mann Principal
Diana Wade
Associate Principal
Dmitri Bovaird
Karolina Naziemiec
CELLO
Cecélia Tsan Principal
Delores Bing
Associate Principal
Nadine Hall
Dane Little
BASS
Peter Doubrovsky Principal
Timothy Eckert
Associate Principal
OBOE
Leslie Reed Principal
Michele Forrest BASSOON
William May Principal
TRUMPET
Ryan Darke Principal
Erick Jovel
TIMPANI
Theresa Dimond Principal
KEYBOARD
Lisa Edwards Principal
ORGAN
Jaebon Hwang Principal
LIBRARIAN
Mark Fugina
ORCHESTRA PERSONNEL MANAGER
Brady Steel
The players of the Los Angeles Master Chorale Orchestra are represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.
soloists
CHLOÉ VAUGHT SOPRANO
Chloé Vaught is a musical renaissance woman, excelling in vocal styles and genres across the board such as baroque, jazz, experimental, gospel, and more. She has performed as a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Opera Chorus, HEX Vocal Ensemble, Synchromy, and Jacaranda. Chloé can also be heard on a variety of film scores such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Sing 2 , and Space Jam: A New Legacy. She has participated as a vocal fellow at prestigious Young Artist Programs, such as the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, the Castleton Vocal Immersion Program, and the Aspen Music Festival. Chloé has a B.A. in Vocal Performance from UCLA. Under the mentorship of the renowned Michelle DeYoung, Chloé’s dedication to refinement of her craft remains resolute. Chloé seeks to open doors in opera and classical music, ensuring vitality, relevance, and accessibility to audiences of every background. You can also catch her this holiday season performing with her Christmas jazz band, Mrs. Claus and the Swingin’ Reindeer! www.chloemaliavaught.com
CARMEN EDANO MEZZO-SOPRANO
Carmen Edano is a Los Angeles-based Filipino mezzosoprano praised for her “protean singing” and “elastic voice.” Carmen made her debut in the LA new music scene as Jing in The Industry’s cosmic production of Star Choir, a new opera by Malik Gaines and Alexandro Segade. This past summer, she was a Tanglewood Vocal Fellow and studied under award-winning soprano Dawn Upshaw. She currently sings with the Los Angeles Master Chorale.
Carmen has performed a variety of eclectic roles such as Baba the Turk in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, Giannetta in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Eleni in the workshop premiere of Richard Danielpour’s The Grand Hotel Tartarus , and Le Mari in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias with Opera UCLA. Carmen was also the winner of UCLA’s 2023 AllStar Competition, singing Alban Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder with the UCLA Philharmonic.
She received her BA in Vocal Performance and Music Education from Pepperdine University, and her MM in Opera from the University of California Los Angeles. She spends her free time crocheting and hanging out with her cat, Deedee.
soloists
EVAN ROBERTS TENOR
Now in his second season, Evan is excited to make his solo debut with the Master Chorale with the Messiah Sing-along. A Pasadena native, Evan sings in a variety of choral ensembles, such as the Contemporary Choral Collective of Los Angeles (C3LA), the Donald Brinegar Singers, the Choir at St. John’s Episcopal, the Cappella Musica of St. Andrew’s Church, and a new octet called Resonant. Rarely participating as a soloist, Evan primarily enjoys teaching and conducting, working as Choir Director at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA), and maintaining a private voice studio at College of the Canyons in Valencia. He is grateful for all his family, friends, colleagues, and students who came out today to hear him, and he hopes they have a great time singing together this evening.
JOHN BUFFETT BARITONE
Baritone John Buffett enjoys a versatile career lending his “warm tone and ringing top” (Salt Lake Tribune) to music from the early baroque through the 21st century. Recent engagements include many productions of Handel’s Messiah, both Bach Passions, the Requiem’s of Fauré and Duruflé, and Vaughan Williams’s Five Mystical Songs. He has been a featured soloist with the Pacific Symphony, LA Philharmonic, the Utah, San Antonio, Winston-Salem, Flagstaff, New West, and Syracuse Symphonies, The Mark Morris Dance Group, The Pacific Chorale, the Rochester Philharmonic, and at the Tanglewood, Aspen and Mostly Mozart (Lincoln Center) Music Festivals. As a baroque music specialist, he has appeared with many leading Early Music Ensembles including: Apollo’s Fire, Ars Lyrica, Bach Collegium San Diego, The Boston Early Music Festival, The Oregon Bach Festival, the Charlotte Bach Festival, Musica Angelica and Tesserae Baroque. As a chamber musician, Buffett regularly sings with Seraphic Fire, The Santa Fe Desert Chorale and the LA Master Chorale. John is currently on voice faculty at CSU Long Beach and has also served on the voice faculty at UCLA and at Aspen’s Professional Choral institute; he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music. johnbuffett.com
donor recognition 2024/25 season
The Los Angeles Master Chorale is honored to recognize the individuals and institutions that generously support our world-class professional choral ensemble and impactful education programs.
We sincerely thank the following individual donors, who have contributed $300 or more to the annual fund from October 1, 2023 through October 31, 2024. Special thanks to our multi-year donors, whose gifts ensure a healthy base for our future.
*In memoriam
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE
The Leadership Circle ($100,000+) honors and celebrates the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s most distinguished donor community. Established in 2019 with a challenge grant from the Abbott L. Brown Foundation, the Leadership Circle enables transformative projects—from commissioning, recording, and artistic innovation, to ambitious community engagement programming and touring productions. Members receive exclusive recognition and event experiences throughout the year.
Jeff and Joan Beal
Marla Borowski
Margaret Sheehy Collins
Bryant, Judi, and Debra Danner
Jennifer Diener
Hon. Michael W. Fitzgerald and Mr. Arturo Vargas
Patrick R. Fitzgerald
William and Patricia Flumenbaum
Kiki Ramos Gindler and David Gindler
Terri and Jerry Kohl
Diane Morton
James R. Mulally
Ron Myrick
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Steven P. Neiffer and Eric Lassiter*
Courtland Palmer
Cheryl Petersen and Roger Lustberg
Susan Erburu Reardon and George Reardon
Jennifer and Evan Rosenfeld
Laura Smolowe and Adam O’Byrne
Tom Strickler
Jason Subotky and Anne Akiko Meyers
Kristan and Philip A. Swan
Laney and Tom* Techentin
William M. Tully in loving memory of Jane W. Tully
The Artistic Director’s Circle brings together generous Los Angeles Master Chorale donors in support of the bold vision of Grant Gershon, Kiki & David Gindler Artistic Director. As key stakeholders, members play a vital role in advancing our mission and programs through significant contributions of $50,000–$99,999. Enjoy special opportunities throughout the season to engage with artists, singers, and the music we love.
Joni* and Miles Benickes
Dr. Kathy Cairo
Denise and Robert Hanisee
Jenny S. Kim and Chip W. Baik
Marian and John* Niles
ENSEMBLE CIRCLE
Jerrie Paula
Ortega-Brown and Abbott L. Brown
Frank and Berta Gehry
Martha and Nora Groves
SPONSORS
Thomas and Judith Beckmen
($25,000–$49,999)
Jennifer Hoang and Brian Krechman
Terry Knowles and Marshall Rutter
Marjorie Lindbeck
CIRCLE
John and Louise Bryson
Lisa Field
Berkeley and Kristin Harrison
Judith Jenkins
Robin and Craig Justice
Thomas F. Kranz
$5,000–$9,999
Vince Bertoni and Damon Hein
Theodore and Kathy Calleton in memory of Edward J. McAniff
$3,000–$4,999
Diane and Noel Applebaum
Craig and Mary Deutsche
Greg and Jill Hoenes
$1,500–$2,999
Dr. Christina Benson, M.D. and Dr. Kenneth Wells, M.D.
Jerry Bluestein and Regine Wood
James Cronk
Kathleen and Terry* Dooley
Dr. William and Mrs. Mary Duxler
The Lovelace Family in honor of
Lillian Lovelace
Molly Munger and Stephen English
($10,000–$24,999)
Shawn Kravich
Anahita and Jim Lovelace
Jane and Edward J.* McAniff
Robert L. Mendow
Carolyn L. Miller
Christine M. Ofiesh
Dr. Clifford and
Joyce Penner
Lisa Richardson
Melissa and Alex Romain
Ann* and Robert Ronus
Rosemary Schroeder
Eva and Marc Stern
Casper Partovi and Jackie Petitto
Phyllis and Larry Rothrock*
Grace Sheldon-Williams and Greg Williams
Evelyn Feintech
Lorna Fitzgerald
Louise Moriarty and Patrick Stack
Neeyah Lynn
Rose Stephens
Lawrence and Mireya Jones
Dr. Patricia A. Keating
Frank* and Mona Mapel
Robert and Sally Neely
Bea Nemlaha
Eric Olson and Carol Brode
Estate of Robert W. Olsen
Nishan and Cindy Partamian
John Powell
Irma Fitzgibbons in honor of Sonia Randazzo
Andrew Glassford and Andrew Graff
Paul and Missy Jennings
Elissa Johnston and Grant Gershon
David Kalifon
Thomas and Gloria Lang
Estate of Louise Lepley
June and Simon Li
Jennifer and Joey Li
Susan and Bob Long
John Lundgren, M.D. and Susan Jay, Ph.D.
Rob and Christie Martin
Terry and Chip Marvin
Kathleen McCarthy
Mr. Robin Meadow and Ms. Margaret Stevens
Jeff Melvoin
Hannah Pastrano
Gary and Marina Raines
Catherine and Howard* Stone
Priscilla and Curtis Tamkin
Ian and Barbara White-Thomson
Alyce de Roulet Williamson
John Perkins in memory of Ann Perkins
Claudette Rogers
Lorraine Saunders
Booker and Sarita White
Sue Stamberger
Jocelyn Towne and Simon Helberg
Craig Webb
Rudolf H. Ziesenhenne
Ilean and Steve* Rogers
Kristina Segesvary
Nancy and Dick Spelke
J. Theodore Struck and Al Whitley*
Melanie and Bill Switzer
Elizabeth Turner
Betsey Tyler
Marilene Wang
Michele and David Wilson
$600–$1,499
Rob Bailis
Lorri and Steve Benson
Wade and JoAnn Bourne
Barbara Byrne
Ellen Kurth
Jim B. Clarke in honor of Martha Groves
John and Sue Clauss
Eleanor Congdon
Thomas Dwyer and Pamela Perkins-Dwyer
Dr. Annette L. Ermshar and Mr. Dan Monahan
Dr. Reena Esmail and
Vijay Gupta
Gordon and Vacharee Fell
Michael Fishbein
Jeanie Fiskin
Kathie and Alan Freeman
Jane Galbraith
Keith Gayhart
Steve Gilbreath in memory of Lauran Gilbreath
Suzanne Gilman
Sandra Helen Goodenough
Paul and Janet Gordon
Ms. Diana Gould and Dr. Kirsten Grimstad
Elizabeth and Jimmy Greenway
Alma Guzman
Beth Hansen in honor of Sonia Randazzo
Mira Hashmall
Liz Levitt Hirsch*
Ann and Christine Horton
Travis J. Howell in memory of James Howell
James Ingalls
Cynthia Ison
Tomoko Iwakawa
Frank Jarvis
Richard P. Jensen
Carrie Kirshman and Jerry Podczaski
G. Brad Klein, M.D. and Victoria Hansen
Christopher W. Knight
Mr. Ken Kwapis and Ms. Marisa Silver
Dr. Lawrence and Jane Z. Cohen
Edie Lehmann Boddicker
Peggy Loukas
Susan Mackensen
Masako Maki
Barbara and
Joel Marcus
Ernesto Martinez
Jerilyn and Peter McAniff
Dr. Nicholas K. Menzies and Dr. Melinda
Herrold-Menzies
Chip and Sharyn Moore
Michael and Marianne S. Newman in honor of
Ted and Jane McAniff
Heidi Novaes
Vic Pallos and Emilie Pallos
Daryl and Sandy Phillips
Marilyn J. Prewoznik
Harold and Penny Ray
Kathleen and Freddie Reiss
Edwin T. Robinson
Penelope C. Roeder, Ph.D.
Mary Rourke
Daniel Angus Ryan
Margaret Sabbag with appreciation for Lorna Fitzgerald
Barbara and Heinrich Schelbert
Ray and Eleanor Siebert
Marc Seltzer and Chris Snyder
Laurie Samitaur Smith
Carol A. Smith
Tom and Susan Somerset
Barbara A. Teichert
Marjorie Thomson
Rick and Becky Thyne
Paul and Catherine Tosetti
Dr. Iwona Trybus
Christine Upton
David and Rebekah Yanni
Kat and Thomas Zimmerman
$300-$599
Michael Abels
Rick and Susan Amante
Phil and Marsha Bartenetti
Patrick Beller
Jeffrey and Susan Berman
Marsha Berman
Dr. Andrew Blaine and Dr. Leigh Lindsey
Mandy and Steve Brigham
Suzanne C. Brown in honor of
Grant Gershon and my LAMC friends
Deborah and William H. Brown, III
Dr. Jayne E. Campbell in memory of
Nina Hinson
Suzanne and Dan Carroll
Brent Collins
Bette Cook
Pablo Corá and Reuben Sanchez
Molly and Walter* Coulson
Jared Diamond, Ph.D. and Marie Cohen, Ph.D.
Arline Dillman
Leslie Dodson
Kathleen and James Drummy
Richard Eberhart
Julia and John Eidsvoog
Suellen Eslinger
Margaret Garvey
Kristen J. Grimstad and Diana Gould
Dianne Hantos and Dr. Peter Hantos
Linda J. Hodge
Robert Israel
Barbara Jex Courter
Stewart Johnston
Loong Kong
Carolyn Lehmkuhl
John Lundgren, M.D. and Susan Jay, Ph.D.
James Lyerly and Tracy Van Fleet
Lou and Denise Marchant
Tom Moore
Ilca Moskos
Esther Mott
Tig Notaro
Richard W. Olsen
Neil Olson
Thomas Peterson
Deb Podus
Rodney and Ruth Punt
Dr. and Mrs.
Monte Purcelli
Kai-Li and Hal Quigley
Candy Renick
Madison F. Richardson, M.D.
Iris and
Robert Rickenbach
Carol and François Rigolot
Carla Rivera in honor of
Emma Rivera
Kenneth Roehrs and Sara McGah
Marleen Scheffy
Kathleen Scheinfeld
Adrian Schreiber in honor of
Scott and Lisa Altman
Donald and Jill Spuehler
Diane Thomas and Ray Frauenholz
Amy P. Tice in memory of Daniel J. Chaney
Anita and Harold* Tsuji
Elinor and Rubin Turner
Jason Vierzba
Barbara E. Wagner
Ann W. Wang
Teresa Ward in memory of Kermit E. Ward
Lee Wochner
John Woodall and Linda Woodall, M.D.
roger wagner society
Jeff and Joan Beal
Joni* and Miles Benickes
James Arthur Bond in honor of
Morten Lauridsen
Michael Breitner
Abbott Brown
Linda McNeal Brown
Raun and Jerry Burnham
Dr. Kathy Cairo
Robert Churella
Colburn Foundation
Margaret
Sheehy Collins
Elizabeth Hofert Dailey*
Bryant, Judi, and Debra Danner
William Davis*
Jennifer Diener
Dr. Ann Graham Ehringer*
Hon. Michael and Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald in honor of
James P. Fitzgerald
Claudia* and Mark Foster
Kathie and Alan Freeman
Janice Roosevelt Gerard
Kiki Ramos Gindler and David Gindler
Denise and Robert Hanisee
Geraldine Healy*
Violet Jabara Jacobs*
Curtis Ray Joiner, Jr.*
David Kalifon
Stephen A. Kanter*
Terry Knowles and Marshall Rutter
Joyce* and Kent Kresa
Lesley Leighton
Louise Lepley*
Marjorie and Roger* Lindbeck
Patricia A. MacLaren
Drs. Marguerite and Robert* Marsh
Jane and Edward J.* McAniff
Named for Los Angeles Master Chorale’s founding music director, the Roger Wagner Society honors and recognizes individuals who have expressed their commitment to the art of choral music by making an endowment or planned gift benefitting the Master Chorale.
Through this support, Roger Wagner Society members ensure the long-term fiscal stability of the Master Chorale by creating a legacy that preserves a vital cultural resource for future generations.
The Master Chorale works with The Music Center Foundation as our partner in the secure investment and stewardship of your planned gift.
To learn more about becoming a member of the Roger Wagner Society, please contact Elizabeth Greenway, Chief Advancement Officer, at egreenway@lamasterchorale.org or 213-972-3114.
Nancy and Robert Miller*
Diane Morton
Ron Myrick
Raymond R. Neevel*
Steven P. Neiffer and Eric Lassiter*
Joyce and Donald J.* Nores
Robert W. Olsen*
Courtland Palmer
Cheryl Petersen and Roger Lustberg
Hugh Ralston
Susan Erburu Reardon and George Reardon
Elizabeth Redmond*
Penelope C. Roeder, Ph.D.
Phyllis and Larry Rothrock*
Carolyn and Scott Sanford
Barbara and Charles Schneider*
Dona* and David Schultz
Martha Ellen Scott*
Shirley and Ralph Shapiro in honor of Peter Mullin
Anne Shaw and Harrison Price*
Nancy and Richard Spelke
Sue Stamberger
George Sterne and Nicole Baker
Francine and Dal Alan* Swain
Kristan and Philip A. Swan
Dr. Jonathan Talberg
Laney and Tom* Techentin
William M. Tully
in loving memory of Jane W. Tully
Madge van Adelsberg*
Margaret White
Robert Wood*
* In memoriam
FOUNDATION, GOVERNMENT, AND CORPORATE SUPPORT
$1,000,000+
LA Arts Recovery Fund
Perenchio Foundation
$100,000–$999,999
The Ahmanson Foundation
AmaWaterways
Colburn Foundation
Dan Murphy Foundation
FEMA & California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services
The Music Center Foundation
$50,000–$99,999
Anonymous
Ann Peppers Foundation
The Blue Ribbon
California Arts Council
Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture
Moore Family Foundation
The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
The Rose Hills Foundation
Edward A. & Ai O. Shay Family Foundation
$20,000–$49,999
Anonymous
California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant
Program, Nonprofit Cultural Institutions
Capital Group Corporate Charitable Giving
Chorus America Music Education Partnership
City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs
Dwight Stuart Youth Fund
The Green Foundation
LA County Arts and Culture
Creative Recovery LA
National Endowment for the Arts
Walter J. and Holly O. Thomson Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Co-Trustee
$10,000–$19,999
Hope & Grand Events
Munger, Tolles & Olson, LLP
Orange County Opera
The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation
The SahanDaywi Foundation
$1,000–$9,999
The Aaron Copland Fund for Music
The E. Nakamichi Foundation
Employees Community Fund of The Boeing Company California
Friars Charitable Foundation
William H. Hannon Foundation
The Michael and Lori Milken Family Foundation
The Music Man Foundation
Ornest Family Foundation in honor of
Martha Groves
Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation
Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts
The Lon V. Smith Foundation
The John and Beverly Stauffer Foundation
Sidney Stern Memorial Trust
OFFICERS
Susan Erburu Reardon Chair
DIRECTORS
Bryant Danner
Jennifer Diener
Lorna Fitzgerald
Grant Gershon*
Kiki Ramos Gindler
William Goldman**
Martha Groves
Robert Hanisee
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Scott Altman* President & CEO
Kristin Techentin
Harrison
Jenn Hoang
Jenny Soonjin Kim
Shawn Kravich
Ron Myrick
Naseem Nixon
Casper Partovi
Lisa Richardson
Tom Strickler Vice Chair
Miles Benickes Treasurer Courtland Palmer Secretary
Laura Smolowe
Phil Swan
William Tully
Tracy Van Fleet**
Andrea D. Williams
HONORARY
Morten J. Lauridsen
Lillian Pierson Lovelace***
ADMINISTRATION
ARTISTIC & EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP
Scott Altman
President & Chief Executive Officer
Grant Gershon
Kiki & David Gindler
Artistic Director
Jenny Wong
Associate Artistic Director
Reena Esmail
Swan Family
Artist-in-Residence
Lisa Edwards
Pianist/Musical Assistant
PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS
Kevin Koelbl Vice President of Artistic Operations
Susie McDermid Director of Production
Anthony Crespo
Production & Personnel Manager
Chris Fox
Production Manager
Jeff Wallace
Technical Director
Adam Noel
Supertitle Operator
Brady Steel
Orchestra Manager
Mark Fugina
Orchestra Music Librarian
ADVANCEMENT
Elizabeth Greenway Vice President of Advancement
Pamela Perkins-Dwyer Director of Major Gifts
Andrea Barkan-Kennedy Director of Institutional Giving
Elizabeth Dello Russo Associate Director of Annual Giving
Lulu Maxfield Advancement Manager
Kiyono McDaniel Annual Fund Manager
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & EDUCATION
José Meza
Associate Director of Education
Sarah Gonzalez Director, Youth Chorus LA
Ana Paula Farano
Education Intern
Michael Cassady
Teaching Artist
Saunder Choi
Teaching Artist
Ayana Haviv
Teaching Artist
Alice Kirwan Murray
Teaching Artist
David O
Teaching Artist
Brett Paesel
Teaching Artist
Brian Sonia-Wallace
Teaching Artist
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Steven Neiffer
Vice President of Finance/ Chief Financial Officer
Pablo Corá Controller
Allie Fukushima
Compensation & Accounting Specialist
Esther Palacios
Office Manager
Myrna Diaz
Executive Assistant & Board Liaison
MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS
Lisa Bellamore
Crescent Communications
EMERITUS
Edward J. McAniff***
Albert J. McNeil***
Clifford A. Miller***
Marshall A. Rutter
Laney Techentin
* Ex-officio
** Chorale Representative
***In Memoriam
Laura Ferreiro
Interim Marketing Manager
Eli Frances
Interim Digital
Content Manager
CONSULTANTS
Studio Fuse, Inc.
Design Firm
David Lieberman Artist
Booking Representation
Dream Warrior Group
Web Design
Jackson Lewis Counsel
Singer Lewak Public Accountant
WALT DISNEY
CONCERT HALL
Greg Flusty
House Manager
Serge Quintanar
Master Carpenter
Charlie Miledi
Property Master
Marcus Conroy
Master Electrician
Kevin F. Wapner
Master Audio/Video
Mike Wilson
Conservator of the Organ
ON TRACK!
The coast-hugging Pacific Surfliner offers 11 round trips daily between SoCal’s major performing-arts hubs by BENJAMIN EPSTEIN
Live in Los Angeles and want to experience San Diego’s newly renovated Jacobs Music Center or spectacular on-the-water Rady Shell—homes of the San Diego Symphony—but don’t want to face five or more hours driving there and back? Not to
mention parking and gas? Live in San Diego and want to see Gustavo Dudamel lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall before he takes over at the New York Philharmonic? Or a play at Ahmanson Theater or opera or dance at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion? Ditto the driving? Readers of Performances Magazine in both cities might consider Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner—and relax. Listen to music. Read a book. Watch a movie on your phone. Have a
Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner
glass of wine. Enjoy the ocean views.
Not surprisingly, the coast-hugging Surfliner represents the second busiest intercity passenger rail corridor in the United States. There are 11 round trips daily between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Seating can be Unreserved Coach or reserved and roomier Business Class upstairs. The Market Café offers sandwiches, salads, snacks and sweets plus craft beer, California
wines and cocktails.
Surfliner stops include L.A.’s Union Station and San Diego’s Santa Fe Depot—Mission Moderne and Spanish Baroque masterpieces, respectively. Both are very near those cities’ major performing-arts venues.
Los Angeles to San Diego
SAN DIEGO’S SANTA Fe Depot straddles the waterfront Embarcadero and the city’s Gaslamp Quarter, its celebrated dining-entertainment hub. The station is less than a
mile to either of San Diego Symphony’s primary performance venues.
Charismatic music director Rafael Payare leads the orchestra at the Jacobs Music Center downtown, recently reopened following a $125 million renovation, and the spectacular outdoor Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, opposite historic Coronado.
The Jacobs Center began life as the Fox Theatre movie palace in 1929. The orchestra took it over, and extensively
renovated it, 40 years ago. Its elaborate décor remains; remarkably, rising above it since 1989 is late-modernist Symphony Towers, second tallest skyscraper in San Diego.
The center’s recent revitalization adds a tunable acoustic canopy, state-of-the-art digital sound and lighting, performance configuration including a choral terrace and embedded Robert Morton pneumatic pipe organ, new seating and finishes, restored architectural details, and enhanced
In San Diego, clockwise from top left: grilled Baja oysters at Asian-inspired steakhouse Animae; the pool at Alma boutique hotel, newly added to Marriott Bonvoy's Tribute Portfolio; Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, across from Coronado; penthouse suite at Alma.
audience amenities.
The center is a 5-minute walk from the Alma boutique hotel, newly added to Marriott
Bonvoy’s Tribute Portfolio. Alma’s design celebrates the region’s Mexican heritage, street culture and tattoo-inspired art.
Notable among some 200 accommodations are four penthouse suites with differing floor-toceiling views of the Pacific
Ocean, Coronado and downtown.
On-property dining: The Café offers all meals daily; dinner highlights are as diverse as Japanesepurple-potato patatas bravas, braised-lamb rigatoni, and swordfish with coconut forbidden rice.
Off-property: Consider Asian-inspired steakhouse Animae from chefs Brian Malarkey and Tara Monsod; it's newly Michelin-listed and just around the corner from Santa Fe Depot.
San Diego to Los Angeles TAKE THE SURFLINER from Santa Fe Depot or Old Town to Union
Newly renovated Jacobs Music Center
JOY FOR ALL
Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular
Featuring Ballet Folkórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Espectacular with Special Guest Camila Fernández
$43–$138
Dorrance Dance: The Nutcracker Suite
Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn, arrangement
Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, composer
$48–$118
The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra In the Holiday Mood
$43–$95
Lea Salonga: Sounding Joy
The Holiday Tour
$52–$157
SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK®
50th Anniversary Tour
Celebrating the HolyDays
$43–$95
Dorrance Dance Nochebuena
CELESTIALS:
MOBLEY + VIVALDI
SAT, JAN 11 | 7:30 PM | The Wallis
SUN, JAN 12 | 4 PM | The Huntington
Margaret Batjer LEADER
Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR
David Washburn + Paul Merkelo TRUMPETS
IMPRESSIONISTS:
PINTSCHER + DEBUSSY + DeYOUNG
SAT, FEB 15 | 7:30 PM | Alex Theatre
SUN, FEB 16 | 4 PM | The Wallis
Matthias Pintscher CONDUCTOR
Michelle DeYoung MEZZO
2024/25 SEASON
TICKETS
Michelle DeYoung
Reginald Mobley COUNTERTENOR
TRAVEL
Station in downtown Los Angeles, minutes by Uber/Lyft from the station entrance to the Los Angeles Music Center.
Music Center venues include Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the L.A. Phil and L.A. Master Chorale; the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum, premiere destinations for L.A. theater; and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, venue for L.A. Opera and the center’s dance series.
You can stay directly opposite the Frank Gehrydesigned Disney Hall, with its asymmetric sweeping curves, at the Conrad Los Angeles, another expression of Gehry’s West Coast modernism. The hotel is centerpiece for The Grand, a Gehrydesigned $1 billion development.
The Conrad is also steps from the landmark Broad Museum of Contemporary Art and the Colburn School of Music; MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) is nearby, too.
An arts anchor for the Grand itself is on tap for 2025: Refik Anadol Studio’s Dataland. The world’s first museum of AI arts, it promises experiences blending “human imagination and artificial intelligence.”
Accommodations at
the 305-room luxury Conrad hotel feature floor-to-ceiling windows; there’s a new spa and a rooftop pool and bar with downtown views.
On-property dining:
Celebrity chef José Andrés presents the cuisine of his native Spain through a California lens at San Laurel; cocktails are
superb. Its terrace directly overlooks Disney Hall.
Off-property: Beautiful new Camélia is a FrenchJapanese bistro in downtown’s Arts District;
its owners—the chef and beverage director, respectively—are highly regarded for their izakaya and sake bar in nearby Echo Park.
The Wallis and Los Angeles Ballet Present
Jan 30-Feb 1, 2025
for Tickets
Principal Sponsor of the world premiere: The David and Janet Polak Foundation
losangelesballet.org 2024/2025 Season
At San Laurel in Los Angeles: Japanese whisky milk punch and terrace view of Walt Disney Concert Hall
Wizard’s
Yellow Brick Road and tulips. Opposite: Director Jon M. Chu with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, and, right, Shiz University classroom of goat-professor Dr. Dillamond
/CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
personal power, “Defying Gravity,” the first-act closing song of the stage musical. All songs from Act One—among them Galinda-later-Glinda’s theme song, “Popular” —are in the first film.
New material was added for the second; songs in both films were sung live on set when possible. There’s also a new character, Miss Coddle (Keala Settle), a house mother at Shiz University where Glinda
and Elphaba meet and become roommates.
When it came to adapting musical elements for the screen, Schwartz says, “I wanted to make sure the orchestrations, both for the songs and score, had the sweep of a movie soundtrack, but retained the individual flavor of Wicked.” He and composer John Powell collaborated on the score.
“Also, in discussion with Jon M. Chu, our wonderfully imaginative director, I wanted to figure out how to take songs that on stage are basically one character standing
and singing—‘The Wizard and I,’ ‘I’m Not That Girl,’ even ‘Defying Gravity’— and ensure they had the action and flow necessary for a movie. Jon did a great job delivering that.”
Some songs are revised to further the storytelling. “The most obvious,” Schwartz says, “is the expansion of the ‘Wizomania’ section of ‘One Short Day,’ exploring the propaganda the Wizard disseminates about his arrival and how he became ruler of Oz.”
Schwartz and Holzman speak highly of the two lead performers and their
The
Great Hall. Below:
commitment to their roles. “Both Cynthia and Ariana made the songs their own, with little vocal touches they added and strong personal choices,” Schwartz says. “But they were also focused on being true to the story and their characters. I wound up with enormous respect and gratitude for the artistic integrity of them both.”
Some sets were designed with song performance in mind, says production designer Nathan Crowley (Wonka, The Greatest Showman); they include the library at
Shiz University, scene of “Dancing Through Life,” a number that introduces Fiyero and illuminates the hopes and needs of several characters. Inspired by motion in other movies, such as Fred Astaire’s Royal Wedding, Crowley designed three rotating
bookcases which, he notes, add to the concept of defying gravity.
“If you give a set more, and things happen,” he says, “it helps the actors and choreography, it gives them a playground rather than just a street or a floor.” Christopher Scott
SAT, APR 19 AT 8PM
(In the Heights) was the choreographer.
Keeping in mind that the story of Oz is an American fairy tale, Crowley drew inspiration for the huge Emerald City backlot from the Americana architecture of the Columbian World’s Exposition of 1893 in Chicago.
CONCERT
APRIL 26 TH , 2025
The Carpenter Performing Arts Center celebrates 30 Years with the Tony and Grammy Award-winning star of Hamilton, Renée Elise Goldsberry, in an evening of Broadway hits and American Songbook classics!
One challenge was to give interest and detail to the Great Hall in the Wizard’s palace, initially painted entirely green. “So then you have to say, ‘Well, what colors do we not expect to go with green?’ You find dark navies and bronzes,” he says. “You find other colors that will pop.”
Crowley tried to minimize the use of CGI in favor of filming on actual sets, and sustainability was key for all aspects of production. The petals of the yellow tulips,
Ethan Slater and Marissa Bode in “Dancing through Life”
for instance, were used to create the dye for the Yellow Brick Road.
One actor enchanted by Crowley’s Wicked world is Ethan Slater (Broadway’s titular SpongeBob SquarePants); he plays Boq, a Munchkin who yearns for Glinda and is in turn the object of the unrequited love of Elphaba’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode).
Slater describes the performing environment as “spectacular and surreal. The honesty and depths and truths that [cast members] were able to bring to all of these roles,” he says, “were amplified by the way that we interacted with and related to the set and the spaces we were in.”
In “Dancing Through Life,” Boq performs with Nessarose, who uses a wheelchair; Bode is the first actress in the role to
Background art by Vecteezy
NOVEMBER 15 – JANUARY 5 *
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Get your tickets today at LAZooLights.org
*Closed most Mondays and Tuesdays plus November 28, December 24, and December 25.
use a wheelchair in real life. “A big part of the choreography had to do with Marissa dancing, using her wheelchair,” Slater says. “What it came down to was having conversations with Marissa and Jon and everybody else about the significance of Nessa and her relationship to the wheelchair, and to herself.”
What does Slater feel this version of Wicked will mean to moviegoers?
“I think that the however-many millions of people who have seen Wicked on stage are going to watch this movie and recognize the show that they love—and be able to find new and different depths to it, which doesn’t take away from the stage version at all,” he says.
“It’s just a new medium,” Slater adds. “And I think that they’ll be able to find new meaning in the new medium.”
Production designer Nathan Crowley on a set for Oz.
reprogrammed !
Performances Magazine unveils a digital program platform for shows and concerts
DROP DOWN MENU Table of app contents.
REGISTER
Stay arts-engaged, access past programs.
THE ESSENTIALS Acts, scenes, synopses, repertory and notes.
CONTRIBUTORS
Donors and sponsors who make it all possible—you!
NO RUSTLING PAGES, no killing trees . . . The new Performances program platform, accessed on any digital device, is among the more enduring innovations to have come out of the pandemic. The platform provides the programs for 20 Southern California performing-arts organizations, from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Ahmanson Theatre to San Diego Opera, where the app made its debut.
The touchless platform provides cast and player bios, donor and season updates and numerous other
arts-centric features. Audiences receive a link and a code word that instantly activate the app; QR codes are posted, too.
Screens go dark when curtains go up and return when house lights come back on. Updates—such as repertory changes, understudy substitutions and significant new donations—can be made right up to showtime, no inserts necessary. Other features include video and audio streams, translations and expanded biographies.
For those who consider printed
Find whatever it is you want to know—easily.
SIGN IN
Link to your performing-arts companies and venues. SEARCH
THE PLAYERS
Bios and background for cast, crew and creators.
WHAT’S ON
What’s coming at a glance and ticket information.
programs to be keepsakes, a limited number, as well as commemorative issues for special events, continue to be produced. Collectibles!
Meanwhile, there is less deforestation, consumption of petroleum inks and programs headed for landfills. For the ecologically minded, the platform gets a standing ovation.
When theaters and concert halls reopened after their long intermission, the digital Performances was but one more reason for audience excitement. Activate your link and enjoy the shows. —CALEB WACHS
