Immersion Youth Rep’s Young Artist Program
Cast:
Diana - Lindsey Blackhurst
Dan - Philip Muehe
Natalie - Anli Winters
Gabe - Richie Van, Andy Ruggeri
Henry (Henrietta) - Joy Jasik
Dr. Fine, Dr. Madden - Eva Kraske
Immersion Youth Repertory’s Summer Show: Kiss Me Kate!
Two divas vocally duel with each other and sing about booze, coffee, and love (or is it “love?”).
A casual and intimate night of song with piano and violin coupled with food from an organization that benefits underserved and immigrant populations
Immersion Youth Repertory’s Summer Season
Open to students grades 8-12
Musica Viva NY concludes its 2019-20 season with a meditation on spirituality and beauty, interspersing the movements of Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil (more commonly known as the Vespers), a monument of a cappella vocal music, with the contemplative and complex Suite No. 4 for solo cello by Bach. Join us for this special evening in the newly renovated space of All Souls Church, Musica Viva NY’s concert home.
RACHMANINOFF
All-Night Vigil, Op. 37
J. S. BACH
Cello Suite No. 4 in E-flat major, BWV 1010
“Molly Manybloom” (approx. 45 min), Victoria Bond (text by James Joyce)
“In the Shadow of Sirius” (approximately 22 min) Jennifer Higdon (text by W.S. Merlin)
2 sopranos, 4 string players, dancers
This concert explores women composers’ musical settings of texts by male writers. Using various modalities such as voice, instruments, dance, and text, we contemplate themes such as one’s place in their own body, in society, and in the world. For instance, although “Molly Manybloom” (text by James Joyce and music by Victoria Bond), Molly sits in a very specific place and time but with universal themes and ideas; Merlin’s text set to music by Jennifer Higdon offers a more contemplative version of these themes.
Musica Viva NY & the Aeolus Quartet
Join Musica Viva NY as we present works by composers from three phases of German Romanticism: early (Mendelssohn); middle (Rheinberger); and late (Mahler). The Musica Viva NY choir performs Rheinberger’s only mass for double choir, interspersed by the movements of Mendelssohn’s last string quartet, played by the award-winning Aeolus Quartet. The program also features Mahler’s timeless Rückert Lieder with soloists from the Musica Viva NY choir, in a special arrangement by Gerhard Präsent for string quartet and piano.
GUSTAV MAHLER
Rückert-Lieder for voice, string quartet, and piano (arr. Gerhard Präsent)
JOSEF RHEINBERGER
Mass in E flat major, Op. 109
FELIX MENDELSSOHN
String Quartet in F minor, Op. 80
A Family and Friends Preview Event!
John Cuk, piano
Visions of Home is a community-centric event. Concert-goers bring a food dish that is meaningful to them (for a comped ticket) in order to emphasize each of our unique stories. Through food and music, we will “break bread” together as a community of people with shared humanity.
The concert features songs exploring the various ideas of “home” - longing for home, belonging, nostalgia, escaping, being driven from home, finding home in community - and includes songs from the Western classical canon, contemporary composers (both well-known and up-and-coming), and musical theatre selections.
Join us for a celebration of the Great American Songbook, presented by your favorite Musica Viva NY singers, featuring songs by George Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, Harold Arlen and other favorites. Festivities begin at 7pm with wine, canapés and a Silent Auction to support Musica Viva NY – you could be the winning bidder on one (or more!) of the unique items. Following the performance, enjoy bubbly, confections and conversation.
Musica Viva NY & Trent Johnson, organ
The patron saint of music, St. Cecilia, whose feast day is celebrated in November each year, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, are two of the central figures of devotion in the Catholic tradition. In the splendid neo-Gothic space of St Vincent Ferrer, Musica Viva NY explores works both well loved and newly written in honor of these two remarkable women, including the glorious Ave Maria of Franz Biebl; Britten’s Hymn to St. Cecilia; and the stunning plainchant of Hildegard von Bingen.
HILDEGARD VON BINGEN
O Splendidissima Gemma
HENRYK GÓRECKI
Totus Tuus
ARVO PÄRT
Salve Regina, for choir and organ
MICHAEL PRAETORIUS/JAN SANDSTRÖM
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
ROBERT PARSONS
Ave Maria
ZACHARY WADSWORTH
The Greater O Antiphons (New York premiere)
BENJAMIN BRITTEN
Hymn to St. Cecilia
JAMES MACMILLAN
Cecilia Virgo
FRANZ BIEBL
Ave Maria
Music Director, Conductor, Lighting Designer
This production celebrates the formal emergence of Immersion Repertory. After two successful collaborations (the first exploring the nature of power and the second examining media and perceptions’ effect on emotional truth), Esha Datta and Lindsey Blackhurst mark their official merging with Immersion Youth Repertory.
In this concert, we explored women’s voices – both literal and figurative - as they seek to be heard. Silence, competition, and commiseration offer various perspectives of women’s experiences. Performed entirely with string quartet, repertoire for the production includes Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor and Victoria Bloom’s “Molly Manybloom.” Additionally, Esha and Lindsey welcomed young singers from Minnesota (both alumna of Immersion Youth Repertory‘s summer training programs) and the New York City Area to perform an excerpt of Too Many Sopranos (Edwin Penhorwood) alongside New York City – area singers and string players, as well as professional singers. Misha Johnson, Executive Director for Immersion Youth Repertory and Lindsey’s Minnesota collaborator joins as the stage director for the piece.
