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TUCSON DESERT SONG FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS SIXTH SEASON: “BERNSTEIN AT 100” – A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF ON THE CENTENNIAL OF HIS BIRTH JANUARY 16-FEBRUARY 4, 2018

TUCSON DESERT SONG FESTIVAL, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TUCSON’S LEADING ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, PRESENTS 30 EVENTS IN 18 DAYS

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! ! ! ! ! Top: Leonard Bernstein by Paul de Hueck L to R: Sasha Cooke by Dario Acosta, Kelly Markgraf by Laura Rose, Kelly Nassief by June Jacobson, Jubilant Sykes by Phill Fewsmith, Jamie Bernstein by Steven J. Sherman

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] The Tucson Desert Song Festival (TDSF) will celebrate the life and music of Leonard Bernstein, the iconic conductor, composer, pianist and educator, from January 16 through February 4th, 2018, in Tucson, Arizona. Over a period of eighteen days, TDSF, in partnership with Tucson’s leading arts organizations, will present 30 events honoring Bernstein at 100. The festival will provide a rich and unusual context in which to experience Bernstein’s work.

Leonard Bernstein’s compositions span classical, Broadway, jazz and pop music idioms with a singularly American voice. TDSF Director George Hanson has curated a festival that draws from every aspect of Bernstein’s compositional range, from large to intimate works, featuring, films, lectures, symposiums and master classes. Highlights include a fully-staged production of Bernstein’s comic operetta Candide (in partnership with Arizona ); Trouble in Tahiti (in partnership with the Tucson Symphony ) featuring mezzo- Sasha Cooke and bass- Kelly Markgraf; , in a new reduced version (in partnership with True Concord Voices & Orchestra) featuring Jubilant Sykes; the “Kaddish” symphony, narrated by Jamie Bernstein, and an evening with Broadway star Chita Rivera.

George Hanson, a former assistant to Bernstein states, “Leonard Bernstein is one of America’s most important and influential musicians. His impact is felt by all who were alive during his glorious career; and is still felt today even by those too young to recall his time on earth. Nowhere else in the world, as far as we know, can a listener experience the full spectrum of Bernstein’s genius in such a short period of time, and in such a beautiful place as Tucson.”

Jamie Bernstein, narrator, writer and broadcaster, will be TDSF’s Artist-in-Residence, sharing insights and memories of her father and his work. Dr. Matthew Mugmon, the ’s Leonard Bernstein Scholar, will also be in residence. Ms. Bernstein and Dr.. Mugmon will provide context to help understand the complex life and career of Leonard Bernstein and will participate in symposia, Leonard Bernstein’s Impact on American Music, among them.

Tucson Desert Song Festival is presented in partnership with Arizona Early Music Society, Arizona Opera, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Ballet Tucson, New York Festival of Song, True Concord Voices & Orchestra, Tucson Guitar Society, Tucson International Jewish Film Festival, Tucson Jazz Festival, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, UA Fred Fox School of Music, and UA Presents.

The Tucson Desert Song Festival’s Bernstein celebration is made possible through the generous support of Dorothy Dyer Vanek. Jeannette Segel, TDSF board president said, “Dorothy Dyer Vanek, our Festival Sponsor, has enabled TDSF to reach out to the world with this extraordinary offering. Her original matching gift made it all possible.”

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] Tucson Desert Song Festival Presents: “Bernstein at 100” A Celebration of the Life and Music of Leonard Bernstein January 16 – February 4, 2018 Tucson, AZ www.TucsonSongFest.org

George Hanson, Festival Director Jamie Bernstein, Artist-in-Residence Dr. Matthew Mugmon, Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence

Events: Tuesday, January 16, 2018, 7:00 pm Festival Opening Event “Leonard Bernstein’s Two Worlds” From Broadway to Opera Kristin Dauphinais, mezzo soprano Holsclaw Hall Presented by UA Fred Fox School of Music

Wednesday, January 17, 2018, 7:00pm Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo soprano Holsclaw Hall Presented by Arizona Opera

Thursday, January 18, 2018, 7:30 pm “Somewhere—The Songs of Leonard Bernstein” Bill Charlap Trio Fox Tucson Theater Presented by Tucson Jazz Festival

Friday, January 19, 2018, 7:30 pm Sunday January 21, 2018, 2:00 pm Bernstein: Symphony No. 3, “Kaddish” Tucson Symphony Orchestra José Luis Gomez, conductor Kelley Nassief, soprano Jamie Bernstein, narrator (Festival Artist-in-Residence) Tucson Symphony Chorus – Bruce Chamberlain, director Tucson Arizona Boys – Julian Ackerley, director Presented by Tucson Symphony Orchestra

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] Saturday, January 20, 2018, time TBD “On the Waterfront” with an introduction and Q&A by Jamie Bernstein Jewish Community Center Presented by Tucson International Jewish Film Festival

Monday, January 22, 2018, 7:00 pm Symposium: Leonard Bernstein’s Jewish Heritage Details TBA

Tuesday, January 23, 2018, 4:00 pm Symposium: Leonard Bernstein’s Impact on American Music Jamie Bernstein, Artist-in-Residence Dr. Matthew Mugmon, Leonard Bernstein Scholar-in-Residence Presented by Dan Asia and UA Fred Fox School of Music

Tuesday, January 23, 2018, 7:30 pm Chita Rivera—A Legendary Celebration Centennial Hall Presented by UA Presents

Thursday, January 25, 2018, 12:00 pm New Directions in Art Song – Bernstein’s vocal influence Kristin Dauphinais, mezzo soprano Holsclaw Hall

Friday, January 26, 2018, 7:30 pm Sunday, January 28, 2018, 3:00 pm Bernstein: MASS (new reduced version) True Concord Voices & Orchestra Jubilant Sykes, Celebrant Also Featuring UA Dance Ensemble Centennial Hall Presented by True Concord Voices & Orchestra

Saturday, January 27, 2018, 3:00 pm Sunday January 28, 2018, 3:00 pm Voltaire’s Candide: The Music of Voltaire’s Time Arizona Early Music Society Aaron Sheehan, Kathryn Mueller, soprano Grace St. Paul’s Church Presented by Arizona Early Music Society

Saturday, January 27, 2018, 7:30 pm Sunday, January 28, 2018, 2:00 pm Bernstein: Candide Tucson Music Hall

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] Presented by Arizona Opera

Tuesday, January 30, 2018, 7:00 pm “Lenny and Friends” Steans Institute Singers Holsclaw Hall Presented by Ravinia’s Steans Institute

Wednesday, January 31, 2018, 7:30 pm Bernstein: Arias and Barcarolles New York Festival of Song Steven Blier, Michael Barrett Leo Rich Theater Presented by Arizona Friends of Chamber Music and NYFOS

Friday, February 2, 2018, 7:30pm Saturday, February 3, 2018, 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm Sunday, February 4, 2018, 1:00 pm “Bernstein and Ballet” Featuring the music of West Side Story Stevie Eller Dance Theater Presented by Ballet Tucson

Saturday, February 3, 2018, 2:30 pm Young Composers Showcase and Competition Holsclaw Hall

Saturday, February 3, 2018, 7:00 pm Philippe Sly, Bass Baritone John Britton, Guitar Holsclaw Hall Presented by Tucson Guitar Society

Friday, February 2, 7:30 pm at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church Saturday, February 3, 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm at Catalina Foothills High School Sunday, February 4, 2:00 pm at Catalina Foothills High School Bernstein: Trouble in Tahiti José Luis Gomez, conductor Sasha Cooke, mezzo soprano Kelly Markgraf, bass baritone University of Arizona Vocal Jazz Trio Bernstein: Three Episodes from On the Town Bernstein: Trouble in Tahiti

All events are subject to change.

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] About Tucson Desert Song Festival TDSF is a unique, collaborative festival, presented in partnership with Tucson’s leading arts organizations. TDSF provides subsidies to its partners, enabling them to bring world-class singers and exciting programs to their stages. It is the Festival’s mission to enrich Tucson’s musical life, while making the city a true “Culture Destination.” The festival provides a world spotlight to shine on Tucson.

Past alumni of the TDSF have included: Jamie Barton, Susan Graham, Christine Goerke, Nadine Sierra, Nathan Gunn, Kelley O'Connor, Amber Wagner, Rene Barbera, Tamara Mumford, Alek Shrader, Daniela Mack, James Valenti, Jill Grove, Heidi Stober, , Corinne Winters, , David Adam Moore, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Angela Brower, Zach Borichevsky and Katie Van Kooten. www.TucsonSongFest.org

About Jamie Bernstein Jamie Bernstein is a narrator, writer and broadcaster who has transformed a lifetime of loving music into a career of sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with others. Her father, composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein, her mother, the pianist and actress Felicia Montealegre, and their legions of friends in the arts, fostered an upbringing bursting with music, theatre and literature. Jamie's symphony pops concert “Bernstein on Broadway,” has enjoyed success with across North America and features Jamie’s concert narration performed live with orchestra and vocalists. She has written and produced several concerts for young people on the music of Copland, Mozart, Bernstein and others including the acclaimed program "The Bernstein Beat," a family concert about her father modeled after his own groundbreaking Young People's Concerts. Jamie also travels the world as a concert narrator, performing both her own scripts and standard concert narrations. She is a frequent speaker and has hosted numerous shows for radio stations in the and Great Britain.

About Sasha Cooke Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke has been called a "luminous standout" (New York Times) and "equal parts poise, radiance and elegant directness" (Opera News). Ms. Cooke appears frequently this season singing Mahler, whose works she has sung to great acclaim on four different continents. Sought after by the world’s leading orchestras, opera companies, and chamber music ensembles for her versatile repertoire and commitment to new music, Ms. Cooke's season continues to bring world premiere performances and unique artistic collaborations.

Ms. Cooke bookends her 2016-17 season with opera performances of Hänsel und Gretel at the Seattle Opera and a world-premiere by composer Mason Bates and librettist Mark Campbell titled The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs at The . Throughout the season her orchestral engagements include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Riccardo Muti leading Prokofiev’s Ivan the Terrible, Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 “Jeremiah” with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra as well as conducted by Yannick Nézet- Séguin at , and a staged version of Verdi’s with under Patrick Summers. Her season also features performances with Atlanta Symphony for Christopher Theofanidis' Creation/Creator conducted by Robert Spano, Milwaukee Symphony for Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with , Duruflé’s Requiem with conducted Matthew Halls and also with National Symphony Orchestra under Donald

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] Runnicles, Minnesota Orchestra to sing and record Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 conducted by Osmo Vänskä, Chamber Orchestra singing a concert of Handel, Mahler, and Mozart, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with Krzysztof Urbański and the Indianapolis Symphony, Oregon Symphony for Mozart’s Requiem under Jean-Marie Zeitouni, and Nashville Symphony for Harbison’s Requiem that will also be recorded.

During the 2015-16 season, Ms. Cooke sang performances of Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde with the San Francisco Symphony and New World Symphony, both under the baton of , and with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Handel’s with Trevor Pinnock and the National Arts Centre Orchestra, as well as with the Mormon , and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Nashville and Seattle Symphonies. A frequent performer of contemporary works, Ms. Cooke’s season featured the world premiere of Marc Neikrug’s Canta-Concerto with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert.

Her operatic engagements during the 2015-16 season included her role debut as Magdalena in Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg with under the baton of Sir Mark Elder. Ms. Cooke also joined Harry Bicket and The English Concert in her role debut as Medoro in Handel’s Orlando on tour to Vienna’s Theater an der Wien, Birmingham’s Town Hall, Valencia’s Palau de la Música, Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw, London’s Barbican Centre, and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Ms. Cooke’s past seasons have included performances with such wide-ranging conductors as Sir Andrew Davis, Pinchas Zukerman, , Gerard Schwarz, Riccardo Frizza, Jeffrey Kahane, Jaap van Zweden, Robert Spano, Tugan Sokhiev, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Tugan Sokhiev, Jean-Marie Zeitouni, Matthew Halls, and Ludovic Morlot. Previous orchestral engagements have brought her to the , Dallas Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Hong Kong Philharmonic, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Houston Symphony, New Zealand Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, MDR Orchestra, I Musici de Montreal, Colorado Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, Orchestre National de Lyon, Berkeley Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, and Columbus Symphony. Ms. Cooke has performed with opera companies around the world in the past including , Houston Grand Opera, , Opéra National de Bordeaux, Dallas Opera, The Israeli Opera and Chicago Opera Theater. Previous festival appearances have included Spoleto Festival USA, Caramoor International Music Festival, Lucerne Festival, , New York Festival of Song, Chamber Music Society of , Seattle Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Ms. Cooke has performed at such prestigious venues as the Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Carnegie’s Zankel Hall and Weill Recital Hall, Wigmore Hall, , and Brooklyn Academy of Music. On DVD, Ms. Cooke can be seen in a new production of Hansel and Gretel at the Metropolitan Opera and the Grammy Award-winning production of Doctor Atomic under conductor Alan Gilbert. Ms. Cooke’s recordings can be found on the Hyperion, Naxos, Bridge Records, Yarlung, GPR Records, and Sono Luminus labels.

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] A graduate of Rice University and The , Sasha Cooke also attended the Music Academy of the West, the Aspen Music Festival, the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Music Institute, the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Marlboro Music Festival, the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, and Seattle Opera and Central City Opera’s Young Artist Training Programs.

About George Hanson George Hanson’s recent conducting schedule brought debuts with the Chicago Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice and Pacific Symphony. In 2015 he capped a 20-year relationship with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, returning as Music Director Emeritus to conduct ’s Das Lied von der Erde. His many highlights during his two decades with TSO include releasing the orchestra’s first-ever CD to international acclaim, and receiving the Certificate of Congressional Special Recognition from Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Commitments to education and community outreach have been hallmarks of Hanson’s time in Tucson.

As assistant to Leonard Bernstein, Hanson worked closely with the great American maestro from 1982 until shortly before his death in 1990.

Along with his duties as TDSF Festival Director, a post he has held since 2015, Hanson added an appointment as Artistic Advisor/Permanent Guest Conductor of the Orquesta Filarmonica de Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico. He continues as Music Director of the Sunriver Music Festival in Oregon.

Hanson’s extensive opera conducting experience includes engagements with Berlin’s Komische Oper, Vienna’s Kammeroper, the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest and six seasons as General Music Director of the Wuppertal Opera in Germany, where he conducted and supervised 10 productions each season. North American opera engagements include Arizona Opera and Minnesota Opera.

Educated at Indiana University, the Vienna Hochschule für Musik and the Curtis Institute, Hanson served as assistant to Leonard Bernstein, and has shared the stage with Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, and Lang Lang.

About Kelly Markgraf Possessing a voice that the New York Times calls "heart-stirring" and a "charismatic and powerful" stage presence, American Baritone Kelly Markgraf has distinguished himself as a dynamic artist of commitment and gravity on the opera and concert stages.

In recent seasons, Mr. Markgraf presented the groundbreaking premiere of the world’s first transgender opera, As One, at Brooklyn Academy of Music and again at Utah State University, returned to Madison Opera for his role debut as Pizarro in Fidelio, and sang in an evening of chamber music with the Schubert Club. He also sang the leading role of Heathcliff on the world premiere recording of Carlisle Floyd’s Wuthering Heights, which was recorded live with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and will be released commercially in 2016. Upcoming performances include chamber music (works by Brahms, Ullmann, Schumann) with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, his European debut in Switzerland with Opéra de Lausanne, his role debut as Marcello in La Bohème with Hawaii Opera, his company debut with Florentine Opera (Elisir d’Amore), and creating the world-premiere

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] recording of ’s Requiem for the Naxos label with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.

Kelly Markgraf ’s 2013-2014 calendar brought concert performances of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Donato Cabrera and the Green Bay Symphony, his role and company debut with Austin Lyric Opera as Belcore in L'Elisir d’Amore, as well as Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Kent Tritle and the Oratorio Society of NY at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Markgraf debuted with the San Francisco Symphony in summer 2013, as Bernardo in performances of West Side Story, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, which was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award. He was also the featured vocalist on a chamber music program of Barber, Schubert, and Rorem with Frank Almond’s Frankly Music series. Additionally, he returned to the San Francisco Symphony for its traditional New Year’s Eve Concert, under the baton of Michael Francis, in a program of Viennese operetta and popular showstoppers. The Baritone's 2012 summer season brought appearances with the New York Philharmonic for concerts with Music Director Alan Gilbert, the OK Mozart Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, and the Music@Menlo Festival with acclaimed pianist Gilbert Kalish. Highlights of his 2012-2013 season were appearances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for Le rossignol and L'enfant et les sortilèges under Charles Dutoit; the Los Angeles Philharmonic, for Bach's O Ewigkeit, du Donnerwort under the baton of ; Madison Opera, for the title role in ; a recital with the Foundation at Carnegie's Zankel Hall, and an art song program, "Love Songs", with the The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center at Alice Tully Hall. He subsequently returned to Aspen Music Festival as Ned Keene in a semi-staged performance of , conducted by Robert Spano.

In the 2011-2012 season he took the stage as Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Kentucky Opera, made his role debut as Malatesta in Don Pasquale at Hawaii Opera in Honolulu, and sang Papageno in Die Zauberflöte with Apollo’s Fire Baroque Orchestra. In concert, he joined the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra for Ned Rorem's Aftermath.

His 2010-2011 season included the US Premiere of Shostakovich’s War Front Songs at Symphony Space, Escamillo in opposite mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke with Brazos Valley Symphony, the title role in Don Giovanni with Opera Omaha, Allazim in Mozart’s Zaide at Carnegie’s Zankel Hall with Maestro David Robertson, and the role of Zebul in Handel’s Jephtha with Kent Tritle for Sacred Music in a Sacred Space. He also appeared in a leading role in a workshop of Michael Torke’s opera Senna as part of the Metropolitan Opera/ Lincoln Center Theater Opera/Theater Commissions Program, sang Mahler and Brahms at the Caramoor International Music Festival, and Schumann Lieder at the Music@Menlo Festival with internationally renowned pianist Wu Han.

In the 2009-2010 season, Mr. Markgraf made his Opera debut as Masetto in Christopher Alden’s new production of Don Giovanni, followed by Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Omaha and the Crested Butte Music Festival. He also made his role debut as Escamillo alongside Kate Aldrich as Carmen with Pittsburgh Opera. In concert, he appeared as the baritone soloist in Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and Paul Moravec’s Songs of Love and War with Princeton Pro Musica, followed by Schumann’s Dichterliebe at the La Jolla Music Festival with pianist . In recital, he appeared at Carnegie Hall as part of the Marilyn Horne Foundation’s The Song Continues series.

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] Kelly Markgraf is a distinguished graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, where his work included the roles of Mamoud in a staged concert of John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer, conducted by the composer, and Ford in Verdi’s in a production directed by Stephen Wadsworth and conducted by Keri-Lynn Wilson. In fall 2008, he participated in the knockout West Side Story portion of the all-Bernstein program, which opened Carnegie Hall’s season and was nationally televised on PBS under Michael Tilson Thomas. Mr. Markgraf also made his Pittsburgh Opera debut as Ragged Man in ’s The Grapes of Wrath, a role he created at Minnesota Opera in 2007. In spring 2009, he was part of Ken Noda’s Winterreise project at The Juilliard School.

Mr. Markgraf is a former member of the Resident Artist Program at Minnesota Opera, where he sang Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Frédéric in Lakmé, Dappertutto and Coppélius in Les contes d’Hoffmann, as well as Ragged Man in the world premiere of The Grapes of Wrath. At Opera Theatre of St. Louis, he performed Dick McGann in James Robinson’s production of Street Scene, of which the St. Louis Post- Dispatch wrote: “Kelly Markgraf was terrific as Dick McGann: dancing up a storm, singing as well as he danced, and projecting palpable, hilarious lust.” As an apprentice at the Santa Fe Opera, he sang the role of the Bosun in Paul Curran’s production of , under the baton of Edo de Waart.

The artist’s honors include a First Prize Award from the Gerda Lissner Foundation Competition (2010), the Sullivan Foundation’s Sullivan Award (2009), the Grand Prize in the Opera Index Competition (2009), awards from the Giulio Gari Foundation and the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation (2009), a Richard F. Gold Career Grant (2009), an Outstanding Apprentice Award from the Santa Fe Opera, a Richard Tucker Foundation Career Grant Nomination, the Civic Music Association Competition Grand Prize, and an Encouragement Award from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. A native of Wisconsin, Mr. Markgraf holds degrees from Boston University, the University of Cincinnati – College Conservatory of Music, and The Juilliard School.

About Kelly Nassief Kelley Nassief ’s critically acclaimed and exquisite performances on symphonic stages across the globe have established her as one of the world’s leading concert artists. Her 2013-14 engagements included singing as soprano soloist in Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony at Konzerthaus Berlin; with Richmond Symphony in Verdi’s Requiem, also with Portland Symphonic Choir; with Rochester Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; and with Nashville Symphony in Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony. In season 2012-13 she reprised Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony in her debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

Recent season highlights include singing as featured soloist in Brahms’ Requiem with the New Bedford Symphony; in Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3 (“Kaddish”) with Fundaçao Orquestra Sinfonica do Estado de Saõ Paulo (Brazil) under ; in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in a return to the Pacific Symphony, also in her debut with Fort Worth Symphony; Bernstein’s Symphony No. 3 with both the National Symphony Orchestra and the Beethoven Festival in Warsaw, through the Fundacja Shalom of Poland; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica; Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony with Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra; and Ravel’s Shéhérazade, plus selected opera arias, with the Richmond Symphony. Other highlights include singing as

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with Louisville, Grand Rapids and Modesto symphony orchestras; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra; Mozart’s Requiem with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra; Wagner’s “Wesendonck Lieder” with Da Camera of Houston; and Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony with the Royal Flemish Philharmonic.

Nassief ’s prolific career as a gifted concert artist has included appearances with the world’s leading conductors and symphonies. She performed Beethoven’s Ah, perfido! with Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony, Peer Gynt with Charles Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn with Seiji Ozawa at the Tanglewood Music Festival, Brahms’ Requiem with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra under Neemi Järvi, and several appearances with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic to sing Peer Gynt, Elijah, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

Other successes include the “Kaddish” Symphony in Chicago, Philadelphia, London, Paris, Dresden, Warsaw and Saõ Paulo; Strauss’ Four Last Songs with Eugene Symphony; and Vaughn Williams’ A Sea Symphony with Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

In 2014-15 she returns again to the Grand Rapids Symphony as soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and sings what is becoming a signature piece for her, the “Kaddish” Symphony, in her Dallas Symphony Orchestra debut.

About Jubilant Sykes Perhaps no vocalist of our time possesses a more exquisitely versatile instrument than the Grammy nominated baritone Jubilant Sykes. Mr. Sykes brings a new dimension to the traditional career of the classically trained vocalist by drawing on gospel and jazz influences to deliver performances in differing musical genre that often leaves audiences and critics searching for new superlatives. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was inspired to proclaim, “Jubilant Sykes’ voice is extraordinary. He isn’t merely an outstanding singer, his voice is art at its highest expression.”

Mr. Sykes was honored by the recording industry with a Grammy® nomination for “Best Classical Recording.” That same recording, Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, was named “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone Magazine. Mr. Sykes also has performed with a number of the world’s finest orchestras and opera companies. He has worked with such conductors as Kurt Masur, Lorin Maazel, Leonard Slatkin, Keith Lockhart, Christoph Eschenbach, David Robertson, Andrew Litton, Marin Alsop, David Zinman, John Nelson, , and the late Marvin Hamlisch. He has been the featured soloist with many of the world’s finest orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, London Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra as well as the orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Saint Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, and, the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London.

His unique gifts have taken him from such diverse stages as the Metropolitan Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and London’s Barbican Centre to the Apollo Theater, Hollywood Bowl, New Orleans Jazz Festival and hundreds of other venues around the world. His versatility has allowed him to collaborate with a number of leading artists from different musical styles such as the renowned soprano Reneé Fleming in the Mozart Requiem, touring and singing with Julie Andrews, a Boston Pops televised special and tour, appearing as featured soloist on the televised tribute to Brian Wilson from Radio

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected] City Music Hall, and with Josh Groban and subsequently Carlos Santana at the Hollywood Bowl.

Jubilant Sykes Sings Copland and Spirituals with the London Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Litton, conducting, was released in 2010 on Arioso Classics. This followed the release of Jubilationfor EMI that combined Mr. Sykes with the legendary American classical guitarist, Christopher Parkening. This pairing has drawn such critical acclaim as “. . .the kind of concert a writer holds a few choice adjectives in special reserve for . . . two astonishing musicians.” Mr. Sykes also has released two recordings for Sony BMG Masterworks. The first, Jubilant, brought the singer together with jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard. His crossover recording, Wait for Me, features classic songs by a number of popular composer/entertainers.

Jubilant Sykes recently made his acting debut in the film Carry Me Home with Cuba Gooding, Jr., scheduled for theatrical release in 2014/2015, and performed the lead role in a new play Breath and Imagination presented by Hartford Stage. Jubilant Sykes resides in Southern California with his wife, Cecelia.

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THE FOLLOWING IS NOT FOR PUBLICATION: For additional information and materials, interviews, etc., contact: Raphael Zinman: [email protected], 917/699-7188.

20 WEST 72ND STREET, APT. 606 / NEW YORK, NY 10023-4908 / TEL: (917) 699-7188 or (212) 496-9418 [email protected]