Mercury Musicans
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MERCURY MUSICANS Through special gifts, Dorian Barnes Antoine Plante, Conductor crafted two violins especially for VIOLIN I BASS Mercury which are Jonathan Godfrey, concertmaster Paul Ellison, principal played tonight by sponsored by Randy & Cathy Crath Jonathan Godfrey Anabel Ramirez OBOE and Andrés Noel Martin Kristin Olson, principal Hae-a Lee Cameron Kirkpatrick González. These handcrafted violins BASSOON were funded in part VIOLIN II Stephanie Corwin, principal by major support Oleg Sulyga, principal from Hans and Maria Lin TRUMPET Lili Kirchner and Andrés González Nate Mayfield,principal Stephen and Kristine Kana Kimura Amanda Pepping Wallace. Our period instrument timpani THEORBO were funded by VIOLA Michael Leopold Cynthia Black, principal Brigid and Vey Spin. Matthew Carrington HARPSICHORD Yvonne Smith Andrew Schneider TIMPANI CELLO Richard Brown Kevin Downs, principal Julia Sengupta 2015–2016 Season 20th Anniversary HOUSTON SYMPHONY CHORUS Betsy Cook Weber, Director Beth Casey, Rehearsal Conductor Stuart Aron Michael Kessler Chelsea Berner Kimberly Macqueen Bruce Boyle Ben May Patricia Bumpus Saleel Menon Beth Casey Bill Mize Elizabeth Chrisman Theresa Olin Nicole Colby Jessica Rangel Jessica Colmenares Douglas Rodenberger Anna Diemer Tyson Ruhmann Randy Eckman Lauren Smith Thyago Galvao Brian Smith Mexicantos Robert Gomez Miriam Stafford Five Centuries of Mexican Choral Treasures Heather Goodwin Peter Tu Saturday, March 5, 2016, 7:30 pm Jennifer Harris Jenny Warkentin Church of St. John the Divine Funded in part by grants from the City of Houston Donald Howie Brady Weldon 2450 River Oaks Blvd., Houston, TX 77019 through the Christopher Kersten Lee Williams Houston Arts Alliance. Tickets: HoustonChamberChoir.org 713-224-5566 ARTIST BIOGRAPHY Artistic Director ARTIST PROFILES ANTOINE PLANTE LAUREN SNOUFFER Antoine Plante, Praised by audiences and musicians alike A native of Austin, TX, soprano Lauren Snouffer is a for his conducting verve and innovative programming, graduate of Shepherd School of Music at Rice Univer- Antoine Plante is a young conductor who has garnered sity and The Juilliard School. Skilled in many genres, praise for bringing music to life. “Plante led his orchestra, Snouffer’s repertoire ranges from Baroque masters like the choir and the soloists in an impressive account of the Monteverdi and Lully to modern composers such as Requiem: authoritative, vigorous, emotionally intense, at György Kurtág and John Corigliano. She has per- times utterly gripping,” said Charles Ward of the Houston formed previously with Houston Grand Opera, the Chronicle. Julliard Opera Theater as well as at the Glimmerglass Plante is a founder of Mercury, a Houston-based Festival and at Aspen Music Festival as a New Horizons fellow. Snouffer was orchestra that has experienced remarkable audience an HGO Studio Artist from 2011-2013 and recipient of the Sara Tucker Study growth over its fifteen-year history. In that capacity, Plante has become known for Grant from the Richard Tucker Music Foundation in 2013. She has performed his deftness in balancing a great works repertoire with lesser-known and unknown with Juilliard415, Bach Society of Houston, Ars Lyrica and has previously per- pieces. His exciting musicality has made him an audience favorite, as evidenced by formed with Mercury as Phénice and La Gloire in Lully’s Armide. Mercury’s subscription renewal rate of over ninety percent and the orchestra’s need to move to ever-larger halls. Equally important, Plante has earned a reputation for coaching musicians in period performance technique. Musicians that have worked with him form the core of a burgeoning early music performance scene in Houston. He is also a passionate supporter of classical music education, and has led Mercury’s music education programs, a significant effort that includes classroom music education in under-served schools, master classes for school orchestras, and performances for schoolchildren. Plante is experienced in directing orchestral pieces as well as works for voice, and has conducted several operas and ballets. He recently collaborated with noted director Pascal Rambert to produce a modern staged version of Lully’s Armide, which was performed to critical acclaim in Paris and Houston. He worked with JOHN HOLIDAY Dominic Walsh Dance Theater to create a score for the Dominic Walsh ballet John Holiday, a native of Rosenberg, TX, has studied at Romeo and Juliet. Recently, Plante has conducted Handel’s complete Messiah and Southern Methodist University, University of Cincinnati Water Music, as well as Mozart’s Requiem. His opera repertoire includes Purcell’s College – Conservatory of Music and at the prestigious Dido and Aeneas, Vivaldi’s Montezuma and Handel’s Rodelinda. In addition to Juillard School. Winning third prize at the Operalia Baroque pieces, his repertoire includes Classical works such as Mozart, Beethoven Competition in August 2014, Holiday established him- and Haydn symphonies. self as a singer to watch in the opera world. In addi- He has been guest conductor of Chanticleer, the San Antonio Symphony, Ecuador tion to frequent recitals, Holiday has performed with National Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Grand Opera, Oregon Bach Festival and the Metropolitan Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Wolf Trap Atlanta Baroque. Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Portland Opera and Glimmer- glass Opera as well as apprenticing at the Santa Fe Opera. This summer he debuted at Spoleto Festival USA in the world premiere of Paradise Interrupted, composed by Huang Ruo with visual design and direction by Jennifer Wen Ma. In repertoire encompassing George Frideric Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto to Jonathan Dove’s Flight and beyond, countertenor John Holiday’s expressive and richly beautiful voice has made him an increasingly sought after artist, possessing a “vocal instrument that threatens to equal the name artists in his range.” (Herald Times). Holiday has previously performed with Mercury for last year’s holiday concert, “Shepherds and Angels.” ARTIST PROFILES ARTIST PROFILES NICHOLAS PHAN BETSY COOK WEBER Named one of NPR’s Favorite New Artists of 2011, tenor Dr. Betsy Cook Weber is Professor of Music and Director Nicholas Phan continues to distinguish himself as one of Choral Studies at the University of Houston's Moores of the most compelling young tenors appearing on the School of Music and is also internationally active as a prestigious concert and opera stages of the world today. conductor, clinician, adjudicator and lecturer. In 2013, Phan performs extensively in opera, chamber music and Weber became the 13th person and first woman to recital. He has appeared with many leading orchestras, receive the Texas Choral Director Association's covet- including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, ed Texas Choirmaster Award. She is editor of the Betsy and Chicago Symphony, as well as singing with noted Cook Weber choral series with Alliance Music Publishing. opera companies such as Glyndebourne Opera, Los Choirs under Weber's direction, including the Moores Angeles Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. In recital, School Concert Chorale, have been featured at multiple he has been presented by Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the state and national conventions. Internationally, Chorale has won prizes and re- Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Atlanta’s Spivey Hall, among others. ceived acclaim at prestigious competitions in Wales, France and Germany. He is also a founder and the Artistic Director of Collaborative Arts Institute of Weber has prepared singers for Da Camera of Houston and for early music Chicago, an organization devoted to promoting the art song and vocal chamber orchestras ARS Lyrica Houston and Mercury. She prepares singers for touring music repertoire. The latest addition to Phan’s growing discography, A Painted shows, including Josh Groban, NBC's Clash of the Choirs, Telemundo's Latin Tale, released February 2015 (Avie Records), presents songs by sixteenth– and Grammy, Star Wars: In Concert and Andrea Bocelli. Before joining the Univer- seventeenth-century English composers. A graduate of the University of Mich- sity of Houston, Weber taught vocal music, K-12, in public schools. Prior to her igan, Phan also studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Aspen Music appointment as Houston Symphony Chorus Director, she served from 1990-1997 Festival and School, and is an alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio. as Assistant and, later, Associate Director of the Chorus. She holds degrees from the University of North Texas, Westminster Choir College (Princeton, NJ) and the University of Houston. MICHAEL SUMUEL HOUSTON SYMPHONY CHORUS American bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, hailed as The Houston Symphony Chorus, the official choral unit of the Houston Sym- having “vocals [that] are smooth and ingratiating” phony, consists of highly skilled and talented volunteer singers. Over the years, (Daily Camera), is familiar to Houston audiences most singers in this historic ensemble have learned and performed the world's great recently as Papageno in Houston Grand Opera’s recent choral-orchestral masterworks under the batons of Andrés Orozco-Estrada, production of The Magic Flute. Studying at both Co- Michael Krajewski, Hans Graf, Robert Shaw, Mitch Miller, Peter Schrier, Helmut lumbus State University and Rice University, Sumuel Rilling and Nicholas McGegan, among many others. Under the leadership of Di- is an alumnus of the Merola Opera Program at San rector Emeritus Charles Hausmann, the Chorus