Vocal focus from CCMN*
SOUTHERN CA VOCAL EVENTS
Lauri D. Goldenhersh’s Weekly Highlights
It seems to be a week of endings and goodbyes…
…starting, of course, with a final farewell to choral titan PAUL SALAMUNOVICH. Paul passed away on April 3 at the age of 86, after a career that lasted more than six decades and included thousands of performances, sixty years at St. Charles Borromeo Church in North Hollywood, ten years as the director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and a stellar reputation for creating a lush choral sound and training generations of solid musicians. Memorial services are set for May 2 & 3, in NoHo and Hollywood, respectively. Details and many stories have been shared in the Facebook group about Paul.
To learn more about Paul and his tremendous legacy, start with the LA Times’ recent obituary. You’re already missed, maestro.
Many operas and concerts are wrapping up for a couple of weeks, as Passion Week starts with Palm Sunday, and will keep a lot of musicians busy through Easter (4/20):
SAN DIEGO OPERA will finish their run of Massenet’s Don Quixote, a production that may be their last. There’s a lot of activity trying to find a remedy, and we’re hopeful! To learn more about the show, donate to save the company or find the official word about what’s going on, click here.
Also finishing their runs are the must-see installation of Terry Riley’s In C from THE INDUSTRY; and the beloved Tales of Hoffman from INDEPENDENT OPERA COMPANY.
To revisit some operatic favorites, LA OPERA’s Off Grand project comes to Northridge to take advantage of the grand spaces at Valley Performing Arts Center and show off “Great Opera Choruses“. These free performances take place at 3pm and 4:30pm on Sunday, and include a chance for you to get into the action, singing with the pros. Learn more
Or, catch one of two family-friendly versions of PACIFIC OPERA PROJECT’s colorful Mikado at The Getty on Saturday — performances are just 45 minutes each, and part of a larger project focused on Queen Victoria. These fully staged presentations are a great way to introduce the kiddos to opera! Click for details
More from the MINIMALIST JUKEBOX, the festival that is redefining the dominant contemporary style of the last half-century: ARETE VOCAL ENSEMBLE dips in a collective toe in Thousand Oaks on Sunday, with a varied program featuring contemporary American greats, all led by ensemble director WYANT MORTON. More info
If you’re looking more for something to set the mood for Holy Week, consider the concert at St. Gregory’s in Long Beach or an Evensong at St. James’ in the City. (They’re both on the calendar, of course.)
Or, see a multitude of singers in four combined choirs with soloists and orchestra at El Camino College in Torrance, as DR. JOANNA NACHEF conducts John Rutter’s beautiful Mass of the Children. The buzz from the rehearsal rooms is wonderful, and the concert welcomes the LA debut of the ANTONINE UNIVERSITY CHORUS from the Republic of Lebanon. Learn more
Take a look at the calendar for details on these events and more. And of course, thank you for supporting live singing!
