Kent Tritle, Appointed at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Continues Activity In NYC

Kent Tritle begins the 2011-2012 season as the newly-appointed Director of Cathedral Music and Organist of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. He assumed that role on September 1, at which time he will begin developing the Cathedral choirs and expanding the Cathedral's concert series; his inaugural season there will feature three diverse programs.

While he is departing the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on Park Avenue, where for 22 years he was Director of Music Ministries and in 1989 founded the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert series, he will lead the choir and orchestra in a season-opening program commemorating the tenth anniversary of 9/11, and close the season with an organ recital. In addition, he leads the concert seasons of the Oratorio Society of New York and Music Sacra, both of which he is Music Director; and concerts with the choral forces of the Manhattan School of Music, where he is Director of Choral Activities. An acclaimed organ virtuoso, Kent Tritle also performs recitals locally and abroad, and as organist of the New York Philharmonic. And he continues to host the weekly radio show "The Choral Mix with Kent Tritle" on WQXR, New York's classical station, starting the season with a 9/11 commemorative live concert broadcast with the Cathedral Choir of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine on September 9.

Among the highlights of the season:

An inaugural season at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine that features three choral programs - a Christmas concert by the Cathedral Choirs (December 10, 2011); a program featuring Scarlatti's Stabat Mater and Bach's Jesu meine Freude (March 28, 2012); and a program of Eastern European and Armenian music with guest artists Nina Stern, recorders and chalumeau; Ara Dinkjian, oud; Arthur Fiacco, cello; Tamer Pinarbasi, kanun; and Glen Velez, percussion (May 1, 2012) - as well as an organ recital, his first event at the Cathedral in his new role, a program of works by George Crumb, Larry King, Ned Rorem, and Julius Reubke (November 22, 2011). He leads the Cathedral Choir of the of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine for the first time in "Decade 9/11: Music of Reflection and Resilience," a concert, broadcast live, at The Greene Space of WQXR in a program commemorating the tenth anniversary of 9/11, featuring The Best Beloved, a composition by longtime Trinity Church choir member Chris DeBlasio (September 9, 2011, at The Greene Space at WQXR).

Premieres of works by Czech composer Juraj Filas: U.S. premiere of Requiem (Oratio Spei), written in 2002, which the composer has dedicated to the victims of terrorism, performed by the Choir and Orchestra of St. Ignatius Loyola in an event commemorating the tenth anniversary of 9/11; soloists are soprano Susanna Phillips, tenor John Tiranno, and baritone John Michael Moore (September 14, 2011); and the world premiere of Song of Solomon for chorus and orchestra, based on the biblical text, commissioned and performed by the Oratorio Society of New York (April 26, 2012, at Carnegie Hall). Juraj Filas, born in 1955 in the Slovak Republic, is one of the most prominent composers of the Czech Republic, where he has lived and worked for the past 35 years. Also a singer who has won several vocal competitions, Filas writes music which has been described as belonging to the Czech neo-Romantic movement.

Two concerts that are part of the Carnegie Hall 120th anniversary season of events: a performance of Rachmaninoff's All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 (Vespers) by Musica Sacra as part of the October 2011 city-wide slate of events designed to explore Tchaikovsky's influence on other St. Petersburg artists (October 12, 2011, at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle); and the spring concert by the Oratorio Society of New York - one of the organizations that provided the impetus for the 1891 creation of Carnegie Hall - a program of Dvorák's Stabat Mater (the first time Kent Tritle will conduct this work) and Filas's Song of Solomon (April 26, 2012, at Carnegie Hall)

The world premiere of Stephen Paulus's The Shoemaker, a one-act opera based on Tolstoy's short story "What Men Live By," presented in a semi-staged performance by the Manhattan School of Music Chamber Choir and Chamber Ensemble; the soloists will be drawn from the Choir of the school, where Tritle is Director of Choral Activities (April 3, 2011)

Mozart's arrangement of Handel's Messiah performed by the Oratorio Society of New York in its annual presentation of the holiday classic, with soloists Emalie Savoy, Mary Phillips, Aaron Blake, and Kevin Deas. In the arrangement, which dates from 1789, Tritle says that in addition to using all of Handel's original text, "Mozart adds one purely new recitative and adds his personal flair in harmony, ‘modernizing' the orchestra to include trombones, two flutes, two clarinets, two horns and divided bassoons." This will mark the Oratorio Society's 202nd performance of the work. (December 19, 2011, at Carnegie Hall)

A Musica Sacra season featuring the ensemble's two annual Carnegie Hall performances of Handel's Messiah, with soloists Leslie Fagan, Sasha Cooke, Patrick Cullen Gandy, and Kevin Deas (December 20 & 21, 2011); and two chamber programs showcasing the chorus in their core repertoire: "A Bach Family Notebook" of works by J.S. Bach and his forebears (February 23, 2012), and "Songs and Romances" of Brahms, Schubert, and Schumann (April 23, 2012), both in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

"The Choral Mix with Kent Tritle" continues on WQXR (Sundays at 7:00 AM and 11:00 PM and on demand at www.wqxr.org/programs/choral/); upcoming programs will include a preview of the season's choral music offerings in New York.

In addition to the premiere of Stephen Paulus's The Shoemaker, among the concerts by the choral forces of the Manhattan School of Music, where Tritle is Director of Choral Activities, are two with the New York Philharmonic: an appearance by the MSM Symphonic Chorus and Chamber Choir in Walton's Henry V, narrated by Christopher Plummer and conducted by Alan Gilbert (September 17, 2011); and an appearance by the MSM Chamber Choir in a Young People's Concert, performing "Dona Nobis Pacem" from Bach's Mass in B Minor (October 15, 2011). Among the concerts Tritle leads at the school is a performance of Haydn's The Creation by the MSM Symphonic Chorus and Chamber Choir (November 10, 2011) and a program of Jongen's Mass for choir, organ, and brass, and works by Schütz and Gabrieli (April 10, 2012, at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola).

Kent Tritle will lead a 50-member group of Oratorio Society of New York on a trip to Rome for two concerts of the Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra, or International Festival of Sacred Music and Art - an autumn festival that presents performances of sacred music in Rome's Patriarchal Basilicas - a festival-opening performance of Mozart Vespers selections and Handel and Vivaldi with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo at St. Peter's Basilica (October 26, 2011), and the Poulenc Organ Concerto (with Tritle as soloist) at the Basilica of St. John Lateran (October 29, 2011).

New Recordings
Recordings of two programs from Kent's 2010-2011 season will be released by the MSR label in 2011-2012:
Cool of the Day: The Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola performing an a cappella program of music ranging from Gregorian chant and Palestrina to Strauss's Deutsche Motette - a work for a cappella choir and soloists divided into 20 parts spanning four octaves - to spirituals and pieces by Eric Whitacre, which was performed on the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series on February 9, 2011.
Messages to Myself: Musica Sacra performing an a cappella program of five new works, which were presented in their world premiere (Daniel Brewbaker's Mother, Father, a setting of E.E. Cummings text; and Michael Gilbertson's Three Madrigals after Dowland), and New York premiere (Zachary Patten's Magnificat, Behzad Ranjbaran's We Are One, and Christopher Theofanidis's Messages to Myself) performances on May 13, 2011. This is Kent Tritle's first recording with Musica Sacra - and the revival of the ensemble's recording tradition that includes more than ten releases on the RCA, Deutsche Grammophon, and BMG (Vanguard) labels.

Educational Activities in 2011-2012
Kent Tritle will lead his third annual master class for the Metropolitan Opera Guild, titled "Mass Appeal," focusing on movements from masses including Bach's Mass in B Minor and others (April 18, 2012).
In July and August, Kent Tritle led Monteverdi's Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610 Vespers) at the Berkshire Choral Festival, coaching a chorus of approximately 100 singers chosen by audition, along with soloists Molly Quinn, Kathryne Lewek, Jason McStoots, Steven Fox, Richard Giarusso, and Matt Boehler, and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, in a week of workshops and rehearsals, culminating in a performance.

Organ Performances in 2011-2012
Among Tritle's organ recitals this season: performances at the European Organ Festival in Slovakia, on the Kremnica Castle organ in St. Catherine's Church (which took place on August 21), and at St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague (October 6, 2011). Locally, he performs at St. Francis Church in Stamford, Connecticut (September 25, 2011), Park Avenue Methodist Church (October 17, 2011); the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (November 22, 2011), and at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, his farewell organ recital there (June 6, 2012). The program for these recitals features George Crumb's Pastoral Drone, Larry King's Resurrection, Ned Rorem's Views from the Oldest House, and Julius Reubke's Sonata on the 94th Psalm.
Among Kent's performances with the New York Philharmonic as organist are the orchestra's performances of Mahler's Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" (September 10, 24, 27, 2011), and Strauss's An Alpine Symphony (October 20, 21, 22, 2011).

Kent Tritle is one of America's leading choral conductors. Called "the brightest star in New York's choral music world" by The New York Times, Tritle assumes the role of Director of Cathedral Music and organist at New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine on September 1, 2011. The 2011-2012 season marks his seventh season as Music Director of the Oratorio Society of New York and fifth season as Music Director of Musica Sacra. He is Director of Choral Activities at the Manhattan School of Music; and a member of the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School. An acclaimed organ virtuoso, he is also the organist of the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra.

He is also the host of "The Choral Mix with Kent Tritle," a weekly hour-long radio program on New York's Classical 105.9 WQXR and www.wqxr.org devoted to the vibrant genre of choral music and the breadth of activity in the choral community.

In 1989, when he became Director of Music Ministries at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, Kent Tritle founded the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert series, and over 22 years made it an acclaimed part of the New York concert scene. He will lead his last concerts in the series in the 2011-2012 season.

From 1996 to 2004, Mr. Tritle was Music Director of the Emmy-nominated Dessoff Choirs, winners of the ASCAP/Chorus America award for adventurous programming of contemporary music. Under his direction the Dessoff Choirs performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, and Czech Philharmonic, as well as a nationally telecast Live from Lincoln Center concert of Mozart's Requiem.

Kent Tritle has made more than a dozen recordings on the Telarc, AMDG, Epiphany, Gothic, VAI and MSR Classics labels. His most recent CDs with the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, Ginastera's The Lamentations of Jeremiah and Schnittke's Concerto for Choir; and Wondrous Love, music from 1,000 years of sacred repertoire, have been praised by Gramophone, the American Record Guide, and The Choral Journal.

Visit www.kenttritle.com.

Kent Tritle's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kenttritle

KENT TRITLE 2011-2012 SEASON

Friday, September 9, 2011, at 7:00 PM
The Jerome L. Greene Performance Space
"Decade 9/11: Music of Reflection and Resilience"
The Cathedral Choir of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine
Kent Tritle, Conductor

A cappella and accompanied works by Bach, Mendelssohn, and Tallis
CHRIS DE BLASIO The Best Beloved

Wednesday, September 14, 2011, at 8:00 PM
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola
SACRED MUSIC IN A SACRED SPACE
Choir and Orchestra of St. Ignatius Loyola
Kent Tritle, Conductor
Susanna Phillips, Soprano
John Tiranno, Tenor
John Michael Moore, Baritone

JURAJ FILAS Oratio Spei (U.S. Premiere)

Sunday, September 25, 2011, at 4:00 PM
St. Francis Church, Stamford, CT
KENT TRITLE, Organ
Benefit event for Musica Sacra

CRUMB Pastoral Drone
Larry King Resurrection
ROREM Views from the Oldest House
JULIUS REUBKE Sonata on the 94th Psalm

Thursday, October 6, 2011
St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic
KENT TRITLE, Organ

CRUMB Pastoral Drone
Larry King Resurrection
ROREM Views from the Oldest House
JULIUS REUBKE Sonata on the 94th Psalm

Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at 8:00 PM
Church of St. Paul the Apostle (Columbus Ave. at 60th St.)
MUSICA SACRA
Kent Tritle, Conductor

RACHMANINOV All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 (Vespers)
(Part of Carnegie Hall 120th Anniversary Celebration)

Saturday, October 17, 2011, at 8:00 PM
Park Avenue Methodist Church, New York City
KENT TRITLE, Organ

CRUMB Pastoral Drone
Larry King Resurrection
ROREM Views from the Oldest House
JULIUS REUBKE Sonata on the 94th Psalm

Wednesday, October 26, 2011, at 5:00 PM
Papal Basilica of St. Peter's in The Vatican, Rome
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SACRED MUSIC AND ART
Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo
Oratorio Society of New York
Kent Tritle, Conductor

(Prelude: Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor; Kent Tritle, organ)
VIVALDI "Et in terra pax" from Gloria
MOZART "Laudate Dominum" from Solemn Vespers
MOZART Ave Verum Corpus
HANDEL "Hallelujah, Amen" from Judas Maccabeus

Saturday, October 29, 2011, at 9:00 PM
Papal Basilica of St. John Lateran, Rome
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF SACRED MUSIC AND ART
Orchestra del Festival di Musica e Arte Sacra
Oratorio Society of New York
Kent Tritle, Conductor and Organ
David Rosenmeyer, Conductor

POULENC Organ Concerto
SAINT-SAENS Requiem

Thursday, November 10, 2011, at 7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC SYMPHONIC CHORUS, CHAMBER CHOIR
Kent Tritle, Conductor

HAYDN The Creation

Tuesday, November 22, 2011, at 7:30 PM
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
KENT TRITLE, Organ

CRUMB Pastoral Drone
Larry King Resurrection
ROREM Views from the Oldest House
JULIUS REUBKE Sonata on the 94th Psalm

Saturday, December 10, 2011, at 7:30 PM
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle, Conductor

CHARPENTIER Te Deum
VIVALDI Gloria
Music of Schütz and Gabrieli

Monday, December 19, 2011, at 8:00 PM
Carnegie Hall
ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
Kent Tritle, Conductor
Emalie Savoy, Soprano
Mary Phillips, Mezzo-soprano
Aaron Blake, Tenor
Kevin Deas, Baritone

HANDEL Messiah (arrangement by Mozart)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011, at 8:00 PM
Wednesday, December 21, 2011, at 8:00 PM
Carnegie Hall
MUSICA SACRA
Kent Tritle, Conductor
Leslie Fagan, Soprano
Sasha Cooke, Mezzo-soprano
Patrick Cullen Gandy, Tenor
Kevin Deas, Baritone

HANDEL Messiah

Thursday, February 23, 2012, at 8:00 PM
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
MUSICA SACRA
Kent Tritle, Conductor

Bach Family Notebook: Works by J.S. Bach and his forebears

Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC CHAMBER CHOIR
Kent Tritle, Conductor
MSM Graduate Conductors

Music of Schumann, Brahms, and Mendelssohn

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at 7:30 PM
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle, Conductor

SCARLATTI Stabat Mater
BACH Jesu meine Freude

Tuesday, April 3, 2012, at 7:30 PM
Manhattan School of Music
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC CHAMBER CHOIR
Kent Tritle, Conductor

Stephen PaulUS The Shoemaker (World Premiere)
MENOTTI The Unicorn, The Gorgon and The Manticore

Tuesday, April 10, 2012, at 7:30 PM
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola
MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC SYMPHONIC CHORUS
Kent Tritle, Conductor

JONGEN Mass for Choir, Organ and Brass, Op. 130
Motets by Bruckner, Schütz and Gabrieli

Wednesday, April 18, 2012
METROPOLITAN OPERA GUILD

Master Class with Kent Tritle: "Mass Appeal"

Monday, April 23, 2012, at 8:00 PM
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
MUSICA SACRA
Kent Tritle, Conductor

Songs and Romances: The Romance of Brahms, Schubert, and Schumann

Thursday, April 26, 2012, at 8:00 PM
Carnegie Hall
ORATORIO SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
Kent Tritle, Conductor

DVORÁK Stabat Mater
JURAJ FILAS Song of Solomon (World Premiere)
(Part of Carnegie Hall 120th Anniversary Celebration)

Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at 7:30 PM
The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
Kent Tritle, Conductor
Nina Stern, Recorders and Chalumeau
Ara Dinkjian, Oud
Arthur Fiacco, Cello
Tamer Pinarbasi, Kanun
Glen Velez, Percussion

Music from Eastern Europe and Armenia

Wednesday, June 6, 2012, at 7:30 PM
Church of St. Ignatius Loyola
SACRED MUSIC IN A SACRED SPACE
KENT TRITLE, Organ

CRUMB Pastoral Drone
Larry King Resurrection
ROREM Views from the Oldest House
JULIUS REUBKE Sonata on the 94th Psalm