Vocal Arts Ensemble Announces 40th Season

Cincinnati's Vocal Arts Ensemble (VAE) returns for its 40th- anniversary season with four unique concert programs in three historic venues: Christ Church Cathedral, St. Rose Church, and Memorial Hall, the VAE's permanent home.

"First and foremost, we are celebrating an anniversary: 40 years of dynamic choral art here in Cincinnati," says VAE Music Director Craig Hella Johnson. "We are both remembering and honoring all of the musical artists and leaders who have shaped VAE's history and celebrating the powerful inspiration of the extraordinary artists of VAE today."

To kick-off the anniversary season on October 18, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra will join the VAE in a special concert at Christ Church Cathedral, performing Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, Vivaldi's Gloria and the Fauré Requiem. Eckart Preu conducts this one- night only concert.

The December 14 and 15 concerts, conducted by Stephanie Nash, will feature holiday-themed selections, to be announced.

The January 12 program features the highly anticipated Cincinnati premiere of Kile Smith's The Arc in the Sky, conducted by Johnson.

Johnson also leads the March 29 program pairing Bach's Cantata No. 4 (Christ lag in Todesbanden) with works by four living composers: Ola Gjeilo, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Caroline Shaw and a world premiere by Michael Ippolito.

Subscriptions for the VAE season start at $84 and are available now by visiting vaecinci.com or calling (513) 381-3300. Subscriptions purchased by September 27 receive a 15% discount. Single tickets start at $25 in advance ($12 for students week of show) and go on sale September 17.

Season at a Glance

CCO + VAE: Vivaldi and Fauré 7:30 - 9:30 pm, Friday, October 18, 2019 Christ Church Cathedral: 318 East 4th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Eckart Preu, conductor

Program: VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis VIVALDI: Gloria FAURE: Requiem

The Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and VAE join forces in the splendor of Christ Church Cathedral. A soaring new arrangement of Vaughan Williams' popular Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, featuring soprano saxophone, introduces foundations of the choral repertoire: Vivaldi's Gloria, with its irresistible engine of joy and Fauré's darkly shimmering Requiem-music made for the color and light of stained glass spaces. Eckart Preu conducts orchestra

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A VAE Christmas: The Gift of Song 7 - 9 pm, Saturday, December 14, 2019 5 - 7 pm, Sunday, December 15, 2019 Memorial Hall: 1225 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Stephanie Nash, assistant conductor

Program: To be announced.

Music makes the season bright! Join the VAE and Assistant Conductor Stephanie Nash for inspiring sounds in the spirit of the season-from favorite

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classics as evergreen as trees wrapped in lights and topped with stars, to new-found favorites wrapped in bows. Gather the family and give the warmth of the season a voice.

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The Arc in the Sky 5 - 7 pm, Sunday, January 12, 2020 Memorial Hall: 1225 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Craig Hella Johnson, conductor

Program: KILE SMITH: The Arc in the Sky

Poetry beyond the horizon-Kile Smith, composer of the VAE's stunning Canticle, returns with a revelatory masterpiece, The Arc in the Sky. This work is inspired by the words of Robert Lax, a close friend of Trappist monk Thomas Merton, who Jack Kerouac named "one of the great original voices of our times." That voice rises and converges on meaning and emotion in Smith's powerful new work, which receives its Cincinnati premiere under the direction of Conductor Craig Hella Johnson with the VAE.

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Sacred Heart 5 - 7 pm, Sunday, March 29, 2020 St. Rose Church: 2501 Riverside Drive, Cincinnati, OH Craig Hella Johnson, conductor

J.S. BACH Cantata No. 4, Christ lag in Todesbanden OLA GJEILO Sacred Heart ĒRIKS EŠENVALDS Salutation MICHAEL IPPOLITO World Premiere Commission CAROLINE SHAW To the Hands

After performing one of Bach's most beloved cantatas, the VAE turns toward profound works by four young and celebrated living composers. Enjoy music familiar in its freshness by Roomful of Teeth vocalist and Pulitzer Prize- winning composer Caroline Shaw, divine works by two European voices, and a world premiere by one of Cincinnati's own, Michael Ippolito.

Craig Hella Johnson, Music Director Renowned as one of today's most influential voices in choral conducting, Craig Hella Johnson brings unparalleled depth of knowledge, artistic sensitivity, and rich imagination to his programs. As Grammy-winning founder and Artistic Director of Conspirare, Johnson assembles some of the finest singers in the country to form a world-class, award-winning ensemble committed to creating dynamic choral art. Beloved by audiences, lauded by critics and composers, and revered by singers, Johnson is known for crafting musical journeys that create deep connections between performers and listeners. The Wall Street Journal praised his ability to "find the emotional essence other performers often miss," and Fanfare wrote that "Craig Hella Johnson has assembled and molded a first-rate choir to be respected as highly as the best we have had." Distinguished composer John Corigliano wrote, "I believe that [Johnson] has understood my music in a way that I have never experienced before. He is a great musician who understands everything about the music he conducts." Composer and collaborator Robert Kyr observed, "Craig's attitude toward creating a community of artists who work together to interpret the score ... goes beyond technical mastery into that emotional depth and spiritual life of the music." Of Johnson's performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, the San Antonio Express-News wrote: "Through all the amazing ebbs and flows of dynamics, the radiant balances, the seamless connection of episodes, the theatrically astute tempo relations, the unified structural arc, the music shone forth with organic naturalness. Nothing sounded fussed over. Everything just sounded right."

Johnson is also Music Director of the Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble and conductor emeritus of the Victoria Bach Festival. He was Artistic Director of San Francisco-based Chanticleer (1998-1999) and has served as guest conductor with the Austin Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, and many others in Texas, the U.S., and abroad. As the Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas at Austin from 1990-2001, Johnson led the graduate program in choral conducting.

He remains an active educator, teaching nationally and internationally with professionals and students at conferences and universities. He is also a frequent speaker at regional and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association. Craig Hella Johnson joined the faculty at Texas State as Artist in Residence in fall 2016 and continues to inspire his colleagues and students in innovative teaching and programming as Professor of Practice.

A composer and arranger, Johnson works with G. Schirmer Publishing on the Craig Hella Johnson Choral Series, featuring specially selected composers as well as some of his original compositions and arrangements. His works are also published by Alliance Music Publications. A unique aspect of Johnson's programming is his signature "collage" style: through-composed programs that marry music and poetry to blend sacred and secular, classical and contemporary, traditional and popular styles. In 2006 he was engaged to create a special peace-themed collage program for the North Central ACDA convention, and in 2007 by the famed St. Olaf Choir to create and conduct a collage program during a five-week residency. Craig's first concert-length composition, Considering Matthew Shepard, was premiered in 2016 by Conspirare.

Johnson has been honored with numerous awards, including 2008 induction into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame, Chorus America's 2009 Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal, and the 2011 Citation of Merit from professional music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon, the organization's highest honor for a non-member. In 2012 he was an invited speaker for TEDxAustin. He was one of seven panelists for the Fetzer Institute and Eranos Foundation's "Love and the Musical Arts" gathering in Switzerland in 2011. In April 2013 Johnson was designated the official Texas State Musician for 2013 by the Texas Legislature. The designation was recommended by the Texas Commission on the Arts after a competitive nomination process, and he is only the second classical musician to receive the honor in its eleven-year history. Johnson was awarded the 2015 Best Choral Performance Grammy for conducting Conspirare on the CD The Sacred Spirit of Russia (Harmonia Mundi label). In June 2015 Johnson received The Michael Korn Founders Award for Development of the Professional Choral Art, Chorus America's lifetime achievement award.

A Minnesota native, Johnson studied at St. Olaf College, the Juilliard School, and the University of Illinois and earned his doctorate at Yale University. As

the recipient of a National Arts Fellowship, Johnson studied with Helmuth Rilling at the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart, Germany. He has been a Texas resident since 1990.

About VAE: Cincinnati's Vocal Arts Ensemble The Vocal Arts Ensemble (VAE) is Greater Cincinnati's premier professional vocal ensemble dedicated to presenting passionate and innovative performances of choral music that raise and nurture the public's appreciation of the life enriching qualities of the choral arts. Founded in 1979, the VAE has brought the power of spectacular, powerful and thrilling choral performances to audiences of all generations for more than 35 years.

Because of the small size of the choir, VAE is uniquely able to present diverse performances that engage and enchant a range of music lovers. VAE has enjoyed artistic leadership by some of the nation's leaders in choral conducting; Grammy Award winner/seven-time nominee Craig Hella Johnson currently leads the talented and dynamic choir. Praised for his visionary approach, Johnson is considered one of the most influential voices in choral music in the US today.

Works presented each season range from emerging composers to the well- loved pieces of the choral canon, and it is this intimate balance of traditional yet innovative programming, as well as the creativity and passion brought to the stage by Johnson that makes VAE so unique. VAE is committed to the presentation and development of modern chamber music, premiering new works and commissions annually. Additional community engagements throughout the year include appearances with the May Festival and collaborations with area arts organizations. Broadcasts of performances on public radio and live streaming online (through local station WGUC) help VAE to reach an extended and diverse audience across our region. Over the years, creative collaborations have resulted in unique productions and reached diverse audiences; partners have included the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra; Cincinnati Opera; Cincinnati Ballet; Boychoir; Cincinnati Youth Choir; Cincinnati May Festival and Cincinnati May Festival Youth Chorus; concert:nova; National Underground Freedom Center; Ensemble Theatre; local school choirs; and many more. Partnerships with area choral organizations through the Greater Cincinnati Choral Consortium also provide opportunities to engage the community in Cincinnati's rich choral arts scene.

Educational activities are key to developing appreciation for the arts in students of all ages. VAE's Music Director therefore leads masterclasses and works with students across the region (including serving as a frequent guest at the University of Cincinnati). The VAE also works to expand in-school activities and opportunities for students in Cincinnati's public schools.

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