EMV, Vancouver Chamber Choir & Pacific MusicWorks to Present 'Monteverdi Vespers of 1610'

Early Music Vancouver (EMV), Vancouver Chamber Choir, and Pacific MusicWorks co-present the monumental Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, October 23, 2015 at 7:30pm.

"Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 is a work of magnitude and scope that few groups could mount by themselves. It is an honour to join such esteemed fellow musicians and peer organizations in this undertaking," says Jon Washburn, Artistic Director & Conductor, Vancouver Chamber Choir. "As one of Vancouver's premiere vocal ensembles, we're thrilled to offer our voices to this colossal orchestration of Vespers in partnership with Early Music Vancouver, and for the first time Pacific MusicWorks, a newly formed but already major presence in the West Coast's early music community."

Monteverdi Vespers of 1610 is one of the great pillars of the Western secular canon, marking the pivotal transition between the Renaissance and Baroque styles in music history. Published as an audition piece in support of Monteverdi's application to the illustrious post of Music Director at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, it is full of dazzling virtuosity, exotic instruments, and movements of sensuous intimacy, off-set by bursts of large-scale sonic splendor.

"The Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, like J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass, is the type of work that when performed at a world-class standard, can change your life," says Matthew White, Artistic Director of EMV. "The first time I heard John Eliot Gardiner's 1980 recording with the Monteverdi Choir, I was convinced that even though no one could scientifically prove the existence of God, this was one of the most compelling arguments I had yet heard. I anticipate audiences will leave the Chan Centre with a similar sense of awe and bewilderment."

Director Stephen Stubbs is one of the world's most respected lutenists, conductors and Baroque opera specialists. After enjoying a remarkable performance and teaching career in Europe for 30 years, he returned to his native Seattle in 2007 to establish Pacific MusicWorks (PMW), an organization that reflects his lifelong interest in both early music and contemporary performance. Stubbs' extensive discography as a conductor and solo lutenist includes well over 100 records, many of which have been received with international acclaim. Most recently, in 2015, Stephen won the GRAMMY Award for "Best New Opera Recording" as conductor of Charpentier's La descente D'Orphée aux enfers.

In 2010, the Seattle Times hailed Stubbs and PMW's interpretation of the Vespers as, "utterly thrilling and of a quality you are unlikely to encounter anywhere else in the world."

Stubbs leads a cast of nine outstanding Canadian and international vocalists: Jolle Greenleaf, Soprano; Catherine Webster, Soprano; Laura Pudwell, Mezzo-Soprano; Charles Daniels, Tenor; Zachary Wilder, Tenor; Ross Hauck, Tenor; Reginald L. Mobley, Countertenor; Douglas Williams, Bass-Baritone; Charles Robert Stephens, Baritone.

ABOUT EARLY MUSIC VANCOUVER (earlymusic.bc.ca)
For 45 years, Early Music Vancouver (EMV) has dedicated itself to fostering an understanding and appreciation of musical treasures from the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical periods. Currently under the leadership of Matthew White - renowned countertenor and founding director of the Québec-based ensemble Les Voix Baroques - EMV continues to garner international acclaim as the largest presenter of early music in Canada, and as one of the most active and innovative organizations in its field in North America. EMV is proud of its educational outreach initiatives that include its popular, annual summer festival at UBC's School of Music; a new Baroque Mentorship Orchestra; community lectures; and instrument instruction and preservation.

ABOUT THE VANCOUVER CHAMBER CHOIR (vancouverchamberchoir.com)
Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year, the Vancouver Chamber Choir is one of Canada's national treasures. As an outstanding professional vocal ensemble, it is noted for diverse repertoire and performing excellence. The Choir has been performing to audiences at home in Vancouver and on tour internationally since formed in 1971 by conductor Jon Washburn. Honoured with the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence by Chorus America, the Vancouver Chamber Choir has to its credit countless performances and broadcasts, 32 recordings and numerous awards.

ABOUT PACIFIC MUSICWORKS (pacificmusicworks.org)
Pacific MusicWorks (PMW) provides Seattle and the Pacific Northwest with music and theatre presentations worthy of the world stage. PMW presents a wide range of performances, but the heart of their repertoire is 17th and 18th century vocal music. With a strong commitment to education and research, PMW is now an institute in residence at the University of Washington School of Music, and produces professional opera productions within an academic setting.

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