Sacred Music in a Sacred Space to Perform Bach's Mass in B Minor, 5/6

By: Apr. 14, 2015
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Conductor K. Scott Warren, the acclaimed Choir and Orchestra of St. Ignatius Loyola and a lineup of exceptional vocal soloists perform one of classical music's most revered works.

On Wednesday, March 16, 2015, at 7pm, New York audiences are in for a delight as Sacred Music in a Sacred Space presents J.S. Bach's masterwork Mass in B Minor. Monumental, intricate and full of insight into the widest spectrum of human experience, Bach's B Minor Mass is widely considered the greatest composition in the Western classical canon. Although completed in 1749, the work was never performed in its entirety during the composer's lifetime, and did not receive its first full performance until over 100 years later in 1859.

Set against the stunning majesty of the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, there is perhaps no more fitting a setting to witness this tour de force. Says The New York Times, "...St. Ignatius has become one of the most exciting churches in New York in which to hear indigenous forces." The Sacred Music in a Sacred Space concert series has emerged as one of the leading cultural institutions in New York City for sacred classical music. SMSS routinely attracts New York City's finest musical talent for exhilarating performances.

Under the direction of conductor K. Scott Warren, the Choir and Orchestra of St. Ignatius Loyola will be joined on May 6 by seasoned vocalists who are all core members of the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola.
Elisa Singer, soprano Kate Maroney, mezzo-soprano
Heather Petrie, contralto
John Tiranno, tenor
Timothy Krol, baritone
Enrico Lagasca, bass
Tickets range from $25-80 and may be purchased here or by calling 212.288.2520.

Soprano Elisa Singer enjoys a versatile career, ranging from opera to contemporary, early, and sacred music. Singer made her New York debut as soprano soloist for the world premiere of Jorge Martin's Out of the Cradle, Endlessly Rocking with Cantori New York. Other recent performances include soloist in Scarlatti's Stabat Mater with the choir of St. John the Divine, Queen of the Night in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte with New York Lyric Opera Theatre, Yvette in Opera Company of Middlebury's production of Puccini's La Rondine, and soprano soloist in the Christmas portion of Handel's Messiah with the Monmouth Civic Chorus and Chamber Orchestra.

An active collaborative artist, Ms. Singer has also made a name for herself singing choral music throughout the New York area. A frequent singer with Musica Sacra, Elisa has performed in concerts such as Mozart's Requiem at Carnegie Hall, Rachmaninoff's Vespers, Mozart's Mass in C Minor at Carnegie Hall, and Messages to Myself at Avery Fisher Hall. Other choral groups include the Little Orchestra Society at Lincoln Center, the Orpheon Chorale, Sacred Music in a Sacred Space, Essential Voices USA and the New York Choral Artists at Lincoln Center.

Recognized for her elegant and versatile singing in oratorio and opera spanning from the Renaissance to works by contemporary composers, mezzo-soprano Kate Maroney completed her doctorate at the Eastman School of Music in 2010 and moved to New York City, where she has quickly established a dynamic performance schedule in opera, early music, and oratorio.

In the chamber chorale world, Kate has gained broad experience, performing frequently in Rochester with "Voices," a professional chamber choir founded by Dr. William Weinert, singing as alto soloist in Schütz's Musikalische Exequien, Charpentier's Reniement de St. Pierre, and a concert of the complete J.S. Bach motets, to name just a few programs, among many Baroque and Renaissance gems. Kate is a member of the professional choral group Yale Choral Artists, under the direction of Jeffrey Douma, the all-treble Etherea Vocal Ensemble, under the direction of Derek Greten-Harrison, and Manhattan Concert Chorale under Craig Arnold. Kate has appeared the alto soloist in Bach's B Minor Mass, Mozart's Vespers, Handel's Messiah and Dixit Dominus, and Vivaldi's Gloria with the MasterWorks Chorale in Syracuse, Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky and Adams' Grand Pianola Music with Musica Nova, under Brad Lubman. Kate can be heard with pianist Christina Yue performing Webern's "Dies ist ein Lied" on W.W. Norton's recorded musical anthology The Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis.

American contralto, Heather Petrie performs and records frequently with choral ensembles in Manhattan, including Musica Sacra, Voices of Ascension, and Sacred Music in a Sacred Space. In addition to Etherea's debut CD, Ceremony of Carols, Heather's discography includes Joyful!, a gospel/jazz interpretation of the Psalms by Pete Malinverni, and Sure On This Shining Night, an album of Morten Lauridsen's choral pieces recorded with Voce at the request of the composer. On the opera stage, Heather has portrayed the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro, Flora in La Traviata, Larina in Eugene Onegin, Miss Todd in The Old Maid and the Thief, Baba in The Medium, and Arnalta in L'incoronazione di Poppea. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Voice from Bard College and a Master of Music in Opera Performance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory.

Tenor John Tiranno has been called a "clear-voiced tenor" and has had his singing called "ardent and mellifluous" by The New York Times, while The Washington Post has called his singing "notably strong." Performances this season include Berlioz's Requiem (La Jolla Symphony & Chorus), Bach's B minor Mass (Sacred Music in a Sacred Space in New York City), and recitals in Jedda, Saudi Arabia.

Recent appearances included NYC performances of Mozart's Requiem (Sacred Music in a Sacred Space), Bach's St. John Passion (with Kent Tritle at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine), and Handel's Messiah with the St. Andrew Chorale & Orchestra, as well as opera gala concerts in St. Louis (at the Sheldon Concert Hall) and with Teatro Grattacielo in New York City.

Tim Krol is a lyric baritone and Grammy-winning recording artist. His repertoire spans from early music to modern classical and opera, as well as musical theatre and jazz. For nine years, Tim performed and toured worldwide with Chanticleer, America's premier a cappella vocal ensemble. He can be heard on thirteen Chanticleer recordings, including the Grammy Award-winning "Colors of Love."

As a Bach specialist, Tim has performed many of Bach's cantatas, masses and Passions throughout the United States. He was an Adams Fellow at the Carmel Bach Festival in 2004, and has attended the festival every summer since then, singing various choral and solo roles. Tim also portrayed Pilate in the critically acclaimed staged production of Bach's "St Matthew Passion," directed by Sir Jonathan Miller, at Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Bass-Baritone Enrico Lagasca studied at the University of the Philippines College of Music and is a current Vocal Performance student at the Mannes College The New School for Music. An active professional chorister and soloist in New York City, Enrico is a member of New York professional choirs the Choir of St. Ignatius of Loyola and Salvatones. He regularly performs professionally with the Collegiate Chorale and the New York Virtuoso Singers. He has sung with the Oratorio Society of New York and the St. Patrick's Cathedral Choir. Performance credits include Miss Saigon in Los Angeles in 2008, the Professional Choral Workshop featuring Berlioz's Requiem at Carnegie Hall with Robert Spano, the Lincoln Center Summer Festival in 2010 with the NY Philharmonic (Alan Gilbert, conductor), Die Liebe der Danae in 2011 and the Bard SummerScape in 2011 and 2012 with Leon Botstein, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra tour of Israel and Salzburg Festival with Riccardo Muti and Zubin Mehta in 2012, to name a few. Enrico is on his second year as Assisting Conductor of San Lorenzo Ruiz Choir.



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