Pasadena Chorale Presents LISTENING TO THE FUTURE Concert On June 17

The Pasadena Chorale will present its annual student composer concert Listening to the Future on Saturday, June 17 at 7 p.m., at the First Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church in Pasadena.

Audience members will be the first to hear ten new pieces that were composed by five local high school students for the Chorale's June concert. These young aspiring composers were accepted into Pasadena Chorale's education program of the same name in December 2022 and wrote the pieces over the last five months. They were mentored by composer Amy Gordon, who has returned as a composer mentor to the program for the second time.

"The five students of Pasadena Chorale's Listening to the Future program have composed absolutely beautiful arrangements and original pieces for the June 17 concert," said composer mentor Amy Gordon. "The pieces have a very nice variety of thematic content, tempo, and mood. The audience is in for such a treat, as each piece is truly unique."

This year's Listening to the Future composers are Iris Milagros Barrera (South Pasadena High School), Milo Brody (Pasadena Waldorf School), Tyler Gjerde (Pasadena High School), Charles McDermott (Beverly Hills High School), and Noa Sherman (Pasadena Waldorf School).

• Iris Milagros Barrera is a junior at South Pasadena High School and has been studying music for the last ten years. She was originally trained in Suzuki piano and has most recently been a student with Dr. Stephen Pierce. Since, Iris has devoted much of her time to learning guitar and songwriting. Strongly influenced by a childhood filled with music, she continues to seek out new sounds from which to draw inspiration. Iris is excited to be a part of Listening to the Future, as will be her first venture into choral composition.

• Milo Brody is in the 11th Grade at the Pasadena Waldorf School, which he has attended since preschool. Milo enjoys composing, playing trombone, and singing, and the Waldorf School has helped him become the passionate musician that he is. He is a California All-State trombonist, a member of the Symphony of the Verdugos, and he attends the Colburn School, where he plays chamber music. Milo sings in the Pasadena Waldorf High School chorus, as well as on various other occasions and projects, including yearly a cappella performances with other students. Since joining the Pasadena Chorale's Listening to the Future program, he has been having a thrilling experience with composing and arranging, and cannot wait to continue to expand his musical horizons through this incredible opportunity.

• Tyler Gjerde is a senior at Pasadena High School and has been involved in musical ensembles since the 6th grade at Sierra Madre Middle School. He has since dedicated much of his free time to studying music and composing, especially after reaching high school. Tyler hopes to entertain with his arrangements, and is excited to be a part of Listening to the Future this year.

• Charles McDermott is a senior at Beverly Hills High School where he is the tenor lead for the Madrigals. Beginning at age 5, piano has been foundational in his musical journey. He would go on to play a multitude of different instruments, in ensembles such as orchestra, jazz band, and choir. Though Charles has now focused his time on piano and composition, his expansive background led him to the process of creating music and continues to guide him. His greatest classical influences are Debussy, Bach, and Chopin, and he pulls inspiration from other genres including Klezmer, Ethereal Pop, and Classical Rock.

• Noa Sherman is a junior at the Pasadena Waldorf School. He is fluent in English and Japanese. Noa sings in the school choir which has led him to experiment with composition. He has been studying piano for over ten years and received the MTAC Certificate of Merit in 2022. He also plays the clarinet with the school wind ensemble. Paul McCartney has been a very influential figure to Noa who feels that his ability to show and define emotion can create a 'perfect' balance of expressiveness without being overly dramatic. Noa is also very passionate about world peace and hopes to express it through his music.

Listening to the Future will be presented at the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church located at 301 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91103 on Saturday, June 17 at 7 p.m. Tickets are free and now available at PasadenaChorale.org. While tickets are available at no cost to the public, ticket reservations are required to attend the concert.

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