The Verdi Chorus to Kick Off 42nd Season With Fall 2025 Concert FAUST

The character Faust was an actual person who lived in the 16th century and was thought to have evil magical powers. He eventually became part of German folklore.  When Goethe took the story into his own hands, he changed it in a masterful way by having Faust finally redeemed the end, which was not the case originally. Gounod, Berlioz and Boito, three great 19th century composers, have written operas from this legend, and I realized how fascinating it would be to tell this story through these three geniuses.”
 
Ketchum continues, “Gounod’s Faust is the most often performed of the three pieces and is loved for its great melodies and ensembles.  Berlioz created an exulted and powerful piece in The Damnation of Faust, which is actually sometimes called a cantata or a “dramatic legend”, and is rarely staged. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of some of the choral music in this piece and am excited to work with it and present it in this concert.  Mefistofele by Boito is incredibly moving in its story telling.  In the final piece of the opera all of humanity and all the heavens open up in a truly inspiring way, as they come together in a mighty unison that ultimately overcomes the Devil and redeems Faust.”
 
The Verdi Chorus prepares for concerts with rehearsals every Monday night.  There, an amazing thing happens as over 50 singers gather from every walk of life to become the Verdi Chorus.  This wide swath of people includes singers from 20 to 87 who come from a variety of professions, and yet have one thing in common: the desire to sing side by side each week and delve into the rich, dramatic world of opera.  They in turn are joined by up-and-coming opera singers at the beginning of their careers, and college students who have just begun to realize their operatic gifts, as all of them become one under the direction of Founding Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum. Each rehearsal is like a vocal master class. 
 
Further demonstrating the organization’s mission to provide performance opportunities to young professional singers, sixteen highly promising singers are hired as section leaders and rehearsal coaches. Known as the Fox Singers, named in memory of long-time Chorus and Board member Walter Fox, these singers assist the Artistic Director, provide direction for their sections in rehearsals, and have opportunities to perform as featured singers in performances. The Fox Singers also perform on occasion independently of the full Chorus, serving as a showcase for the singers and as ambassadors for the Verdi Chorus. Performances of special arias and ensembles have been presented at venues in Southern California including the Annenberg Beach House, the Huntington Library, and the Nixon Library.
 
The Chorus is also proud to continue with the Sahm Foundation Apprentice Singers program that was established in 2015, in which talented vocal music students at the college level gain the opportunity to work with the Chorus in rehearsals and sing operatic music in concert. Each receives a scholarship to provide funds with which they can broaden their music studies.  Sahm Foundation Apprentices who successfully complete the program are invited back to sing with the Chorus for subsequent sessions.