Led by Founding Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum, the Verdi Chorus is the only choral group in Southern California that focuses primarily on the dramatic and diverse music for opera chorus.
This program, which Ketchum says includes "both the most joyus and the most dramatically reflective moments from some of the most powerful operatic works," will feature selections from Verdi's Aida, Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Boito's Mefistofele, Bizet's Carmen, and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.
The program will feature four guest soloists: critically acclaimed soprano Shana Blake Hill, who has been described as a "fearless actress" and "visually and vocally voluptuous" by Opera News and The Philadelphia Enquirer; award-winning mezzo soprano Audrey Babcock, who is quickly gaining notoriety for her commanding, powerful performances as Carmen and her dark, hypnotic portrayals of Maddalena in Rigoletto; tenor Alex Boyer, hailed by The San Francisco Chronicle for his "large and potent sound;" and renowned baritone Roberto Perlas Gómez who, with over 100 roles to his credit, has performed extensively throughout the United States.
These performances are made possible, in part, through the generous support of the Sahm Family Foundation and The Green Foundation, and by grant funding from the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, and the Santa Monica Arts Commission.
Conductor Anne Marie Ketchum says, "I am so excited for this upcoming concert, and profoundly grateful that the Verdi Chorus can once again safely sing in person. It's something our Verdi Chorus family has longed for continually over the past year and a half. The title of our concert, Ritorna Vincitori! is taken from one of the most famous and recognizable arias in Verdi's Aida, in which Aida wishes for the victorious return of her lover. And now music has returned victoriously in the most personal way. Through these past weeks of rehearsal, it has become clearer than ever how much we need the arts, and in particular, the ability to experience the arts in person. It is through this experience we maintain not only our sanity but the very core of what makes us human."
The Verdi Chorus prepares for concerts with rehearsals every Monday night. There, an amazing thing happens as over 40 singers gather together from every walk of life to become the Verdi Chorus. This wide swath of people includes singers from 18 to 80 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 opera stars 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. Raising their voices together they become everything from a celestial chorus of angels to the townsfolk of a small village anxiously awaiting the arrival of a travelling troupe of commedia dell'arte players.
Further demonstrating the organization's mission to provide performance opportunities to young professional singers, fourteen 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 and serve 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 Broad Stage, the Huntington Library, and the Nixon Library.
The Chorus is also proud to continue with the 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. Sahm Foundation Apprentices for this session, named in honor of a generous grant from the Sahm Family Foundation, are sopranos Emma Berggren, Ariana Flores and
Emily Peterson, mezzo Bianca Gutierrez, tenors César Ballardin and Adam Oler and basses Sinan Kefeli and
David Peterson. Each receives a scholarship to provide funds with which they can broaden their music studies. Apprentices who successfully complete the program are invited back to sing with the Chorus for subsequent sessions.
Performance times for the The Verdi Chorus Fall 2021 Concert are Saturday, November 13th at 7:30 pm, and Sunday, November 14th at 2 pm at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica, located at 1220 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401.
Tickets are available for purchase at
www.verdichorus.org or by calling (800) 838-3006. Priority seating is available for $40, general admission is $30, seniors are $25, and students aged 25 and under with a valid ID are $10.
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