IMMERSIVE PERFORMANCE FEATURING THE STONEWALL CHORALE AND AVANT-GARDE CELLIST MIZU at St. Paul and St. Andrew Church

The Stonewall Chorale—one of the nation's leading LGBTQAI+ choruses—is joined by groundbreaking queer cellist/composer MIZU for a concert that celebrates diversity, creativity, and resilience. The immersive program, led by Artistic Director Cynthia Powell, combines the 70-member mixed-voice Chorale, live cello, large-format video projections, and prerecorded soundscapes.

Featuring classical and contemporary choral works, innovative arrangements, and new solo pieces, the concert brings together Stonewall with MIZU, who explores identity and transformation through her original backing tracks and visuals, theatrical performance, and masterful instrumental technique.

“Pride is about lifting voices—especially those that have too often been silenced,” said Powell. “Partnering with MIZU allows us to celebrate not only an extraordinary musical talent combined with the masterful blend of Stonewall’s mixed voices. We honor the courage and authenticity that define this community.”

Set within the historic sanctuary of Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, the concert begins with the multi-media performance of selections from MIZU’s recent LP, Forest Scenes. The choir joins in for Dollhouse arranged by MIZU for The Stonewall Chorale, and for exciting works by renowned composers scored specifically for cello and choir. (Photo: Mizu with video)

In Jake Runestad’s dramatic, animated Cello Songs (2020) the structure of the four seasons becomes a metaphor for the mutability of human nature, expressed in virtuosic cello lines that mimic gentle breezes of summer, fiery colors of autumn, soulful melancholy of winter, and sudden cloudbursts of spring.

Two works by Norwegian composer Ola Gjielo further explore the concept of transformation in nature and human emotion. The Rose is an anthropomorphic ode with sweeping, sensual melodies. Dark & Luminous Night begins in stillness that transcends into the ecstasy of light and love. The beauty of nature is exquisitely reflected in Tõnu Kõrvits’ ethereal Reflections from a Plain that evokes the windswept atmosphere of the Estonian landscape.