Written by Mary Dan Eades on September 27, 2013
A Special Guest Appearance
A small chorus drawn from the Choral Society’s outstanding alto and soprano ranks will join Maestro Nir Kabaretti for the exciting opening to the SB Symphony’s 2013-14 Season on Saturday October 12 and Sunday October 13 at the Granada. The Symphony’s season debut begins with Wagner’s epic and bracing Tannhauser Overture, followed by Grammy and Pulitzer prize winning Christopher Rouse’s witty Percussion Concerto. Watch for guest soloist Ted Atkatz, who has been described by The New York Times as having reached the pinnacle of his profession.
Following intermission, Maestro Kabaretti leads the orchestra and a small chorus of women singers from SBCS in Gustav Holst’s The Planets, seven movements portraying the astrological traits of the known planets of his time. The Planets, and the entire evening, promise a rousing start to the Symphony’s season of rediscovery.
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst. With the exception of Earth, all the astrological planets known during the work’s composition are represented.
From its premiere to the present day, the suite has been enduringly popular, influential, widely performed and frequently recorded. Don’t miss this exciting concert!
Tickets available at the Granada Theater box office, online or by calling the Granada Theater at 805-899-2222.
American baritone, Ralph Cato has travelled the world extensively, telling stories in song with his warm, clarion baritone voice.
Tenor, Benjamin Brecher has performed over fifty operatic roles with many of the world’s most prestigious opera companies, specializing in the high lying lyric tenor repertoire. He has performed 16 roles with New York City Opera alone. Career highlights include performances with Opera Orchestra of New York, L’Opera de Nice, Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, L’Opera de Montreal, Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, among many others. His orchestral solo repertoire includes Mozart, Handel, Orff, Bach, Haydn, as well as many performances of Britten. In 2000 he began performing the great Irish Tenor songs in a concert produced for him entitled A Celtic Celebration, Twenty years later, the show has become a North American hit with performances with 45 Symphonies in North America. Ben continues his discography having added his twelfth recording in 2016 Forgotten Liszt, with pianist Robert Koenig, and will record a new release in 2022 entitled “Three Centuries of Thomas Moore” including the music of Britten, Berlioz, and Sarah Gibson on MSR Classics. He is a Professor of Voice at University of California Santa Barbara, where he has served as the Head of Voice.
Tracy Van Fleet is pleased to return to the Santa Barbara Choral Society. As a soloist, she has performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Lüneburg Symphony in Germany, Orquesta Filarmónica de Boca del Río in Mexico, Pasadena Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Los Angeles Bach Festival, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Colorado Philharmonic, USC Symphony and Chorus, and others. She has had many appearances with the Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Opera Pacific, San Diego Opera and Opera Colorado.
Born and raised in Southern California, April Amante is a versatile soprano with expertise and facility in repertoire spanning from early music to contemporary musical theater.