Soloists
Written by Mary Dan Eades on January 28, 2015
If you love Mozart (and who doesn’t) we’ve got you covered this March. But Santa Barbarans, who also love music with that uplifting gospel/spiritual vibe, are in for a real treat. African American composer, Dr. Rollo Dilworth, of Temple University in Philadelphia, will be the featured guest of our upcoming Composers: Then and Now concert at the Lobero (March 28/29).
The format of this series exlpores the repertoire of a living composer juxtaposed against works of the past great masters who influenced him and usually includes (as it will in this case) the composer, on stage, in discussion of these influences. In this instance, Dr. Dilworth has chosen Mozart as his influencer, represented by the chorus and orchestra in performance of his Vesperae Solennes de Confessore under the baton of conductor JoAnne Wasserman. The second half of the concert will focus on selections of Dr. Dilworth’s music, with the composer conducting.
The Composers Series concerts are about education and inspiration as much as entertainment, though you can count on plenty of the latter as well! A key component of the series is to involve the youth of our community and inspire their desire to sing and keep singing. Toward that end, in advance of the concert, the Choral Society will bring Dr. Dilworth to Santa Barbara to conduct a workshop/clinic with the young singers of San Marcos High School at their campus. And, their involvement won’t stop in the classroom. The San Marcos High singers will join us on stage at Lobero to perform some of Dr. Dilworth’s repertoire.
Take note of one piece in particular–Shine the Heavenly Light–a new work that the Choral Society commissioned, in collaboration with other Chorus America member choruses. This performance will mark its West Coast premier. Whatever your age or level of musical sophistication, Dr. Dilworth’s music is guaranteed to uplift your spirit and set your hands to clapping and your toes to tapping. Don’t miss it.
Saturday March 28 at 8 pm
Sunday March 29 at 3 pm
Tickets: $24, $34, $44 and $12 for students with ID or children with parents. (Pricing includes the $2-$4 Lobero facility fee.) Available at the Lobero box office, in person, by calling (805) 963-0761 or online.
Don’t miss this exciting performance!
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.