Written by Mary Dan Eades on October 8, 2018
By Karen Williams, Board President
The Santa Barbara Choral Society’s 2018-19 Season Kick Off party held at The Music Academy, featured composer Ron Kean and filmmaker, Hannah Kean.
On Wednesday, September 26, Santa Barbara Choral Society Canto Society patrons, gathered at sunset in the picturesque Kuehn Court to nosh at the annual wine reception kicking off the “71st Season of Song.” Following repast, Board President, Karen Williams, welcomed guests and acknowledged Event Chair, Director Debra Stewart, and Board Member Erica DiBartolomeo who put together the soirée. Karen thanked generous Passionato Season Sponsors Diane Dodds and David Reichert, Brooks and Kate Firestone, and Dick and Marilyn Mazess. Welcomed was new Board Member, Montecito resident, Todd Aldrich, who brings his venture capital and legal expertise to the Board of Directors. Also introduced was new Staff Member, Artistic Operations and Marketing Manager, Suzie Follmer.
Artistic Director and Conductor of the Choral Society for 26 years, Ms. Jo Anne Wasserman thanked the patrons for supporting the choral art, and announced the new season line up including, Sunday, Nov 11 Veterans Day Ceremony, the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, at the SB Cemetery, Hallelujah Project 6 at the historic Lobero, Dec 8 and 9, featuring celebrity narrator Ms. Angela Cartwright, the grand Verdi Requiem with the SB Symphony in April at The Granada and the Choral Society’s May 18 “Springtime in Paris” Annual Fund Gala and Concert at Rockwood.
In honor of African American History month, on Feb 9 and 10, 2019, the Choral Society will sing their “Visions of Peace and Freedom” concert at First Presbyterian Church. In development of that theme, the Chorus and Orchestra will perform Dona Nobis Pacem by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and present the Santa Barbara Premiere of living composer Dr. Ron Kean’s work “The Journey of Harriet Tubman,” accompanied by West African instruments. To the delight of the guests, including Victoria Dillon, Bob Lally, Ross Williams, Mary Love Thralls and Michael Hackett, Kostis Protopopas, Don Jeske, Val Noronha, and Jody Holehouse, Dr. Kean gave backstory info on composing the music, and his daughter, Los Angeles filmmaker Hannah Kean, showed excerpts of her companion film to the work honoring Ms. Tubman. Later, inside Lehmann Hall, following the fete, Dr. Kean instructed the Choral Society in rehearsal of the piece, adding even more depth to their melodious tones.
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.