FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACTS: ANDREW BROWN, PRESIDENT & CEO
ANDREW@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
RYAN MCSWEENEY, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & BOX OFFICE
RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
PACIFIC CHORALE TO PREMIERE ORIGINAL CONCERT FILM “THE WAYFARING PROJECT”
“The Wayfaring Project” will receive its premiere public screening on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts on August 21st
Costa Mesa, CA – On Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 8:00 p.m., Pacific Chorale’s original concert film “The Wayfaring Project” will receive its world premiere in an outdoor screening on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Centering on J.S. Bach’s motet Jesu, meine Freude—filmed live in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall with members of Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony—“The Wayfaring Project” interweaves among its movements an array of 20th and 21st century choral and solo selections by Samuel Barber, Thomas Dorsey, Tarik O’Regan, Dolly Parton, Moira Smiley, and Randall Thompson. Following the premiere screening, “The Wayfaring Project” will be made available online to audiences worldwide.
Artistic Director Robert Istad said, “‘The Wayfaring Project’ has tremendous meaning to me and to the singers of Pacific Chorale. The music traces an emotional arc from dislocation and uncertainty to assurance and hope. It pays tribute to the emotional journeys we have all undergone during the past year and a half, and looks forward to a brighter future for us and for the world. The production follows Pacific Chorale’s progression through the COVID-19 pandemic: from complete social distancing, with each singer performing in isolation for ‘Wayfaring Stranger,’ through hybrid music videos with the audio recorded separately from the visuals, culminating in our first return to live music-making in 17 months at our performing home in the Concert Hall.”
Filmed between April and July 2021, “The Wayfaring Project” features audio and video production by Arts Laureate and video production by award-winning cinematographer Jeff Dolen. Andrew Brown, Pacific Chorale’s President and CEO, said, “We were extremely fortunate to find such professional and enthusiastic partners for ‘The Wayfaring Project’ in both Arts Laureate and Jeff Dolen. They brought tremendous experience and creativity to bear in realizing Rob’s artistic vision, and the result of their expertise is even better than we could have dreamed. The finished film is a tribute to their commitment, as well as that of our fantastic musicians.”
Ticket prices for the August 21st outdoor screening are $20-$45. Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.pacificchorale.org/wayfaring-project and by phone at (714) 662-2345.
The Wayfaring Project
The world premiere screening of Pacific Chorale’s original concert film
August 21, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, California
Pacific Chorale
Robert Istad, Artistic Director & Conductor
Music Selections:
Jesu, meine Freude, BWV 227 (J.S. Bach)
Adinu (Sufi Melody, arr. Shireen Abu-Khader and André de Quadros)
Wayfaring Stranger (Traditional American Tune, arr. Moira Smiley)
Take My Hand, Precious Lord (Thomas A. Dorsey)
All Things Common (Tarik O’Regan)
Sure on This Shining Night (Samuel Barber)
Light of a Clear Blue Morning (Dolly Parton, arr. Craig Hella Johnson)
Alleluia (Randall Thompson)
Soloists (in order of appearance):
Adinu
Denean R. Dyson, alto • I-Chin Betty Feinblatt, alto • Diana Farrell, soprano
Wayfaring Stranger
Moira Smiley, guest soprano • Sammy Salvador, tenor
Jesu, meine Freude: Denn das Gesetz des Geistes
Sarah Thompson, soprano 1 • Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt, soprano 2 • I-Chin Betty Feinblatt, alto
Take My Hand, Precious Lord
Denean R. Dyson, alto • David Clemensen. piano
All Things Common
Rebecca Hasquet, soprano
Jesu, meine Freude: So aber Christus in euch ist
Jane Hyun-Jung Shim, alto • Jason Francisco, tenor • Jared Jones, bass
Sure on This Shining Night
Chelsea Chaves, soprano • David Clemensen, piano
Light of a Clear Blue Morning
Katie Martini, soprano • Joseph Loi, guest flutist
Vocal Trio: Denean R. Dyson • Rebecca Hasquet • Eleen Hsu-Wentlandt
Pacific Symphony
Carl St.Clair, Music Director
Paul Manaster, Violin I
Jennise Hwang, Violin II
Meredith Crawford, Viola I
Josephine Moerschel, Viola II
Warren Hagerty, Cello
Jung-A Lee, Organ
The musicians of Pacific Symphony are members of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 7
Produced by
Robert Istad, Artistic Director • Andrew Brown, President & CEO
Alex Nelson, Director of Artistic Production
Video Production for
Adinu • Jesu, meine Freude • Wayfaring Stranger • Take My Hand, Precious Lord • Sure on This Shining Night with audio production for all works excepting All Things Common:
ARTS LAUREATE
Christian Amonson, Owner & Mastering Engineer
Brian Isaac, Managing Director
Camille Lively, Project Manager
Video Production for
All Things Common • Light of a Clear Blue Morning • Alleluia:
JEFF DOLEN PRODUCTIONS
Jeff Dolen, Director/Cinematographer
Charity Thomson, First Assistant Director
Audio Production for
All Things Common:
YARLUNG RECORDS
Bob Attiyeh, Producer
Lenora Meister, Executive Producer
Bob Attiyeh and Arian Jansen, Recording Engineers
Pacific Chorale gratefully acknowledges its generous season sponsors:
Platinum Season Sponsor:
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Silver Season Sponsor:
Charles and Ling Zhang
ABOUT ROBERT ISTAD
Robert Istad has served as Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director since 2017. Dr. Istad regularly conducts and collaborates with Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Sony Classical Records, Yarlung Records, Berkshire Choral International, and Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. Pacific Chorale under his leadership can be heard on two recent recordings: “Ecstasies Above: The Music of Tarik O’Regan” on Yarlung Records (2020), and “Mahler’s Eighth Symphony” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel on Deutsche Grammophon (2021).
Istad has prepared choruses for a number of America’s finest conductors and orchestras, including: Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Carl St.Clair and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, as well as conductors Esa–Pekka Salonen, John Mauceri, Keith Lockhart, Nicholas McGegan, Vasilly Sinaisky, Sir Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, John Williams, Eugene Kohn, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, and Robert Moody.
Istad is also Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton. He was recognized as CSUF’s 2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year. At CSU Fullerton, Istad conducts the University Singers and manages a large graduate conducting program in addition to teaching courses in conducting, performance practice and literature.
He also serves as Vice-President of the California Choral Directors Association and the Executive Board of Directors of the national choral industry’s association, Chorus America, and is in demand as an adjudicator, guest conductor, speaker and clinician throughout the nation.
ABOUT PACIFIC CHORALE
Pacific Chorale has delighted national and international audiences with concerts of great choral music performed at the highest musical standards since 1968. Under the artistic leadership of Robert Istad, the organization produces a series of concerts each year at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, where it serves as the sole resident choir. The mission of Pacific Chorale is to inspire our community through artistry and innovation in choral music performances and education programs.
Pacific Chorale is recognized for exceptional artistic expression, preserving and performing classical choral music as well as stimulating American-focused programming. Pacific Chorale presents a substantial performance season of its own and is sought regularly to perform with the nation’s leading symphonies. Pacific Chorale has infused an Old World art form with California’s hallmark innovation and cultural independence, developing innovative new concepts in programming, and expanding the traditional concepts of choral repertoire and performance. The organization boasts over 30 world premieres and has released 14 self-produced recordings.
In addition to its long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, with whom Pacific Chorale made its Carnegie Hall debut in April 2018, the Chorale has performed with such renowned American ensembles as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the National Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and Musica Angelica.
Pacific Chorale has also toured extensively to more than 19 countries in Europe, South America and Asia, and has collaborated with the London Symphony, the Munich Symphony, L’Orchestre Lamoureux and L’Orchestre de St-Louis-en-l’Île of Paris, the National Orchestra of Belgium, the China National Symphony, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the Estonian National Symphony, and the Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Argentina.
Pacific Chorale also places a significant emphasis on choral music education, offering grades 1-6 after-school programs, a high school student summer camp, and a community-wide singing event at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
ABOUT ARTS LAUREATE
Arts Laureate is an elite recording company specializing in audio/video production, event photography, streaming services, educational outreach, and more. Their team is comprised of classically-trained performers, conductors, and composers, led by owner and former Recording Engineer for “The President’s Own” US Marine Band, Christian Amonson.
Arts Laureate has collaborated with some of the finest professional ensembles in the country, including the Pacific Chorale, the LA Opera, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Phoenix Chorale, the Kansas City Symphony, and others. Since the onset of COVID-19, they have created a suite of premier digital recording services and produced over 1,700 virtual performances, continuing their mission to showcase the best in every artist in any environment. https://www.artslaureate.com/
ABOUT JEFF DOLEN
Director and cinematographer Jeff Dolen splits his time between narrative movies and documentaries. He brings an organic and natural style to his narrative projects, and a cinematic approach to his documentary projects. The latest example is serving as the cinematographer of HBO’s McMillion$, which was nominated for five Emmy Awards including Best Documentary Series.
Dolen has shot nine narrative features in the United States, Germany, Vietnam, India, and Turkey. The most recent, Maadathy: An Unfairy Tale, premiered at the Busan International Film Festival and won Best Cinematography at the Aurangabad International Film Festival.
Dolen has traveled to over 65 countries, and shot documentary series shows for HBO, National Geographic, Discovery, and The Travel Channel. He served as cinematographer for the premiere episode of Wonder Woman, which won the Emmy Award for Best Travel/Adventure series in 2017.
The Other Side of Home, a documentary he shot on the Armenian genocide filmed in Turkey and Armenia, was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short in 2017.
Dolen studied Fine Arts in Film Production at Chapman University, which named him the Most Promising Undergraduate Filmmaker, and awarded him the Einstein Award for Creativity and the Dean’s Award of Merit.
https://www.jeffdolen.com/
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