Let’s Pony Up for the Kids: Press Release
Pacific Chorale Responds to Urgent COVID19 Need with Programs Empowering Children Through Music, Joining “Let’s Pony Up for the Kids”
Continue ReadingContact:
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing and Box Office | Pacific Chorale
714.662.2345 | ryan@pacificchorale.org
COSTA MESA, CA; JULY 13, 2021 – Pacific Chorale is responding to meet the needs of our children and community by providing an artistic outlet through which our youth can connect and heal in a joyful setting that promotes self-esteem.
“Let’s Pony Up for the Kids” is four days of national giving that will take place July 13 – 16, 2021 as a response to the unprecedented need in the children’s charity community caused by COVID-19. So many aspects of a healthy successful childhood are cared for by charities. In this time of unprecedented need, “Let’s Pony Up for the Kids” is a time to come together as a nation and support them because their future is in our hands.
BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS A VOICE
Pacific Chorale is joining the Festival of Children Foundation in its “Let’s Pony Up for the Kids” initiative to continue to serve and protect our children’s artistic future as we look to move beyond the unprecedented disruption of the past 16 months.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pacific Chorale remained flexible and nimble, creating virtual and hybrid programs to serve the community in a constantly changing landscape.
Pacific Chorale transitioned the popular after school Pacific Chorale Academy program to Pacific Chorale Academy @Home. The online program focused on creativity, wellness, and joy, which were vital to children isolated by school lockdowns. Students explored their voices, wrote songs, created videos, and even made new online friends. As with the live program, the online program was offered at no charge to ensure that it was accessible for all.
As we move back to in-person performances and education programs, we want to continue providing an artistic outlet to connect, heal and bring joy to our children and community. Pacific Chorale hopes to raise $5,000 through this initiative, which will help to sustain and support our education programs.
“As not only an administrator but also an educator, I have had the first-hand opportunity to see the children in Pacific Chorale Academy @Home grow and blossom as they discover their own voices and develop the confidence to express themselves within a fun, safe, and supportive space,” said Dr. Molly Pontin, Pacific Chorale’s Vice President and Director of Education and Community Programs. “In Academy they learn teamwork by writing songs together, they gain the courage to sing for one another and record music together. It’s an exercise in building the strength of both the individual student and the community during this time when both have been under enormous stress.”
People can show their generosity in a variety of ways during “Let’s Pony Up for the Kids”, whether by donating, registering as a fundraiser, or simply raising awareness on social media. The national effort will emphasize the power of collaboration and how much can be achieved by working together.
“COVID-19 has touched every person in this country, and it presents an opportunity to come together as a charitable community”, said Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, founder & executive director of Festival of Children Foundation. “Generosity gives everyone power to make a positive change in the lives of children.”
Those interested in joining Pacific Chorale’s “Let’s Pony Up for the Kids” efforts can visit https://ponyup21.funraise.org/fundraiser/pacific-chorale.
About Pacific Chorale
Pacific Chorale is the primary artistic, social, and civic outlet for 150 dedicated volunteer singers. Many of our volunteers are music teachers or work in arts industries, but the vast majority are avocational musicians with diverse backgrounds, united in their love of choral music. Pacific Chorale offers them an opportunity to sing, buoyed by a small core of professional vocalists, with Pacific Symphony, the L.A. Philharmonic, and many other orchestras, in venues ranging from community-based churches to Segerstrom Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. Incomparable artistic opportunities and deep community connection are among the reasons that our members dedicate an average of 122 hours to rehearsals and performances heard by more than 18,000 listeners annually. In order to reduce barriers to access, volunteer singers are never charged dues to participate.
Pacific Chorale also serves the community with award-winning programs for kids in grades 1-12 and adults. These high-quality enrichment programs are offered at low or no cost in order to ensure equitable access to all interested singers. “Pacific Chorale Academy” is an after-school program for elementary students which uses the fun of choir to reinforce important skills like persistence, teamwork, and self-discipline. “Choral Camp,” in partnership with Cal State Fullerton and taught by some of CSUF’s top faculty, provides local, affordable summer enrichment for high school students. “Intro to the Arts” provides hundreds of free tickets through schools and social service partners, so that the ability to purchase a ticket is never a barrier to concert attendance. For adult singers, our annual Choral Festival opens the stage doors to over 300 non-auditioned community vocalists each year, who join with Pacific Chorale for a weekend of rehearsals and a performance in what many describe as a “bucket list” event.
About “Let’s Pony Up for the Kids
“Let’s Pony Up for the Kids” is a national fundraising effort organized by Festival of Children Foundation to bring support to the greatest needs of children’s charities. This peer-to-peer fundraising campaign enables organizations to mobilize volunteers as fundraisers, attract new donors, and generate awareness for critical missions that have been economically impacted by COVID-19. For more information, visit www.festivalofchildren.org/ponyup.
About Festival of Children Foundation
Festival of Children Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that serves to bring together and coordinate the efforts of charities, companies and individuals who actively work to improve the lives of children. Festival of Children Foundation gives a voice, guidance and support. 100% of the administrative costs are covered by designated funding, allowing donations to go further in direct support of programs and services that improve the lives of children. For more information, visit www.festivalofchildren.org.
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For release: November 5, 2020
Contacts:
Andrew Brown, President & CEO, ANDREW@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office, RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
Costa Mesa, CA – On December 3, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. PST, Pacific Chorale will bring its perennially popular Tis the Season! holiday concert to online audiences for the first time. In the expectation of continuing restrictions on in-person gatherings and performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Artistic Director Robert Istad has assembled a program of cabaret-style offerings featuring individual singers from the Chorale intermixed with “virtual choir” selections, in which members of the larger Chorale membership record their individual vocal performances at home, to be edited together into one composite performance. The program will also include guest performances by the Southern California Children’s Chorus and the students of Pacific Chorale’s new Academy @Home online music education program. The virtual program is being produced by Greg Christy of Brite Ideas of Rancho Santa Margarita, who has produced stunning live and virtual events for clients such as Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Paramount Pictures, Warner Brothers, Audi, and BMW. Pacific Chorale’s virtual choir selections are being prepared by Washington D.C. based Arts Laureate.
Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director, Robert Istad, shares, “The holiday season is inextricably linked with memories of wonderful times with my family and friends. As I assembled the program, I hoped to inspire you to recall the moment you discovered the beauty of Ella Fitzgerald’s and Bing Crosby’s recordings, singing by candlelight with your family on Christmas Eve, and unbridled laughter around a shared table. Most importantly, Pacific Chorale and I hope you’ll feel the love and warmth of those moments in your hearts.”
Among the highlights of the evening will be the premiere of a new arrangement of the carol “We Wish You a Merry (Virtual) Christmas,” commissioned from Emmy Award-winning composer Gary Fry, the principal pops arranger for ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Symphony. The program will also feature an intimate duet arrangement of the traditional “In the Bleak Midwinter” as recorded by Renée Fleming and arranged by Rob Moose, a member of Bon Iver and musician and arranger that frequently collaborates with artists such as John Legend, Ben Folds, LeAnn Rimes and Josh Groban.
While the online concert will be free for all to view, the program will be accompanied by a virtual gala fundraiser for the 52-year old Orange County organization, including an online auction. Viewers will be able to watch and donate on silent auction items such as trips to Hawaii, Mexico, and Paso Robles, jewelry, and unique gift baskets prepared by members of the Chorale. Donations and auction bidding to support Pacific Chorale’s ongoing artistic and education programs will be accepted via text and an online portal during the broadcast. Gala sponsorships are available ranging from $250 to $15,000. Sponsors will enjoy prime recognition and benefits including access to bonus material and specially curated and home-delivered VIP “Cozy Kit” gift boxes to enjoy while watching from home. All Gala donations received during the broadcast will be matched up to $30,000, thanks to a generous grant from Platinum Corporate Sponsor Salt-Away Products.
“This year, more than ever, we know we are all going to ‘Need a Little Christmas’,” says Andrew Brown, President of Pacific Chorale. “That is why Rob Istad and our Pacific Chorale team started early this year to dream up a streamed holiday show and virtual gala, to bring a little holiday cheer into the hearts of our Chorale family, and hopefully a little financial support in Pacific Chorale’s holiday stocking!”
More details about “Tis the Season!” are forthcoming. Visit www.pacificchorale.org/tis-the-season/ for the most current information!
Tis the Season Virtual Concert & Gala
Date & Time:
Thursday, December 3 at 5:00 p.m. PST
Conductor:
Robert Istad, Artistic Director
Featuring:
Pacific Chorale
Southern California Children’s Chorus; Lori Loftus, conductor
Pacific Chorale Academy @Home
Katie Martini, soprano
Denean Dyson, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Preston, tenor
Matthew Kellaway, baritone
David Clemensen, piano
Christopher Luthi, piano
Sean Emch, bass
Matthew Smith, drums
Program:
Happy Holiday (Soloists)
Winter Wonderland (Denean Dyson)
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Matthew Kellaway)
What Child Is This? (Pacific Chorale)
O Tannenbaum (Southern California Children’s Chorus)
O Holy Night (Nicholas Preston)
In the Bleak Midwinter (Katie Martini & Nicholas Preston)
This Little Light of Mine (Students of Pacific Chorale Academy @Home)
Silent Night (Pacific Chorale)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Katie Martini)
We Wish You a Merry [Virtual] Christmas (Pacific Chorale; world premiere arrangement by Gary Fry)
Tickets:
Free to view.
Gala sponsorships and VIP boxes starting at $250.
Visit www.pacificchorale.org/tis-the-season/ for more details!
Pacific Chorale gratefully acknowledges its generous lead sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor:
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Platinum Sponsors:
Charles and Ling Zhang
Thomas A. and Bonnie Pridonoff
Lenora Meister & Salt-Away Products, Inc.
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, 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, Pacific 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. The Chorale has also toured extensively to 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 places a significant emphasis on choral music education, offering elementary after-school programs, a high school student summer camp, and a community-wide singing event at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Pacific Chorale Academy @Home, an online version of the award-winning Pacific Chorale Academy after-school program for grades 2-6, launched in September 2020.
ABOUT ROBERT ISTAD
Dr. Robert Istad has served as Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director since July 1, 2017. He has prepared choruses for many of the world’s leading orchestral conductors, and has been featured on a number of recordings including The John Williams Collection on Sony Classical and Nostos: The Homecoming of Music on Yarlung Records. His first recording with Pacific Chorale, All Things Common: Music of Tarik O’Regan, was released by Yarlung Records in June 2020. He continues in his role as Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, California State University, Fullerton. He is also Vice-President of the California Choral Directors Association and a member of the board of directors of the national choral industry’s association, Chorus America.
ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHILDREN’S CHORUS
The Southern California Children’s Chorus (SCCC) was founded in 1996 with the mission of “enhancing children’s lives through distinguished choral music education and world-class performance.” SCCC currently serves nearly 300 children, ages 5 through 20, and strives to develop the entire character of its young singers through a program stressing musical aptitude, teamwork, discipline, self-confidence and personal growth. SCCC’s choruses are featured frequently at Orange County’s Segerstrom Hall and have thrilled audiences at Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Opera House, Westminster Abbey and the White House. In addition, SCCC has contributed singers for Touchstone and MGM films, television productions and commercials, orchestral, adult choral, and opera productions, rock music recordings, and many Disney events, both televised and live.
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For release: May 18, 2020
Contacts:
Andrew Brown, President & CEO, ANDREW@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office, RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
First recording released under Artistic Director Robert Istad’s leadership features the organization’s 24-member professional chamber choir, joined by Salastina Music Society.
Costa Mesa, CA — Pacific Chorale has announced the release of its newest recording, titled All Things Common, on the Yarlung Records label. This is the first recording released by the Chorale under the artistic leadership of Robert Istad. The album features music by Tarik O’Regan, the Chorale’s composer in residence, and includes the world premiere recording of “Facing West” on text by Walt Whitman, which received its premiere performance by Pacific Chorale in Samueli Theater at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California on May 18, 2019. The recording was made in Samueli Theater on May 20-21, 2019, recorded and mastered by Yarlung Records’ Bob Attiyeh, Arian Jansen, and Steve Hoffman. The performance and recording were sponsored, in part, by executive producer Lenora Meister. The program samples works from throughout O’Regan’s career, ranging from a 2001 setting of the liturgical Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis to the 2019 premiere of “Facing West,” performed by a 24-voice ensemble of singers from Pacific Chorale, with Istad conducting. Also featured on several tracks are instrumentalists from Salastina Music Society.
“This project connects my many years of friendship and artistic collaboration with Tarik O’Regan in a very special way,” says Istad. “I believe this recording does much more than showcase his genius, it reveals the remarkably consistent quality and artistic integrity of his work throughout his career. Tarik infuses every project he engages with his full being and creates impressively unique expressions of his aesthetic at every turn. I am grateful that Pacific Chorale’s incredible singers, staff and board of directors supported this wonderful project. Many thanks to Yarlung’s visionary team for their attention to the delicate equilibrium essential to provide Tarik’s music the right presence on a recording. Their deft handiwork showcases the extraordinary abilities of Pacific Chorale’s singers while affording Tarik’s voice a balanced space for the resonance and precision it requires.”
O’Regan comments, “One of the lovely things about working with Robert and Pacific Chorale over the years is that—in addition to wonderfully-premiered new works—I’ve been given the unique experience of hearing older pieces in a brilliant new light. Combining impeccable precision with an intuitive sense of ‘finding room,’ there is an invigorating and natural freshness in Robert’s and the Chorale’s work, captured brilliantly on this recording by Bob and Arian at Yarlung. I was very lucky to discover these compositions, spanning 20 years of my output, breathing in exciting new ways throughout the recording sessions, and I’m excited now to share the results with the public.”
Yarlung Records producer Bob Attiyeh writes, “Working with conductor and Pacific Chorale music director Robert Istad is always a pleasure. When he asked Yarlung to record his debut album with Pacific Chorale performing music by Tarik O’Regan, I knew we were in for a treat. Even though Pacific Chorale normally performs in the much larger Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, I was delighted that we were able to work in the adjacent and more intimate Samueli Theater. I always enjoy making recordings in Samueli, with its magnificent and adjustable acoustics, silent air conditioning and lights, and a theater staff that always treats our Yarlung crew like returning royalty.”
The CD of “All Things Common” is currently available through Pacific Chorale for $20.00 by visiting https://pacificchorale.formstack.com/forms/allthingscommon. High resolution digital downloads, the full album booklet, and artwork are now available at https://www.yarlungrecords.com/product/all-things-common/. The worldwide release of the CD is scheduled for June 19th, 2020.
ABOUT TARIK O’REGAN
Tarik O’Regan has written music for a wide variety of ensembles and organizations including Pacific Chorale, Dutch National Ballet, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Sydney Dance Company, Chamber Choir Ireland, BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Phoenix, his opera about the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte, commissioned by Houston Grand Opera with a libretto by John Caird, premiered in April 2019. Tarik’s work, widely recorded and published exclusively by Novello, has been nominated for two GRAMMY® awards and both New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer Best Classical Releases of the Year for Threshold of Night; the National Endowment for the Arts Artistic Excellence Award, and a South Bank Sky Arts Award nomination for Heart of Darkness; a Gramophone Award nomination for Scattered Rhymes; and more.
ABOUT SALASTINA MUSIC SOCIETY
Salastina Music Society performs with smaller or larger chamber orchestra ensembles depending on the music. For this recording, Salastina includes co-directors Maia Jasper White and Kevin Kumar
on violins; Meredith Crawford, viola; Charles Tyler, cello; and Eric Shetzen, bass. Meredith Crawford is also known to Southern California music audiences as the principal viola in the Pacific Symphony, and Maia Jasper White as a member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
ABOUT YARLUNG RECORDS
GRAMMY® Award-winning Yarlung Records brings fresh musicians to the classical music world using minimalist audiophile recording techniques to deliver sound as close to living performance as possible. Rather than using recording studios, engineer Bob Attiyeh produces these albums in concert halls famous for their acoustics, including Walt Disney Concert Hall and Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Yarlung uses both analog tape and high-resolution digital media for CDs made with special alloys, high-resolution digital downloads including NativeDSD, and 180 Gram vinyl, mastered by Steve Hoffman.
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.
All Things Common: Music of Tarik O’Regan
Artists: Tarik O’Regan, Pacific Chorale, Salastina Music Society, Robert Istad
Executive Producer: Lenora Meister
Recording Engineers: Bob Attiyeh, Arian Jansen
Mastering Engineers: Steve Hoffman, Arian Jansen, Bob Attiyeh
Label: Yarlung Records
Catalog No.: YAR02592
EAN/UPC: 195079025921
Total Playing Time: 58:57
Track Listing:
1. All Things Common (2017) [5:02]
2. Blessed Are They (2013) [4:47]
3. Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis (2001) [14:58]
4. Turn (2016) [4:57]
5. Facing West (2019) [5:43]
6. The Ecstasies Above (2006) [19:39]
7. I Listen to the Stillness of You, from Mass Observation (2016) [3:51]
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Contacts:
Andrew Brown, President & CEO
ANDREW@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office
RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
Concert on November 9th will feature the Chorale and Pacific Symphony in Johannes Brahms’ “A German Requiem” and Arvo Pärt’s “Te Deum.”
Followed by “It’s De-Lovely” Gala at the Westin South Coast Plaza to raise funds for Pacific Chorale’s artistic and education programs.
Costa Mesa, CA – On November 9, 2019 at 3:00 p.m., in the opening concert of their 2019-2020 artistic season, Orange County’s Pacific Chorale will perform Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) by Johannes Brahms and Te Deum by Arvo Pärt at Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Artistic Director Robert Istad will conduct the 140-voice Chorale with Pacific Symphony and guest soloists Camille Zamora, soprano, and Alexander Dobson, baritone.
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt was commissioned by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (West German Broadcasting) in Cologne, Germany, to write Te Deum in 1984. Drawing inspiration from Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox church traditions, Pärt delivered a multi-layered work that requires three separate choirs—one female, one male, and one mixed. The voices are accompanied by string orchestra, along with two highly unusual instruments: prepared piano (the instrument’s usual timbre is altered by inserting screws between selected strings), and a prerecorded drone generated by a wind harp.
Composed between 1857 and 1868, and first performed in 1869, Johannes Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45, was a breakthrough work for the composer, and remains one of the most beloved choral works in the literature. Unlike most musical Requiems written to that date (though others have since followed its example), A German Requiem does not draw upon the Latin text from the Mass for the Dead, but instead uses passages from Martin Luther’s German translation of the Bible. Omitting the customary depictions of the Last Judgment that provided dramatic inspiration to composers such as Mozart and Berlioz, Brahms instead used his text selections to bring focus to the poignant suffering and consolation of those mourning in the here-and-now. In addition to its rich writing for the chorus and orchestra, A German Requiem includes two prominent vocal solo parts, performed here by American soprano Camille Zamora and British-Canadian baritone Alexander Dobson.
The Brahms Requiem has long been a signature work of Pacific Chorale and this will be the first time Artistic Director Robert Istad will lead the ensemble in a performance of the masterwork. “It is a challenge,” Istad admits. “The Requiem is the first piece I studied with my teacher—who happens to be the former artistic director of Pacific Chorale, John Alexander—and his interpretation is imprinted on my soul. Brahms’ Requiem was life-changing for me at a number of points in my development as a conductor and a musician. The singers have come along with me on the journey as I’ve tried to create my own personal and meaningful approach to interpreting it.”
The concert will be immediately followed by Pacific Chorale’s annual gala fundraiser. This year, the fundraiser, titled “It’s De-Lovely,” will transform the Terrace Pavilion at The Westin South Coast Plaza hotel into a 1920s supper club. The Art Deco-themed gala will feature dinner, live music and dancing, and a live auction, with the revenue supporting the Chorale’s award-winning artistic, education, and community programs.
The swinging entertainment for the evening will be provided by the Jennifer Keith Sextet, a frequently requested mainstay at clubs and events across Southern California. Ms. Keith and her combo have also been featured in residence at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas.
Floral design is being provided by award-winning designer David Navarro of Jacob Maarse Florist. Navarro’s work was recently showcased in the South Coast Plaza’s Fleur de Villes floral couture exhibition.
“This is a truly exciting time for Pacific Chorale, and we wanted to create a gala event that matches the level of excitement, artistic quality, and growth that this organization is experiencing right now,” shared Andrew Brown, President of Pacific Chorale. “We are truly grateful for all of our Gala sponsors and patrons who continue to invest in this organization, our award-winning educational programs, and our mission of bringing the highest level of performances for Orange County.”
Brahms German Requiem & Pärt Te Deum
Date & Time: Saturday, November 9 at 3:00 p.m. | Concert preview with Brian Lauritzen of Classical KUSC at 2:00 p.m.
Conductor: Robert Istad, Artistic Director
Featuring: Pacific Chorale
Pacific Symphony
Camille Zamora, soprano
Alexander Dobson, baritone
Location: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tickets: From $25 to $120
Call 714/662-2345 or visit www.pacificchorale.org/events/brahms-part/
Pacific Chorale gratefully acknowledges its generous season sponsors:
Platinum Season Sponsor:
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Silver Season Sponsor:
Charles and Ling Zhang
It’s De-Lovely Gala
Date & Time: Saturday, November 9 at 5:30pm
Location: Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel
686 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tickets: From $300 (including concert tickets)
Call 714/662-2345 or visit www.pacificchorale.org/events/gala
ABOUT ROBERT ISTAD
Dr. Robert Istad has served as Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director since July 1, 2017. He has prepared choruses for many of the world’s leading orchestral conductors, and has been featured on a number of recordings including The John Williams Collection on Sony Classical and Nostos: The Homecoming of Music on Yarlung Records. He continues in his role as Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, California State University, Fullerton. He is also serving as the President of the California Choral Directors Association and was recently elected to the board of directors of the national choral industry’s association, Chorus America.
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.
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For release: June 12, 2019
Contacts:
Molly Buzick Pontin
Vice-President, Education & Community Programs
MOLLY@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
Ryan McSweeney
Director of Marketing & Box Office
RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
Costa Mesa, CA – On Saturday, June 22, 2019 at 5:00 p.m., the Orange County Women’s Chorus and Pacific Chorale will co-host Orange County’s inaugural “Beer Choir,” a sing-along performance on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Representatives from both choirs will take turns leading the singing. Food and drink will be available for purchase from George’s Café on the Plaza. The official Beer Choir Hymnal may be downloaded in advance from the Beer Choir website, beerchoir.com. No singing experience is necessary, though beer-drinking experience is a plus.
Beer Choir was created in 2014, the brainchild of Missouri composer and conductor Michael Engelhardt. The concept is simple: People who love beer and choral singing gather in public spaces such as pubs and breweries to celebrate both those loves, fostering community involvement and investment in the local economy. Beer Choir is a national organization, with chapters ranging from Phoenix, Arizona to Appleton, Wisconsin. The mission of Beer Choir is “To make our world a little bit better by singing and drinking together.”
Date & Time: Saturday, June 22, 5:00–7:00 p.m.
Location: Julianne & George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
There is no charge to sing in Beer Choir. Alcoholic beverages may not be brought onto the Center’s campus. Beer, wine, and food will be available for purchase at George’s Café: www.patinagroup.com/georges-cafe
ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY WOMEN’S CHORUS
Under the artistic leadership of Eliza Rubenstein since 2000, the Orange County Women’s Chorus (OCWC) has grown from a small group of women brainstorming about singing together to one of the region’s leading choruses. The OCWC has performed at venues including Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Walt Disney Concert Hall’s REDCAT Theater, the 2004 and 2012 western regional conferences of the American Choral Directors’ Association, and most recently, Carnegie Hall. The chorus was named a 2014 Outstanding Arts Organization by Arts Orange County and won a prize at the 2015 International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales. They have collaborated with ensembles including Bel Canto, MenAlive, The Wooden Floor (formerly Saint Joseph Ballet), South Coast Symphony, Agape Voices of Praise, The All-American Boys’ Chorus, and Men in Blaque.
Their wide-ranging repertoire includes medieval chants, multicultural folk songs, classical masterworks, protest songs, gospel tunes, and more. Committed to new music and up-and-coming musicians, the OCWC regularly commissions new works for women’s voices, and their conducting internship program, designed to encourage young women entering the field of choral conducting, has been a model for other choruses around the nation.
ABOUT PACIFIC CHORALE
Pacific Chorale has delighted international audiences with 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 Segerstrom Center for the Arts, where it serves as the 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, 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 presenting a substantial performance season of its own, Pacific Chorale is sought regularly to perform with the nation’s leading symphonies. In addition to its long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, the Chorale has performed with such renowned American ensembles as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the National Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and Musica Angelica.
Pacific Chorale has also toured extensively throughout Europe, South America, and Asia, collaborating 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 places a significant emphasis on choral music education, offering after-school programs for grades 1-6, a high school student summer camp, and a community-wide singing event.
ABOUT SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution as well as a beautiful multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence, offering unsurpassed experiences and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring arts-based education and community engagement programs.
Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County’s largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School.
The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events.
Segerstrom Center is a leader among the nation’s performing arts centers for providing education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. The Center’s programs reach hundreds of thousands of students each year in five Southern California counties. Community engagement programs developed through the Center for Dance and Innovation and Center Without Boundaries also connect the Center more comprehensively with Orange County’s many diverse communities. The CDI supports flagship artistic programming and a wide range of projects that celebrate innovation, nurture creativity and engage audiences of the future. It is home to the ABT Gillespie School and the School of Dance and Music for Children with Disabilities. The Center Without Boundaries develops partnerships with non-arts organizations to help them in their own efforts to respond to the ever-changing needs of the community.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons performed at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
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Contacts:
Andrew Brown, President & CEO
ANDREW@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office
RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
Concert on March 30th will highlight the accomplishments of women composers, including a world premiere by guest curator Karen P. Thomas.
Costa Mesa, CA – On March 30, 2019 at 7:30 p.m., in celebration of Women’s History Month, Orange County’s Pacific Chorale will highlight the creative genius of female composers in a concert titled “UnSung Heroes” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The evening’s program will feature music composed by women ranging from the medieval mystic Hildegard von Bingen to 2013 Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw and will include a world premiere commission by Seattle composer and conductor Karen P. Thomas, who also serves as the concert’s guest curator. Artistic Director Robert Istad will conduct the 140-voice Chorale with accompanist David Clemensen and guest musicians.
“It’s no secret that women composers have been vastly underrepresented in music,” says Istad. “Until fairly recently in history, women were strongly discouraged from pursuing careers in composition, and what music they did write was rarely publicly performed or published.” According to the website Bachtrack, which maintains listings of concert, opera, and dance performances worldwide, women were represented in only 16% of classical music programming in the United States last year.
The Chorale’s aim is to introduce audience members to a selection of incredibly talented women — some of them historic, some of them iconic, and many of them active today—who have made and are making an impact in music. Among those featured are the multi-talented 19th century musicians Clara Wieck Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel—both of whom were overshadowed as composers in their lifetimes by the men in their families; the tragically short-lived French prodigy Lili Boulanger; veteran choral composer and arranger Alice Parker; African American composers Ysaÿe Barnwell and Rosephanye Powell; Galina Grigorjeva, representing the rich Estonian choral music tradition; and Hyo-won Woo from South Korea.
During this program, Istad will also recognize the major contributions of women in popular music, with selections from well-known English and American singer-songwriters Kate Bush, Carole King, and Joni Mitchell included in the evening’s performance, and will prominently feature a number of the Chorale’s female members as soloists.
Istad concludes, “You may not yet be familiar with all the names on this concert, but we think you’ll agree their music is amazing!”
Prior to the concert, Segerstrom Center’s second annual ¡DAMAS! celebration will take place on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza beginning at 5:00 p.m. ¡DAMAS! celebrates women creators and will feature performances, activities, and a panel discussion which will include Karen Thomas. As part of the plaza activities, Pacific Chorale will create a “gallery walk” of posters of great moments for women in music history and will provide free concert tickets to groups who primarily serve women’s causes. scfta.org/events/2019/¡damas!-free
UnSung Heroes
Date & Time: Saturday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Conductor: Robert Istad, Artistic Director
Featuring: Pacific Chorale • David Clemensen, piano
Location: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall • 600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tickets: From $25 to $115
Call 714/662-2345 or visit pacificchorale.org/events/unsung-heroes/
I Thank You God — Gwyneth Walker
Sorida (A Zimbabwe Greeting) — Rosephanye Powell
Was weinst du, Blümlein, Op. 23, No. 1* — Clara Schumann
Nach Süden, Op. 10, No. 1* — Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
Soir sur la plaine — Lili Boulanger
Le Stelle (World Premiere) — Karen P. Thomas
Commissioned by ACFEA Tour Consultants for Rob Istad and Pacific Chorale, in support of Chorus America
O ignee spiritus — Hildegard von Bingen
Her Beacon Hand Beckons, from To the Hands — Caroline Shaw
This Woman’s Work* — Kate Bush
In Paradisum — Galina Grigorjeva
Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal — arr. Alice Parker
From the Wingbone of a Swan — Edie Hill
To See the Sky — Jocelyn Hagen
Both Sides Now* — Joni Mitchell
Wanting Memories, from Crossings — Ysaÿe M. Barnwell
(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman* — Carole King
Pal-So-Seong (8 Laughing Voices) — Hyo-won Woo
* solo selection
This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
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
Dr. Robert Istad has served as Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director since July 1, 2017. He has prepared choruses for many of the world’s leading orchestral conductors, and has been featured on a number of recordings including The John Williams Collection on Sony Classical and Nostos: The Homecoming of Music on Yarlung Records. He continues in his role as Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, California State University, Fullerton. He is also serving as the President of the California Choral Directors Association and was recently elected to the board of directors of the national choral industry’s association, Chorus America.
ABOUT KAREN P. THOMAS
Karen P. Thomas, composer and conductor, is the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Seattle Pro Musica. Her compositions are performed and broadcast throughout the world, by groups such as The Hilliard Ensemble and the Vocal Consort of Brussels. Her works are published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing and Northwest Choral Publishers, and have been featured at numerous ACDA and AGO conferences. A prize-winning composer, she has received grants from the NEA, The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters, and Meet the Composer, among numerous others. As a conductor, Ms. Thomas has produced ten critically-acclaimed CDs, and received the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and the ASCAP-Chorus America Award. She has appeared as guest conductor at international festivals in Europe and North America, and the NPR radio show Saint Paul Sunday. She received the 2012 Outstanding Choral Director Award for Washington State, and currently serves on the boards of Chorus America, the American Choral Directors Association (NW Division) and the Greater Seattle Choral Consortium, and is a Commissioner on the Seattle Music Commission.
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.
###
For release: November 15, 2018
Contacts:
Molly Buzick Pontin, DMA, Managing Director
MOLLY@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office
RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
December 1: “Carols by Candlelight” at Our Lady Queen of Angels, Newport Beach
December 22 & 23: “Tis the Season!” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
December 22: Holiday Gala, “Imagine, Inspire, Create” at The Center Club, Costa Mesa
Costa Mesa, CA – December 2018 will see Orange County’s Pacific Chorale give voice to the holiday spirit with two contrasting concerts: “Carols by Candlelight” at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach and “Tis the Season!” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts’ Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. The first of the two “Tis the Season!” performances will be followed by the Chorale’s annual Holiday Gala fundraising dinner, “Imagine, Inspire, Create,” at The Center Club, located just across the Argyros Plaza from the concert hall.
Carols by Candlelight
A magical evening of traditional carols and classical Christmas works presented by a chamber choir of Pacific Chorale’s professional singers in an intimate candlelit setting.
Date & Time: Saturday, December 1 at 8:00 p.m.
Conductor: Robert Istad, Artistic Director
Featuring: Members of Pacific Chorale • David Clemensen, piano • Jung-A Lee, organ
Location: Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, 2046 Mar Vista Dr., Newport Beach, CA 92660
Tickets: From $25 to $70. Call 714/662-2345 or visit pacificchorale.org
Once in Royal David’s City — arr. David Willcocks
The Wexford Carol — arr. Michael McGlynn
Ríu Ríu — arr. Michael McGlynn
Of the Father’s Love Begotten — arr. Molly Ijames
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen* — arr. David Willcocks
Gloria, from Mass for Double Choir — Frank Martin
Es ist ein Ros (Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming) — Michael Praetorius/Melchior Vulpius
Magnificat — Arvo Pärt
Noé, Noé! Pastores cantate domino — Guillaume Bouzignac
O Little Town of Bethlehem* — arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams
Huron Carol — arr. Sara Quartel
The Flight — Richard Causton
Let My Love Be Heard — Jake Runestad
Virga Jesse floruit — Michael Austin Miller
Angels We Have Heard on High — arr. Benjamin Harlan
Lobet den Herrn, from Singet dem Herrn, BWV 225 — J.S. Bach
Dona Nobis Pacem — Bob Chilcott
* sing-along selection
“Carols by Candlelight” is sponsored by Trish O’Donnell, in loving memory of John O’Donnell
Tis the Season!
This popular family holiday extravaganza in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a seasonal favorite. Artistic Director Robert Istad leads Pacific Chorale, the Southern California Children’s Concert Chorus (Lori Loftus, Founding Artistic Director and Conductor) and the brass and percussion of Pacific Symphony in a concert of traditional carols, holiday favorites, and new surprises, including a visit from Santa Claus.
Dates & Times: Saturday, December 22 at 5:00 p.m. • Sunday, December 23 at 3:00 p.m.
Conductor: Robert Istad, Artistic Director
Featuring: Pacific Chorale • Members of Pacific Symphony—Carl St.Clair, Music Director • Southern California Children’s Concert Chorus—Lori Loftus, Founding Director
Location: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tickets: $29 to $140. Call 714/662-2345 (Pacific Chorale) or 714/556-2787 (Segerstrom Center) or visit pacificchorale.org
A Christmas Gloria — Gary Fry
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing — arr. David Willcocks
Sussex Carol — arr. Ian Crawford
Angels We Have Heard on High — arr. John Rutter
Ave Maria — Felix Mendelssohn
Welcome Yule! — B. Wayne Bisbee
Northern Lights — Ēriks Ešenvalds
Personent Hodie — arr. Will Todd
Trinity Te Deum — Ēriks Ešenvalds
Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas — John Williams
Feliz Navidad — Jose Feliciano
The Christmas Waltz — Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn
A Holly Jolly Christmas — Johnny Marks
Jingle Bells — arr. David Willcocks
Dormi, Dormi, bel Bambin — arr. Valerie S. Crescenz
Christmas Time Is Here — Vince Guaraldi
This Endris Night — Z. Randall Stroope
Ave Maria — Franz Biebl
Silent Night — arr. Roger Wagner
We Wish You a Merry Christmas — arr. Arthur Harris
Joy to the World — arr. Mack Wilberg
Encore: Hallelujah Chorus, from Messiah — George Frideric Handel
Holiday Gala
“Imagine, Inspire, Create” is the theme for Pacific Chorale’s 2018 Holiday Gala, continuing the celebration on into the evening following the Saturday performance of “Tis the Season!” Chaired by Susan Lindley, this black tie-optional evening will feature a short-ribs holiday dinner (fish and vegetarian options also available), holiday entertainment, and an auction featuring trips and special experiences.
Date & Time: Saturday, December 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Event Chair: Susan Lindley
Location: The Center Club, 650 Town Center Drive, Garden Level, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tickets: Single tickets are $300 per person. Table sponsorships and syndicated tables are available. Contact Rachel Van Skike at 714/662-2345 for more details.
Pacific Chorale gratefully acknowledges its generous sponsors:
Platinum Season Sponsor:
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Silver Season Sponsor:
Charles and Ling Zhang
ABOUT ROBERT ISTAD
Dr. Robert Istad has served as Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director since July 1, 2017. He has prepared choruses for many of the world’s leading orchestral conductors, and has been featured on a number of recordings including The John Williams Collection on Sony Classical and Nostos: The Homecoming of Music on Yarlung Records. He continues in his role as Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, California State University, Fullerton. He is also serving as the President of the California Choral Directors Association and was recently elected to the board of directors of the national choral industry’s association, Chorus America.
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.
###
For release: October 15, 2018
Contacts:
Molly Buzick Pontin, DMA, Managing Director
MOLLY@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office
RYAN@PACIFICCHORALE.ORG
714/662-2345
Costa Mesa, CA, October 15, 2018 –Pacific Chorale today announced the appointment of Andrew Brown as its new President and Chief Executive Officer. Brown comes to the Chorale following a 17-year tenure at Los Angeles Master Chorale, where he worked his way up from administrative assistant to Chief Operating Officer. He has an undergraduate degree in music education from Ball State in Muncie, Indiana and an MA/MBA in Arts Management from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. He will begin his tenure with the Chorale on December 3, 2018.
Brown said, “I am absolutely thrilled to be taking on this leadership role with the Pacific Chorale, an institution with a rich Southern California legacy and recognized for its leadership in the national choral community.”
He adds, “I am most looking forward to partnering with Artistic Director Rob Istad to make his broadminded artistic vision a reality. Rob brings such vitality, creativity and artistry to an ensemble built on an already solid musical foundation. I know we will make a great team and I am eager to work with Rob, the board, staff and musicians to endeavor to make the Pacific Chorale one of the best unkept secrets of Orange County.”
Artistic Director Robert Istad said, “Andrew has been a valued colleague in the choral field for years, so I can’t wait to work with him here at Pacific Chorale. He will be a tremendous leader to carry our 50-year legacy in this community forward into a bright future.”
Thomas Pridonoff, Pacific Chorale’s Board Chair, said, “We could not be more excited to welcome Andrew to the Pacific Chorale family. He comes to us with the perfect combination of vision, experience, and proven accomplishment, and we can’t wait to see where he and Rob Istad will take the Chorale in the coming years.”
Brown’s selection was facilitated by the Los Angeles-based firm Michelle Whiting & Associates (MWA). MWA is an accomplished nonprofit consulting group whose comprehensive chief executive and chief development officer recruitment efforts have resulted in successful leadership placement at over 60 organizations throughout the country.
Andrew Brown most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the leading professional choral arts organization in the country and a resident company of Walt Disney Concert Hall. As COO, he led the Master Chorale’s artistic production, marketing, and education departments and guided the organization’s artistic and strategic planning. He also led the management team in union collective bargaining negotiations and manages guest artist contracting. During his tenure, the Master Chorale transitioned to a fully-professional ensemble and experienced unprecedented growth in expanding the Master Chorale’s artistic footprint both inside and beyond Walt Disney Concert Hall.
He has executive produced several of the Master Chorale’s most recent media and recording projects, including Festival of Carols, the ensemble’s first self-produced album, on its own label. Most recently, he facilitated the Master Chorale’s appearance as the featured chorus on John Williams’ score of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Over the past several years, he has produced two significant projects to expand the Master Chorale’s presence well beyond Walt Disney Concert Hall. Big Sing California, a live-streamed, sing-along concert event, featuring the Master Chorale and hosted by Artistic Director Grant Gershon and Artist-in-Residence Eric Whitacre was broadcast from Walt Disney Concert Hall on July 21, 2018, to 4,500 participants in 5 hub locations across California. The performance was live-streamed on the internet, reaching an additional 3,500 viewers.
The second is the Master Chorale’s first independent international tour of Lagrime di San Pietro (The Tears of St. Peter). This production of 21 a cappella singers performing Orlando di Lasso’s Renaissance masterpiece was staged by acclaimed director Peter Sellars and will be presented around the world beginning September 2018 in such locations as Melbourne, Mexico City, London and Paris.
Andrew worked at the Los Angeles Master Chorale for more than 17 years, and during that time has served in many capacities throughout the organization, including managing the Master Chorale’s award-winning community and education programs for seven years.
As a professional singer, Andrew sang with the LA Master Chorale for ten seasons and in several other Southern California professional choral ensembles, as well. He can be heard on numerous film and television scores.
He holds a M.A. in Arts Management and M.B.A. from the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana.
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.
For release: August 20, 2018
Contacts:
Molly Buzick Pontin, DMA, Managing Director
molly@pacificchorale.org
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office
ryan@pacificchorale.org
714/662-2345
PACIFIC CHORALE TO OPEN SEASON WITH HAYDN’S “THE CREATION”
Performance will feature video projections and lighting by Martin Brinkerhoff Associates
Costa Mesa, CA – On Sunday, November 4th, Pacific Chorale will open its 2018-2019 season at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall with a performance of The Creation, in a concert featuring video projections and lighting to complement what has been called composer Franz Joseph Haydn’s masterpiece and the “Sistine Chapel of music.” With a libretto that draws on the books of Genesis and Psalms as well as Milton’s Paradise Lost, The Creation features some of Haydn’s most creative and uplifting music, including magically descriptive orchestral writing, triumphant choruses, and a trio of angels (portrayed by soprano, tenor, and bass soloists) who act as narrators. This will be the Chorale’s first time to present the oratorio on its own concert season in forty-five years.
Robert Istad, the Chorale’s Artistic Director, will conduct Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony in the performance, joined by vocal soloists soprano Elissa Johnston, tenor Derek Chester, and bass Paul Max Tipton. The media design and projections will be provided by the Irvine firm Martin Brinkerhoff Associates Inc., and are sponsored in part by the Segerstrom Foundation.
Haydn’s The Creation
Sunday, November 4, 2018, 5:00 p.m.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Pacific Chorale
Pacific Symphony
Elissa Johnston, soprano
Derek Chester, tenor
Paul Max Tipton, bass
Robert Istad, conductor
Projection and media design by Martin Brinkerhoff Associates
Program:
The Creation (Die Schöpfung) by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Sung in English, with supertitles
Tickets are $25-$125, available through Pacific Chorale (www.pacificchorale.org / 714-662-2345) and Segerstrom Center for the Arts (www.scfta.org / 714-556-2787).
Pacific Chorale gratefully acknowledges its generous sponsors:
Gold Season Sponsor:
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Silver Season Sponsor:
Charles and Ling Zhang
Concert Sponsors:
John and Lori Loftus
The Segerstrom Foundation
ABOUT ROBERT ISTAD
Dr. Robert Istad has served as Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director since July 1, 2017. He has prepared choruses for many of the world’s leading orchestral conductors, and has been featured on a number of recordings including The John Williams Collection on Sony Classical and Nostos: The Homecoming of Music on Yarlung Records. He continues in his role as Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, California State University, Fullerton. He is also serving as the President of the California Choral Directors Association and was recently elected to the board of directors of the national choral industry’s association, Chorus America.
ABOUT MARTIN BRINKERHOFF ASSOCIATES
Martin Brinkerhoff Associates (MBA) is a turn-key, live event production company that teams with its partners to create theatrical, media-rich videos and live experiences. MBA’s reputation for excellence derives from providing innovative and entertaining solutions to reach and inspire a wide variety of diverse audiences around the world. Its award-winning portfolio includes designing theatrical and musical experiences for The Walt Disney Company, Brian Wilson, and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. mbaproductions.com
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.
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For release: July 23, 2018
Contacts: Molly Buzick Pontin, DMA, Managing Director
Ryan McSweeney, Director of Marketing & Box Office
714/662-2345
CHORALE’S FESTIVAL TO UNITE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN SONG
Artistic Director Robert Istad Conducts an All-Mozart Program in Free Public Performance
Costa Mesa, CA – More than 300 Southern California singers, including members of Pacific Chorale, are scheduled to perform in Pacific Chorale’s Choral Festival in a free public concert onstage at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall on August 12, 2018. The annual event, presented in collaboration with Segerstrom Center for the Arts, draws singers from cities throughout the United States for a weekend of intensive rehearsals culminating in this community performance.
“Pacific Chorale has been presenting the Choral Festival for eleven years now,” said Molly Buzick Pontin, Managing Director. “This event has become a highlight of the year for the choral community, and available spaces for singers in the Festival Chorus regularly fill within the first few hours of registration. We love bringing our community together every summer, both as performers and audience members, for this celebration of song.”
Robert Istad, now entering his second year as the Chorale’s Artistic Director, will conduct the program of music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The highly regarded organist Jung-A Lee will accompany at the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ. The concert also features four accomplished soloists from Pacific Chorale.
Pacific Chorale’s Choral Festival
Sunday, August 12, 2018, 5:00 p.m.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
A community-wide event presented in association with Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Pacific Chorale’s Festival Chorus
Jung-A Lee, organist
Maria Cristina Navarro, soprano
I-Chin Lee, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Preston, tenor
Ryan Antal, baritone
Robert Istad, conductor
Program: Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)
• Excerpt from Fantasia in F minor for Organ, K. 608
• Vesperae solennes de confessore, K. 339
• “Alleluia” from Exsultate, jubilate, K. 165
• Ave verum corpus, K. 618
Concert is free to the public. General admission tickets are available through Segerstrom Center for the Arts: www.scfta.org and (714) 556-2787. Ticket holders are guaranteed admission until 4:50 p.m., after which time any available seating will be made available to stand-by patrons.
Pacific Chorale gratefully acknowledges its generous sponsors:
Gold Season Sponsor and Presenting Sponsor, Education:
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Silver Season Sponsor:
Charles and Ling Zhang
Education Program Sponsors:
California Arts Council
The Capital Group Companies
Edison International
Kenneth Lester Family Foundation
Lon V. Smith Foundation
Pacific Premier Bank
ABOUT ROBERT ISTAD
Dr. Robert Istad has served as Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director since July 1, 2017. Before taking on the lead artistic role, he served as Pacific Chorale’s Assistant Conductor and ultimately as the Associate Conductor for a total of 13 years. He continues in his role as Professor of Music, Director of Choral Studies, California State University, Fullerton. He is also serving as the President of the California Choral Directors Association and was recently elected to the board of directors of the choral industry’s national association, Chorus America.
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. The organization boasts over 30 world premieres and has released 14 self-produced recordings.
In addition to its long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, 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 toured extensively to over 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.
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