A cinematic choral experience unlike anything you've seen before
Encounter the power of music, movement, and light in a heartfelt artistic journey.
To the Hands is a compelling testament to the transformative power of live performance. This singular film captures the riveting beauty of our September production, preserving its emotional depth and artistic vision in a breathtaking cinematic medium.
This is not a traditional choral concert—it is a multi-form experiential reflection on suffering, resilience, and our shared responsibility to one another. Caroline Shaw’s To the Hands, her 2016 response to Buxtehude’s 1680 Ad Manus, weaves together a tapestry of expression, urging us to acknowledge the wounds in the midst of our hands and imploring us to heal them.
What you will witness is the result of two years of collaboration, uniting Pacific Chorale’s chamber choir, the brilliant string musicians of Delirium Musicum, and an exceptional creative team of dancers and designers. Combining music, movement, and light, they have shaped this profound artistic meditation on one of the most pressing humanitarian crises of our time.
Recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Newport Beach Film Festival is one of the largest luxury lifestyle film festivals in the United States. The event brings an internationally curated collection of films and vibrant cultural gatherings to the beautiful Southern California coast. Committed to championing the work of original storytellers from around the globe, the Festival celebrates contemporary screen culture and cinematic excellence, engaging the community in compelling conversations with filmmakers and artists. The Newport Beach Film Festival is sponsored in part by UCI Health, Los Angeles Times The Envelope, KIA, Fashion Island, and the City of Newport Beach. Festival dates are October 16-23, 2025.
RECOGNITION FOR TO THE HANDS
CREATIVE TEAM
Robert Istad and Alex Nelson, Producers
Marty Austin Lamar, Director
Christian Amonson, Arts Laureate, Recording
Lauren K.O. Dixon, Lighting Design
Courtney Ozovek, Choreographer
Omar Ramos, Projection Design
FEATURING
Robert Istad, Artistic Director & Conductor
Members of Pacific Chorale
Members of Delirium Musicum
David Clemensen, piano
Julia Atkinson, Sophia Bernardo, Erik Jaimes, Mila Gonzales and Emily Kelley, dancers
Meet the Artists »
Program Book: September 2024 Live Performance
Special Thanks to Our Generous Sponsors For Making this Production Possible
Platinum Sponsorship by
Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons
Co-Sponsored by
Segerstrom Center for the Arts | National Endowment for the Arts
With additional support from:
Pacfic Chorale's Artistic Innovation Fund
Recording underwritten by the Ron Rudderow Legacy Fund
Highlights: To the Hands 2024
WATCH OUR FIRST FILM PROJECT
Pacific Chorale’s Summer 2021 digital production, the original concert film The Wayfaring Project, takes us on a journey that acknowledges and honors the profound dislocation and uncertainty most of us have faced during the past year, while looking ahead to the future with hope and assurance that we are at last “going home.”
Created in collaboration with Arts Laureate and award-winning cinematographer Jeff Dolen Productions, The Wayfaring Project features Pacific Chorale, members of Pacific Symphony, and soloists performing the music of J.S. Bach, Samuel Barber, Thomas A. Dorsey, Tarik O’Regan, Dolly Parton, and Moira Smiley. The complete concert received its world premiere screening on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts August 21, 2021.
Also available for on-demand streaming nationwide through the PBS app (free), KCET and the PBS SoCal website.