Orange County, Calif. July 25, 2022—Pacific Symphony and the Pacific Chorale will present a “Concert for Healing” on Weds., Aug. 3 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary of Geneva Presbyterian Church (24301 El Toro Road) in Laguna Woods. The Rev. Dr. Steven Marsh from Geneva and the Rev. Dr. Albany Lee from Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church will offer words of comfort and hope. Music Director Carl St.Clair will conduct the Symphony and Chorale in a program that expresses resilience and remembrance.
The concert opens with Hymn of Healing, composed by Richard A. Nichols in memory of the victims of the tragic shooting that took place on May 15. The work receives its world premiere at this performance and is the setting of a text created by the church’s choir director, Eileen O’Hern. A freewill offering will be taken to benefit the Dr. John Cheng Foundation and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. Masks will be required for this event.
Weds. • Aug. 3, 2022 • 6 – 7:30 p.m.
Carl St.Clair, conductor
Members of Pacific Symphony
Members of Pacific Chorale
Anna Schubert, soprano
NICHOLS: Hymn of Healing (world premiere)
TICHELI: There Will Be Rest
HAYDN: Symphony No. 49 “La passione”
PAULUS: The Road Home
MOZART: Ave Verum Corpus
MOZART: Exultate Jubilate
NEWTON: “Amazing Grace” (with the congregation)
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Press Contact: Libby Huebner, libbyhuebner562@gmail.com, 562.799.6055
COSTA MESA, CA (June 27, 2022) – The Grammy Award-winning Pacific Chorale, the resident chorus at Segerstrom Center for the Arts led by Artistic Director Robert Istad, is holding auditions for tenor and bass singers for entry in the ensemble’s 2022-23 season. Singers can apply online at https://www.pacificchorale.org/auditions/. The deadline to apply is July 21, 2022, for tenor staff applicants and July 28 for tenor and bass volunteer applicants. There is no application fee. In-person auditions will be scheduled in August on a first-applied, first-served basis. All new singers admitted to Pacific Chorale, considered among the nation’s leading choirs, must be fully vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.
Pacific Chorale is a warm and welcoming ensemble comprised of 220 diverse, accomplished and passionate singers. The choir’s extensive repertoire ranges from choral and choral/orchestral masterworks to a cappella treasures and world-premiere compositions. Among numerous highlights during the 2022-23 season, the chorus will present the West Coast premiere of Florence Price’s newly discovered anti-war piece Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight setting poetry by Vachel Lindsay; Jocelyn Hagen’s stunning multi-media work The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci inspired by the iconic Renaissance artist; Duruflé’s Requiem; and its signature holiday program “Tis the Season!” Additionally, the choir will appear with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl in August and Pacific Symphony in several programs, including the orchestra’s annual Lunar New Year celebration, a semi-staged opera production of Rigoletto, and the world premiere of James MacMillan’s oratorio Fiat Lux.
Pacific Chorale, an Orange County “treasure” with a “fresh viewpoint” that “can sing anything you put in front of it with polish, poise and tonal splendor” (Orange County Register), has “risen to national prominence” (Los Angeles Times) since its inception in 1968. Hailed for delivering “thrilling entertainment” (Voice of OC), the resident choir at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is noted for its artistic innovation and commitment to expanding the choral repertoire. It has given the world, U.S., and West Coast premieres of more than 35 works, including numerous commissions, by such lauded composers as John Adams, Jake Heggie, James Hopkins, David Lang, Morten Lauridsen, Tarik O’Regan, Karen Thomas, Frank Ticheli, András Gábor Virágh, and Eric Whitacre. In addition to presenting its own concert series each season, Pacific Chorale enjoys a long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, with whom the choir made its highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in 2018. The chorus also regularly appears with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with which it won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical, for its contribution to the live classical recording of “Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of A Thousand,’” conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, featuring Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O’Neill, Morris Robinson and Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus; Los Angeles Master Chorale; National Children’s Chorus; and Pacific Chorale. The choir has performed with such leading orchestras as the Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Musica Angelica, among others. Pacific Chorale has garnered international acclaim as well, having toured extensively to more than 19 countries in Europe, South America, and Asia, and through collaborations with the London Symphony, Munich Symphony, L’Orchestre Lamoureux and L’Orchestre de St-Louis-en-l’Île of Paris, National Orchestra of Belgium, China National Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Estonian National Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Argentina, among others. Deeply committed to making choral music accessible to people of all ages, the organization has a discography of 14 self-produced recordings and an extensive collection of exceptional free digital offerings. The choir’s critically acclaimed original concert film “The Wayfaring Project,” broadcast on PBS SoCal and KCET in 2021, features Pacific Chorale, members of Pacific Symphony and soloists performing J.S. Bach’s motet, Jesu meine Freude, interwoven with contemporary works by Moira Smiley, Dolly Parton, Samuel Barber and others. Currently streaming on pbssocal.org, kcet.org, and the PBS app, it follows Pacific Chorale’s progression through the COVID-19 pandemic: from complete social distancing with each singer performing in isolation through the choir’s return 17 months later to live music-making at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Pacific Chorale also places a significant emphasis on choral music education, providing after-school vocal programs for elementary school students, a choral summer camp for high school students, and an annual community-wide singing event at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. www.pacificchorale.org
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Press Contact: Libby Huebner, libbyhuebner562@gmail.com, 562.799.6055
COSTA MESA, CA (June 21, 2022) – Pacific Chorale’s 2022-2023 Season, announced today by Artistic Director Robert Istad and President & CEO Andrew Brown, features five wide-ranging programs of enthralling choral masterworks and contemporary works spanning six centuries, including the West Coast premiere of Florence Price’s newly discovered anti-war piece set to poetry about Abraham Lincoln and Jocelyn Hagen’s stunning multi-media work inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. The Grammy-winning choir, whose performances have been hailed as “ethereal” (LA Opus), “thrilling” and “sublime” (Classical Voice), also embarks on its first international tour in seven years, taking its artistry to leading venues in Austria, Germany and the United Kingdom during summer 2023. Istad will conduct all five programs as well as the tour performances.
The chorus’ 55th season opens with Jocelyn Hagen’s The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, a mesmerizing multi-media work for choir, orchestra and projections inspired by the writings and art featured in the iconic Renaissance artist’s personal notebooks. Composed to honor da Vinci’s remarkable legacy on the 500th anniversary of his death in 2019, the nine-movement piece is set to text from his notebooks, which draw on themes of art, science, nature, and technology. The concert also features Duruflé’s Requiem, widely considered to be the composer’s greatest work, which blends Gregorian chant and 20th century musical concepts, creating a transcendent choral tapestry of emotions. (Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8:00 pm, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.)
Pacific Chorale displays its considerable vocal dexterity when special guests Bach Collegium San Diego, one of the country’s premier early music ensembles, and its founder, organist Ruben Valenzuela, join the choir for a historically-informed performance of Monteverdi’s “Vespers of 1610,” a pillar of the Baroque music canon whose splendor and virtuosity has captivated audiences for centuries. (Saturday, March 4, 2023, 8:00 pm, Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach.)
In the season finale, Istad leads the West Coast premiere of groundbreaking composer Florence Price’s newly discovered Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight, a setting of Springfield, Illinois-native Nicholas Vachel Lindsay’s ardent anti-war poem of the same name. The long-lost manuscript by Price, one of the first American women to be widely recognized as a symphonic composer, was recovered from an abandoned house in Illinois in 2009 and is thought to have been completed sometime between 1914 and 1949. Her work is paired with Haydn’s masterpiece Missa in Angustiis (Mass in Time of Anxiety) “Nelson Mass,” composed in 1798, at a time of tremendous turmoil when the citizens of Austria feared defeat by Napoleon’s troops. These works, although grounded in the new and old worlds respectively and composed more than a century apart, both address the futility of war. (Saturday, May 20, 2023, 5:00 pm, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.) The Chorale will also host its annual Gala immediately following the concert, to celebrate and benefit the upcoming European tour.
Pacific Chorale’s signature holiday programming returns with two performances of “Carols by Candlelight” – spotlighting timeless traditional and contemporary holiday music, including a choir-commissioned world premiere by noted LA-based Filipino composer Saunder Choi, a tenor in the chorus whose work has been described as “fresh and earnest” (San Francisco Classical Voice). (Saturday, December 3, 8:00 pm, and Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 8:00 pm, Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach.)
The choir also presents two performances of its delightful family favorite “Tis the Season!,” celebrating the holidays with festive carols, seasonal gems, and a visit from The Man in Red, Santa Claus. (Sunday, December 18, 5:00 pm, and Monday, December 19, 2022, 7:30 pm, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.)
During its European tour, July 12-24, 2023, the chorus performs alongside several regional orchestras the two pieces from its season finale, Price’s rediscovered masterwork, Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass. The choir is slated to appear at such iconic venues as the Salzburg Cathedral, which holds one of Austria’s most important music archives, and, in the U.K., Salisbury Cathedral, which houses one of only four original copies of the Magna Carta known to exist, and Oxford University’s Sheldonian Theatre. Pacific Chorale also tours to Munich and Bath, among other locales.
“It is incredibly moving to begin and end Pacific Chorale’s season with major choral works inspired by two seminal historical figures – Leonardo da Vinci and Abraham Lincoln – both remembered for their indelible contributions to humanity,” says Istad. “They are extraordinary pieces by two exceptional female composers, and I am thrilled to be able share them with our audience. It promises to be a tour de force season as we showcase our outstanding singers on those important newer pieces as well as the enduring choral masterworks of Duruflé, Haydn and Monteverdi and other significant repertoire.”
“We are deeply grateful for the steadfast leadership of our Board of Directors, the generosity of our donors, and the enthusiasm and support of our audience members for helping to make possible a season of this scope as well as our upcoming international tour,” says Brown. “We also proudly recognize the outstanding talent and dedication of our singers and look forward to sharing Pacific Chorale’s remarkable artistry with audiences locally and abroad, sparking joy and passion as only music can and further cementing Pacific Chorale’s remarkable legacy.”
In addition to presenting its own concert series, the Chorale appears with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in “Amadeus Live in Concert,” conducted by Sarah Hicks at the Hollywood Bowl (August 23, 2022). The choir also makes guest appearances on five Pacific Symphony programs this season at the Reneé and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. They include Holst’s The Planets led by Karen Kamensek (November 17-19, 2022); Handel’s Messiah conducted by Pacific Chorale’s own Robert Istad (December 4, 2022); three presentations under the baton of Carl St.Clair – A Lunar New Year program (January 28, 2023), Verdi’s Rigoletto (April 20-25, 2023), and “Cathedrals of Sound,” featuring St.Clair conducting the world premiere of James MacMillan’s Fiat Lux, commissioned by Pacific Symphony for Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony, as well as Istad guest-conducting Allegri’s Miserere mei, Deus (June 15-17, 2023).
With the health and safety of its patrons, artists, and community continuing to be a top priority, Pacific Chorale remains committed to flexibility and transparency in its ticket policies, including no-cost exchanges and refunds. For information on Pacific Chorale’s most current health and safety protocols, please visit https://www.pacificchorale.org/covid-returning-to-live-performances/.
Season tickets are available in packages of 3 to 5 concerts, ranging in price from $64 to $498. Single tickets to individual performances, beginning at $25, go on sale on Tuesday, September 6, 2022. All Pacific Chorale concerts are presented in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, CA, except for “Carols by Candlelight” and “Monteverdi Vespers,” which are presented in Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, CA. For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345.
ROBERT ISTAD, a Grammy Award-winning conductor who “fashions fluent and sumptuous readings” (Voice of OC) with his “phenomenal” artistry (Los Angeles Times), was appointed Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director in 2017. Under his leadership, the chorus continues to expand its reputation for excellence for delivering fresh, thought-provoking interpretations of beloved masterworks, rarely performed gems and newly commissioned pieces. His artistic impact can be heard on two recent recordings featuring Pacific Chorale, including the 2020 Grammy Award-winning “Mahler’s Eighth Symphony” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel on Deutsche Grammophon (2021), for which he prepared the chorus. It won Best Choral Performance and also garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical. Additionally, Istad conducted the Pacific Chorale’s recording “All Things Common: The Music of Tarik O’Regan” released on Yarlung Records (2020). Istad has prepared choruses for such renowned conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Williams, John Mauceri, Keith Lockhart, Nicholas McGegan, Vasilly Sinaisky, Sir Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, Carl St.Clair, Eugene Kohn, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, and Robert Moody. He regularly conducts and collaborates with Pacific Symphony, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Sony Classical Records, Yarlung Records, Berkshire Choral International, and Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. An esteemed educator, Istad is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton, where he was recognized as CSUF’s 2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year. He conducts the University Singers and manages a large graduate conducting program, in addition to teaching courses on conducting and performance practice. Istad, who is on the Executive Board of Directors of Chorus America and serves as Dean of Chorus America’s Conducting Academy, is in demand as guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician.
PACIFIC CHORALE, a Grammy Award-winning Orange County “treasure” with a “fresh viewpoint” that “can sing anything you put in front of it, with polish, poise and tonal splendor” (Orange County Register) has “risen to national prominence” (Los Angeles Times) since its inception in 1968. Hailed for delivering “thrilling entertainment” (Voice of OC), the resident choir at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is noted for its artistic innovation and commitment to expanding the choral repertoire. It has given the world, U.S., and West Coast premieres of more than 35 works, including numerous commissions, by such lauded composers as John Adams, Jake Heggie, James Hopkins, David Lang, Morten Lauridsen, Ravel, Tarik O’Regan, Karen Thomas, Frank Ticheli, András Gábor Virágh, and Eric Whitacre. In addition to presenting its own concert series each season, Pacific Chorale enjoys a long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, with whom the choir made its highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in 2018. The chorus also regularly appears with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with which it won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, Classical, for its contribution to the live classical recording of “Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of A Thousand,’” conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, featuring Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O’Neill, Morris Robinson and Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus and Pacific Chorale. The choir has performed with such leading orchestras as the Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Musica Angelica, among others. Pacific Chorale has garnered international acclaim as well, having toured extensively to more than 19 countries in Europe, South America, and Asia, and through collaborations with the London Symphony, Munich Symphony, L’Orchestre Lamoureux and L’Orchestre de St-Louis-en-l’Île of Paris, National Orchestra of Belgium, China National Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Estonian National Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Argentina, among others. Deeply committed to making choral music accessible to people of all ages, the organization, which has a discography of 14 self-produced recordings and an extensive collection of exceptional free digital offerings, places a significant emphasis on choral music education, providing after-school vocal programs for elementary school students, a choral summer camp for high school students, and an annual community-wide singing event at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. www.pacificchorale.org
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Saturday, October 15, 2022, 8:00 pm
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Pacific Symphony
Isaac Gale and Joseph Midthun, film makers/video projections
DURUFLÉ Requiem
Jocelyn HAGEN The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci
Saturday, December 3, 2022, 8:00 pm
Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 8:00 pm
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Piano & Guest Instrumentalists TBA
Saunder CHOI World Premiere
+ timeless traditional and contemporary seasonal repertoire
Sunday, December 18, 2022, 5:00 pm
Monday, December 19, 2022, 7:30 pm
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Members of Pacific Symphony
Southern California Children’s Chorus
A family-friendly program replete with festive carols, holiday favorites and a visit from The Man in Red, Santa Claus
Saturday, March 4, 2023, 8:00 pm
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach
Robert Istad, conductor
Members of Pacific Chorale
Ruben Valenzuela, organ
Bach Collegium San Diego, Ruben Valenzuela, Artistic Director
MONTEVERDI Vespro della Beata Vergine “Vespers of 1610”
Saturday, May 20, 2023, 5:00 pm
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Pacific Symphony
HAYDN Missa in Angustiis “Nelson Mass”
PRICE Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight (West Coast Premiere)
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church
2100 Mar Vista Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Season subscriptions available; single tickets, beginning at $25, go on sale September, 2022
www.pacificchorale.org
714-662-2345
Artists, dates, programs and venues subject to change
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DOWNLOAD PHOTOS HERE: https://tinyurl.com/PCMay7photos
Press Contact: Libby Huebner, libbyhuebner562@gmail.com, 562.799.6055
Saturday, May 7, 2022, 5:00 pm
at Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa
Ticketholders Required to Show Proof of Vaccination and
Wear Masks Inside Venues
COSTA MESA, CA (March 14, 2022) – The remarkable stylistic range and exceptional musical artistry of the Grammy-nominated Pacific Chorale, led by Artistic Director Robert Istad, will be on full display in its season finale on Saturday, May 7, 2022, 5:00 pm, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. Istad conducts the choir’s first-ever performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ masterwork Dona Nobis Pacem, a sublime setting of Walt Whitman’s poetry, with renowned guest artists soprano Deanna Breiwick, a “vocal trapeze artist” hailed for her “sweet sound and floating high notes” (The New York Times), and Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Dashon Burton, who delivers “the kind of top-shelf performance that has sealed his reputation as one of today’s most compelling performers” (The Boston Globe). Pacific Symphony joins the chorus for the eclectic program as well, which opens with the world premiere of The Quickening, a new choral fanfare by Grammy-nominated former Pacific Chorale Composer-in-Residence Tarik O’Regan, and also showcases the West Coast premiere of Frank Ticheli’s Until Forever Fades Away, a poetic meditation on the elusive nature of time. Other works include Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s playful Music in Common Time for choir and orchestra and Jake Runestad’s exuberant setting of Whitman’s “Proud Music of the Storm,” evoking the spirit of adventure.
“Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem is an extraordinary work that pleads with us to consider choosing peaceful resolutions to conflicts,” says Istad. “Filled with haunting modal melodies amidst brilliant orchestrations, the work weaves anti-war poetry by Walt Whitman with Biblical references to peace-making, creating a narrative that is both extremely moving and profound. I’ve paired it with works by four other composers with whom I feel a deep connection.”
O’Regan, a musical “chameleon” with “shifting styles” (Texas Classical Review), is collaborating on his new choral-orchestral fanfare for Pacific Chorale with Orange County-based poet and activist Marcus Omari to create a work brimming with energy and power. Omari is a critically acclaimed purveyor of verse, six-time National Speech and Debate Award winner and founding member of the San Diego Slam Poetry Team.
Shaw – hailed as a “classical sensation” (The Guardian) for whom the “voice becomes a visceral embodiment of shape and texture” (New York Times) – at age 30 became the youngest-ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music. Music in Common Time, her imaginative post-minimalist work without text, explores the variety of sounds the human voice can create.
Ticheli’s vibrant and thought-provoking Until Forever Fades Away includes both text and music by the “optimistic and thoughtful” (Los Angeles Times) composer, who is also a composition professor at USC’s Thornton School of Music, and a long-time collaborator with Pacific Chorale.
Istad states, “Featuring on our season finale Jake Runestad’s Proud Music of the Storm, which is cinematic in scope and deeply emotional, is especially meaningful to me because we both grew up in the same northern Illinois town of Rockford.” Proclaimed a “choral rockstar” (American Public Media), Runestad is one of the most frequently performed and commissioned composers of choral music in the world, having “a particular knack for marrying powerful music to texts that speak to some of the most pressing and moving issues of our time” (Star Tribune).
Directly following the concert, Pacific Chorale will hold its annual gala, this year themed “A Celebration of the Voice” and honoring Pacific Chorale singer and philanthropist, Lenora Meister with the Entrepreneur of the Arts Award, and Pacific Symphony Music Director Carl St.Clair with the Lifetime Achievement for Artistic Excellence, in honor of his three decades of artistic collaboration with the Chorale. All proceeds from the Gala will benefit the Chorale’s artistic and educational programming.
Pacific Chorale’s 2021-22 Season is made possible by generous support from Platinum Season Sponsor Phillip N. and Mary A. Lyons, Silver Season Sponsor Charles and Ling Zhang, and Silver Season Corporate Sponsor Salt-Away Products.
Single tickets for “Dona Nobis Pacem” range from $25-$135. The Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall is located at 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Audience members must show proof of vaccination and wear masks inside the venue (COVID protocols detailed below). For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345. For tickets and information about the Pacific Chorale Gala, visit www.pacificchorale.org/gala.
ROBERT ISTAD, who “fashions fluent and sumptuous readings” (Voice of OC) with his “phenomenal” artistry (Los Angeles Times), was appointed Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director in 2017. Under his leadership, the chorus continues to expand its reputation for excellence for delivering fresh, thought-provoking interpretations of beloved masterworks, rarely performed gems and newly commissioned pieces. His artistic impact can be heard on two recent recordings featuring Pacific Chorale: “Mahler’s Eighth Symphony” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel on Deutsche Grammophon (2021), for which he prepared the chorus, and “All Things Common: The Music of Tarik O’Regan,” which he conducted, on Yarlung Records (2020). Istad has also prepared choruses for such renowned conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Williams, John Mauceri, Keith Lockhart, Nicholas McGegan, Vasilly Sinaisky, Sir Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, Carl St.Clair, Eugene Kohn, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, and Robert Moody. He regularly conducts and collaborates with Pacific Symphony, Musica Angelica Baroque Orchestra, Sony Classical Records, Yarlung Records, Berkshire Choral International, and Long Beach Symphony Orchestra. An esteemed educator, Istad is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton, where he was recognized as CSUF’s 2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year. He conducts the University Singers and manages a large graduate conducting program, in addition to teaching courses on conducting and performance practice. Istad, who is on the Executive Board of Directors of Chorus America and serves as Dean of Chorus America’s Conducting Academy, is in demand as guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician.
PACIFIC CHORALE, an Orange County “treasure” with a “fresh viewpoint” that “can sing anything you put in front of it, with polish, poise and tonal splendor” (Orange County Register) has “risen to national prominence” (Los Angeles Times) since its inception in 1968. Hailed for delivering “thrilling entertainment” (Voice of OC), the resident choir at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is noted for its artistic innovation and commitment to expanding the choral repertoire. It has given world, U.S., and West Coast premieres of more than 35 works, including numerous commissions, by such lauded composers as John Adams, Jake Heggie, James Hopkins, David Lang, Morten Lauridsen, Ravel, Tarik O’Regan, Karen Thomas, Frank Ticheli, András Gábor Virágh, and Eric Whitacre. In addition to presenting its own concert series each season, Pacific Chorale enjoys a long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, with whom the choir made its highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in 2018. The chorus also regularly appears with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, earning two 2022 Grammy Award nominations – Best Choral Performance and Best Engineered Album, Classical – for its contribution to the live classical recording of “Mahler: Symphony No. 8, ‘Symphony of A Thousand,’” conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, featuring Leah Crocetto, Mihoko Fujimura, Ryan McKinny, Erin Morley, Tamara Mumford, Simon O’Neill, Morris Robinson and Tamara Wilson; Los Angeles Philharmonic; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Los Angeles Master Chorale, National Children’s Chorus and Pacific Chorale. The choir has performed with such leading orchestras as the Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Musica Angelica, among others. Pacific Chorale has garnered international acclaim as well, having toured extensively to more than 19 countries in Europe, South America, and Asia, and through collaborations with the London Symphony, Munich Symphony, L’Orchestre Lamoureux and L’Orchestre de St-Louis-en-l’Île of Paris, National Orchestra of Belgium, China National Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Estonian National Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Argentina, among others. Deeply committed to making choral music accessible to people of all ages, the organization, which has a discography of 14 self-produced recordings and an extensive collection of exceptional free digital offerings, places a significant emphasis on choral music education, providing after-school vocal programs for elementary school students, a choral summer camp for high school students, and an annual community-wide singing event at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. www.pacificchorale.org
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WHAT:
Pacific Chorale Presents
Dona Nobis Pacem
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Deanna Breiwick, soprano
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Pacific Symphony
PROGRAM:
Tarik O’REGAN The Quickening (World Premiere)
Caroline SHAW Music in Common Time
Frank TICHELI Until Forever Fades Away (West Coast Premiere)
Jake RUNESTAD Proud Music of the Storm
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Dona Nobis Pacem
WHEN:
Saturday, May 7 2022, 5:00 pm
WHERE:
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Hall
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
TICKETS/INFORMATION:
$25 – $135
www.pacificchorale.org
714-662-2345
COVID PROTOCOLS
Pacific Chorale continues to make the health and safety of its patrons, artists and community its top priority and has adopted the requirement that all audience members attending indoor performances be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In order to be considered fully vaccinated, patrons must confirm that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the second dose of FDA or WHO authorized double-dose vaccines or that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the sole dose of FDA or WHO authorized single-dose vaccines. Audience members may display proof of vaccine on a smartphone or by showing a physical copy of their vaccination card or official vaccination record. Children under 12 and those who are unvaccinated due to a medical or religious reason must provide proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken no more than 48 hours prior to attending. Rapid or antigen tests will not be accepted. All guests, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks while inside the concert venue. These safety protocols will be re-assessed on an ongoing basis and may be adjusted as public health circumstances evolve. The Chorale is closely monitoring industry and government guidance regarding the COVID-19 virus, including information supplied by the State of California, California Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Orange County Department of Public Health. For information on Pacific Chorale’s most current health and safety protocols, please visit https://www.pacificchorale.org/covid-returning-to-live-performances/.
Artists, date, program and venue subject to change
# # #
Press Contact:
Libby Huebner, libbyhuebner562@gmail.com, 562.799.6055
Ticketholders Required to Show Proof of Vaccination and Wear Masks Inside Venues
COSTA MESA, CA (August 26, 2021) – Pacific Chorale Artistic Director Robert Istad and Andrew Brown, President & CEO, today announced the chorus’ 2021-2022 Season featuring its return to in-person performances at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, beginning in October, with sweeping programming that builds upon its trailblazing legacy of championing contemporary composers. The “A-list ensemble” (Los Angeles Times) acclaimed for its “polish, poise and tonal splendor” (Orange County Register) presents five transformative programs, bookending the 54th season with two world premieres by Grammy-nominated former Composer-in-Residence Tarik O’Regan, the first, The Stillness Chained, a Pacific Chorale commission set to the poetry of Yone Noguchi.
Each of the five programs includes a range of compelling works by some of the most groundbreaking composers of our time, including the West Coast premieres of Damien Geter’s profound Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow, a message of hope refracted through the lens of Bach’s musical legacy interwoven with African-American spirituals, featuring celebrated soprano Aundi Marie Moore and Pacific Symphony Principal Cellist Warren Hagerty; and Frank Ticheli’s Until Forever Fades Away, a poetic meditation on the elusive nature of time.
Among other vibrant contemporary choral works, Istad conducts Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw’s and the swallow, a setting of Psalm 84 inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis, and her playful Music in Common Time for choir and orchestra; Paul Fowler’s wordless, hypnotic Calling; and Edie Hill’s poignant We Bloomed in Spring, set to the words of St. Teresa of Avila. Pacific Chorale also performs leading Estonian composer Galina Grigorjeva’s On Leaving, a contemplation on the soul’s release from the mortal body; Spiritus Mundi, Dale Trumbore’s hymn of gratitude for the fruits of the earth; Jake Runestad’s exuberant setting of Walt Whitman’s Proud Music of the Storm; and South Korean composer Hyo-Won Woo’s dramatic Me-Na-Ri (Space Music), a work for three choirs and percussion that stretches the boundaries of choral music.
Adding further breadth to the season are three iconic 20th century choral masterworks: Rachmaninoff’s evocative a cappella Vespers (All Night Vigil), Op. 37; Martin’s Mass for Double Choir, a tour-de-force laced with vocal fireworks; and the choir’s first-ever performance of Vaughan Williams’ poignant Dona Nobis Pacem, giving voice to the plea, “Grant us peace,” and featuring renowned guest artists soprano Liv Redpath and Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone Dashon Burton.
Pacific Chorale’s signature holiday programming returns with two performances each of “Carols by Candlelight” – spotlighting timeless repertoire from the Renaissance and beyond, including works by contemporary British composers Bob Chilcott, Patrick Hawes, Cecilia McDowall, and Will Todd – and the beloved family favorite “Tis the Season!,” chock-full of festive carols, seasonal delights, and even a visit from Santa Claus. This year, “Tis the Season!” will conclude with the first live performance of Emmy Award-winning composer Gary Fry’s new arrangement of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” which Pacific Chorale commissioned and premiered during last season’s virtual holiday concert.
“As Pacific Chorale resumes singing in person, I wanted to select works that both recognize the challenges we have all faced in recent times and reflect the diverse repertoire that our singers love to perform and our audiences have come to expect,” says Istad. “Composers creating artistic statements right now are deeply connected to our current human experience. I sincerely hope their messages resonate with our singers and audiences in an immediate, powerful way. At its core, Pacific Chorale exists to unite people through choral music, so returning to live performances enhanced by the sparkling acoustics of Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall will, no doubt, be an incredibly joyful experience for all of us on the stage and in the theater.”
“We are extremely grateful to the Pacific Chorale’s loyal patrons, vital community partners and committed donors for helping the organization transition through the extended closure brought about by the global pandemic,” says Brown. “While we made it a top priority to remain artistically connected to our patrons during this challenging time by pivoting to create innovative, digital programming, there is nothing like the visceral aspect of a live performance. We are thrilled to be able to, once again, welcome patrons back inside the concert hall and showcase the Pacific Chorale’s artistry in a concert setting.”
In addition to presenting its own concert series, the Chorale makes guest appearances on five Pacific Symphony programs this season. They include Handel’s Messiah, led by Robert Moody (December 5, 2021), and four presentations under the baton of Carl St.Clair – A Lunar New Year program (February 5, 2022), Cathedrals of Sounds (February 17-19, 2022), Verdi’s Otello (April 7,9,12, 2022), and Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor (May 19-22, 2022).
Pacific Chorale continues to make the health and safety of its patrons, artists and community its top priority and has adopted the requirement that all audience members attending indoor performances be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In order to be considered fully vaccinated, patrons must confirm that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the second dose of FDA or WHO authorized double-dose vaccines or that at least 14 days have passed since receiving the sole dose of FDA or WHO authorized single-dose vaccines. Audience members may display proof of vaccine on a smartphone or by showing a physical copy of their vaccination card or official vaccination record. Children under 12 and those who are unvaccinated due to a medical or religious reason must provide proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken no more than 48 hours prior to attending. Rapid or antigen tests will not be accepted. All guests, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear masks while inside the concert venue. These safety protocols will be re-assessed on an ongoing basis and may be adjusted as public health circumstances evolve. The Chorale is closely monitoring industry and government guidance regarding the COVID-19 virus, including information supplied by the State of California, California Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Orange County Department of Public Health. For information on Pacific Chorale’s most current health and safety protocols, please visit https://www.pacificchorale.org/covid-returning-to-live-performances/.
Season tickets are available in packages of 3 to 5 concerts, ranging in price from $67 to $469. Single tickets to individual performances will go on sale on Tuesday, September 7. All Pacific Chorale concerts are presented in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, CA, except for “Carols by Candlelight” and “Songs of the Soul,” which are presented in Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach, CA. For tickets and information, visit www.pacificchorale.org or call 714-662-2345.
ROBERT ISTAD, who “fashions fluent and sumptuous readings” (Voice of OC) with his “phenomenal” artistry (Los Angeles Times), was appointed Pacific Chorale’s Artistic Director in 2017. Under his leadership, the chorus continues to expand its reputation for excellence for delivering fresh, thought-provoking interpretations of beloved masterworks, rarely performed gems and newly commissioned pieces. His artistic impact can be heard on two recent recordings featuring Pacific Chorale: “Mahler’s Eighth Symphony” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel on Deutsche Grammophon (2021), for which he prepared the chorus, and “Ecstasies Above: The Music of Tarik O’Regan,” which he conducted, on Yarlung Records (2020). Istad has also prepared choruses for such renowned conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, John Williams, John Mauceri, Keith Lockhart, Nicholas McGegan, Vasilly Sinaisky, Sir Andrew Davis, Bramwell Tovey, Carl St.Clair, Eugene Kohn, Giancarlo Guerrero, Marin Alsop, George Fenton, and Robert Moody. He 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. An esteemed educator, Istad is Professor of Music and Director of Choral Studies at California State University, Fullerton, where he was recognized as CSUF’s 2016 Outstanding Professor of the Year. He conducts the University Singers and manages a large graduate conducting program, in addition to teaching courses on conducting and performance practice. Istad, who is on the Executive Board of Directors of Chorus America and serves as Dean of Chorus America’s Conducting Academy, is in demand as guest conductor, lecturer, and clinician.
PACIFIC CHORALE, an Orange County “treasure” with a “fresh viewpoint” that “can sing anything you put in front of it, with polish, poise and tonal splendor” (Orange County Register) has “risen to national prominence” (Los Angeles Times) since its inception in 1968. Hailed for delivering “thrilling entertainment” (Voice of OC), the resident choir at Segerstrom Center for the Arts is noted for its artistic innovation and commitment to expanding the choral repertoire. It has given world, U.S., and West Coast premieres of more than 35 works, including numerous commissions, by such lauded composers as John Adams, Jake Heggie, James Hopkins, David Lang, Morten Lauridsen, Ravel, Tarik O’Regan, Karen Thomas, Frank Ticheli, András Gábor Virágh, and Eric Whitacre. In addition to presenting its own concert series each season, Pacific Chorale enjoys a long-standing partnership with Pacific Symphony, with whom the choir made its highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in 2018. The chorus also regularly appears with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and has performed with such leading orchestras as the Boston Symphony, National Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, and Musica Angelica, among others. Pacific Chorale has garnered international acclaim as well, having toured extensively to more than 19 countries in Europe, South America, and Asia, and through collaborations with the London Symphony, Munich Symphony, L’Orchestre Lamoureux and L’Orchestre de St-Louis-en-l’Île of Paris, National Orchestra of Belgium, China National Symphony, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Estonian National Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional of Argentina, among others. Deeply committed to making choral music accessible to people of all ages, the organization, which has a discography of 14 self-produced recordings and an extensive collection of exceptional free digital offerings, places a significant emphasis on choral music education, providing after-school vocal programs for elementary school students, a choral summer camp for high school students, and an annual community-wide singing event at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. www.pacificchorale.org
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PACIFIC CHORALE
ROBERT ISTAD, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
2021-2022 SEASON
CHRONOLOGICAL LISTING
Rachmaninoff Vespers
Saturday, October 30, 2021 – 7:00 p.m.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Aundi Marie Moore, soprano
Warren Hagerty, cello
| Hyo-Won WOO | Me-Na-Ri (Space Music) |
| Tarik O’REGAN | The Stillness Chained (World Premiere) |
| Damien GETER | Cantata for a More Hopeful Tomorrow (West Coast Premiere) |
| RACHMANINOFF | Vespers (All Night Vigil), Op. 37 |
Carols by Candlelight
Saturday, December 4, 2021 – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 – 8:00 p.m.
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Featuring timeless seasonal repertoire from the Renaissance and beyond
| NILES / Arr. Leonard Enns | I Wonder as I Wander |
| Will TODD | The Call of Wisdom |
| Arr. Mack Wilberg & Peter Stevens | Ding! Dong! Merrily on High |
| Arr. John Rutter | O Come, O Come, Emmanuel |
| Arr. Reginald Jacques | In Dulci Jubilo |
| DERING / ed. Richard Lyne | Quem vidistis, pastores? |
| Arr. Sarah Quartel | This Endris Night |
| Arr. John Rutter | The Holly and the Ivy |
| HOWELLS | “Magnificat” from Collegium Regale |
| Arr. David Willcocks | God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen |
| Cecilia MCDOWALL | Lo He slumbers in his manger |
| GRUBER / Arr. Bob Chilcott | Silent Night |
| Patrick HAWES | Reflexionem |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Excerpts from Fantasia on Christmas Carols |
| Bob CHILCOTT | Dona Nobis Pacem |
Tis the Season!
Sunday, December 19, 2021 – 5:00 p.m.
Monday, December 20, 2021 – 7:30 p.m.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Members of Pacific Symphony
A family-friendly program replete with festive carols, holiday favorites and a visit from Santa Claus
| Gary FRY | O Come, O Come, Emmanuel |
| Arr. David Willcocks | O Come, All Ye Faithful |
| Bob CHILCOTT | Angel Voices Ever Singing |
| Arr. Jackson Berkey | God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen |
| Morten LAURIDSEN | O Magnum Mysterium |
| Arr. Will Todd | Once in Royal David’s City |
| Ji-Hoon PARK | Gloria from “Lightning Bug” Mass |
| Arr. Mack Wilberg | Joy to the World |
| HERMAN / Arr. Jerry Rubino | We Need a Little Christmas |
| José FELICIANO /Arr. Paul Langford | Feliz Navidad |
| STYNE & CAHN /Arr. Teena Chinn & Marc Riley | The Christmas Waltz |
| BERLIN / Arr. Marc Riley & Mac Huff | White Christmas |
| Mariah CAREY & Walter AFANASIEFF / Arr. Mac Huff & Marc Riley | All I Want for Christmas Is You |
| Arr. David Willcocks | Jingle, Bells |
| Rosephanye POWELL | Christmas Memories from “Christmas Give” |
| BIEBL | Ave Maria |
| GRUBER / Arr. Dan Forrest | Silent Night |
| Arr. Gary Fry | We Wish You a Merry Christmas |
Songs of the Soul
Saturday, March 19, 2022 – 8:00 p.m.
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
| Paul FOWLER | Calling |
| Edie HILL | We Bloomed in Spring |
| Galina GRIGORJEVA | On Leaving |
| Caroline SHAW | and the swallow |
| Dale TRUMBORE | Spiritus Mundi |
| MARTIN | Mass for Double Choir |
Dona Nobis Pacem
Saturday, May 7, 2021 – 5:00 p.m.
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
Robert Istad, conductor
Pacific Chorale
Liv Redpath, soprano
Dashon Burton, bass-baritone
Pacific Symphony
| Tarik O’REGAN | World Premiere |
| Caroline SHAW | Music in Common Time |
| Frank TICHELI | Until Forever Fades Away (West Coast Premiere) |
| Jake RUNESTAD | Proud Music of the Storm |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Dona Nobis Pacem |
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Newport Beach
2100 Mar Vista Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Season subscriptions available; single tickets go on sale September 7
www.pacificchorale.org
714-662-2345
Artists, dates, programs and venues subject to change
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Orange County, Calif. July 25, 2022—Pacific Symphony and the Pacific Chorale will present a “Concert for Healing” on Weds., Aug. 3 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary of Geneva Presbyterian Church (24301 El Toro Road) in Laguna Woods. The Rev. Dr. Steven Marsh from Geneva and the Rev. Dr. Albany Lee from Irvine
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Press Contact: Libby Huebner, libbyhuebner562@gmail.com, 562.799.6055 Application Deadlines Are July 21 or July 28, 2022, Based on the Position, with Auditions Scheduled in August on a First-Applied, First-Served Basis New Singers Admitted to Pacific Chorale for 2022-23 Season Must Be Fully Vaccinated and Boosted against COVID-19 COSTA MESA, CA (June 27,
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GRAMMY-Winning Pacific Chorale, Led by Artistic Director Robert Istad, Announces 2022-2023 Season! Read for highlights and details.
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DOWNLOAD PHOTOS HERE: https://tinyurl.com/PCMay7photos Press Contact: Libby Huebner, libbyhuebner562@gmail.com, 562.799.6055 Pacific Chorale, Led by Artistic Director Robert Istad, Concludes Season with Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Featuring Soprano Deanna Breiwick and Bass-Baritone Dashon Burton, plus Tarik O’Regan World Premiere Program also Includes West Coast Premiere of Frank Ticheli’s Until Forever Fades Away and
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Press Contact: Libby Huebner, libbyhuebner562@gmail.com, 562.799.6055 PACIFIC CHORALE, LED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROBERT ISTAD, ANNOUNCES 2021-2022 SEASON WITH RETURN TO IN-PERSON, INDOOR PERFORMANCES SLATED TO BEGIN IN OCTOBER, AT RENÉE AND HENRY SEGERSTROM CONCERT HALL Highlights of 54th Season, Spotlighting Contemporary Composers, Include: Two Tarik O’Regan World Premieres Bookending Season; West Coast Premieres
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