Pisaroni, Meade & Costanzo in 9/11 Anniversary Concert

"The Trinity Church at Wall Street presents Remember to Love: Let Us Love One Another With a Sincere Heart which will take place Friday, September 9, 8:30pm-10:30pm . The Trinity Wall Street Choir, NYC Master Chorale, Young People's Chorus of NYC, The Washington Chorus, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, and Copley Singers will unite for a final, stirring performance under the direction of the participating choirs' conductors. Part of Trinity Wall Street's observance of the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001. The event will be webcast, click here for more information."

Repertoire and Participants:
Requiem (Fauré)
Last Words of King David (Thompson)
"Soon ah Will Be Done" (Spiritual)
Psalm 23 (Foss)
"Amazing Grace" (Furnivall)
Windhover Fantasy (Merryman)
Ein Deutsches Requiem excerpts (Brahms)
Chichester Psalms (Bernstein)
"Dona nobis pacem" from Mass in B minor (Bach)

Special Guest Artists:
Gil Shaham, violin
Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor
Angela Meade, soprano
Luca Pisaroni, baritone

Trinity Choir, Julian Wachner, Conductor
NYC Master Chorale, Thea Kano, Artistic Director
Francisco J. Nunez, Founder, Artistic Director,
Young People’s Chorus of New York City
The Washington Chorus, Julian Wachner, Conductor
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Greg Funfgeld, Conductor
The Copley Singers, Brian Jones, Conductor
NOVUS NY

Trinity Soloists:
Jolle Greenleaf, soprano
Dashon Burton, baritone
[Source]

While NYCO Runs Amok, the MET Performs in Central Park

"It has been four years since the Metropolitan Opera decided to stop presenting full operas in its summertime concerts in New York City’s parks, a decision that was difficult to understand, given the popularity of these free performances, and the likelihood that they were winning the company new listeners. Now, presumably, the Met’s high-definition opera screenings are expected to be its audience builders: It is presenting free screenings of 10 of them in its Met Summer HD Festival, at Lincoln Center from Aug. 27 to Sept. 5. But the Met also recognizes that it should maintain a presence in the parks with live music, and on Monday evening it opened this year’s installment of its Summer Recital Series with a program of arias and duets, with three young singers — Angela Meade, soprano; Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo-soprano; and Atalla Ayan, tenor — as part of Central Park SummerStage. The bass-baritone Eric Owens was on hand to introduce the program (and to sing Marcello’s offstage line in “O soave fanciulla,” from Puccini’s Bohème, from his seat in the audience)." [Source]

(Images left to right: Meade, Ayan, Cano. Photos by Hiroyuki Ito/New York Times)

Stars to Come Out for Astoria Music Festival in Oregon

Swenson to sing Mozart's "Exsultate
Jubilate" and Mahler Symphony #4

"This year, in what may be the greatest musical event ever presented in Astoria, the festival brings to the stage one of the finest sopranos in American operatic history, Ruth Ann Swenson, in a concert of Mozart and Mahler. Opportunities like this are rare indeed, and there is no need to say more, other than this: Don't miss it. The 2011 festival's major opera production is Verdi's Il Trovatore. One of the most popular operas ever written, it has an evil count, a vengeful gypsy woman, a passionate troubadour, love, death and a mysterious power. The only thing missing is coffee. Enrico Caruso once said of Il Trovatore that a successful performance only required the four greatest singers in the world. The Astoria Music Festival has come close to Caruso's ideal, with a cast that stars the latest sensational Metropolitan

Meade stars as Verdi's Leonora

Opera diva, Angela Meade, who happens to almost be a local girl (she comes from Washington). Richard Zeller, he of the magnificent baritone and a perennial festival favorite, plays the evil Count Luna. Tenor Daniel Snyder, Canadian mezzo-soprano Rebecca Hass and local favorite Deac Guidi round out the cast. The 'mini opera' is Maxwell Davies' Eight Songs for a Mad King, starring John Duykers...as King George III. The North Coast Chorale and the Baroque Band will join soprano Amy Hansen and organist Julia Brown in a presentation of music by Handel, the mad king's favorite composer. The final opera is Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. A comic opera that is one of the world's favorites, the festival has managed to make it a unique event – or two events. The first is a Master Class with Swenson and singers from the Vocal Artist Apprentice Program, who will perform the opera. This is a unique chance to see the making of singers and of a performance. The other reason this Figaro is unique is the ticket price: $5." [Source]

Learn more about the festival by going to their website.