MAY 17 (8pm): WORCESTER CHORUS…SINGING WORKS BY HANDEL AND CHARPENTIER
The Worcester Chorus closes Music Worcester’s 2024-2025 Season singing George Frideric Handel’s Dixit Dominus (conducted by Chris Shepard) and Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum (conducted by Mark Mummert). The performance takes place at Mechanics Hall, 321 Main Street in Worcester. Featured soloists for Te Deum includes Louise Fauteux, soprano; Erica Mass, soprano; Megan Roth, mezzo-soprano; Timothy Parsons, countertenor; Travis Benoit, tenor; Michael McAvaney, tenor; Jermaine Woodard, baritone; and John Salvi, bass. “This concert is ‘Bach-adjacent’” said Chris Shepard. “In it, we explore two styles of music that were hugely influential on the music of J.S. Bach. Charpentier was a leading composer of the French court of Versailles, and Handel, while born near Bach in Germany, wrote his Dixit Dominus as a young man in Italy. It was Bach’s genius to marry the French, Italian and German styles in his own unique way – this concert is a wonderful way to see those important influences in a pure form! “French baroque composer Charpentier’s work for five soloists and chamber ensemble is gorgeous to program, allowing listeners to hear the interaction between voice and ensemble in a very intimate setting,” explained Shepard. “Te Deum references Latin Christian hymns; there are multiple pieces of music each written for celebration. Paired with Handel’s Dixit Dominus – a work that is said to be one of Handel’s finest works – these choral compositions celebrate the expansive sound of choir with instrumental setting.” Tickets for this sure to be outstanding performance can be found at www.musicworcester.org
MAY 22 (7:30pm): BOSTON PUBLIC QUARTET PRESENT A RADICAL WELCOME…SOURCE CODE
The Strand Theatre, located at 543 Columbia Ave. in Boston is hosting this “Pay What You Want” concert by the Boston Public Quartet (BPQ). This outstanding group will present a program celebrating the music of five landmark women composers from the late romantic period to the present. “We are thrilled to present A Radical Welcome again this year,” said Betsy Hinkle, founder of the Boston Public Quartet. “We encourage the audience to be active participants by joining the musicians in conversations about what they’re experiencing through our music- the energy that flows between us as part of that dialogue is extraordinary!” The five women highlighted in the showcased are French composer Melanie Bonis (1858-1937), Boston’s own Amy Beach (1867-1944), along with contemporary composers Peruvian-American Gabriela Lena Frank, Jamaican-British Eleanor Alberga OBE, and Montgomery. The events subtitle of Source Code, is borrowed from Jessie Montgomery’s composition of the same name which opens the program. In addition to being Musical America’s 2023 Composer of the Year and a Grammy-winning composer, violinist, and educator, Hinkle describes Jessie as “a close friend of the BPQ.” “They have all created pieces that capture both their own voice along with sounds and rhythms influenced by others,” Hinkle continued. “During the concert, together with the audience, we’ll decode what those influences, or sources are. For example, in Jessie’s case, those sources include Alvin Ailey, Langston Hughes and Ella Fitzgerald.” Performers for this program are BPQ’s Betsy Hinkle and Grant Houston, violin; violist Jason Amos; cellist Nicholas Johnson and Joy Cline Phinney, piano. They will be joined by flutist DeShaun Gordon King. This year’s program features performances in collaboration with students (ranging from primary grades through high school) from two local arts education organizations: Boston-based Music Connects, which is a non-profit organization created to foster youth development and community connection through the craft of string playing. They are joined by Brockton’s Rose Conservatory which provides access to exceptional arts education and performance for the Brockton community, fostering creativity, artistic growth, and well-being for individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. “Utilizing the entire Strand space, the BPQ and guests will delight the ear, eye, and soul,” explained Hinkle. After Montgomery’s Source Code, “the event will flow and the lines between audience and performer will blur, as well as between student and teacher. As audience participation is core to BPQ events, the musicians will moderate conversations with the concertgoers following each piece, exploring where the music comes from and what it means to us.” Founded in 2007, the Boston Public Quartet is dedicated to normalizing the amplification of historically excluded voices in classical music; musicians, composers, students, and audience members. “Pay What You Want” tickets are available at www.bosttonpublicquartet.com
JUNE 7 (8:00PM): LA LA LAND in CONCERT
After two sold-out shows at New York’s Carnegie Hall, LA LA LAND in Concert is coming to the Boch Center Wang Theatre at 270 Tremont Street. Utilizing the accompaniment of a Live Orchestra
audiences revisit the multiple Academy Award®-winning, 2016 Lionsgate film that was written and directed by Damien Chazelle. This is truly a swoon-worthy live-to-film concert experience that features a full orchestra and jazz band performing the famous soundtrack n synchronization with the film being shown on a big screen. The captivating story of L A LA LAND showcases the tale of a promising pianist and aspiring actress who cross paths and fall in love, while attempting to harmonize their career journeys in the city of stars. LA LA LAND was composed by Justin Hurwitz who graduated from Harvard University where he studied music composition and orchestration. He has composed the music for all of Damien Chazelle’s films including WHIPLASH, LA LA LAND, FIRST MAN, and BABYLON , earning two Academy Awards®, four Golden Globes®, three Critics’ Choice Awards®, two GRAMMY Awards®, and a BAFTA®.Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com