Curtis Vocal Studies Department presents A Ned Rorem Songbook–an homage to the renowned composer, Curtis graduate, and emeritus faculty member, Ned Rorem, on Wednesday, March 26 at 8 p.m.

PRESS CONTACT

Jennifer Kallend
Director of Public Relations and Online Engagement
[email protected]
(215) 717-3190

Elizabeth Racheva 
Vice President of External Affairs and Patron Engagement [email protected] (215) 717-3187

2013-14 SEASON

The Curtis Vocal Studies Department Presents ‘A Ned Rorem Songbook’ March 26

An homage to Curtis graduate and emeritus faculty member Ned Rorem, the recital features world premieres by his former students and excerpts from Evidence of Things Not Seen

PHILADELPHIA, PA—March 24, 2014—Continuing the year-long celebration of renowned composer Ned Rorem’s 90th birthday, the Curtis Vocal Studies Department presents A Ned Rorem Songbook–an homage to the renowned composer, Curtis graduate, and emeritus faculty member–on Wednesday, March 26 at 8 p.m. at the Curtis Institute of Music.

The Curtis Vocal Studies department performs nine world premieres composed for the occasion by Ned Rorem’s former Curtis students. Works by William Coble (’86), Daron Hagen (’84), Gregory Hall (’86), Jonathan Bailey Holland (’96), Eli Marshall (’03), Kam Morrill (’89), Troy Peters (’91), Russell Platt (’88), and Kurt Rohde (’88) are paired with “Part Three, Ends” from Mr. Rorem’s epic song cycle Evidence of Things Not Seen. Performers include Sarah Shafer and Rachel Sterrenberg, sopranos; Lauren Eberwein, mezzo-soprano; Roy Hage and Spencer Lang, tenors; Jarrett Ott, baritone; and Mikael Eliasen and Susan Nowicki, piano.

Part of the Student Recital Series, admission is free and no tickets are required. The recital takes place in Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia.

With over 100 free performances a year, the Student Recital Series continues its celebrated legacy as the leading concert stage for some of the finest young musicians in the world. Students perform solo and chamber works in Field Concert Hall most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays as well as many weekends, with additional recitals scheduled in the spring semester. Admission is free. For updated performance schedules, visit www.curtis.edu/StudentRecitals or call the Student Recital Hotline at (215) 893-5261.

The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians for careers as performing artists on the highest professional level. One of the world’s leading conservatories, Curtis provides its 168 students with full-tuition scholarships and personalized attention from a celebrated faculty. Its distinctive “learn by doing” approach has produced an impressive number of notable artists, from such legends as Leonard Bernstein and Samuel Barber to current stars Jonathan Biss, Juan Diego Flórez, Alan Gilbert, Hilary Hahn, Jennifer Higdon, and Lang Lang. Curtis alumni hold principal chairs in every major American orchestra, and each season they are featured as guest soloists with the world’s leading orchestras, opera houses, and chamber music series.

Curtis’s innovative programs encourage students to perform often and hone 21st-century musical skills. The school’s facilities offer superb spaces for music-making, as well as state-of-the-art technologies to enhance learning. In addition to more than 200 performances in and around Philadelphia each year, students perform internationally with Curtis On Tour. When they graduate, they become musical leaders, making a profound impact on music around the globe. To learn more, visit www.curtis.edu.

A Ned Rorem Songbook
Wednesday, March 26 at 8 p.m.
Field Concert Hall at the Curtis Institute of Music, 1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia

COBLE – “The Sound of Trees” (world premiere)
HAGEN – “I Believe in Song” (world premiere)
HALL – “A Calm in April” (world premiere)
HOLLAND – “Must All Then Amount To But This” (world premiere)
MARSHALL – “Hymn for Morning” (world premiere)
MORRILL – “Immortality” (world premiere)
PETERS – “Midlife” (world premiere)
PLATT – “Late Air” from Three Poems of Elizabeth Bishop (world premiere)
ROHDE – Three Minutes With Ned (world premiere)
ROREM – “Part Three, Ends” from Evidence of Things Not Seen

Sarah Shafer, soprano
Rachel Sterrenberg, soprano
Lauren Eberwein, mezzo-soprano
Roy Hage, tenor
Spencer Lang, tenor
Jarrett Ott, baritone 
Mikael Eliasen, piano
Susan Nowicki, piano

Free; no tickets required.

###