DCINY PRESENTS THE NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE OF SIR KARL JENKINS’ CANTATA MEMORIA FOR THE CHILDREN (IN MEMORY OF ABERFAN 1966) AT CARNEGIE HALL
Cantata Memoria is a new work dedicated to the 116 children and 28 adults who died in the Aberfan disaster of 1966 in Wales
For immediate release – New York, NY – On January 15 at 2PM, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) will present the North American Premiere of Sir Karl Jenkins’ Cantata Memoria For the Children (In Memory of Aberfan 1966) at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, guides the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International in this new work, a heartfelt memorial to the 116 children and 28 adults who died in the coal mining town of Aberfan, Wales in 1966 when a catastrophic collapse of a slag pile was caused by a buildup of water in the accumulated rock and shale.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of this terrible disaster – one of the country’s worst – Welsh language TV channel S4C commissioned their national composer, Sir Karl Jenkins, to write a piece to mark the anniversary. Sir Karl said: “Apart from depicting the disaster itself, Cantata Memoria is also a celebration of childhood, gradually moving from darkness to light. I felt privileged and humbled to have been invited to compose this piece, whilst also being mindful of the responsibility the commission carried to create something with integrity and accessibility that would connect and move everyone.”
In a joint statement, co-founders Iris Derke and Jonathan Griffith said: “It is a tremendous honor for DCINY to be able to present the North American premiere of Sir Karl’s Cantata Memoria. We are deep believers in music’s power to heal those who suffer, and could not envision a more poignant example than this astonishing work.”
Sir Karl Jenkins and DCINY’s collaboration goes back as far as their first concert in 2008, when Sir Karl’s The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace was presented at Carnegie Hall. DCINY has been a major proponent of Sir Karl’s music in the United States, presenting 3 world premieres – Hymn In Memoriam: Martin Luther King Jr., The Peacemakers, and Sarikiz: a Violin Concerto – and 6 North American premieres of his compositions. Additionally, DCINY has commissioned a new work by Sir Karl to be premiered on January 15, 2018 which will commemorate their 10th anniversary season.
A recording of Cantata Memoria has recently been released on Deutsche Grammophon and has also received its world premiere performance at the Wales Milennius Centre in Cardiff.
LISTING INFO
The Music of Sir Karl Jenkins: Aberfan, Cantata Memoria
Sunday, January 15, 2017
2:00PM
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall
Karl Jenkins: Requiem
Karl Jenkins: Cantata Memoria For the Children (NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE)
Commissioned by S4C
Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
Featuring Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Joanie Brittingham, Soprano
Mark Walters, Bass/Baritone
Jorge Avila, Violin Soloist
Catrin Finch, Harpist
David Childs, Euphonium Soloist
Joanie Brittingham, Soprano
Holly Sorensen, Mezzo-Soprano
James Nyoraku Schlefer, Shakuhachi
More information about the concert: http://www.dciny.org/concerts/256115-2/
Tickets for the concert are now on sale from $20: http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2017/1/15/0200/PM/Distinguished-Concerts-International-New-York/
PARTICIPATING ENSEMBLES
The Cantata Singers, Elmira, NY
Voices from City of Birmingham Choir, UK
Côr Glanaethwy, Wales
The Gisborne Singers, Australia
Nelson Civic Choir, New Zealand
St. Lorenz Lutheran Middle School Choir, Frankenmuth, Michigan
Aboa Gospel, Finland
Coral San José Abesbatza-Coro In Tempore Abesbatza, Spain
Kantorei ev. Thomaskirche, Düsseldorf, Germany
Kirchenchor Walchwil, Switzerland
Mornington Peninsula Chorale, Australia
About Sir Karl Jenkins
A recent exhaustive survey shows that Sir Karl Jenkins is now the most-performed living composer in the world. Educated at Gowerton Grammar School, Cardiff University and the Royal Academy of Music, London, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace alone has been performed over 1500 times in 20 different countries since the CD was released, while his recorded output has resulted in 17 gold and platinum disc awards.
Karl is signed to Deutsche Grammophon Records in Berlin. His acclaim includes an honorary doctorate of music from the University of Leicester; the Chancellor’s Medal from the University of Glamorgan; and two honorary visiting professorships, one at Thames Valley University/London College of Music and the other at the ATriUM, Cardiff. In November 2009, he was given the Cymru for the World Award and, in March 2010, was honoured with the Hopkins Medal given by the St David’s Society for the State of New York.
He was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty The Queen in the 2005 New Year Honours list, a CBE in the 2010 Birthday Honours list, and in the 2015 Birthday Honours list, became the first Welsh born composer to receive a knighthood for services to composing and crossing musical genres.
About Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY)
Founded in 2007 by Iris Derke and Jonathan Griffith, with its first public concert presented on January of 2008, DCINY is a leading producer of dynamically-charged musical entertainment in renowned venues. With its unforgettable, world-class concert experiences, empowering educational programs, and global community of artists and audiences, DCINY changes lives through the power of performance. Commemorating their 10th Anniversary season in 2018, DCINY is proud to have presented life-changing performances for over 40,000 performers and 170,000 audience members since its inception.
In addition to being selected three times to the Inc. 5000 listing, DCINY also recently received national recognition with the 2014 and 2015 American Prize in conducting – professional orchestra division to DCINY Artistic Director Jonathan Griffith and the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra, and the 2015 American Prize in Arts Marketing to DCINY General Director Iris Derke and the DCINY Team.
