The Glory of Freedom: A Concert to Honor Our Veterans
By Diane DiResta
The Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, directed by James Mick, performed at Carnegie Hall on February 19, 2017 to a packed house. The concert, The Glory of Freedom: A Concert to Honor Our Veterans, provided a dynamic, uplifting, world class concert experience. The program included:
Richard Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
Gustav Mahler Symphony No.1, Movement 3, “Funeral March”
Arturo Marquez Danzion No 2
The energy in the room was palpable and the powerful pause by the conductor before ending the selection, built a crescendo which kept the audience on the edge of their seats as they anticipated applauding.
After a brief intermission, the program continued with Singers International. Erin Freeman made her Carnegie Hall debut as conductor with Suzanne Karpov, Soprano, performing as a soloist. The chorus performed compositions from Francis Poulenc.
Gloria
I. Gloria
II. Ladamus te
III. Domine Deur
IV Domine Fili unigenite
V Domine Deu, Agunus Dei
VI Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
The chorus ended with a brief pause after which, Guest Conductor, Lee Nelson, conducted the 300 male voice chorus who performed Randall Thompson’s The Testament of Freedom. This work was originally written to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Thomas Jefferson and his role in founding the University of Virginia.
The concert was electrifying and the completion of every section prompted a standing ovation and thunderous applause. If one sat with closed eyes, it would be difficult to know that these musicians were youths. They played with passion, precision, and a high level or professionalism. It was as if the audience and performers were united in a spiritual mission to honor the veterans.
About the Artists
James Mick, Director. James Mick, an assistant professor of music education at Ithaca College’s School of Music was appointed music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2015. The Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra was established in 1970 and is sponsored by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Mick continues to be an active double bass performer and serves as music director of the Ithaca Community Orchestra.
Erin Freeman, Conductor. Erin Freeman holds a joint position with the Richmond Symphony (Director of the Richmond Symphony Chorus and Virginia Commonwealth University (Director of Choral Activities). This follows seven successful years as Richmond Symphony’s Associate Conductor. She is also Artistic Director of Wintergreen Performing Arts, wher her programming resulted in record crowds, increased donation, and a Washington Post endorsement.
Suzanne Karpov, Soprano The San Francisco Chronicle dubbed her for her “elegant” soprano, both “incisive and tender.” She is a recent graduate of the Maryland Opera Studio (University of Maryland, College Park). She won first place in the national NATS Competition in Chicago. Future appearances include: the American Back Soloists, Boston Early Music Festival and the Washington Bach Consort.
Lee Nelson, Guest Conductor. Dr. Nelson is the Patricia R. Zahn Chair in choral Activities at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He conducts the Wartburg Choir and Ritterchor (men’s choir) and teaches beginning and advanced conducting. Dr. Nelson won the National ACDA Graduate Conducting Competition in Los Angeles early in his career. He recently was honored with the John. O. Chellevold Award for excellence in teaching. ECS distributes the Lee Nelson Choral Series nationally and international.
About 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.
About Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park.
Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891, it is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music. Carnegie Hall has its own artistic programming, development, and marketing departments, and presents about 250 performances each season. It is also rented out to performing groups. The hall has not had a resident company since 1962, when the New York Philharmonic moved to Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall (renamed Avery Fisher Hall in 1973 and David Geffen Hall in 2015).[5]
Carnegie Hall has 3,671 seats, divided among its three auditoriums.
Carnegie Hall contains three distinct, separate performance spaces: Main Hall Isaac Stern Auditorium, Zankel Hall, Weill Recital Hall.
Carnegie Hall is named after Andrew Carnegie, who funded its construction. It was intended as a venue for the Oratorio Society of New York and the New York Symphony Society, on whose boards Carnegie served. Construction began in 1890, and was carried out by Isaac A. Hopper and Company. Although the building was in use from April 1891, the official opening night was May 5, with a concert conducted by maestro Walter Damrosch and great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Originally known simply as “Music Hall” (the words “Music Hall founded by Andrew Carnegie” still appear on the façade above the marquee), the hall was renamed Carnegie Hall in 1893 after board members of the Music Hall Company of New York (the hall’s original governing body) persuaded Carnegie to allow the use of his name. Several alterations were made to the building between 1893 and 1896, including the addition of two towers of artists’ studios, and alterations to the smaller auditorium on the building’s lower level.
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D
CINY PRESENTS ‘THE GLORY OF FREEDOM’ AT CARNEGIE HALL ON FEBRUARY 19 IN CELEBRATION OF PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND INCLUDING RANDALL THOMPSON’S THE TESTAMENT OF FREEDOM
Featured performers include the West Point Alumni Glee Club, an ensemble consisting of retired West Point graduates.
Dr. James Mick will lead the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra with works by Wagner, Mahler, Marquez and others
Conductor Erin Freeman will give her DCINY debut performance conducting Poulenc’s Gloria with Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Friday, December 16, 2016 — New York, NY – On February 19, 2017 at 1PM, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) will present ‘The Glory of Freedom’ at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage coinciding with President’s Day Weekend. Guest Conductor Lee Nelson will conduct Randall Thompson’s The Testament of Freedom in honor of President’s Day. Featured performers include the West Point Alumni Glee Club, an ensemble consisting of retired West Point graduates.
The Testament of Freedom was written to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Thomas Jefferson and to acknowledge his role in founding the University of Virginia. Since then, the work’s dramatically soaring, hymn-like melodies and compelling harmonic structure set atop the Founding Father’s stirring prose has made it a staple of the male chorus repertoire. Its premiere was 71 years ago at Carnegie Hall, on April 14, 1945 as part of a concert in memory of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had died two days earlier, making it all the more appropriate to have the work performed on President’s Day Weekend so many decades later.
Dr. James Mick, director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, will lead a program including works by Wagner, Mahler, Marquez and others. Additionally, Erin Freeman makes her DCINY conductor debut as she leads the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International in a performance of Poulenc’s Gloria.
‘The Glory of Freedom’
Sunday, February 19, 2017
1:00 PM
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall
POULENC Gloria
RANDALL THOMPSON The Testament of Freedom
Works by WAGNER, MAHLER, MARQUEZ and others
Performers
Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Dr. James Mick, Director
Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Dr. Lee Nelson, DCINY Guest Conductor
Dr. Erin Freeman, DCINY Guest Conductor
Tickets Start at $20
Box Office: 57th Street and Seventh Avenue
More information about the concert: http://www.dciny.org/concerts/256118-2/
PARTICIPATING CHOIRS
The Avon Old Farms School Riddlers, Avon, CT
The Big Canoe Chapel Men’s Chorus, Big Canoe, GA
Cold Spring Area Maennerchor, Cold Spring, MI
Hampden-Sydney Men’s Chorus, Hampden-Sydney, VA
Jamestown Choralaires, Jamestown, ND
MFL MarMac Men’s Quartet, Monona, IA
Metropolitan Men’s Choir, Minneapolis, MN
Staples Area Men’s Chorus,
Wartburg College Ritterchor, Waverly, IA
West Point Alumni Glee Club, Chantilly, VA
Citrus Community Concert Choir, Homosassa Springs, FL
Island Chamber Singers, Fernandina Beach, FL
Richmond Symphony Chorus,
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.
As of 2016, over 35,000 performers representing 41 countries and all 50 US states have participated in a DCINY production. DCINY has catered to over 170,000 audience members since the inception of the company and has produced 17 world premieres and over 190 concerts (as of 12/31/2016).
Review of Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) ‘The Glory of Freedom’ at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage coinciding with President’s Day Weekend
February 23, 2017 Comment Off 220 ViewsThe Glory of Freedom: A Concert to Honor Our Veterans
By Diane DiResta
The Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, directed by James Mick, performed at Carnegie Hall on February 19, 2017 to a packed house. The concert, The Glory of Freedom: A Concert to Honor Our Veterans, provided a dynamic, uplifting, world class concert experience. The program included:
Richard Wagner Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
Gustav Mahler Symphony No.1, Movement 3, “Funeral March”
Arturo Marquez Danzion No 2
The energy in the room was palpable and the powerful pause by the conductor before ending the selection, built a crescendo which kept the audience on the edge of their seats as they anticipated applauding.
After a brief intermission, the program continued with Singers International. Erin Freeman made her Carnegie Hall debut as conductor with Suzanne Karpov, Soprano, performing as a soloist. The chorus performed compositions from Francis Poulenc.
Gloria
I. Gloria
II. Ladamus te
III. Domine Deur
IV Domine Fili unigenite
V Domine Deu, Agunus Dei
VI Qui sedes ad dexteram Patris
The chorus ended with a brief pause after which, Guest Conductor, Lee Nelson, conducted the 300 male voice chorus who performed Randall Thompson’s The Testament of Freedom. This work was originally written to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Thomas Jefferson and his role in founding the University of Virginia.
The concert was electrifying and the completion of every section prompted a standing ovation and thunderous applause. If one sat with closed eyes, it would be difficult to know that these musicians were youths. They played with passion, precision, and a high level or professionalism. It was as if the audience and performers were united in a spiritual mission to honor the veterans.
About the Artists
James Mick, Director. James Mick, an assistant professor of music education at Ithaca College’s School of Music was appointed music director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2015. The Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra was established in 1970 and is sponsored by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Dr. Mick continues to be an active double bass performer and serves as music director of the Ithaca Community Orchestra.
Erin Freeman, Conductor. Erin Freeman holds a joint position with the Richmond Symphony (Director of the Richmond Symphony Chorus and Virginia Commonwealth University (Director of Choral Activities). This follows seven successful years as Richmond Symphony’s Associate Conductor. She is also Artistic Director of Wintergreen Performing Arts, wher her programming resulted in record crowds, increased donation, and a Washington Post endorsement.
Suzanne Karpov, Soprano The San Francisco Chronicle dubbed her for her “elegant” soprano, both “incisive and tender.” She is a recent graduate of the Maryland Opera Studio (University of Maryland, College Park). She won first place in the national NATS Competition in Chicago. Future appearances include: the American Back Soloists, Boston Early Music Festival and the Washington Bach Consort.
Lee Nelson, Guest Conductor. Dr. Nelson is the Patricia R. Zahn Chair in choral Activities at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He conducts the Wartburg Choir and Ritterchor (men’s choir) and teaches beginning and advanced conducting. Dr. Nelson won the National ACDA Graduate Conducting Competition in Los Angeles early in his career. He recently was honored with the John. O. Chellevold Award for excellence in teaching. ECS distributes the Lee Nelson Choral Series nationally and international.
About 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.
About Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park.
Designed by architect William Burnet Tuthill and built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891, it is one of the most prestigious venues in the world for both classical music and popular music. Carnegie Hall has its own artistic programming, development, and marketing departments, and presents about 250 performances each season. It is also rented out to performing groups. The hall has not had a resident company since 1962, when the New York Philharmonic moved to Lincoln Center’s Philharmonic Hall (renamed Avery Fisher Hall in 1973 and David Geffen Hall in 2015).[5]
Carnegie Hall has 3,671 seats, divided among its three auditoriums.
Carnegie Hall contains three distinct, separate performance spaces: Main Hall Isaac Stern Auditorium, Zankel Hall, Weill Recital Hall.
Carnegie Hall is named after Andrew Carnegie, who funded its construction. It was intended as a venue for the Oratorio Society of New York and the New York Symphony Society, on whose boards Carnegie served. Construction began in 1890, and was carried out by Isaac A. Hopper and Company. Although the building was in use from April 1891, the official opening night was May 5, with a concert conducted by maestro Walter Damrosch and great Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Originally known simply as “Music Hall” (the words “Music Hall founded by Andrew Carnegie” still appear on the façade above the marquee), the hall was renamed Carnegie Hall in 1893 after board members of the Music Hall Company of New York (the hall’s original governing body) persuaded Carnegie to allow the use of his name. Several alterations were made to the building between 1893 and 1896, including the addition of two towers of artists’ studios, and alterations to the smaller auditorium on the building’s lower level.
##
D
CINY PRESENTS ‘THE GLORY OF FREEDOM’ AT CARNEGIE HALL ON FEBRUARY 19 IN CELEBRATION OF PRESIDENT’S DAY WEEKEND INCLUDING RANDALL THOMPSON’S THE TESTAMENT OF FREEDOM
Featured performers include the West Point Alumni Glee Club, an ensemble consisting of retired West Point graduates.
Dr. James Mick will lead the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra with works by Wagner, Mahler, Marquez and others
Conductor Erin Freeman will give her DCINY debut performance conducting Poulenc’s Gloria with Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Friday, December 16, 2016 — New York, NY – On February 19, 2017 at 1PM, Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) will present ‘The Glory of Freedom’ at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage coinciding with President’s Day Weekend. Guest Conductor Lee Nelson will conduct Randall Thompson’s The Testament of Freedom in honor of President’s Day. Featured performers include the West Point Alumni Glee Club, an ensemble consisting of retired West Point graduates.
The Testament of Freedom was written to celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Thomas Jefferson and to acknowledge his role in founding the University of Virginia. Since then, the work’s dramatically soaring, hymn-like melodies and compelling harmonic structure set atop the Founding Father’s stirring prose has made it a staple of the male chorus repertoire. Its premiere was 71 years ago at Carnegie Hall, on April 14, 1945 as part of a concert in memory of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had died two days earlier, making it all the more appropriate to have the work performed on President’s Day Weekend so many decades later.
Dr. James Mick, director of the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, will lead a program including works by Wagner, Mahler, Marquez and others. Additionally, Erin Freeman makes her DCINY conductor debut as she leads the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International in a performance of Poulenc’s Gloria.
‘The Glory of Freedom’
Sunday, February 19, 2017
1:00 PM
Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall
POULENC Gloria
RANDALL THOMPSON The Testament of Freedom
Works by WAGNER, MAHLER, MARQUEZ and others
Performers
Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Dr. James Mick, Director
Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International
Dr. Lee Nelson, DCINY Guest Conductor
Dr. Erin Freeman, DCINY Guest Conductor
Tickets Start at $20
Box Office: 57th Street and Seventh Avenue
More information about the concert: http://www.dciny.org/concerts/256118-2/
PARTICIPATING CHOIRS
The Avon Old Farms School Riddlers, Avon, CT
The Big Canoe Chapel Men’s Chorus, Big Canoe, GA
Cold Spring Area Maennerchor, Cold Spring, MI
Hampden-Sydney Men’s Chorus, Hampden-Sydney, VA
Jamestown Choralaires, Jamestown, ND
MFL MarMac Men’s Quartet, Monona, IA
Metropolitan Men’s Choir, Minneapolis, MN
Staples Area Men’s Chorus,
Wartburg College Ritterchor, Waverly, IA
West Point Alumni Glee Club, Chantilly, VA
Citrus Community Concert Choir, Homosassa Springs, FL
Island Chamber Singers, Fernandina Beach, FL
Richmond Symphony Chorus,
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.
As of 2016, over 35,000 performers representing 41 countries and all 50 US states have participated in a DCINY production. DCINY has catered to over 170,000 audience members since the inception of the company and has produced 17 world premieres and over 190 concerts (as of 12/31/2016).
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