New Classic Singers presents its 30th holiday concert with WORLD CAROL, an international tour of holiday music, on Sunday, December 11, at 4 p.m., at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Music Director / Founder Lee Kesselman will conduct the 32 voice adult ensemble as it treats the audience to carols and popular holiday songs from six continents and various islands. William Buhr will accompany. The McAninch Arts Center is located on the main campus of College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. “All around the world, Christians look to the Christmas holiday as a time for reflection, for celebration, for rejoicing in the blessings of the season,“ says Kesselman. “What better way to enjoy those celebrations than to sing the carols of the world?” The Singers will perform holiday carols from all six continents, including both well-known and lesser-known songs. From bi-lingual Canada, to Korea, and from Africa to Australia, many of the world’s most celebrated arrangers have created beautiful arrangements of the carols which will be sung on World Carol. Among the better known arrangers are Alice Parker, John Rutter, Juan-Tony Guzman, Stephen Leek, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Eleanor Daley. Some of the more interesting carols will represent traditions of Latvia, Iceland, Korea, the Dominican Republic, and Nigeria. New Classic Singers has been entertaining DuPage audiences with the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from through the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and vocal excellence. NCS holiday concerts have been an annual treat for DuPage audiences since 1982. Director Lee Kesselman is widely known as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. He brings a unique composer’s perspective to his work as music director. Tickets for New Classic Singers concerts are available at www.newclassicsingers.org or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. |
New Classic Singers opens its 30th concert season with PSALMS & SPIRITUALS, an exploration of styles and spirit, on Saturday, November 5, at 8 p.m. at St Petronille Church in Glen Ellyn and Sunday, November 13, at 3 p.m. at St Francis Xavier Church in La Grange. Music Director and Founder Lee Kesselman will conduct the 32 voice adult ensemble as it treats the audience to sacred, secular, opera and and musical theater selections. William Buhr will accompany. St Petronille Church is located at 420 Glenwood Avenue in Glen Ellyn. St Francis Xavier Church is located at 124 N Spring Ave in La Grange. “Composers have always been drawn to the Psalms as a treasure trove of musical inspiration,” says director Kesselman. “The psalm traditions might be the richest set of words in Western sacred music, and they resonate equaly with Christiands and Jews.” NCS will sing Psalm-settings by Brahms, Distler, Gregg Smith, Stanford, Jean Berger, and director Kesselman. “No music is more universally enjoyed by American choirs and audiences than that of African-American spirituals,” says Kesselman. The NCS collection will include arrangements by Burleigh, Leonard De Paur, Stacey Gibbs, William Dawson, and Moses Hogan. New Classic Singers has been entertaining DuPage audiences with the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from through the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and vocal excellence. Director Lee Kesselman is widely known as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. He brings a unique composer’s perspective to his work as music director. Tickets for New Classic Singers are available at www.newclassicsingers.org or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. |
NEW CLASSIC SINGERS, a select 36 voice adult choral ensemble, will hold auditions for 2011-2012 membership in the month of August, by appointment. Auditions are open to all highly skilled adult singers, and will include singing two prepared selection, sight-reading, vocalizing and a brief interview. Auditions are by appointment only and may be made by contacting the director at lrk@newclassicsingers.org as soon as possible. An accompanist will be provided. There are openings in all sections. Repertoire for the 2011-2012 season includes psalm settings, spirituals, Jewish music, carols from around the world, in addition to other sacred and secular selections. Founder/director Lee Kesselman is internationally known as a conductor, pianist, teacher and award-winning composer. He has developed the New Classic Singers with a love for the vocal art and interests in a great breadth of literature. The Singers have performed Chicago-area premieres of scores of works, and are known for imaginative and unique programming in the choral world. New Classic Singers will perform a season series of four main concerts in or near Glen Ellyn, with additional concerts in nearby locations and participation in a 9/11 Concert of Remembrance at the Harris Theatre in Chicago. |
New Classic Singers, DuPage's leading choral ensemble since 1982, announces its 29th concert season. Under the direction of founder Lee Kesselman, the Glen Ellyn-based ensemble will perform four varied programs of classics, popular composers, holiday favorites, and recent works. Highlights of the season include varied Psalm settings, spirituals, carols from six continents, Jewish choral music, including a major premiere, and an on-stage radio show. Season subscriptions will be available later this year at www.newclassicsingers.org. Special rates are charged for seniors and students. 2011-2012 ConcertsA CONCERT OF REMEMBRANCE3 pm on Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011 at Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 East Randolph Drive, Chicago NCS joins Fulcrum Point New Music Ensemble for a remembrance peace concert. NCS will be featured in Lee Kesselman’s SENSOO. PSALMS & SPIRITUALS8 pm on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 at St. Petronille Catholic Church, Glen Ellyn Where better than the Book of Psalms to find timeless texts of joy, lamentation & praise? And where better than spirituals to find the thrill of American music at its finest? WORLD CAROL4 pm on Sunday, Dec. 11, 2011 at McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn Six continents of carols. There's no better way to celebrate the holidays! KADOSH: A(nother) CELEBRATION OF JEWISH MUSIC8 pm on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at Christ the King Catholic Church, Lombard Settings of Kadosh, Kiddush, & Kaddish and a Klezmer dessert! Plus the premiere of Lee Kesselman’s Kaddish for My Father. THE NEW CLASSICS RADIO HOUR8 pm on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn Imagine a radio station in a large metropolitan community college on the prairies of Illinois, with an in-studio choir. A peek into some of the back-hall intrigues and colorful classrooms, with music attached. Featuring Chris Miller. For ticket information, concert directions, and more, please visit www.newclassicsingers.org or call 630/654-9717 |
NEW CLASSIC SINGERS, a select 36 voice adult choral ensemble, will hold auditions for 2011-2012 membership, in the month of July, including July 6, 12, and 19. Auditions are open to all highly skilled adult singers, and will include singing two prepared selection, sight-reading, vocalizing and a brief interview. Auditions are by appointment only and may be made by contacting the director at lrk@newclassicsingers.org as soon as possible. An accompanist will be provided. There are openings in all sections. Repertoire for the 2011-2012 season includes psalm settings, spirituals, Jewish music, carols from around the world, in addition to other sacred and secular selections. Founder/director Lee Kesselman is internationally known as a conductor, pianist, teacher and award-winning composer. He has developed the New Classic Singers with a love for the vocal art and interests in a great breadth of literature. The Singers have performed Chicago-area premieres of scores of works, and are known for imaginative and unique programming in the choral world. New Classic Singers performs a season series of four main concerts in Glen Ellyn, with additional concerts in nearby locations and participation in a 9/11 Concert of Remembrance at the Harris Theatre in Chicago. |
New Classic Singers Lee R. Kesselman, Music Director Closes its 2010-2011 season with a celebration of BOYS & GIRLS on 8pm, Saturday May
7, 2011 425 Fawell Blvd. Glen Ellyn, IL BOYS & GIRLS includes music my a number of America’s most notable choral composers and arrangers, all on themes of the relationships between boys & girls, men & women. Composers Eric Whitacre, Gwyneth Walker, Clyde Thompson, Carol Barnett are all represented. The performance will also include a complete performance of Kirke Mechem’s American Madrigals, part-songs by Johannes Brahms, and clever musical oddities by P.D.Q. Bach. Finally, the Singers will close with a selection of classic love songs by Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Rodgers & Hart, and other representatives of the Great American Songbook. New Classic Singers 29th season continues its long-standing tradition of entertaining DuPage & Chicago-area audiences with the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from throughout the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and vocal excellence. NCS has presented an annual holiday program since its inception in 1982. Director Lee Kesselman is widely known as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. He brings a unique composer’s perspective to his work as music director. Tickets for New Classic Singers are available at 630-942-4000 or www.newclassicsingers.org or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. |
Director Lee Kesselman talks about David Lang’s the little match girl passion, East European choral music, and other matters choralQ: I remember the Hans Christian Anderson story of the little match girl. It was dark and wintry, as I recall. Will this music be like that? LRK: The Andersen story has much sadness in it. But Lang uses the concept of ‘the passion’ — the Christian story of suffering for redemption — as a way of making it a universal tale. The composer breaks up the story into sections, each one of which brings across a different part of the story. We’ll tell the story aloud before the Lang work, to make sure everyone is attached to the beautiful storyline before hand. Q: What about the musical style? LRK: Labels are so hard! I’d say that Lang knows his Steve Reich, John Adams, Philip Glass, James Macmillan. The music is ‘contemporary’ — but not so much dissonant as rhythmically engaging, repeating small fragments, and adding layers of textures like African music or Eastern chant. The influences of world music and meditation are strong. Q: Why is NCS singing this piece? What does it have to say to the audience? LRK: Well, for one thing, I think it’s very beautiful. But also very moving. It’s one of those pieces I heard — and just felt — we HAVE to do this! The singers have been very moved in rehearsals. It’s quite challenging, but one after another, people have been coming up to me and saying how moving and beautiful they find the music, the concept, the moments. Q: Why haven’t we heard much about this piece? LRK: Well, it hasn’t been done very often yet. The work was written for Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices in 2007 and performed with one on a part. It was recorded in 2008 and is just now beginning to find it’s way into the rest of the country. There is a new-ish choral version, which we’re singing. It also calls for a few percussion instruments – glockenspiel, bass drum, sleighbell, chimes, brake drum. Q: A REAL brake-drum, like from a car? LRK: Yes. Q: What about the rest of the program? LRK: One of the most fertile regions of a cappella singing is Eastern Europe — Lithuania, Russia and Estonia. Those cultures have been havens for church music for 100’s of years and a hotbed of choral invention for the past 40. Q: Why East European music with the match girl? LRK: I wanted to emphasize the sacred implications of the Lang piece. Also, what the Lang doesn’t have is a lot of sustained sonority — and, frankly, this music has it to burn! (sorry, bad pun, … match girl, … burn….). The textures of Chesnokov, Rachmaninoff, Myskinis will provide some real richness, compared to the more sparse qualities of the Lang. And then, there are a few pieces which split the difference — selections by Urmas Sisask and Arvo Pärt are rich and satisfying and yet share some of the Eastern, contemporary qualities of the Lang. Q: You’ve been choosing programs for NCS since the fall of 1982. Is it ever hard to find music to perform? LRK: There’s SO MUCH great music out there! And every once in a while it’s nice to go back and repeat things. since they’re all ‘new again’ with new singers and new perspectives. And then, there’s the thrill of sharing that music with the singers and the audience… which makes it all so worthwhile. Q: See you on March 5-6. LRK: Yes — with sleigh-bells, brake drums, match girls, storytellers, and something for the soul…. On Saturday, March 5th and Sunday, March 6th the New Classic Singers will perform David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion between groupings of East European sacred choral music. |
New Classic Singers and Lee R. Kesselman, Music Director will present the Midwest premiere of David Lang’s 2008 Pulitzer
Prize-winning the little match girl
passion plus sacred music from
Russia, Estonia, and Lithuania at the following concerts:
New Classic Singers 29th season continues its long-standing tradition of bringing significant works of our time to the Chicago area for the first time. Past major area premiers have included:
David Lang’s the
little match girl passion is
based on Hans Christian Andersen story The
Little Match Girl. It was
originally written for Paul Hiller’s Theater of Voices. Lang sets the story in the format of
Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion. The
program will also include sacred music by Arvo Pärt, Vytautas Myskinis, Urmas
Sisask, Pavel Chesnokov, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. The composer David Lang writes about the work on the publisher's website, which also quotes the New York Times: “Mr. Lang's achievement is in yoking together opposites so
thoroughly that they seem inextricable, even though, logically, they should
hardly work together at all. His libretto, which he wrote himself, alternates
among stripped-down, poetic imagery, prose description in grimy detail and
fragments from Bach's St. Matthew Passion.
The score sounds simple and neo-medieval at first, but further listening
reveals layers of harmonic and contrapuntal complexity. And the choir, singing
with an icy, uninflected detachment, paints a deeply moving portrait of the
girl within a harrowing landscape. “ |
Sunday, December 12, at 4 pm New
Classic Singers warms up the holiday season with IN THE SWEET
MID-WINTER, a festive celebration, on Sunday, December 12, at 4 p.m. at
the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Music
Director/Founder Lee Kesselman will conduct the 40 voice adult ensemble
as it treats the audience to Christmas, Holiday and New Years
selections, both fresh and familiar. William Buhr will accompany. Jazz saxophonist Mark Colby and flutist Sherry
Kujala will join the singers for this seamless tapestry of music.
Composers include Eric Whitacre, Arvo Pärt, Dale Warland, Franz Biebl,
Abbie Betinis and Lee Kesselman. The program will include improvisations
and audience sing-alongs. The Wheaton Warrenville South Chamber Choir, under
the direction of Gordon Krauspe will join New Classic Singers in
performing works by Eric Whitacre. The Chamber Choir is the most select
choral ensemble at the school. They will also present some of their own
selections. Gordon Krauspe has served as president of Illinois and
Central Division Choral Directors Association. New Classic Singers has been entertaining DuPage
audiences with the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members
include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from through
the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and
vocal excellence. NCS has presented an annual holiday program since its
inception in 1982. Director Lee Kesselman is widely known as a
conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed
internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a beacon
of choral music in the Chicago area. He brings a unique composer’s
perspective to his work as music director. Tickets for New Classic Singers are available at 630-942-4000 or www.newclassicsingers.org or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. |
Frequent NCS member and soloist David Govertsen is one of six talented young singers who have been accepted into the prestigious Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center ensemble at Lyric Opera of Chicago, beginning in May 2011. Each year The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, the professional artist-development program of Lyric Opera of Chicago, selects gifted young singers from some 400 applicants. Soon after arriving at Lyric in May, incoming Ryan Opera Center members begin an intensive full-year residency under the guidance of Gianna Rolandi and numerous other opera professionals. Coaching sessions and master classes are augmented by performance and understudy experience in productions mounted by Lyric Opera of Chicago, including the eight operas of Lyric’s regular season. (Until September 2006, the program was known as the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists.) |
New Classic Singers Lee R. Kesselman, Music Director NCS Presents AARON & LENNY New Classic Singers opens its 29th concert season with Aaron & Lenny, a tribute to two giants of American music, on Saturday, November 6, at 8 p.m. at St Petronille Church in Glen Ellyn. Music Director / Founder Lee Kesselman will conduct the 41 voice adult ensemble as it treats the audience to sacred, secular, opera and and musical theatre selections. William Buhr will accompany. The church is located at 420 Glenwood Avenue in Glen Ellyn. “Aaron Copland & Leonard Bernstein tower as names synonymous with American music in the 20th century,” said Kesselman. “Both died in 1990, so this 20th anniversdary of that year will give New Classic Singers an opportunity to share some of their brilliance in a concert of varied genres and styles.” The Glenbard West Chamber Choir will join New Classic Singers in performing works by Copland. Andy Jeffrey is in his third year as director of choirs at Glenbard West High School. The Copland selections will range from his early motets to Old American Songs and choruses from the opera, The Tender Land. NCS will also sing his major a cappella choral work, In The Beginning. Bernstein will be represented by theatre music from the stage play, The Lark, selections from Mass, and music from the Broadway favorites Candide and West Side Story. “I can’t imagine anyone coming to this concert and not hearing music they already know and love,” said Kesselman. “Listeners will get a clear sense of why these composers are so universally adored.” New Classic Singers has been entertaining DuPage audiences with the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from through the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and vocal excellence. NCS has previously performed full evening concerts of Candide and Mass by Leonard Bernstein. Director
Lee Kesselman is widely known as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral
music is performed internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the
ensemble a beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. He brings a unique
composer’s perspective to his work as music director. Tickets for New Classic Singers are available at www.newclassicsingers.org or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. |
New Classic Singers, DuPage County’s leading choral ensemble since 1982, announces its 29th concert season. Under the direction of founder Lee Kesselman, the Glen Ellyn-based ensemble will perform four varied programs of classics, popular composers, holiday favorites, and recent works. Highlights of the season include works by Aaron Copland & Leonard Bernstein, jazz stylings by tenor sax Mark Colby, the midwest premiere of David Lang's 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion, spirituals, East European sacred music, Romantic part-songs, and tunes from the American Songbook. Season subscriptions are available at www.newclassicsingers.org. Special rates are available for seniors and students. AARON & LENNY8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 6 at St. Petronille Church, Glen Ellyn What says ‘American music’ more than a concert featuring the works of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland? We commemorate the 20th anniversary of the deaths of these two giants in a wide-ranging concert of their choral and theater music. Sacred music, folk songs, selections from his Mass, West Side Story, and Candide. IN THE SWEET MID-WINTER8 p.m. on Friday, Dec 10 at Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Arlington Heights 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec 12 at McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn A free-flowing evocation of the holiday season, featuring familiar carols, beautiful sacred texts, small ensembles, sing-alongs and improvisations. Get ready for a concert of old, new and ‘never before’ as Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice and Winter join hands in song. the little match girl passion
8 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 at Glen Ellyn Evangelical Covenant Church, Glen Ellyn 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 6 at St. Peter’s Church in the Loop, Chicago NCS is thrilled to present David Lang’s 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion. This magical musical telling of the Hans Christian Anderson story, captures the essence of the tale with pathos, beauty, and fascination. We’ll surround the passion with devotional music from Russia and the Baltics and spirituals. BOYS & GIRL8 p.m.on Saturday, May 7 at McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn From the Romantic part-songs of Brahms and Schubert to the ballads of the Great American Broadway songbook, we celebrate the oldest human sport, the interplay of the X’s and Y’s. Together and apart, the women and men of the NCS sing into spring with flash and dash, and all we can say is — Vive La Difference!
|
NEW CLASSIC SINGERS, a select 36 voice adult choral
ensemble, will hold auditions for 2010-2011 membership, in the month of
August, by appointment. Auditions are open to all highly skilled adult singers, and will include singing two prepared selection, sight-reading, vocalizing and a brief interview. Auditions are by appointment only and may be made by contacting the director at lrk@newclassicsingers.org as soon as possible. An accompanist will be provided. There are openings in all sections. Repertoire for the 2010-2011 season includes music by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, holiday music, Russian and East European sacred music, David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion, Romantic part-songs by Brahms, Schumann, and Schubert, in addition to other sacred and secular selections. Founder/director Lee Kesselman is internationally known as a conductor, pianist, teacher and award-winning composer. He has developed the New Classic Singers with a love for the vocal art and interests in a great breadth of literature. The Singers have performed Chicago-area premieres of scores of works, and are known for imaginative and unique programming in the choral world. New Classic Singers performs a season series of four main concerts in Glen Ellyn, with additional concerts in nearby locations. |
NEW CLASSIC SINGERS, a select 36 voice adult choral ensemble,
will hold auditions for 2010-2011 membership, in the month of June, including
June 10, 17 and 26. Auditions are open to all highly skilled adult singers, and will include singing two prepared selection, sight-reading, vocalizing and a brief interview. Auditions are by appointment only and may be made by contacting the director at lrk@newclassicsingers.org as soon as possible. An accompanist will be provided. There are openings in all sections. Repertoire for the 2010-2011 season includes music by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland, holiday music, Russian and East European sacred music, David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning the little match girl passion, Romantic part-songs by Brahms, Schumann, and Schubert, in addition to other sacred and secular selections. Founder/director Lee Kesselman is internationally known as a conductor, pianist, teacher and award-winning composer. He has developed the New Classic Singers with a love for the vocal art and interests in a great breadth of literature. The Singers have performed Chicago-area premieres of scores of works, and are known for imaginative and unique programming in the choral world. New Classic Singers performs a season series of four main concerts in Glen Ellyn, with additional concerts in nearby locations. |
New
Classic Singers continues its 28th concert season with The World
Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass, on Saturday, May 8, at St Petronille Church
in Glen Ellyn. The 8 p.m. concert will feature guest artists, the Ad
Hoc Pickers bluegrass band. Founder and Music Director Lee Kesselman
will conduct. Long-time accompanist of the NCS, William Buhr, will
accompany from the keyboard. Carol Barnett’s Bluegrass Mass is a marriage of a
choral mass with the down-home sparkle of bluegrass. The music is
cheery, folklike and energetic. The Ad Hoc Pickers is comprised of five of Chicagoland’s finest instrumentalists:
The
program will also include American hymn tunes like Amazing Grace, Shall
We Gather at the River, and Bright Mornin’ Stars. The Ad Hoc Pickers
will also entertain the audience with a number of pure bluegrass
selections. New Classic Singers has been entertaining DuPage
audiences with the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members
include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from through
the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs
and vocal excellence. The Singers' first CD release, A Family Christmas
Album, includes music from past December concerts, and is available at
the Arts Center Ticket Office. Director Lee Kesselman is widely known as a
conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed
internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a
beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. He founded New Classic
Singers. Tickets for New Classic Singers are available at www.newclassicsingers.org or at the door. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. |
New Classic Singers will open its 28th concert season as a professional choral ensemble with Ein Deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms. on Saturday, November 7th at 8 p.m. at St Petronille Church, 420 Glenwood Avenue, in Glen Ellyn. The concert will be repeated at St Francis Xavier Church, 124 N Spring Ave, in La Grange at 3 p.m. on Sunday, November 8th. Brahms’ German Requiem is one of the most beloved and revered works off all choral music. Rather than a formal religious service for the dead, Brahms chose a variety of texts to comfort the bereaved. It is a work of great beauty and comfort. NCS will sing Brahms’ own version for piano 4-hands, featuring guest pianist William Koehler and resident accompanist William Buhr. New Classic Singers is a 40 voice professional choral ensemble in residence at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs of the very finest choral literature. Members are professional singers, choral directors, music teachers from Chicago's western suburbs and beyond. Lee Kesselman is Founder and Music Director of New Classic Singers. He has been Director of Choral Activities at College of DuPage since 1981. William Buhr appears throughout North America as an accompanist, chamber musician and clinician. Widely sought as a performer, he has appeared in numerous international festivals and has accompanied the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus at the invitation of director Margaret Hillis. Mr. Buhr is a member of the music faculty at College of DuPage and is the long-standing principal accompanist of the Anima Young Singers, formerly Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus. This season is Mr. Buhr’s 24th with New Classic Singers. William Koehler has taught piano at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb since 1985. A recipient of a 2001 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award from NIU, he was named a Presidential Teaching Professor in 2005. He has recorded for Cedille Records, Canti Classics, and Centaur Records as a collaborative pianist, and has performed with the Vermeer, Arianna, and Prague string quartets and the Craftsbury Chamber Players. Since 1991, he has been pianist for the Midsummer’s Music chamber ensemble in Door County, Wisconsin. His competition awards include first prizes in the 1984 San Antonio International Keyboard Competition and the 1989 New Orleans International Piano Competition. From 1988 to 1990, Mr. Koehler was an Affiliate Artists Xerox Pianist. Koehler is a past president of the Waubonsee Valley chapter of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association and is the pianist for DeKalb’s First United Methodist Church. |
New Classic Singers and its Founder-Director, Lee Kesselman, announce four outstanding concerts for its 28th season. The 36-voice adult ensemble has brought beautiful music to west suburban audiences since 1982. Beginning this season, more concerts will take place in some of the western suburbs most stunning churches. The season begins on Nov 7 and 8 with EIN DEUTSCHES REQUIEM by Johannes Brahms. Performed in Brahms’ own piano four-hands version, the German Requiem will feature pianists William Koehler and William Buhr, NCS’ regular pianist. The concert will be performed at both St Petronille Church in Glen Ellyn (Nov 7) and St Francis Xavier Church in La Grange (Nov 8). Other selections on the program will be pieces which use the same sacred texts that Brahms used in his Requiem. NCS continues its season with its annual holiday concert — FAMILY CHRISTMAS ALBUM on Dec 13. The theme of this year’s concert is “Navidad Nuestra,” a celebration of Hispanic carols. Most of the program will be arrangements of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American carols. Family Christmas Album will take place at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. The March 13 concert, BEAUTY, will feature some of the most beautiful contemporary choral music by Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Paul Basler and director Lee Kesselman. The concert will feature French horn Michael Buchwalter and pianist William Buhr. This concert will take place at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage. The final concert of the 28th season will be a bluegrass celebration on May 8. The major work on this program will be Carol Barnett’s THE WORLD BELOVED: A BLUEGRASS MASS. The Chicago premiere of this work will feature some of the area’s finest bluegrass players. The program will be rounded out with American hymns and spirituals. This concert will take place at St Petronille Church in Glen Ellyn. New Classic Singers was founded in fall of 1982 in order to create a high-quality adult choral ensemble in the Western suburbs. Since then, NCS has entertained DuPage audiences with a creative blend of sacred and secular music. The ensemble has welcomed guest artists, commissioned and premiered new works and spanned the globe and centuries with a mix of great choral repertoire. Members include soloists, conductors, teachers and other highly trained choral musicians from throughout the metropolitan Chicago area. Director Kesselman has been Director of Choral Activities at College of DuPage since 1981. He is widely known as a composer, teacher and conductor. Over 75 of his compositions have been published and he has taught conducting in 6 countries. Season tickets for NCS be ordered at www.NewClassicSingers.org. McAninch Arts Center tickets (December and March) are available at the McAninch Arts Center ticket office or by calling 630-942-4000. Special subscription rates are available until the date of the first season concert. Special group rates are available by calling 630-654-9717. |
The New Classic Singers, a professional choral ensemble based at
College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, will hold auditions for new members in
all sections by appointment on August 19 and 25. The 36 voice chorus
has openings in all sections for the 2009-2010 season, its 28th.
Directed by Founder Lee Kesselman, the New Classic Singers perform a
wide variety of classical music in a 4+ concert season in Glen Ellyn.
Singers will also perform repetitions of some concerts and special
events. Auditions are open to all interested adults, and will
include sight-reading, vocalizing, and the performance of 2 contrasting
pieces. Auditions are by appointment only and may be made by contacting
auditions@newclassicsingers.org An accompanist will be provided. This
season's repertoire will include works encompassing a variety of
styles, ranging from Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Hispanic holiday
music, music by contemporary American composers (including Morten
Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre, Paul Basler, and Lee Kesselman), and Carol
Barnett’s A World Beloved (a bluegrass mass). NCS is a premiere choral ensemble which has performed for state and regional conventions of the American Choral Directors Association. In the past, the New Classic Singers has performed with Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Kronos Quartet, Chiesa Nuova and has recorded new issues for Boosey & Hawkes music publishers. |
The New Classic Singers, a professional choral ensemble based at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, will hold auditions for new members in all sections by appointment on July 22 and 23. The 36 voice chorus has openings in all sections for the 2009-2010 season, its 28th. Directed by Founder Lee Kesselman, the New Classic Singers perform a wide variety of classical music in a 4+ concert season in Glen Ellyn. Singers will also perform repetitions of some concerts and special events. Auditions are open to all interested adults, and will include sight-reading, vocalizing, and the performance of 2 contrasting pieces. Auditions are by appointment only and may be made by contacting Lee Kesselman (lrk@newclassicsingers.org). An accompanist will be provided. This season’s repertoire will include works encompassing a variety of styles, ranging from Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem, Hispanic holiday music, music by contemporary American composers (including Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre, Paul Basler, and Lee Kesselman), and Carol Barnett’s A World Beloved (A Bluegrass Mass). NCS is a premiere choral ensemble which has performed for state and regional conventions of the American Choral Directors Association. In the past, the New Classic Singers has performed with Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Kronos Quartet, Chiesa Nuova and has recorded new issues for Boosey & Hawkes music publishers. |
A Celebration of Hope and Peace Lund Auditorium in the Performing Arts Center, Dominican University 7900 Division St., River Forest, IL. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27 An 800th anniversary is somewhat rare. To celebrate the milestone of the founding of the Franciscan Order, Chiesa Nuova, a not-for-profit Franciscan ministry for the performing arts in Chicago will present "A Celebration of Hope and Peace" at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27 at Lund Auditorium in the Performing Arts Center, Dominican University, 7900 Division St., River Forest, IL. Performing will be world-renowned bass-baritone Alan Held, mezzo-soprano Stacy Eckert, the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, and the New Classic Singers. The concert will consist of three major works: "Prayer for Peace" by Chicagoan Fr. Robert Hutmacher, O.F.M., "Five Mystical Songs" by Ralph Vaughn Williams, and "Dialogue of Francis and Clare" by Fr. Hutmacher. The featured work will be the oratorio "Dialogue of Francis and Clare," which tells the story of a period after Francis experienced the Stigmata in 1224, a story of healing and mystical prayer between two people consumed by the love of God. The story of this work is Fr. Hutmacher's interpretation of one of the world's classic stories of a love rooted in God, medieval mystique, and human passion for life. "'Dialogue of Francis and Clare' may help the listener to discover our common journey to God," said Fr. Hutmacher. Tickets are $40 - 50. For tickets or more information, call the Lund Auditorium box office at 708-488-5000 or visit: http://www.dom.edu/pac . For more information about Chiesa Nuova visit: http://www.chiesanuova.org. |
New Classic Singers continues its 27th concert season with Sergei
Rachmaninoff's stunning All-Night Vigil, on Saturday, May 9, at the
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. The 8 p.m.
concert will include other sacred selections by Victoria, Helvey and
spiritual arrangements by Moses Hogan. Founder and Music Director Lee
Kesselman will conduct. Composed in 1915, the All-Night Vigil (often called the Vespers) is one of Rachmaninoff's three major works for chorus. Based on Orthodox chants, the work joins texts and chants from the Vesper, Matins and Prime services and is sung in the original Church Slavonic. Widely considered one of the greatest a cappella choral works, the music is filled with hauntingly beautiful melodies, rich Russian harmonies and a deep and fervant religious sensibility. NCS continues to perform a wide variety of choral masterworks, new and old, since the inaugural season of the professional choral ensemble in 1982. DuPage audiences have regularly flocked to these concerts for the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from throughout the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and vocal excellence. Founder and Director Lee Kesselman is widely known as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. Tickets for Rachmaninoff Vespers are available at the Arts Center Ticket Office at 630-942-4000. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. Repeat Performance RACHMANINOFF VESPERS St. Peter's in the Loop 110 West Madison, Chicago Sunday, May 31, 2009, 3 pm |
New Classic Singers continues its 27th
concert season as a professional choral ensemble with Family Christmas
Album 27, a joyous musical celebration of the holiday season, on
Sunday, December 14, at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage
in Glen Ellyn. The 4 p.m. concert will feature guest artist flutist
Sherry Kujala. Founder and Music Director Lee Kesselman will conduct.
Long-time accompanist of the NCS, William Buhr, will accompany from the keyboard. This year's Family Christmas Album is entitled ALL CAROLS! and includes popular traditional carols from Spain, England, Estonia, America and the African-American Spiritual tradition. The program will also include an arrangement Coventry Carol by Glen Ellyn resident and NCS member Paul Sirvatka. Music Director Lee Kesselman has especially arranged What Child isThis? (Greensleeves) for flute and chorus for this concert. His arrangement of In the Bleak Mid-Winter will also be on the program. The Family Christmas Album has been a cornerstone of NCS seasons since the inaugural season of the professional choral ensemble in 1982. DuPage audiences have regularly flocked to these concerts for the finest in choral singing and repertoire. Members include solo vocalists, educators, and other fine singers from through the Chicago area. The ensemble is known for its imaginative programs and vocal excellence. The Singers' first CD release, A Family Christmas Album, includes music from past December concerts, and is available at the Arts Center Ticket Office. Director Lee Kesselman is widely known as a conductor, composer, and arranger. His choral music is performed internationally and his leadership of NCS has made the ensemble a beacon of choral music in the Chicago area. He founded New Classic Singers. Tickets for Family Christmas Album 27 are available at the Arts Center Ticket Office at 630-942-4000. Special rates are available for students, seniors, and groups. |
New Classic Singers present A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS Saturday, Dec 13 at 1 pm What could be more fun than sharing the music of the holiday season with the youngsters in your family? On Saturday, Dec 13, at 1 p.m., New Classic Singers will present their annual CHILD'S CHRISTMAS concert, especially designed for the young and their adult companions. The program will include popular holiday selections, including Jingle Bells, Rise Up Shepherd, Lo How a Rose, What Child is this?, Silent Night and other favorites. The concert will take place at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage, Park and Fawell in Glen Ellyn. The hour-long program will also include a musical selections by Alice Parker, John Rutter and Lee Kesselman, an audience carol sing-along, and a visit from Santa. Instrumentalists Sherry Kujala, flute), and William Buhr, piano, will accompany the Singers. New Classic Singers is a resident chorus at College of DuPage. Music Director Lee Kesselman founded the chorus in 1982. Tickets may be obtained at the Arts Center Ticket Office at 630 942 4000. |
| AUDITIONS Auditions for new choir members will be held by appointment on June 25 at the College of DuPage. The 36 voice chorus has openings in all sections for the 2008-2009 season, its 27th. Directed by Founder Lee Kesselman, the New Classic Singers perform a wide variety of classical music in a 4+ concert season at the McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn. Singers will also perform repetitions of some concerts and young people's concerts. Auditions are open to all interested adults, and will include sight-reading, vocalizing, and the performance of 2 contrasting pieces. Auditions are by appointment only and may be made by calling (630)942-3008, daytimes. An accompanist will be provided. |
New Classic Singers and its Founder-Director, Lee Kesselman announce four entertaining concerts for their 27th season at College of DuPage. The 36-voice adult ensemble has brought outstanding music to west suburban audiences since 1982. The season begins on Nov 1 with L’CHAIM ENCORE -- a concert of Jewish music, both new and traditional. Featuring harpist Marguerite Lynn Williams and the NCS Klezmer Band, L’CHAIM ENCORE will celebrate the rich tradition of Jewish music in concert, worship and of the people. Songs of Srul Irving Glick, Debbie Friedman, Kurt Weill, and director Kesselman will be sung alongside Yiddish, Klezmer and Sephardic music. NCS continues its season with its annual pair of holiday concerts: A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS on Dec 14, and FAMILY CHRISTMAS ALBUM 27 on Dec 15. “Both concerts feature high-quality, beautiful music for the holidays,” says Kesselman, “But we scale the Child’s Christmas for younger audiences with a visit from Santa, carol sing-alongs, and a shorter length.” The Dec 17 concert will be entirely carols. The program will include beautiful and entertaining music from the classic choral arrangers of the past — Alice Parker, Norman Luboff, Robert Shaw, Fred Waring, William Dawson — as well as music of the newest generation of composers and arrangers. Both concerts will feature pianist William Buhr. The March 15 concert, CIRCLES OF PEACE, will feature Zen painter Kazuaki Tanahashi. Tanahashi will spontaneously paint his reflections on NCS’ choral singing in real time. The music will reflect themes of Circles, Japan, and Peace. The final concert of the 27th season will be Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s awe-inspiring All-Night Vigil or Vespers. This Romantic masterwork is one of the greatest choral works ever written and will showcase the vocalism and musicianship of NCS in a large-scale work. |