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Home > Press FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: March 10, 2008
CHICAGO A CAPPELLA PRESENTS WORLD PREMIERE
Acclaimed vocal ensemble’s new concert “Voces
latinas” Chicago, IL — The acclaimed vocal ensemble Chicago a cappella will present the world premiere of a newly commissioned work by Cuban-American composer Tania León at the group’s season finale, Voces latinas. The concert will include colorful and rhythmic works from Mexico, South America, Cuba, Spain and Portugal, including music by Pablo Casals, Astor Piazzolla, and Jorge Córdoba. Tania León’s “Estampas” concludes Chicago a cappella’s landmark 15th Anniversary Commissioning Series, and Ms. León will join Artistic Director Jonathan Miller for a pre-concert discussion before the premiere performance on April 13. Discover the rich beauty and rhythmic vitality of this exhilarating music, sung with the “beautifully blended sound and sheer exuberance” (Chicago Tribune) that Chicago a cappella always delivers. Voces latinas will take place Sunday, April 13, 2008, at 7:30 pm (free pre-concert discussion at 7 pm), at the Music Institute of Chicago, 1490 Chicago Ave. in Evanston, IL; Friday, April 18, at 8:00 pm, at Gottlieb Hall at the Merit School of Music, 38 S. Peoria Street in Chicago, IL; and Saturday, April 19, at 8:00 pm, at Pilgrim Congregational Church, 460 Lake Street in Oak Park, IL. For tickets and more information, visit www.chicagoacappella.org or call (773) 755-1628. Centuries of Tradition Voces latinas includes a fascinating range of Latino music, stretching back to the 15th century Sephardic tune “Una Matica de Ruda” and a Portuguese villancico from the Cancionero de Upsala. A movement from Tomas Luis de Victoria’s “Lamentations of Jeremiah” (1595) represents the height of Renaissance polyphonic mastery. Those traditions are reflected in more recent works such as Pablo Casals’ moving “O Vos Omnes” (1942), Joaquin Rodrigo’s lovely “Ave Maria” (1954), and pieces by Venezuela’s Antonio Estevez and Cuba’s Joaquin Nin-Culmell. The popular traditions of Spanish-speaking lands will be heard in songs from Cuba (Miguel Matamoros’s “Juramento”), Argentina (Alberto Favero’s “Te quiero”), and Mexico (the traditional tunes “Las Mañanitas” and “La Bamba”). New Latino Voices Today’s Latino composers are creating brilliant new choral music, and Chicago a cappella is proud to share some of the very best examples in Voces latinas. From Brazil comes Ernani Aguiar’s energetic and rollicking 1993 setting of “Salmo 150.” From Venezuela, Alberto Grau’s “Kasar mie la gaji” (“The Earth is Tired,” 1990) is a haunting and rhythmic plea for the environment. Mexico’s Jorge Córdoba (b. 1953) took inspiration from the austere beauty of Japanese poetry for his set of “Seven Haiku.” The centerpiece of the concert, Tania León’s “Estampas” is a three-movement work set to texts by Cuban poets Maya Islas, Iraida Iturralde and Alina Galliano. Rich with colorful harmonies and irresistible rhythms, the work is an exciting addition to the choral repertoire. Born in Cuba and based in New York, León has distinguished herself in genres from orchestral music to opera, ballet scores and film projects. Her music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s MusicNow series. Her conducting career has included guest appearances with the New York Philharmonic, L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, and the Gewandhausorchester (Leipzig), among many others. She has taught at Brooklyn College since 1985, and in 2006 she was named Distinguished Professor of the City University of New York. Chicago a cappella is pleased to present the world premiere of “Estampas” as the final work in the ensemble’s 15th Anniversary Commissioning Series, a yearlong project which has brought to life five new works by three acclaimed composers. Chicago a cappella Chicago a cappella has become known as one of the area’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Spanning a repertoire from Gregorian chant to the Beatles and beyond, the group is acclaimed for its superb ensemble singing, fascinating programs, and intimate, engaging performances under founder and Artistic Director Jonathan Miller. Since 1993, Chicago a cappella has presented over 130 concerts in the Chicago area, made guest appearances in ten states and Mexico, and released six CDs. In 2007, Jonathan Miller appointed Patrick Sinozich as the group’s first Music Director, and Sinozich prepared the ensemble for three programs in 2007-08, including Voces latinas. The American Organist recently declared, “Chicago a cappella is a jewel in the crown of Chicago's musical life.”
Calendar Editors, Please Note: Chicago a
cappella: Voces latinas Tickets:
$35/$28/$22 seniors (62+) and students (23 and under)/ group rates
available.
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# Chicago a cappella is partially supported by The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation; the MacArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation; Dr. Scholl Foundation; the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation; a CityArts Program 2 grant from the City of Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs and the Illinois Arts Council; the Oak Park Area Arts Council, in partnership with the Villages of Oak Park, Forest Park and River Forest; and the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. ### |
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