Volume 10, Issue 2 | January 16, 2025 | |
New! "Pay What You Are Able" General Admission Tickets | |
A Dramatic Evening Awaits | |
Join the City Choir of Washington, Artistic Director Erin Freeman, Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artist Soloists, and the Washington National Opera for a dramatic evening of passion, obsession, betrayal and revenge. And that’s just in the first 45 minutes!
Get your tickets now for this special Saturday night event, and don’t miss City Choir’s thrilling “Carmen in miniature,” featuring all the highlights—everything but the bullfight!—of Bizet’s masterpiece with the brightest young opera stars of tomorrow and the Washington National Opera Orchestra in its element.
The second half of the program will see your favorite City Choir singers embodying—among other things—a corps of Enlightenment priests, a coven of witches, carefree Italian villagers on their way to church, Hebrew slaves longing for home, joyful guests at a (doomed) Scottish wedding, and jocund Viennese partygoers of the fin de siècle. You will be transported to Japan (by way of Italy), Sri Lanka and India (by way of France), and even spend a few minutes at Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, Taliesin.
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The Program:
Selections from Carmen – Georges Bizet; curated by Erin Freeman
~ Intermission ~
Priest’s Chorus from Die Zauberflöte – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Witches' Chorus from Macbeth – Giuseppi Verdi
Bell Chorus from Pagliacci – Ruggero Leoncavallo
“Va, pensiero” from Nabucco – Giuseppe Verdi
Duet: “Au fond du temple saint” from The Pearl Fishers – Georges Bizet
Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly – Giacomo Puccini
Duet: Flower Duet from Lakmé – Léo Delibes
“Balm in Gilead” from Shining Brow – Daron Hagen
Chorus of Wedding Guests from Lucia di Lammermoor – Gaetano Donizetti
Champagne Chorus from Die Fledermaus – Johann Strauss II
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Erin Freeman Introduces the Upcoming Concert | |
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As Erin says in this video, "this is a concert that will feed your soul, will warm your heart, and will show you all the incredible music making that the DC community can make, from Wolf Trap to the Washington National Opera Orchestra, to our very own and beloved City Choir."
Watch the video to learn more! (Click on the "play" icon below, or visit https://youtu.be/l-yhDB7nGnc).
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Georges Bizet’s Carmen premiered in Paris 150 years ago, on March 3, 1875, and was an instant…flop. The Opéra-Comique in Paris was used to more uplifting fare, and the lurid subject matter and exotic melodies scandalized the Parisian bourgeoisie. Bizet (pictured at left) was disheartened, but had hopes for the future of Carmen—he signed a contract with the Vienna Court Opera for a production to be mounted later that year. Tragically, he died suddenly of a heart ailment in June 1875, aged only 36, and did not live to see his opera's tremendous success in Vienna and beyond.
In 1880, Tchaikovsky wrote “Carmen in my view is a chef d'oeuvre in the true sense of the word, that is one of those few works which are fated to reflect most intensively the musical tendencies of a whole age ... I am convinced that within some ten years or so Carmen will be the most popular opera in the world!”
The City Choir of Washington is excited to celebrate 150 glorious years of Carmen with you on January 25! We’ll chase away the winter blues with the hot habaneras and sultry seguidillas—and the unflinching portrayal of flawed, realistic characters—that have indeed made Carmen one of the most enduring and popular operas worldwide.
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The City Choir of Washington is delighted to again feature the Washington National Opera Orchestra and Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artists on this concert. Please click here for Artist Bios and keep reading to learn more about our guest artists. | |
Wolf Trap Opera Studio Artist Alumni | |
Opera’s ultimate femme fatale may toy with your affections, but she is determined to “live free and die free”... | Mezzo-soprano Rosario Armas tells us, "I am originally from Tlaxcala, Mexico. I studied at Manhattan School of Music for my bachelors and Masters, and I am currently doing my MMA at Yale school of Music. I am also a Mariachi and Bolero Singer. My favorite composer is Puccini and Massenet. My dream role is Carmen!" | |  |
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The faithful and determined girl next door your mom is just dying to have as her daughter-in-law...
Soprano Mia Mandineau shares, "I am French, from Paris, but half of my family lives in the South of France. I am obsessed with dogs and I love hiking! My favorite composers are Mozart, Wagner, Verdi, Britten, and Poulenc." Mia is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Vocal Performance at SUNY Fredonia.
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What could drive a nice young Corporal from the sticks to give up everything for passion and revenge?
Tenor Logan Wagner says, "I’m from Villa Hills, Kentucky! I went to the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music for my undergrad, masters, and artist diploma. My favorite composers are Tchaikovsky and Dvorak, and my dream opera role is the Prince in Rusalka. Don José is also up there!!"
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The Bullfighter with macho energy to spare: all the guys want to be him and all the girls want to be with him...
Baritone Adam Partridge, whom we are pleased to welcome back to City Choir, hails from Jacksonville, FL. He tells us, "I just finished my master’s in Opera Performance at Rice University. My favorite composer is Debussy and my current dream role is Silvio from I Pagliacci."
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Washington National Opera Orchestra | |
Allegro recently checked in with Adria Foster, Principal Flute and Chris Jewell, Assistant Principal Bassoon, two of the Washington National Opera Orchestra musicians who will join us onstage at Schlesinger Concert Hall. We asked what they love about being opera house musicians, and what they are most looking forward to on the concert. | |
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Chris replied, "I’m really looking forward to playing one of my all-time favorite pieces: the Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly. It is moving, exquisite music; Puccini was a master of evoking human emotions through his achingly beautiful music, and in this case, it’s done without saying a word."
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Adria told us, "I love playing in the WNO Orchestra and being a part of the spectacle that is opera, with music that is intense and full of grand emotions. I’m looking forward to performing these thrilling choral scenes with the City Choir of Washington."
| Don't miss Adria and Chris—and their colleagues from the WNO Orchestra—doing what they love best on January 25! The City Choir of Washington is honored to share a stage with these marvelous musicians. |
Washington National Opera Orchestra | |
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The only thing better than a night at the opera is an evening where you can sample offerings from eleven operas! Follow the link below to find out some fascinating facts about the operas City Choir will draw from on our January 25 concert. You’ll see a brilliantly funny animated synopsis of Carmen, learn why 19th century European audiences were captivated by all things Scottish and seduced by the allure of Orientalism, discover how Verdi’s “Va, pensiero” almost became the official Italian national anthem, and find out about a shocking and tragic event in the life of Frank Lloyd Wright, immortalized by contemporary composer Daron Hagen.
Click here to learn more.
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Save the Date: March 8
Annual Auction & Fundraiser
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Join the City Choir of Washington as we "party with a purpose," bringing our Online Auction to a close and celebrate a century of American song with live performances, jukebox entertainment, dinner, drinks, and more. An evening of song and good cheer awaits you! Stay tuned for more details.
Do You Have an Auction Item to Donate? The auction will run from March 1-8, concluding just after the party. Each year, we engage with you and ask for your help in curating a catalogue of auction items and experiences that not only supply one of our largest fundraising efforts of the season, but also highlight City Choir’s commitment to music, artistry, and community. To that end, we are asking for items that you would be willing to donate to our online auction. Some of our best selling items are experiences: meals hosted in your home or at an exciting location, tickets to sporting or cultural events., and one-of-a-kind adventures that only you can offer. Other successful items include home-cooked meals and baked goods, jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, art objects.
If you have an item to donate, please click on the button below to fill out the form and we will be in touch. If you have questions, please contact Auction Committee Chair Pat Yee at patriciayee625@gmail.com. Thanks for your consideration!
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City Choir Welcomes Your Support | |
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Would you like to support the City Choir of Washington's mission to uplift and inspire audiences and singers alike through performance and community engagement? Please consider a tax-deductible donation to support the City Choir of Washington.
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The City Choir of Washington is grateful for your support! Please click the button below to donate,
or visit citychoir.org/support.
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Don't Miss Our Next Concert:
Sunday, March 23, 2025 at 5 p.m.
| The City Choir of Washington honors two incredible American vocal traditions in this mostly a cappella concert. We’ll celebrate our rich choral history with the music of Aaron Copland, Dede Duson, Ysaye Barnwell, and City Choir's own Robert Shafer. And to honor our more popular vocal styles, we’ll sing the music of George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, and even Leigh Harline of “When you Wish Upon a Star” fame. Don’t miss this concert full of old favorites, plus plenty of surprises! Join downtown at the historic Church of the Epiphany and celebrate our national heritage. Tickets are available now. | |
The City Choir of Washington is sponsored in part by the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities | |
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Allegro: The City Choir Newsletter
Editor: Emily Hantman Tsai
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The City Choir of Washington is a tax exempt organization under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax deductible to the full extent provided by law. You may obtain a copy of our financial statement by writing The City Choir of Washington, P.O. Box 9673, Washington DC 20016 or by calling us (202) 495-1613. The financial statement may be obtained from the Virginia Office of Consumer Affairs upon written request and, for the cost of copying and postage, from the Secretary of State of Maryland. | | | | |
