On February 8, 2025 8:00 p.m. the String Orchestra of Brooklyn and American Opera Projects celebrate the music of Arvo Pärt at St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church (157 Montague St., Brooklyn, NY 11201), an early entry in a worldwide celebration of the Estonian composer’s 90th year. The concert will include the monodrama L’ábbé Agathon (The Abbot Agathon) in an AOP-commissioned English translation by Cori Ellison sung by soprano Sarah Moulton Faux, which was inspired by a story from 4th-century Desert Monks. Also in the program is the composer's Third Symphony, a work in which he pivoted away from his earlier serialism towards a more Renaissance-inspired musical language, but had not yet developed his minimalist “tintinnabuli” style for which he is best known; Pärt’s most famous work, Fratres, featuring violinist Michael Jorgensen, and Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten round out the program.

Advance tickets are $15 for general audience, $10 for students and seniors and can be purchased here.

ABOUT SOPRANO SARAH MOULTON FAUX

Sarah Moulton Faux is lauded for her “full, silvery soprano” (Opera News) and “mesmerizing” performances (Brooklyn Spectator) in repertoire ranging from opera’s most famous heroines to contemporary works. Sarah recently made her BAM debut singing two roles in the World Premiere of The Climate Opera Project (2024). Sarah’s upcoming album "YULIYA" featuring the art songs of Julia Weissberg Rimsky-Korsakov (1880-1942) and produced by multiple Grammy award winner Judith Sherman, will be released by Azica Records in 2025. For her debut album, "Where Should This Music Be? Songs of Lola Williams” (New World Records), Sarah is the 2022 Winner of the America Prize: “Sarah Moulton Faux is stunning: her devotion to this music shines through her every syllable…a glorious disc” (Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine). An ardent champion of new work particularly by women composers, Sarah received the 2023 Opera America National Opera Trustee Recognition Award for her service as Co-President of the Board of Directors of American Opera Projects. A graduate of Barnard College in Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Sarah holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance & Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. 

ABOUT CONDUCTOR ELI SPINDEL

Eli Spindel is a violinist and conductor, and the founder of the String Orchestra of Brooklyn.

He studied violin with Clayton Hoener, Betty-Jean Hagen, and Liz Chang, and conducting

with Eduardo Navega and Harold Farbermann. An alumnus of Vassar College, he also

studied at the Bard Conducting Institute, the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, and the

preparatory divisions of the Longy School and the New England Conservatory. He teaches

conducting and violin privately and is a teaching artist at PS 321 and PS 230 through the

Brooklyn Conservatory’s Music Partners program. Eli and String Orchestra of Brooklyn collaborated with AOP during Pride Week 2024 with an orchestral concert, AOPs House of Legendary by Joseph Rubinstein and Jason Kim.

ABOUT STRING ORCHESTRA OF BROOKLYN

The String Orchestra of Brooklyn (SOB) is a unique community of musicians who come together in a supportive environment to enrich the life of our communities through music. Embracing an inclusive approach to music-making, the SOB seeks to democratize both
the production and reception of concert music. Founded in 2007 by artistic director Eli Spindel, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn is “quickly solidifying its role as a major orchestral figure in the borough” (I Care if You Listen), providing an enriching creative outlet to hundreds of musicians, and accessible, adventurous programming to thousands of concertgoers and community members. https://thesob.org/

Founded in 1988, American Opera Projects (AOP) has been at the forefront of contemporary opera for over 30 years. The Brooklyn-based producing organization commissions, develops and produces lyric theater projects, trains emerging composers and librettists, and creates personal connections within its community. Its works have received critical acclaim at opera companies and venues around the world, establishing a new musical canon that recognizes the operatic story in every life. AOP further expands the operatic field through its training programs The NYU Opera Lab, in partnership with NYU and for students and alumni in The NYU/Tisch Opera Lab; and Composers & the Voice.

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email: info@aopopera.org

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AOP’s programs are made possible in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Amphion Foundation, BMI, and the contributions of many individuals.