St. Vladimir's Seminary to Host "St. Matthew Passion" Concert in NYC
From Deborah Belonick <deborah@svots.edu>Date Wed, 8 Dec 2010 12:21:45 -0500
*St. Matthew Passion** NY City Premiere, February 2011, with Maestro Carlo Ponti, Jr. * >* * *[SVOTS Communications • Yonkers, NY]* The English-language U.S. premiere of the *St. Matthew Passion*, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsUbmCoMP1Y > by renowned Russian Orthodox composer and churchman Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, will debut in New York City on February 7, 2011. This original and fresh work of sacred music—which has received standing ovations from huge audiences in Moscow, Rome, Melbourne, and Toronto—will be presented at 7: 30 p.m. at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 405 West 59th Street. Maestro Carlo Ponti, Jr. <http://www.carloponti.com/>will conduct the performance, with The Salomé Chamber Orchestra <http://www.salomechamber.com/live/>, famed soloists soprano Mary Mackenzie <http://www.mary-mackenzie.com/live/>, mezzo-soprano Ana Mihanovic<http://camerata-notturna.org/bios/index.php?c=nov08>, and tenor Timothy Parsons, and the New York Virtuoso Singers prepared by Harold Rosenbaum. <http://nyvirtuoso.org/aboutus.htm The event is being hosted by St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Yonkers, NY, in cooperation with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. As a prelude to the season of Great Lent, the composition will convey St. Matthew’s Gospel account of the Passion—using scriptural texts interspe rsed with texts of the liturgical services of the Orthodox Christian Church that are normally sung during Holy Week—in the forms of music recitative, choruses, fugues, and arias. The composer, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, who is Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department of External Church Relations, will also be present at the premiere. His musical expertise and reputation are famed. A critic from the Roman Catholic TV station, Eternal World Television Network (EWTN), who reviewed the Russian-language premiere of the *St. Matthew Passion *in Rome in 2008, characterized it as “unique in the history of contemporary music, in its musicality, its variety and coherence, and its emotional and spiritual depth.” >* * Additionally, Metropolitan Hilarion, who studied composition at Moscow Gnessins School of Music and subsequently at the Moscow State Conservatory, is known for his rapport with Vatican officials, and his continued and deep interest in Orthodox-Roman Catholic dialogue. “Just as J.S. Bach drew church congregations into the drama of Christ’s Passion in his day, so now, Metropolitan Hilarion is offering our post-modern world a corresponding experience with his own *St. Matthew Passion*, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsUbmCoMP1Y> a profound piece t hat combines Gospel narrative with liturgical texts,” said seminary Chancellor Archpriest Chad Hatfield. “We invite lovers of sacred music to hear this magnificent, inspired work, which not only is beautifully stirring but also is a testament to the Christian faith.” The concert is being underwritten by The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation and the St. Gregory the Theologian Charity Foundation, with the cooperative efforts of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. Tickets to the event are on sale now on the seminary’s Website, under “Upcoming Events,” www.svots.edu. For further ticket information, email* events@svots.edu*, or call 914-961-8313 X323. ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN MEDIA CONTACT: Deborah Belonick, Advancement Information Officer St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary • www.svots.edu 914-961-8313 ext 363 • 914-961-4507 FAX • deborah@svots.edu >*-END-*** >-- >Deborah Belonick >Advancement Information Officer >St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary >www.svots.edu >914-961-8313 ext 363 >914-961-4507 FAX >deborah@svots.edu