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