CONTACT: Robert Pape, Publicist
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Harold Rosenbaum (914) 763-3453 
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March 26, 2007, FREE Concert, 8:00 PM

WORLD PREMIER OF “VOICES OF POWER AND PROTEST” BY FAMED COMPOSER THEA MUSGRAVE
 
Performed by The New York Virtuoso Singers and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus
See Website:  www.voicesforpeace.org

At The New York Society for Ethical Culture

2 West 64th Street at Central Park West, New York, NY 10023; Ph: 212-874-5210; Fax: 212-595-7258 

 

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(Feb. 23, 2007)  – The world premier of Voices of Power and Protest by famed Scottish-American composer Thea Musgrave will be the centerpiece of the Voices for Peace concert presented at The New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West, New York, on Monday, March 26, 2007 at 8 PM.

Concert performers include The New York Virtuoso Singers, conducted by Mr. Harold Rosenbaum.  Mezzo soprano Sonia Gariaeff noted for her “vocal opulence” and “theatrical poise” will perform the lead female role and The Brooklyn Youth Chorus (Diane Berkun, Director) will perform the role of the orphans. Noted opera director Dorothy Danner, who has directed more than 170 productions, will direct Ms. Musgrave’s dramatic work for unaccompanied chorus and soloists which highlights the Orphan, Wife, Widow, Husband, Coward, Profiteer, Recruit, and Prisoner, speaking for all those affected by the ravages of war today and throughout time.

Following the concert, a distinguished panel of community leaders will discuss the relationship between art and social commentary. Panelists include: Thea Musgrave; The Very Reverend James Parks Morton, emeritus Dean of New York’s Saint John the Divine Cathedral and Founder/Director of the Interfaith Center of New York; Jack Viertel, Director of City Center’s Encores Theatre, Artistic Director of Jujamcyn Theaters, and creator of Smokey Joe’s Cafe; and Zeyba Rahman, independent producer of cultural programming that includes film, television programming, and world music. The event is co-produced by Harold Rosenbaum and Susan Steiner.
    
Though first conceived by Ms. Musgrave in the 1970’s, the piece remains relevant today, giving voice to those who grapple with the terrible effects of war and those calling for peace from world conflict. Also included in the program will be Voices for Today, the great piece written by Benjamin Britten in 1965 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the U.N.; Trois Beaux Oiseaux du Paradis by Maurice Ravel; Madame Jeanette by Alan Murray; and the spiritual This Little Light of Mine. In performing these works, the chorus lifts their voices for peace and the panelists invite audience participants to lift their own voices of power and protest.

Heralded as one of the most respected and exciting contemporary composers in the Western world, Thea Musgrave’s compositions were first performed under the auspices of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Edinburgh International Festival before captivating audiences via most of the European and American broadcasting stations. She has created a wealth of orchestral, choral, operatic and chamber works including the operas The Voice of Ariadne (1972), Mary, Queen of Scots (1977), A Christmas Carol (1979), Harriet, The Woman Called Moses (1984), Simon Bolivar (1993) and Pontalba (2003);  the ballet Beauty and the Beast, and many recordings. Orchestras she has conducted include the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Jerusalem Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and for the San Francisco Spring, New York City, and Virginia Operas.

With such a large and varied career catalogue, interviewers often question Ms. Musgrave about being a “woman” composer to which she has wittily replied: “Yes, I am a woman; And I am a composer.  But rarely at the same time.” 

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, May 27, 1928, Ms. Musgrave studied first at the University of Edinburgh and later at the Conservatoire in Paris under the tutelage of Nadia Boulanger before establishing herself as a prominent member of British musical life. In 1970 she became Guest Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and in 1971 she married American violist and opera conductor Peter Mark, making the U.S. her home.

The recipient of numerous awards and honors, she has received two Guggenheim Fellowships, numerous honorary degrees, and was awarded a  C.B.E. on the Queen’s New Year’s Honour List in January 2002. 

For more information about the concert and/or to request interviews with Thea Musgrave or Harold Rosenbaum of The New York Virtuoso Singers contact Bobby Pape at (585) 739-5265 or Harold Rosenbaum at (914) 763-3453.

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