Nazareth College's Department of Music and Nazareth College Choirs Present Mendelssohn's ELIJAH on November 23

Bringing life to ELIJAH and celebrating Nazareth College's 90th Anniversary

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Mark Ziegler

ROCHESTER, NY (10/31/2014)(readMedia)-- Nazareth College's Department of Music and the Nazareth College Choirs are pleased to present Mendelssohn's Elijah on Sunday, November 23, at 3 p.m. in Linehan Chapel. The oratorio written by Felix Mendelssohn premiered in 1846 as homage to the composer's predecessors, Handel and Bach. The work includes a full orchestra, full men and women's choirs, and four vocal soloists. The performance at Nazareth College will include all of these original components.

This performance is free and open to the public.

ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE

Felix Mendelssohn's famed oratorio, Elijah, premiered in 1846. The Baroque piece was composed in homage to Mendelssohn's predecessors, Handel and Bach, and includes a full orchestra, full men's and women's choirs, and four vocal soloists: baritone, tenor, alto, soprano.

The Nazareth College Department of Music performance of this beloved and monumental work at will include all of these original components. All choir members are students at Nazareth College. Each of the four soloists is on the voice faculty in the Nazareth College Department of Music: lecturer Amy Cochrane, soprano; visiting assistant professor Katie Hannigan Tabon, mezzo-soprano; lecturer Matthew Valverde, tenor; and associate professor/coordinator of vocal studies Mario Martínez, bass-baritone. Professor Mark Ziegler will conduct.

Elijah opens with a beautiful overture, followed by "Help, Lord!," which introduces the powerful voices of the Nazareth College Choirs. The work is full of choir performances, solos, and quartets.

"I'm very excited about this performance because it's an invigorating, dramatic piece full of gorgeous lyricism and a palate full of harmonic color," said Katie Hannigan Tabon, visiting assistant professor in the Nazareth College Department of Music. "As a 90th anniversary concert, it is special that the piece reaches back to the the founding roots of Nazareth College as a biblical narrative. It's also intriguing to have all of the soloists on the performance serve on the voice faculty at Nazareth College. It's a great opportunity for students and faculty to join forces and pay homage to Nazareth while we share an inside view of who we are to the community at large"

"This performance is an exciting one for me because it is my first time singing with Mark Zeigler and the Choirs and orchestra of Nazareth College," added Amy Cochrane, lecturer in the Nazareth College Department of Music. "Our first rehearsal was exhilarating and I am thrilled to be a part of this concert. Elijah was a favorite of my mother's who was a choir director, and I grew up hearing her prepare her choir and soloists but never myself in my extensive experience in opera oratorio, have had an opportunity to perform it in its entirety. The soprano aria is one I have sung many times in churches and recital but this will be the first time with orchestra. I have so many fond memories, things in my life that to be grateful for, that preparing for this concert brings back to me, as well as looking forward to several firsts and new experiences with the Nazareth College music community."

LINKS TO BIOS

MARK C. ZEIGLER (conductor): http://www.naz.edu/music/faculty/mark-zeigler.

AMY COCHRANE (soprano): http://www.naz.edu/music/faculty/amy-cochrane.

KATIE HANNIGAN TABON (mezzo-soprano): http://www.naz.edu/music/faculty/katie-hannigan.

MARIO E. MARTÍNEZ (bass-baritone): http://www.naz.edu/music/faculty/mario-martinez.

MATTHEW VALVERDE (tenor): http://www.naz.edu/music/faculty/matthew-valverde.

ABOUT THE NAZARETH COLLEGE DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC

The Department of Music at Nazareth College integrates intensive studies in music (musicianship and performance), with professional programs and the liberal arts, for a truly unique experience that prepares students for careers in music and equips them with the skills to share the art of music in a variety of capacities.

Each degree program is designed to prepare students not only for careers within the various degree areas, but also for exciting endeavors that will perpetuate and sustain the art of music in local and global communities.

The department is a vibrant community of musicians focused on the art of music, the professional domains of knowledge within the musical career areas, and the relationship of these areas to the liberal arts. For more information, visit: www.naz.edu/music.

ABOUT NAZARETH COLLEGE

Nazareth College's academic strengths cross an unusually broad spectrum of 60 majors, including education, health and human services, management, the fine arts, music, theater, math and science, foreign languages, and the liberal arts. The coeducational, religiously independent, classic campus in a charming suburb of Rochester, N.Y. challenges and supports 2,000 undergrads and 800 graduate students. Nazareth is recognized nationally for its Fulbright global student scholars and commitment to civic engagement. Rigorous programs, an uncommon core, experiential learning, career skills, and a global focus prepare graduates for not just one job, but for their life's work. For more information, visit naz.edu.

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