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For Immediate Release September 26, 2005 New York, NY - MidAmerica Productions's 22nd season opens on Sunday, November 6th at 2 p.m. with a concert of works by conductor John Leavitt side by side with Haydn's Mass in a Time of War, lead by Richard Sparks. New England Symphonic Ensemble Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse, director Richard Sparks, Conductor Tiffany Jackson, Soprano Mary Kristine Hughes, Mezzo-soprano Tony Kim, Tenor Michael Chipman, Baritone HAYDN: Mass in Time of War ("Paukenmesse") in C Major, H. XXII. 9 Participating choruses: New Jersey City University Concert Chorale, Jersey City, NJ; Church of the Most Blessed Sacrament Adult Choir, Toledo, OH; Voices of Seattle, Bremerton, WA; Concordia Community Chorus, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada JOHN LEAVITT, Conductor LEAVITT: Set Me As A Seal Upon Your Heart What Child is This: A Christmas Cantata The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy (arr.) Participating choruses: Master Arts Chorale, Andover, KS; Faith Singers, Topeka, KS; Immanuel Lutheran Church Choir, Waterloo, IL; EUMC Chancel Choir, Ellisville, MO; Lord of Life Celebration Choir, Chesterfield, MO; Choral Arts Singers, St. Charles County, MO; Trinity Lutheran Church Choir, Houston, TX; Milwaukee Archdiocesan and St. Matthias Choirs, Milwaukee, WI Tickets, at $89, 54, 35, may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at West 57th Street and Seventh Avenue in NYC. For more information, call our Box Office at (212) 239-4699, or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com. *** Richard Sparks, conductor, is artistic director of two professional-level chamber choirs, Pro Coro Canada in Edmonton, Alberta (since 1999) and Choral Arts in Seattle, WA (since 1983). With both choirs he conducts a wide variety of works from Gregorian chant to commissioned works, from large a cappella masterpieces such as Schnittke's Choir Concerto to Stravinsky's Les Noces, and standard repertoire such as the Mozart and Duruflé Requiems. Mr. Sparks was director of choral activities and conductor of the Choir of the West at Pacific Lutheran University from 1983-2001. In addition to the choir's extensive a cappella repertoire, at PLU he conducted major works such as Bach's Mass in B Minor and Johannes Passion; Handel's Israel in Egypt; Haydn's Harmoniemesse, Lord Nelson Mass and Creation; Mozart's Mass in C Minor; Verdi's Requiem; Poulenc's Gloria; and Britten's War Requiem. He also released eight CD recordings during this period. Mr. Sparks's doctoral dissertation at the University of Cincinnati (which won the Julius Herford Award) has been published as The Swedish Choral Miracle: Swedish A Cappella Music Since 1945. In 2002, he conducted the famed Swedish Radio Choir, the first North American conductor to work with the choir in more than 20 years. He substituted for an ailing Robert Shaw at the Anchorage Music Festival, conducting Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem, and has been a regular guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator across the US, Canada, and in Europe. John Leavitt, conductor, is a celebrated American composer, conductor, teacher, and church musician. He received his master's degree from Wichita State University and his doctorate from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is a lifetime member of the American Choral Directors Association and is a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, from which he has received annual recognition for his achievements. He was the recipient of the W.A. Young Award for teaching excellence, in recognition of his career at Friends University, in Wichita, Kansas. He has served briefly on the faculties of Concordia College in Canada and Concordia University in Illinois. In addition, he has served as cantor or musician for numerous churches over a 30-year span. Mr. Mr. Leavitt is currently the artistic director of the community choral program, the Master Arts Chorale and Youth Chorale in Wichita, Kansas. His music has been performed in over 30 countries. His Requiem was recently released in a nationally distributed recording on the Concordia Publishing House label. Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse, artistic director and principal conductor of the New England Symphonic Ensemble, is a violinist, pianist, composer, and conductor. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Boston University, and the Peabody Conservatory, Dr. Rittenhouse has performed as recitalist and soloist with orchestras throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, South Africa, and the West Indies. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the London Associate Board Overseas Award, the New York Concert Artists Guild Award, the International Music Guild Award, and the New York Madrigal Society Award. New England Symphonic Ensemble was organized more than two decades ago by Dr. Virginia-Gene Rittenhouse. Since 1982 the ensemble has toured extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Africa, Russia, and Israel, and has performed frequently at Carnegie Hall under the auspices of MidAmerica Productions. Over the past 21 years, MidAmerica Productions has brought together conductors, choruses, soloists, and orchestral musicians for performances at some of the world's greatest venues, especially at New York's Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. Under the guidance of MidAmerica's founder, Peter Tiboris, the company has presented over 780 concerts worldwide and more than 600 in New York at Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, and Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall. More than 2115 American ensembles, representing each of the 50 states, have appeared with MidAmerica in New York, as have 75 symphonic and choral ensembles from Europe, the Far East, South America, and Canada. There have more than 300 guest conductors, 620 solo artists, and 88,000 performers who have appeared on MidAmerica's series in Carnegie Hall. In addition to presenting classic choral and instrumental works, MidAmerica Productions has championed the works of contemporary composers. On MidAmerica's series in Carnegie Hall and at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, there have been approximately 31 World Premieres, 16 United States Premieres, and 50 New York Premieres. For more information about MidAmerica Productions, please contact Kathleen Drohan at 212-239-0205 or kdrohan@midamerica-music.com For Immediate Release September 23, 2005 New York, NY - MidAmerica Productions presents Clavier Trio, the University of Texas at Dallas Ensemble-in-Residence, in performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, October 30, 2005. Sunday, October 30, 2005, 2:00 p.m. CLAVIER TRIO Arkady Fomin, violin Peter Steffens, cello David Korevaar, piano Arensky: Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 32 Suk: Elegie, Op. 23 ("Under the Impression of Zeyer's Vyšehrad") Dvorák: Trio in F Minor, Op. 65 General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com. CLAVIER TRIO, the University of Texas at Dallas Ensemble-in-Residence, was established in 1997 at the Music in the Mountains Festival in Colorado. Previously, CLAVIER TRIO was the Trio in Residency at Fort Lewis College, Colorado. While not in Texas, the members of CLAVIER TRIO teach and perform at Music in the Mountains Festival and have performed the inagural recital for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Series at Nasher Sculpture Center. Their performances have been lauded "excellent" and "delectable" by the press. Arkady Fomin, violin, is a violinist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Fomin also serves as Artistic Director of the New Conservatory of Dallas and Conservatory Music in the Mountains in Durango, Colorado and is guest Professor and Artist in Residency at Colorado State University. He has been a long-time member of the Faculty and Artist in Residency at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he was recipient of the Cowlishaw Artist-in-Residence Award for artistic achievement and contributions to the City of Dallas. Peter Steffens, cello, has performed with the Madison and Milwaukee Symphonies, the New World Symphony in Miami, and Charleston, South Carolina Symphony Orchestra. He has served on the faculty of the College of Charleston, and performed 20th century chamber music for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. He has participated extensively at the Garth Newel Chamber Music Festival during summers in the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia. Mr. Steffens is currently a member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. David Korevaar, piano, has performed with the Takacs, Manhattan, Lark, Colorado, Chester, and Shanghai Quartets and presented recitals in New York, across United States, as well as Australia, Japan, Korea, and Europe. He has a bachelor's degree and a master degree from The Julliard School. Mr. Korevaar currently serves on the faculty of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 220 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Kathleen Drohan at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com. For Immediate Release September 20, 2005 New York, NY - MidAmerica Productions presents Armstrong Chamber Concerts, led by Helen Armstrong, violin, in performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, October 26, 2005. Wednesday, October 26, 2005, 8:00 p.m. Armstrong Chamber Concerts Helen Armstrong, violin Edward Arron, cello Andrew Armstrong, piano Beethoven: Sonata in D Major, Op. 12, No. 1 for violin and piano Kodaly: Duo, Op. 7 for violin and cello Mendelssohn: Piano Trio in D Minor, Op. 49, No. 1 General admission tickets to Weill Recital Hall concerts are $35. Tickets may be obtained by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800, by going online at www.carnegiehall.org, or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office at 57th Street and 7th Avenue. $15 tickets for students and seniors (with proper ID) are available at the Carnegie Box Office. Weill Recital Hall is located at 154 West 57th Street. For more information, call MidAmerica Productions at (212) 239-4699 or visit our web site at www.midamerica-music.com. Armstrong Chamber Concerts is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by Artistic Director and violinist Helen Armstrong. ACC presents a concert series from October through May in Greenwich and New Milford, Connecticut as well as New York City, and performs for corporations and major clubs. The trademark of ACC is its superior artists and unique, imaginative programs with a diversity of instruments and musical styles. Helen Armstrong, a Julliard trained violinist, will be performing her 11th concert at Weill Hall under the auspices of MidAmerica Productions. In 2002, Ms. Armstrong released Reflections with Armstrong Chamber Concerts on Elysium Recordings, the MidAmerica Productions record label. She will be joined in this concert by cellist Edward Arron, the artistic director of the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert, and accomplished pianist Andrew Armstrong. Helen Armstrong, violinist, founder and artistic director of Armstrong Chamber Concerts, Inc. is an international recitalist, soloist and chamber musician. A graduate of The Juilliard School, where she studied with Ivan Galamian and Dorothy DeLay, Ms. Armstrong made her Lincoln Center debut in 1976 and was praised by a New York critic as a "total virtuoso, a true aristocrat of the violin." Edward Arron, cellist, made his New York recital debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2000. Earlier that year, he performed with Yo-Yo Ma and the Orchestra of St. Luke's at the Opening Night Gala of the Caramoor International Festival. Mr. Aaron has appeared in recital, as a soloist with orchestra and as a chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe and the Far East. Andrew Armstrong, pianist, praised by critics for his passionate expression and dazzling technique, has delighted audiences around the world. He has performed solo recitals and with orchestras in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States, including performances at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall in Russia and Warsaw's National Philharmonic. Mr. Armstrong's debut CD was released in 2004 to critical acclaim. Since 1989, MidAmerica Productions has produced over 220 chamber concerts in Weill Recital Hall, presenting some of the most exciting chamber musicians working today. For more information about this concert or MidAmerica Productions contact Kathleen Drohan at 212-239-0205 or visit www.midamerica-music.com. Back to top  Back to What's New Table of Contents  Who We Are | Carnegie Hall | Weill Recital Hall Peter Tiboris Conducting Schedule Festival of the Aegean | Elysium Recordings, Inc. Press | Contact Us | Related Links | Site Map | Home
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