2017 Informational Packet

Transcription

1 Berkshire Choral International, Inc. 245 North Undermountain Road Sheffield, MA Informational Packet Is singing choral music your passion? A Berkshire Choral International singing experience is a chance to immerse yourself in this vital art form. You will rehearse with and learn from an eminent conductor and a professional faculty for a week, then perform in a full symphony concert. All in an inspiring, culturally rich setting. If that sounds like heaven to you welcome to the Berkshire Choral International family! Contents: Schedule of Events: Asheville, NC Sheffield, MA Budapest, Hun Testimonials

2 Asheville, NC The season begins in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is known for its vibrant arts scene, mountain vistas, culinary experiences, southern charm and hospitality. The week will be spent living and rehearsing on campus at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. This in-town campus offers modern accommodations in a park-like setting. Sleeping, dining and rehearsing are all within a short walk from each other, and the downtown is minutes away by bus or car. The repertoire for the week is Mozart s Great Mass in C-minor and Mozart opera choruses, conducted by Erin Freeman. Erin is Director of the Richmond Symphony Chorus, Director of Choral Activities at Virginia Commonwealth University and Artistic Director of Wintergreen Performing Arts. She was last at BCI in Sheffield and we have been overwhelmed with requests to have her back! We are thrilled she will lead the chorus through this exciting program in a new venue. June 4-11, 2017 (concert June 10) Mozart Great Mass in C-minor and Mozart Opera Choruses Tuition: Standard: $2,400 Commuter: $2, & Under: $2,100 Non-Singer: $2,400 Asheville, NC

3 Sheffield, MA Sheffield, MA Mid-season will be in Sheffield, Massachusetts. Sheffield is where the Berkshire Choral magic began in Wonderful music, enduring friendships and even marriages have happened during these three and one half decades in Sheffield. The 2017 season will be the last one in Sheffield and we have planned two programs befitting this occasion. Never performed at BCI before, the first week will be Mahler s Symphony No. 8. The Symphony of a Thousand features double chorus, a boy s choir, and eight soloists. The opportunity to perform Mahler 8 does not happen often and we are excited to be able to offer this to you. One of America s leading choral conductors and a BCI favorite, Kent Tritle, will be the conductor for the week. He is Director of Cathedral Music and Organist at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; Music Director of Musica Sacra and Music Director of the Oratorio Society of New York. In addition, Kent is Director of Choral Activities and Chair of the Organ Department at the Manhattan School of Music and is a member of the graduate faculty of The Juilliard School. Also an acclaimed organ virtuoso, Kent is the organist for the New York Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra. This truly will be a week to remember! Following Mahler, we close the Sheffield circle by ending with the concert that started it all, the Verdi Requiem. Tom Hall, another BCI favorite, will be the conductor for this final concert in Sheffield. Tom is Music Director for the Baltimore Choral Arts Society and is active as a guest conductor in the United States and in Europe. He has prepared choruses for Leonard Bernstein, Robert Shaw and Thomas Dunn and he served for ten years as the Chorus Master of the Baltimore Opera Company. Tom has been an Artist in Residence at Indiana University, the University of Cincinnati, Temple University, and Syracuse University. He has been the Director of Choral Activities at Goucher College for 25 years and has also taught at the Peabody Conservatory, the University of Baltimore, Towson University, Morgan State University and Johns Hopkins University. Tom has a long association with BCI and we are thrilled he will be with us for this very special event. Tuition Standard: $1,425 Commuter: $1, & Under: $920 Non-Singer: $1,145 July 9-16, 2017 (concert July 15) Mahler Symphony No. 8 July 16-23, 2017 (concert July 22) Verdi Requiem

4 Budapest, Hun Budapest, Hun The 2017 season concludes with another new venue, Budapest, Hungary. Budapest offers breath-taking old world grandeur and a thriving cultural life. Situated on both banks of the Danube River, the city unites the colorful hills of Buda and the wide boulevards of Pest. This culturally valuable city is the hometown of composers Franz Liszt, Zoltán Kodály, Béla Bartók and Ephraim Kishon. Like our venue in Vienna in 2016, this week in Budapest will feature accommodations in a four star hotel with meals, cultural tours and many hours of rehearsals prior to the concert. Returning for the fourth time as a guest conductor at BCI is Austrian Heinz Ferlesch. Heinz is the Artistic Director of Wiener Singakademie and Choir Ad Libitum, and Chief Conductor of Barucco. The repertoire in Budapest will be the beloved Brahms Requiem and will be performed in the magnificent Vigadó Hall. This is the most beautiful concert hall in Budapest and is located along the Danube Promenade in Pest. It is one of the most significant venues of music life in Budapest and is also home of the popular art exhibition center, the Vigadó Gallery. August 6-13, 2017 (concert August 12) Brahms Requiem Tuition Standard: $3, & Under: $3,400 Non-Singer: $3,400

5 Testimonials BCI is like my very own private Brigadoon, Claudia says. It rises out of the mist one week each year just for me. It s a magical place where I leave my cares and worries outside the gate and rejuvenate my heart, my soul, my spirit. Glenn agrees. Claudia and Glenn Broman Certain things in life are cherished. Singing at BCI is high on the list: the friends, the settings, and above all, the extraordinary opportunities to work with top-notch musicians on the world s best vocal pieces. Marcia Hunkins, (26 year chorister) Now I realize it (the BCI experience) can be compared to Habitat. We start with a blueprint (the score), the main contractor (the conductor), the sub-contractors (the faculty) who make sure all the nuts and bolts are nailed down (notes, rhythms, pronunciation, etc.), and by the end of the week, a work of beauty is released into the world... It is truly a remarkable enterprise. Karlyn Ward My favorite week of the whole year a chance to live the music with other singers from all over. Betsy Bollenbacher, (28 year chorister)