Monday, January 9, 2012

 The Cathedral’s Soli Deo Orchestra and Choir.
 The Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the sanctuary’s 1962 constuction with Sacred Sounds performances.

Sacred Sounds Artistic Director Ezequiel Menéndez says, “This is an exciting year for the Cathedral, which we wanted to honor with a series of concerts that demonstrate the diverse musical offerings we give through the Sacred Sounds Concert Series.”

Concert Descriptions:
SACRED SOUNDS’ MIGHTY AUSTIN ORGAN SERIES:
MARY PAN & MONICA CZAUSZ IN RECITAL
Friday, January 27, 2012, 7:30pm
Sacred Sounds will celebrate the New Year with two rising stars of organ performance: 18-year-old Mary Pan of Burlington, CT and 17-year-old Monica Czausz of Chicopee, MA. These first and second place winners of the 2011 L. Cameron Johnson Memorial Organ Competition for High School Students come to showcase their talents on Cathedral of Saint Joseph’s renowned Austin Organ.


FESTIVAL DUBOIS
DUBOIS A L’ORGUE: Friday, February 24, 2012, 8:00pm
LA VOIX du DUBOIS: Sunday, February 26, 2012, 10:00am
As part of the International Festival Dubois honoring the life and works of composer Théodore Dubois, Sacred Sounds will host two concerts featuring the composer’s music: 
The first concert, DUBOIS a l’ORGUE, will feature noted Argentinean-born organist and Dubois scholar Diego Innocenzi performing an organ recital of the music of Dubois and his French contemporaries: Saint-Saëns, Franck, and Batiste.
The second concert, LA VOIX du DUBOIS will feature the Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Organist Ezequiel Menéndez, and organist and scholar Diego Inncocenzi performing French sacred music written for two organs and choir by Dubois and Vierne.


HARTT AT THE CATHEDRAL
Sunday, March 11, 2012, 7:30pm
Sacred Sounds will continue its renowned partnership with The Hartt School in an instrumental concert led by Edward Cumming and featuring Dr. Ezequiel Menéndez in Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony No. 3 and Richard Strauss’ tone poem, Also sprach Zarathustra (familiar to anyone who has seen Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey).


VERDI’S REQUIEM
Friday, March 16, 2012, 7:30pm
Dr. Edward Bolkovac returns to lead the massive combined forces of the Hartford Symphony, the Hartt School Choirs, the Hartford Chorale, the New Haven Chorale, and the Cathedral Choir in an unforgettable performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s incomparable Requiem.
Sacred Sounds Music Director Dr. Ezequiel Menendez says, “This concert undoubtedly will be the largest scale production that has ever been performed in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph. We are bringing together the greatest musical forces in Connecticut for this epic piece of music- this is going to be the concert of the year.”


EASTER SUNDAY CONCERT
Sunday, April 8, 2012, 10:00am
To celebrate the most important holiday of the Christian calendar, organist Dr. Ezequiel Menendez, the Soli Deo Gloria Orchestra, Houghton College Choir and Cathedral Choir will perform a special concert on Easter Sunday.


ETERNAL LIGHT
Friday, April 27, 2012, 8:00pm
Morten Lauridsen’s transcendent Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light) is an introspective, serene work that will leave a lasting impression on the ears and the soul. For its debut performance on the Sacred Sounds Concert Series, Joe D’Eugenio will conduct the Middletown Chorale with Allan Conway on organ. This concert also will include works by Connecticut composers Peter Niedmann and Gwyneth Walker.


SACRED SOUNDS’ MIGHTY AUSTIN ORGAN SERIES:
NOTRE DAME DE PARIS ORGANIST, PHILLIPE LEFEBVRE
Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 7:30pm
Since 1985, Philippe Lefebvre has been the tenured organist of the Great Organ of Notre-Dame de Paris. For the Sacred Sounds Concert Series, he will perform a menu of French music, both traditional and modern. Maestro Lefebvre is considered to be one of the most archetypal performers and improvisers in the French style of organ playing, a tradition he shares with the world through his concert tours.


SACRED SOUNDS SINGS
Sunday, May 6, 2012, 10:00am
Sunday, May 13, 2012, 10:00 am
Sunday, May 27, 2012, 10:00 am
To celebrate the Cathedral of Saint of Joseph’s 50th Anniversary year, the Cathedral’s professional choir, Schola Cantorum, organist Dr. Ezequiel Menendez and pianist Colin Britt will perform three concerts showcasing their many talents on Sunday mornings between the 8:30am and 11:00am Masses. 
The first concert on May 6 will feature Bonnie Pepper, Judy Bowers, Wayne Rivera, and Kevin J. Andersen performing their favorite pieces from the sacred repertoire.
The second concert on May 13 will combine the subtle beauty of the violin with the luscious sound of the human voice in performances by violinist Janet Boughton and vocalists Sarah Asmar, Heather Bell, Joshua Kohl, and Corey Gaudreau.
Finally, on May 27, vocalists Alice Matteson, Louise Fauteux, Sarah Chasse, Katherine Griswold, and Steven Fasano will come together with organist Dr. Ezequiel Menendez and pianist Colin Britt for popular solos from the sacred vocal repertoire.


TE DEUM: Mozart, Britten & More
Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 7:30pm
The Sacred Sounds Concert Series celebration of the Cathedral building’s 50th Anniversary will culminate with a performance of three contrasting settings of the “Te Deum” (“Oh God, We Praise Thee”) text by three very different composers - Arvo Pärt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Benjamin Britten. Come hear this joyful music in the space that continues to be a physical symbol of spirituality in Hartford.

Location: Sacred Sounds Concert Series performances are held in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph at 140 Farmington Avenue in Hartford, CT.

Admission: There is no admission charge for concerts at the Cathedral, but a free-will offering will be accepted. For more information, visit www.cathedralofsaintjoseph.com/music-sacredsounds.

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