PROGRAM INFORMATION

 

A Chanticleer Christmas

Thursday, December 15, 2022
7:30 PM | Memorial Church

 

Season Sponsor: 

 

Media Sponsor:

 

PROGRAM SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Please be considerate of others and turn off all phones and watch alarms. Photography and recording of any kind are not permitted. Thank you.


Program


A Chanticleer Christmas

Cortez Mitchell, Gerrod Pagenkopf*, Kory Reid,
Bradley Sharpe, Logan Shields, Adam Ward
countertenor
Vineel Garisa Mahal*, Matthew Mazzola, Andy Van Allsburg tenor
Andy Berry*, Zachary Burgess, Matthew Knickmanbaritone and bass

Tim KeelerMusic Director

 

 

Plainchant – Al jorn del judici                                        Anonymous
Refrain – Al jorn del judici                                             Bartolomé Cárceres (fl.1546)
IX. Sibylla Europaea from Prophetiae Sibyllarum          Orlande de Lassus
                                                                                           (1532–1594)
X. Sibylla Tiburtina from Prophetiae Sibyllarum              Lassus
Ecce virgo concipiet                                                        Cristóbal de Morales
                                                                                            (c.1500–1553)
Recordare Jesu pie                                                         Lassus

 

Ecce Dominus veniet                                                       Tomás Luis de Victoria
                                                                                             (1548–1611)
O Regem caeli – Natus est nobis                                  Victoria

                                                                    

A un niño llorando†                                                        Francisco Guerrero
                                                                                            (1528–1599)

Oy, Joseph                                                                       Guerrero

E la don don, Verges Maria†                                        Anonymous Catalan

Ríu, ríu, chíu†                                                                  Mateo Flecha el Viejo

                                                                                            (1481–1553)

 

El noi de la mare†                                                           Traditional Catalan,
                                                                                              arr. Enrique Ribó
Fum, fum, fum                                                                  Traditional Catalan,
                                                                                              arr. Tim Keeler

                                                                   

—INTERMISSION—
 

Bogoróditse Djévo                                                           Arvo Pärt (b.1935)
Ave Maria†                                                                      Franz Biebl (1906–2001)

 

I saw three ships                                                              Traditional English,
                                                                                               arr. Paul Attinello
Gabriel’s message†                                                        Traditional Basque,
                                                                                               arr. David Willcocks
Ding dong! Merrily on high                                            Traditional French,
                                                                                              harm. Charles Wood
                                                                                              and Adam Ward

 

Lo, He slumbers in his manger                                       Cecilia McDowall (b.1951)
Walking in the air†                                                          Howard Blake (b.1938),
                                                                                               arr. Adam Ward

 

White Christmas                                                              Irving Berlin (1888–1989),
                                                                                             arr. Sanford Dole
Merry Christmas darling                                                 Richard Carpenter (b.1946), 
                                                                                              arr. Andy Van Allsburg
O come, all ye faithful                                                    John Francis Wade
                                                                                               (1711–1786),
                                                                                               arr. Amanda Taylor 

 

Medley of Christmas Spirituals†                                         Traditional,
    "Well, the savior is born"                                                    arr. Joseph H. Jennings
    "Sweet little Jesus boy" 
    "Oh, Jerusalem in the mornin' "

 

†These pieces have been recorded by Chanticleer.

*Andy Berry occupies The Eric Alatorre Chair given by Peggy Skornia. Vineel Garisa Mahal occupies The Tenor Chair, given by an Anonymous Donor. Gerrod Pagenkopf occupies The Ning G. Mercer Chair for the Preservation of the Chanticleer Legacy, given by Ning and Stephen Mercer.

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Texts and Translations


View the texts and translations here.


Program Note


Every Christmas on the Balearic island of Mallorca, singers at the cathedral of Palma de Mallorca and those at the monastery of Lluc perform a Christmas play with origins that date back to the earliest days of Christianity. The “Song of the Sibyl,” or “Cant de la Sibil.la” in Catalan, is based on an ancient Greek prophecy from the Erythraean Sibyl foretelling the coming of the Messiah. The earliest version of the prophecy was written down by Eusebius of Caesarea (d. ca. 340), and the first musical setting of the text appears in the early 10th-century codex of St. Martial de Limoges. This chant uses a Latin translation by St. Augustine: “Iudicii signum: tellus sudore madescet” (“Sign of judgment: the earth grows wet with sweat”). The chant spread widely throughout Medieval Europe, making its way to France, Italy, and Spain. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Latin text was translated into local vernaculars, including the Catalan version, “Al jorn del judici,” which is still sung to this day.

Typically, the solo chant verses are separated by choral restatements of the first verse. Many composers have arranged versions of this refrain, including the Spanish Renaissance composers Bartolomé Cárceres and Cristóbal Morales. In our program, we perform the refrain by Cárceres and the ravishing Advent motet “Ecce virgo concipiet” by Morales, which sets prophetic texts from the Book of Isaiah (7:14).

Sibylline prophecies also feature in a set of highly chromatic motets by the Franco-Flemish master Orlande de Lassus. Though not published until after his death, his Prophetiae Sibyllarum is likely the work of a 20-something Lassus showcasing and exploring his mastery of tonality. Each movement, including “Sibylla Europaea” and “Sibylla Tiburtina,” is a brief and intense exploration of chromatic voice leading. Most of the sonorities are root position triads, and most of the partwriting is homophonic. Their unearthly mysticism is brought about almost exclusively through unexpected chromatic twists that foreshadow the intense expressionism of Carlo Gesualdo a generation later.

“Recordare Jesu pie” demonstrates the more conventional side of Lassus. Here, expressive chromaticism gives way to expressive polyphony with a text from the Requiem liturgy. Perhaps a curious choice for a Christmas program, “Recordare Jesu pie” is a stanza from the “Dies irae,” which prophesies the final day of judgment “teste David cum Sibylla,” or, “as David prophesied with the Sibyl.”

Born in Ávila in 1548, Tómas Luis de Victoria moved to Rome as a teenager to study music. Here, he likely interacted, and perhaps even studied, with Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. After making a name for himself and publishing at least seven books of polyphony, he moved back to Spain in 1587 to take a post at the royal Monasterio de las Descalzas de Santa Clara in Madrid where he served until the end of his life. His motet “Ecce dominus veniet” is an antiphon for the first Sunday of Advent. The text is based on a passage from the Old Testament which can be interpreted as a prophecy for the birth of Jesus (Zechariah 14:5-6). This work, and the Christmas motet “O regem caeli,” showcase Victoria’s refined and joyful compositional style. Duets and trios come through the texture, and harmonic pillars give an almost tonal structure to the works. This is expertly crafted, high Renaissance polyphony.

If Victoria is the most famous Spanish composer from the Renaissance, then Francisco Guerrero is likely the second most famous. Born in Seville in 1528, he spent most of his life working at the Seville Cathedral, first as a singer and then as the choirmaster. Unlike Victoria, Guerrero wrote many secular songs. “A un niño llorando” and “Oy, Joseph” both come from his 1589 publication Canciones y villanescas espirituales, which is a collection of brief sacred songs written in the style of the typically secular Spanish villancico. Villancicos are often spirited and dance-like, featuring frequent rhythmic interplay between duple and triple meter. They consist of a series of verses (coplas) sandwiched between a recurring refrain (estribillo).

“E la don don” and “Ríu, ríu, chíu” are also villancicos. The former is an anonymous setting of a Catalan text which asks us to dance and sing for joy at Christ’s birth. “Ríu, ríu, chíu” sets a Spanish text and is likely the only villancico that has maintained its widespread popularity from the 1500s – even The Monkees recorded a version of it for television back in 1967. It is attributed to the Catalan Renaissance composer Mateo Flecha. In Spanish, “ríu” is a nonsense syllable. In Catalan, “ríu” means river.

We conclude the first half of our program with two traditional Catalan Christmas carols. “El noi de la mare” is a simple and sweet folk tune arranged by the 20th century choir director and Barcelona native, Enrique Ribó. “Fum, fum, fum” could be an onomatopoeic title referencing the sound of a guitar or the beat of a drum. “Fum” also translates to “smoke” in Catalan, so perhaps this song alludes to the familiar winter tropes of warmth and fires. The arrangement we perform tonight, written for us by our music director Tim Keeler, showcases the many different sides of Chanticleer.

Arvo Pärt wrote “Bogoroditse Djevo” in 1990 for the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge. The service, which began in 1918 and has been broadcast on Christmas Day since 1928, often features a new composition from a prominent composer. Much of Pärt’s oeuvre is slow and contemplative. “Bogoroditse Djevo,” however, is a brief, jubilant burst of joy. Its Church Slavonic text comes from the Orthodox Book of Prayers and is a hymn to the Virgin Mary similar to the Latin prayer “Ave Maria.”

Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria” has become synonymous with Chanticleer. Every Christmas season we look forward to sharing this gem with our audiences around the country. Biebl’s setting is actually a version of the “Angelus,” a Catholic devotional prayer, which tells the story of the annunciation and incarnation. The TTBB arrangement we sing in these concerts, as well as two other editions for SATB chorus, are published by Hinshaw Music as part of the Chanticleer Choral Series.

 

Program notes by Tim Keeler


About Chanticleer


The Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. Founded in San Francisco in 1978 by singer and musicologist Louis Botto, Chanticleer quickly took its place as one of the most prolific recording and touring ensembles in the world, selling more than one million recordings and performing thousands of live concerts to audiences around the globe.

Rooted in the Renaissance, Chanticleer’s repertoire has been expanded to include a wide range of classical, gospel, jazz and popular music and to reflect a deep commitment to the commissioning of new compositions and arrangements. The ensemble has dedicated much of its vast recording catalogue to these commissions, garnering Grammy Awards for its recordings of Sir John Tavener’s "Lamentations & Praises" and the ambitious collection of commissioned works entitled "Colors of Love." Chanticleer is the recipient of Chorus America’s Dale Warland Commissioning Award and the Chorus America/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. During his tenure with Chanticleer, its Music Director Emeritus Joseph H. Jennings received the Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award for his contribution to the African American choral tradition.

Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, Chanticleer continues to maintain ambitious programming in its hometown of San Francisco, including a large education and outreach program, and an annual concert series that includes its legendary holiday tradition “A Chanticleer Christmas.”

Chanticleer is a non-profit organization, governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, administered by a professional staff with a full-time professional ensemble. In addition to the many individual contributors to Chanticleer, the Board of Trustees thanks the following Foundations, Corporations and Government Agencies for their exceptional support:

 

Cal Arts (California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program)
The George Family Foundation
San Francisco Grants for the Arts
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
National Endowment for the Arts
The Bernard Osher Foundation
The Bob Ross Foundation
Small Business Association - Shuttered Venue Operators Grant

 

CHANTICLEER STAFF

Philip Wilder, President & General Director
Murrey Nelson, Director of Development
Brian Hinman, Director of Operations and Touring
Brian Bauman, Senior Accountant/Budget Manager
Barbara Bock, Development and Marketing Associate
Zachary Burgess, Development Assistant
Matthew Knickman, Road Manager
Cortez Mitchell, Merchandise Manager
Kory Reid, Education Coordinator

Tim Keeler, Music Director
Gerrod Pagenkopf, Assistant Music Director
Ayanna Woods, Composer-in-Residence

 

Artist Management: Opus 3 Artists, Ltd.
Founder: Louis Botto (1951 – 1997)
Music Director Emeritus: Joseph H. Jennings
www.chanticleer.org


Biographies


ANDY BERRY, bass, believes that vocal music is vital because it testifies to the power of collaboration, the importance of the present moment, and the beauty of our shared humanity. He has performed as a soloist with the Santa Fe Opera, the Pittsburgh Opera, the Vietnam National Ballet and Opera Orchestra, and Singapore’s Metropolitan Festival Orchestra. His favorite past roles include the title character in Massenet's Don Quichotte, Isacio in the second U.S. performance of Handel’s Riccardo Primo, and Kōbun Otogawa (cover) in the GRAMMY-winning world premiere of Mason Bates’ The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs. Andy earned his M.M. in voice/opera from the Yale School of Music and a B.S. in psychology/neuroscience cum laude from Yale College. In 2016, he won second place in the Metropolitan Opera National Council's Northeast Regional Final. As an undergraduate, Andy directed the Yale Whiffenpoofs and served as an assistant conductor to the Yale Glee Club. He was born and raised in Cabin John, MD, just outside of Washington, D.C., and he now celebrates his (half) Japanese heritage living in Japantown, San Francisco. Andy is proud to return to Chanticleer for his fifth season.

Andy Berry occupies The Eric Alatorre Chair given by Peggy Skornia.


ZACHARY BURGESS, bass-baritone and Development Assistant, is excited to return for his sixth season with Chanticleer. A native to the Washington D.C. area, Zachary presented solo recitals at the Phillips Collection and Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and has been a featured soloist with the Alexandria Chorale society for multiple performances including Haydn’s The Creation and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem. Zachary has a vast repertoire of opera under his belt, having performed numerous roles throughout his musical career with Opera del West, Eastman Opera Theatre, the CoOPERAtive Program, SongFest, Green Mountain Opera, as well as the Crescendo Summer Institute where his portrayal of Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni was recorded and broadcast on regional Hungarian television. Zachary holds his Bachelor of Music from the Boston Conservatory and his Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music. His simple pleasures in life are video games, happy hours, and Italian greyhounds.


MATTHEW KNICKMAN, baritone, is proud to be in his twelfth season with Chanticleer. Born in Korea, he started singing as a soprano at St. Stephen’s Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He holds degrees in vocal performance and pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. As a member of the critically acclaimed Westminster Choir and Westminster Kantorei, he performed with the New York Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, and New Jersey Symphony, and was led by celebrated conductors, including Alan Gilbert, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, Harry Bicket, Charles Dutoit, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Richard Hickox, Neeme Järvi, Bernard Labadie, Nicholas McGegan, Julius Rudel, Bruno Weil, Stefan Parkman, Joseph Flummerfelt, and Andrew Megill. He has also performed with Les Violons du Roy et La Chapelle de Québec, Early Music New York, Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, The Clarion Choir, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Opera Theatre of Weston, and Spoleto Festival U.S.A. He has been a soloist in numerous oratorios and Bach cantatas, including the St. John and St. Matthew Passions with early music organizations such as Fuma Sacra, Philadelphia Bach Festival, and Carmel Bach Festival. Matthew serves on the board of Sing Aphasia, whose mission includes helping people with aphasia and their families build confidence, make connections, and find their voice through song. When not singing, Matthew enjoys strawberry ice cream, is an exercise and nutritional science enthusiast, and revels in eating comfort foods from around the world. Buen Camino!


VINEEL GARISA MAHAL, tenor, is delighted to be joining Chanticleer for his first season. An Indian-American, Texas-raised singer, he has served as adjunct voice faculty at New York University where he received his Post-Graduate Advanced Certificate in Vocal Pedagogy. He received his B.M. from Southern Methodist University and his M.M. from University of North Texas, both in vocal performance. He has performed with Fort Worth Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Casa Mañana, and made his Kennedy Center debut in collaboration with GRAMMY-nominated artist, Chandrika Tandon. He has been featured in works by prominent living composers and originated the role of Roderick in Kamala Sankaram’s the Emperor and the Queen. Some of his favorite past credits include, the title character in Britten’s Albert Herring, Fakir in Lucy Simon’s The Secret Garden, and El Gato in Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland. In the 2021-2022 holiday season, he was a Christmas vocalist at Hong Kong Disneyland. Under the alias “Elaichi,” he has released original music which is available for streaming and purchase on most major music sites. In his free time, Vineel loves cooking, playing guitar, reading manga, and being a general nerd.

Vineel Garisa Mahal occupies the Tenor Chair, given by an Anonymous Donor.


MATTHEW MAZZOLA, tenor, is thrilled to return for his sixth season with Chanticleer. Matthew received his Bachelor in Music Education from the University of Houston. During his undergraduate tenure, he sang with the Moores School of Music’s Concert Chorale under the direction of Betsy Cook Weber. He participated with the select group that won first prize ex aequo at the 2013 Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition, and received three gold medals at the 2015 Grand Prix of Nations competition in Magdeburg, Germany. After finishing his degree, Matthew taught elementary music, and sang professionally with Cantare Houston, Houston Bach Society and Houston Chamber Choir. In his free time, Matthew is an avid gamer, foodie and sports fan.


CORTEZ MITCHELL, countertenor, is a native of Detroit, MI. He graduated from Morgan State University with a B.A. in music and a B.S. in mathematics and holds an M.M. in voice from the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music. As Minnesota Opera's first resident artist countertenor he performed the role of Cherubino in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro and covered Nicklausse in Offenbach's Les Contes de Hoffman. With Urban Opera he performed the role of 1st Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aneas. Most recently, he returned to Minnesota Opera as the Refugee in Jonathan Dove’s Flight and made his European Opera debut at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as Narisco in Handel’s Agrippina. As a concert artist he has appeared in solo performances of Purcell’s Come Ye Sons of Art with Symphony Silicon Valley, J.S Bach's Cantata 147 Herz und Mund und Tod und Leben with the Dayton Philharmonic, R. Nathaniel Dett's The Ordering of Moses and Adolphus Hailstork's Done Made My Vow with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Rachmaninov's Vespers in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Wynton Marsallis's All Rise with the Lincoln Center Jazz Ensemble. Cortez has received awards from the National Opera Association, The Washington International competition and the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum competition. Cortez is in his 16th season with Chanticleer.


GERROD PAGENKOPF, countertenor and Assistant Music Director, is elated to return for an eighth season with Chanticleer. A native of rural Northeast Wisconsin, Gerrod received his Bachelors of music education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and also holds a Master's degree in vocal performance from the University of Houston where he was a graduate fellow under Katherine Ciesinski. An aficionado of music from the Renaissance and Baroque, Gerrod has performed with many early music ensembles throughout Boston and Houston including Ars Lyrica Houston, the Houston Chamber Choir, the Handel and Haydn Society, Blue Heron Renaissance Choir, and the prestigious Church of the Advent in Boston's Beacon Hill. In his spare time, Gerrod enjoys exploring San Francisco with a cold brew coffee in hand, fostering his new-found obsession for Stephen Sondheim musicals, and doing the daily New York Times crossword puzzle–in pen!

Gerrod Pagenkopf holds The Ning G. Mercer Chair for the Preservation of the Chanticleer Legacy, given by Ning and Stephen Mercer.


KORY REID, countertenor and Education Coordinator, is thrilled to begin his eleventh season with Chanticleer. Kory studied Music Education at Pepperdine University and completed a Master’s Degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Southern California. Kory is a sought-after countertenor soloist who has sung for Los Angeles Zimriyah Chorale, Los Robles Master Chorale, Catgut Trio, USC Chamber Singers, Pepperdine University Concert Choir and Collegium Musicum, and for many diverse choral recitals and church music programs across the country. Barbershop music is a salient component of his personality; he earned a gold medal with the Westminster Chorus in the 2010 International Barbershop Chorus Contest, and can often be found singing tags on street corners. Kory teaches private voice and stays active as a music educator, clinician, and ensemble coach for all types of vocal ensembles. In his spare time, he enjoys quick jaunts to Las Vegas or a quick Catan tournament with friends. Challenge him to a duel if you dare!


BRADLEY SHARPE, countertenor, is delighted to be returning for his second season, driven by his deep passion for eclectic musical genres, collaborative projects and travel. As a native of Southern California, he is proud to be employed in his home state. Bradley earned an M.M. in Oratorio, Chamber Music and Art Song from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and a B.M. in vocal performance from the California State University, Fullerton School of Music. Several of his most memorable musical experiences took place while he sang internationally with Yale's Schola Cantorum and Voxtet, including performances at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, across India and along the Camino de Santiago. Bradley also enjoys working as a church musician, most recently being employed at St. Thomas the Apostle, Hollywood. In his free time, Bradley enjoys taking food and wine adventures, camping and spending time with loved ones.


LOGAN S. SHIELDS, countertenor, is elated to begin his seventh season with Chanticleer. Logan studied vocal performance in tenor voice at Western Michigan University, and Grand Valley State University. Other interests include craft beer, absurdism, freestyle rap, pugs, and spending time with his partner, Gabrielle.


ANDY VAN ALLSBURG, tenor, is thrilled to be in his seventh season with Chanticleer. Originally from Holland, Michigan, Andy received his Bachelors of Music Education from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI, where he studied classical, music theater, and jazz voice, conducted the school’s early music ensemble Collegium Musicum, and won a downbeat award for his work with the vocal jazz ensemble Gold Company. A versatile musician, Andy has performed, music directed, and/or arranged music globally for various cruise lines, production companies, contemporary a cappella groups, and musicals. He has also made TV appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Andy recorded Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with the Miami-based professional choir Seraphic Fire, directed by Patrick Dupré Quigley, and sang with Schola Dominicana at the Church of Saint Catherine of Siena in New York City, directed by James Wetzel. He was also a featured singer in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes, under the musical direction of Kevin Stites. In his down time, Andy enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family, and tearing it up on the drums.


ADAM WARD, countertenor, is originally from Tecumseh, Oklahoma. At a very early age Adam became fascinated with Janie Fricke and Patsy Cline. As a child he made a number of local TV appearances singing their songs. Mr. Ward discovered singing countertenor while studying French horn performance at Yale School of Music. There he was also a founding member of the Yale Schola Cantorum under the direction of Simon Carrington. He has since performed as soloist with the International Contemporary Ensemble and was a member of the Choir of St. Mary the Virgin in midtown Manhattan. As a horn player, Adam was a member of the Verbier Festival Orchestra, winner of the concerto competitions at Yale and Stony Brook Universities, and was a top prizewinner at the Coleman, Fischoff and Yellow Springs national chamber music competitions. He was recently composer-in-residence for the New York City based Choral Chameleon directed by Vince Peterson and the Sacramento based Vox Musica directed by Daniel Paulson. He is also a singer-songwriter and can be found on SoundCloud as Adam Brett Ward. Adam holds a B.M. from Manhattan School of Music, M.M. from Yale School of Music and additional years of study at the Hartt School, Royal College of Music (London) and Stony Brook University. Adam is still really into Janie Fricke and Patsy Cline and is overjoyed to be in his 17th season with Chanticleer!


TIM KEELER, Music Director, sang as a countertenor in Chanticleer in the 2017-18 season. In Chanticleer’s history he will be the fourth of its six Music Directors to have been a member of the ensemble. Prior to moving to San Francisco, Tim forged a career as an active conductor, singer, and educator. He performed with New York Polyphony, The Clarion Choir, and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street. He also performed frequently as a soloist, appearing regularly in the Bach Vespers series at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City, as well as with TENET, New York's preeminent early music ensemble. An avid proponent of new and challenging repertoire, Tim remains a core member of Ekmeles, a vocal ensemble based in New York City and dedicated to contemporary, avant-garde, and infrequently-performed vocal repertoire.

Tim is in the midst of completing his DMA in Choral Conducting at the University of Maryland where he studies with Dr. Edward Maclary. As an educator, Tim directed the Men’s Chorus at the University of Maryland, served as director of choirs at the Special Music School High School in Manhattan, and worked closely with the Young People's Chorus of New York City as a vocal coach and satellite school conductor. He was also the choral conductor for Juilliard's new Summer Performing Arts program - a two-week intensive summer course in Geneva, Switzerland.


PHILIP WILDER, President and General Director, returns to Chanticleer with a career spanning 30 years as an artistic programmer, educator, fundraiser, musician, promoter, and recording and film producer. A graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, the Eastman School of Music and the DeVos Institute for Arts Management, Mr. Wilder began his professional career as a countertenor in Chanticleer in 1990. He also served as Chanticleer’s Assistant Music Director and Founding Director of Education.

After leaving Chanticleer in 2003, Wilder served as Associate Director of the capital campaign for the Harman Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C., and was awarded a fellowship at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' DeVos Institute for Arts Management. In 2005, Wilder joined 21C Media Group, the New York-based independent public relations, marketing, and consulting firm specializing in classical music and the performing arts.

During his tenure at 21C Media Group, Mr. Wilder developed an impressive roster of clients, including Grammy Award-winners Yefim Bronfman, Susan Graham, and Joyce DiDonato; Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky; and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient Jeremy Denk. He also advised organizations, including the Dallas Opera, the Grand Teton Music Festival and Google’s YouTube Symphony Orchestra. In 2009, founder Albert Imperato named Wilder vice president of 21C Media Group.

Mr. Wilder recently served as executive director of the New Century Chamber Orchestra (NCCO), leading the organization’s strategic planning and day-to-day business. Wilder also worked closely with NCCO’s music directors Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Daniel Hope to guide the orchestra’s ambitious artistic programming, including its acclaimed Featured Composer Program, which commissioned major string orchestra works from some of today’s most prominent composers, including Derek Bermel, William Bolcom, Philip Glass, and Jennifer Higdon.

Wilder is a passionate advocate for classical music and music education, and has teamed up with documentary filmmaker Owsley Brown III on film projects that share stories of the profound impact of music on people and their communities. He served as series producer of the PBS web series Music Makes a City Now, and music consultant for the documentary film Serenade for Haiti, which received its world premiere at HBO’s Doc NYC Festival in November of 2016.

 

Upcoming Events

Joyce DiDonato: Eden
Fri, Jan 20 at 7:30 PM | Bing Concert Hall

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Mike Marshall, Edgar Meyer, George Meyer, and Bryan Sutton
Sat, Jan 21 at 7:30 PM | Bing Concert Hall

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