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Last night marked an important moment in my life and career, as my oratorio, Such Beautiful Things, was brought into the world through a stunning premiere performance by Vince Peterson’s Choral Chameleon in New York City. Joined by Choral Chameleon was Christina Borgioli (soprano), Colleen Coussinat (mezzo-soprano), Kannan Vasudevan (tenor), Christopher DeVage (baritone), and Brad Whiteley & Jason Wirth (pianists).

The house was fuller than expected, and extra rows of chairs were added just minutes ahead of the performance to accommodate the large crowd. At the end of the performance, the audience burst into applause, and immediately rose to their feet in a standing ovation.

The performers certainly deserved the accolades. The choir fully embodied the dramatic nature of their role(s), and communicated each and every note, gesture, and sentiment masterfully. The soloists blew away the audience with their gorgeous sound and range of expression. The pianists were hard at work for the entire duration of the hour-long piece, and did it with jaw-dropping artistry and technical facility.

None of this would have been possible without Vince Peterson, whose remarkable artistic vision served as the impetus for the project. Nor would the piece have been so successful were it not for Tony Asaro, whose masterpiece-of-a-libretto inspired every note of the oratorio. His gift of prose and theatrical intuition is nothing short of genius.

A million thanks to the fantastic audience for being a part of last night’s premiere, and for the openness and enthusiasm with which the piece was received. I would also like to thank Choral Chameleon’s board, donors, and patrons for all of the time, energy, and resources they’ve invested in the group, and for making all of this happen.

I am utterly and eternally grateful for the work of each and every artist involved in the performance. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Choral Chameleon, Vince, Tony, Christina, Colleen, Kannan, Christopher, Brad, and Jason!

If inside your open ear,
There’s an open heart and mind there,
Then you will clearly hear
Such beautiful things.

(from the very last lines of Such Beautiful Things)

It’s nearly 3am in New York City, and I am just too excited to go to sleep. Tonight was the first time I heard Such Beautiful Things realized with real voices and a real piano. I am stunned. Choral Chameleon and Vince Peterson have risen to the challenge, and will be putting on a spectacular show. The soloists are mind-blowing, and the pianists could not be more masterful. If you can come to the show, please do! Here’s the info:

Sunday, 18 April 2010 @ 5pm
Fourth Universalist Society
160 Central Park West
New York, NY
tickets

Such Beautiful Things
Music by Jeffrey Parola
Libretto by Tony Asaro

Choral Chameleon
Vince Peterson, conductor
Christina Borgioli, soprano
Colleen Coussinat, mezzo-soprano
Kannan Vasudevan, tenor
Christopher DeVage, baritone
Brad Whiteley & Jason Wirth, piano

The date of my previous blog entry should reveal that I’ve been busy. Well, “busy” may actually be an understatement.

I must admit that adjusting to life in Oregon has been somewhat rough, though I think I’m finally beginning to adapt. It’s been especially helpful to live in Oregon during the fall season, as it is very lovely this time of year. One day, I walked outside from an on-campus building and witnessed a spectacular natural event. Rain began to pour from a tiny lone cloud, surrounded by a lustrous midday sun and blue sky. The raindrops, fat and bulbous, sparkled in the sunlight. On their way to the ground, the heavy drops tugged bright red, gold, and orange leaves off of the trees. The combination of light, color and movement made for a dazzling show, courtesy of mother nature.

Not only has fall been beautiful, it’s also been productive. In the beginning of November, I traveled to New York City to hear Choral Chameleon sing the East Coast premiere of Giant Mirror and the world-premiere performance of Sempiterna. The performance was wonderful, and I was especially impressed by their deeply felt rendering of Sempiterna’s third movement, “In pace.” The group is comprised of remarkable individuals, and each time I see them, I enjoy their graciousness and enthusiasm. Seeing them is as delightful as hearing them.

While on the East Coast, I traveled to Yale University to hear Vance George conduct combined college choirs at the National Collegiate Choral Organization convention. They, too, sang “In pace,” and performed well. It was an incredible experience to make my East Coast debut in New York and at Yale within a week’s time.

I’ve made a great deal of progress on Such Beautiful Things, and composed two new choral works: “Kyrie” from Missa Antiqua and Stars. The “Kyrie” was brought to life in a reading session with Revalia at the University of Oregon. Revalia is an all-male choir from Estonia, in residence at the university in mid-November. I conducted my reading session, which went well. It was great to musically and personally interact with the singers, and it was an honor to conduct and write for them. Also, working with Revalia’s director, Hirvo Surva, was a deep artistic experience I will cherish forever.

Just ten days ago, Downtown Detour premiered at the Oregon Composers Forum concert at the University of Oregon. Haley Engle, violinist, and Ben Krause, pianist, did an amazing job with this difficult piece. The audience seemed to like it, too, which made me happy. The entire concert was a blast, as the works of my colleagues were all high quality pieces. It was a real privilege and pleasure to be part of it.

Stars will receive its world-premiere performance in New York City tomorrow night, performed by Choral Chameleon under the direction of Vince Peterson. I’m currently on the plane to New York as I write this blog, and I am thrilled to see and hear my friends in Chameleon again!

Now I’m on Christmas break, which means I will make a lot of progress on Such Beautiful Things, and write another blog entry about Stars and my visit to New York.

Until then, Merry Christmas, and happy holidays to all!