Jamie Chamberlin Granner, Nathan Granner, & Colin Ramsey Lead Verdi Chorus’ ‘Star Crossed!’

Soloist Jamie Chamberlin Granner, Nathan Granner, and Colin Ramsey perform in the Verdi Chorus’ 40th Anniversary season finale concert “Star Crossed!” The Verdi Chorus presents selections from Mozart’s “Idomeneo” and “Don Giovanni,” Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor,” Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette,” and Lehar’s “The Merry Widow,” with guest soloists soprano Jamie Chamberlin Granner, tenor Nathan Granner, and bass Colin Ramsey. Artistic {…}

Aug 28, 2023

Verdi Chorus Unveils 2023-24 Season

The California-based Verdi Chorus has announced its 40th anniversary season, which consists of four performances and one opera showcase. “Our 40th Anniversary season is such a landmark event, not only for the chorus and audience members who have been with us from the very beginning, but for new opera enthusiasts we are welcoming for the first time on both sides {…}

Mar 15, 2023

Verdi Chorus to Close Season with “Verdissimo! Plus!”

The Verdi Chorus will finish their season with two performances of “Verdissimo! Plus!” at the First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica on Apr. 29 & 30, 2023. Soprano Jessica Tivens-Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano Danielle Marcell Bond, tenor Todd Wilander, and baritone Roberto Perlas Gómez will join the Verdi Chorus, the only choral group in Southern California that focuses on music for opera chorus. The concert will {…}

Mar 31, 2022

The Verdi Chorus to Launch Spring Season with ‘Helas mon Coeur’ Concert

On May 14, 2022, The Verdi Chorus will kick off its 39th season with the spring concert, titled “Helas mon Coeur.” Conducted by Founding Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum, the concert will be comprised of selections from Verdi’s “Ernani” and “Macbeth,” Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda,” Giordano’s “Andrea Chenier,” and Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffman.” The concert will feature soprano {…}

Apr 8, 2020

Verdi Chorus to Present Online Concert

(Credit: The Verdi Chorus) The Verdi Chorus is set to present its first online concert on April 18, 2020 when it streams its 2018 showcase “The Force of Destiny.” The performance, which featured sequences from such operas as “La Forza del Destino,” “La Traviata,” “Nabucco,” and “Die Fledermaus,” will be streamed on the company’s Facebook page. That concert featured four {…}

Feb 28, 2020

‘Opera Gets Real’ in Two Concerts By Verdi Chorus This April

(Credit: Photo Courtesy of Verdi Chorus) The Verdi Chorus has announced that it will present “Opera Gets Real” for two performances this April at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, California. The performances, set for April 18-19, 2020, will feature music from Verdi’s “Ernani” and “Macbeth,” Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” and “La Gioconda” and “Andrea Chénier.” The organization will also {…}

Jan 17, 2020

Verdi Chorus to Present ‘Songs of Fantasy’

The Verdi Chorus will present “Songs of Fantasy” on Feb. 1, 2020 in collaboration with the Sahm Family Foundation at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, California. The performance, which will focus on the Fox Singers, will be led by Verdi Chorus Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum. The ensemble is made up of the professional ensemble of the {…}

Nov 3, 2019

Q & A: Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie On The Verdi Chorus, Playing Villains & The Loss of Listening Skills

(Credit: Matthew Staver) Baritone Malcolm MacKenzie loves playing the bad guys. On his website he notes that Scarpia, the villainous police chief who sexually harasses Tosca before being murdered, is his favorite role. Another of his favorites is the conniving Iago and he was even the first man to take on the role of the vengeful Roger Chillingworth in the {…}

Sep 27, 2019

Verdi Chorus’ Opening Concert ‘Sound & Fury’ To Feature Verdi, Puccini, Lehár

The Verdi Chorus is set to showcase a new program “Sound and Fury” as part of its 36th season.The event, set for Nov. 16-17 at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, California, will feature Alex Boyer, Shana Blake Hill, and Malcolm MacKenzie as guest soloists. The program will center on operatic sequences from Verdi’s “Otello” and “Il Trovatore,” {…}

Apr 22, 2019

Verdi Chorus To Champion Young Professional of The Walter Fox Singers

The Verdi Chorus will present The Walter Fox Singers in “Love is Timeless” on May 4, 2019. The performance, which will take place at the First United Methodist Church, Santa Monica. The Walter Fox Singers are the professional ensemble of the Verdi Chorus and are part of the Verdi Chorus’ mission to provide performance opportunities for young professional artists. The {…}

Apr 3, 2019

Interview: Verdi Chorus Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum On Organization’s Artistic Growth & Stability

It all started in a restaurant. Specifically, the Ristorante di Musica in Santa Monica, California. That’s where the Verdi Chorus could be seen throughout the years since its inception in 1983. As patrons arrived to enjoy their meals, the music of the great opera composers would be just feet away. But the restaurant goers were not the only ones benefiting {…}

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