Chamber Opera ‘Desire’ Highlights Miller Theatre 2019-20 Season

By Nicole Kuchta

Miller Theatre of Columbia University’s School of the Arts has announced its 2019-20 season, which includes a new chamber opera. For the purposes of this article, we will include only vocal performances in the lineup.

Director Rachel Dickstein and Music Director Daniela Candillari will lead the world premiere of Cori Ellison and Hannah Lash’s chamber opera “Desire,” with Kirsten Sollek, Daniel Moody, Christopher Herbert, and the JACK Quartet. The production will feature set design by Kristen Robinson, costumes by Kate Fry, and lighting by Jeanette Yew.

Performance Dates: Oct. 16 & 17, 2019

Belgian vocal ensemble Vox Luminis will perform Scarlatti’s “Stabat Mater” in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Performance Date: Oct. 19, 2019

Male vocal quartet New York Polyphony will present “Gothic Polyphony,” with a program “that begins at the dawn of the Renaissance, with selections of the very earliest works that can be found in England,” according to the press release. The performance will take place in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Performance Date: Nov. 9, 2019

As part of the “Composer Portrait” series, vocalist Estelí Gomez, trumpet player Nate Wooley, and percussion and piano quartet Yarn/Wire will perform works by Annea Lockwood, including “Into the Vanishing Point,” “Becoming Air,” “Ear-Walking Woman,” and “I Give You Back.”

Performance Date: Nov. 14, 2019

Tallis Scholars will present “Sacred Interpretations,” featuring multiple settings of “Ave Maria,” “Salve Regina,” “Magnificat,” “O sacrum convivium,” and Allegri’s “Misiere.” The performance will take place in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin.

Performance Date: Dec. 14, 2019

Also part of the “Composer Portrait” series, soprano Alyce Tessier, guitarist Daniel Lippel, and the International Contemporary Ensemble will perform works by Dai Fujikura, including “new work,” “Minina,” “silence seeking solace,” and “abandoned time.”

Performance Date: Mar. 5, 2020

Part of the “Bach From the Piano” series, “Bach Collection” will feature mezzo-soprano Kady Evanyshyn, violinist Rebecca Fischer, oboist Alecia Lawyer, pianist Simone Dinnerstein, and Baroklyn. The program will include Bach’s Concerto for Violin and Oboe in D Minor, Cantata “Ich habe genug,” “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and Chorale Prelude “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ.”

Performance Date: Mar. 12, 2020

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