MISA A BUENOS AIRES with QuinTango
Sunday, June 2, 2024 at 5 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204
Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington
4444 Arlington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22204
Come hear a captivating fusion of musical genres as the Arlington Chorale joins forces with local professional tango ensemble QuinTango! Together, these internationally renowned artists and the Chorale will present Martin Palmeri's mesmerizing masterpiece, Misa a Buenos Aires (Misatango). This unique composition combines the power of a classical mass with the rhythmic intensity and sensuality of tango, resulting in an exhilarating musical experience. With lush harmonies, intricate melodies, and pulsating rhythms, Misatango weaves together the sacred and the passionate, captivating audiences with its unique blend of genres.
QuinTango artist Emmanuel Trifilio has composed a new piece titled Dos Mujeres y un Tango for the Chorale, Performers With Purpose, and QuinTango, and we're excited to perform the premiere for you on this concert! Let us transport you to the world of Argentine tango, where the boundaries between classical and popular music blur, an exhilarating journey where spirit and passion reign supreme!
You can view the program from this event here.
QuinTango artist Emmanuel Trifilio has composed a new piece titled Dos Mujeres y un Tango for the Chorale, Performers With Purpose, and QuinTango, and we're excited to perform the premiere for you on this concert! Let us transport you to the world of Argentine tango, where the boundaries between classical and popular music blur, an exhilarating journey where spirit and passion reign supreme!
You can view the program from this event here.
MEET OUR SOLOIST
JUDY YANNINI, SOPRANO
Mexican soprano Judy Yannini joined Portland Opera’s Resident Artist program in 2022, where she made her company and role debut as Frasquita in Carmen. Recently, Judy also made her Kennedy Center debut singing the role of Sara Morales in IN Series’ world premiere of Brian Arreola and Anna Deeny Morales’s opera ZAVALA-ZAVALA. She was also seen with IN Series as Mimí in a Spanish-language reimagining of Puccini’s La Bohéme, Bohème in the Heights and Consuelo in John Adams’s I was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky. She returns to Portland Opera as a Resident Artist for their 2023-2024 season with the roles of Barbarina in Mozart’s Le noze di Figaro and Amy in Joel Thompson’s The Snowy Day
A recent graduate of the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland, Judy performed a number of roles with the university, including Ginevra in Handel’s Ariodante and Rima in Hajar.
In 2021, Judy was named a District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 2020, she won first prize in the American Opera Idol Competition with Opera Connecticut, and she was also named the overall winner of the Hartt Vocal Division Competition in 2018.
Before immigrating to the United States, Judy made a name for herself singing onstage with internationally renowned Mexican tenor Fernando de la Mora in the 122nd Anniversary Concert in her native Tijuana, Mexico. She was also part of Ensamble Lírico Juvenil and Centro Cultural Tijuana’s group Opera Ambulante, performing opera flash mobs across Mexico, Canada and the USA.
Yannini holds a master’s in music in Opera Performance from University of Maryland-Maryland Opera Studio as well as a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from University of Hartford-The Hartt School.
A recent graduate of the Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland, Judy performed a number of roles with the university, including Ginevra in Handel’s Ariodante and Rima in Hajar.
In 2021, Judy was named a District Winner in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. In 2020, she won first prize in the American Opera Idol Competition with Opera Connecticut, and she was also named the overall winner of the Hartt Vocal Division Competition in 2018.
Before immigrating to the United States, Judy made a name for herself singing onstage with internationally renowned Mexican tenor Fernando de la Mora in the 122nd Anniversary Concert in her native Tijuana, Mexico. She was also part of Ensamble Lírico Juvenil and Centro Cultural Tijuana’s group Opera Ambulante, performing opera flash mobs across Mexico, Canada and the USA.
Yannini holds a master’s in music in Opera Performance from University of Maryland-Maryland Opera Studio as well as a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from University of Hartford-The Hartt School.
PAST EVENTS
OF ALL THE KINGS
Saturday, December 9, 2023 at 5 PM
Westover Baptist Church
1125 Patrick Henry Dr., Arlington, VA 22205
Westover Baptist Church
1125 Patrick Henry Dr., Arlington, VA 22205
Join us for an extraordinary evening as the Arlington Chorale presents Of All the Kings. Celebrating historical icons and musical legends, this concert has something for everyone! You’ll hear well-known holiday favorites like the beloved carol, "Good King Wenceslas," Nat King Cole’s timeless classic, “The Christmas Song,” and Antonio Vivaldi’s uplifting Gloria. We will also introduce you to Margaret Bonds’ The Ballad of the Brown King, a rarely performed work with libretto by Langston Hughes that premiered in 1954. This captivating story of Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men, weaves together elements of spirituals, gospel, and classical music, creating a unique and soul-stirring experience that will resonate with all.
The Chorale is proud to collaborate with the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington for this concert, working with museum director Dr. Scott Edwin Taylor and Saundra Green, a long-time Halls Hill resident. These two speakers will share some of the struggles faced by Margaret Bonds, a Black female composer, as she strove to have her work taken seriously in America in a time before the Civil Rights movement. Don’t miss this incredible musical event!
You can view the program from this event here.
The Chorale is proud to collaborate with the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington for this concert, working with museum director Dr. Scott Edwin Taylor and Saundra Green, a long-time Halls Hill resident. These two speakers will share some of the struggles faced by Margaret Bonds, a Black female composer, as she strove to have her work taken seriously in America in a time before the Civil Rights movement. Don’t miss this incredible musical event!
You can view the program from this event here.
MEET OUR SOLOISTS
AMBER R. MONROE, SOPRANO
A native of Youngstown, Ohio, Amber R. Monroe has been recognized as “a crystalline lyric soprano and a superb singing actress” (Seen and Heard-International). Her 2023-2024 season will include reprising the roles of Mimì with Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and Nedda with Opera Birmingham. On the concert stage, she will be a soloist with the Arlington Chorale and Capital City Symphony performing selections such as Vivaldi’s Gloria, Margaret Bonds' The Ballad of the Brown King, and Alleluia from Exulatate Jubilate.
She is a recent alumna of the Cafritz Young Artists Program with Washington National Opera, where she made her Kennedy Center debut as Ines in Il trovatore, followed by Isabelle in Carlos Simon’s The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, and Mimì in La bohème. Other professional credits include Clarissa in the world premiere of Gregory Spears‘ Castor and Patience (Cincinnati Opera), Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (Opera Columbus), Nedda in I Pagliacci (El Paso Opera), and Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (Kentucky Opera). She has also workshopped several profound contemporary operas including Blue by Jeanine Tesori, and The Hours by Kevin Puts, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.
Ms. Monroe has been named a 2023 winner of the George and Nora London Foundation Competition. She has performed and studied in several prestigious summer programs including The Glimmerglass Festival, the Merola Opera Program, and Santa Fe Opera. She is a proud graduate of both Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
She is a recent alumna of the Cafritz Young Artists Program with Washington National Opera, where she made her Kennedy Center debut as Ines in Il trovatore, followed by Isabelle in Carlos Simon’s The Passion of Mary Cardwell Dawson, and Mimì in La bohème. Other professional credits include Clarissa in the world premiere of Gregory Spears‘ Castor and Patience (Cincinnati Opera), Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni (Opera Columbus), Nedda in I Pagliacci (El Paso Opera), and Contessa Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro (Kentucky Opera). She has also workshopped several profound contemporary operas including Blue by Jeanine Tesori, and The Hours by Kevin Puts, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.
Ms. Monroe has been named a 2023 winner of the George and Nora London Foundation Competition. She has performed and studied in several prestigious summer programs including The Glimmerglass Festival, the Merola Opera Program, and Santa Fe Opera. She is a proud graduate of both Oberlin Conservatory and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
DR. MONIQUE SPELLS, MEZZO-SOPRANO
Currently serving on the Vocal Music Department staff at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, mezzo-soprano Monique Spells completed her Doctoral degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Michigan. As a classical singer, she has toured as a performer in Germany, Italy, Trinidad, and Barbados. She has been heard as, “La Haine” in Armide, “Marcellina” in Le Nozze di Figaro, “Olga” in Eugene Onegin, “Ma” in The Tenderland and “Florence Pike” in Albert Herring along with other principle roles. Formerly serving as chair of the vocal music department at Duke Ellington, she continues to teach vocal technique and serves as a voice consultant and coach. She is also a member of the Sphinx vocal ensemble “Exigence”. She received her Bachelor degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa and her Masters degree from the University of Michigan. Currently a resident of Washington DC, Monique Spells hails originally from Buffalo, NY.
DEVIN SCOTT MERCER, TENOR
Baltimore-based tenor Devin Mercer began his classical music studies as an undergraduate at Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) in Huntsville, Alabama, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy (2006), under the instruction of Dr. Julie Moore-Foster and Dr. Angelique Clay. He earned a Master of Music degree in Voice and Voice Pedagogy (2010), as well as a Graduate Performance Diploma (2012), at the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, under the instruction of Marianna Busching.
During his studies at Oakwood, Mr. Mercer traveled with, and was a soloist for, the Oakwood University Aeolians. He has traveled and sung across the United States, as well as Bermuda, Spain, and Poland, where he performed in the annual Wratislavia Cantans International Music Festival in the city of Wroclaw. He also performed such works as Handel’s Messiah, Monostatos in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Moses in R. Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses. During his studies at Peabody, Mr. Mercer performed the roles of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Eisenstein in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. He was also the tenor soloist for the Peabody Concert Orchestra performance of J. S. Bach’s Magnificat in D.
Other roles performed by Mr. Mercer include Manuel in Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Dream Lovers, Lippo in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo, Janáček’s Otčenáš , Le Chevalier Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon, and both Gherardo and Spinelloccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. In April 2012, Mr. Mercer was a guest soloist for a recital given by Janice Chandler-Eteme, world-renowned soprano. Since August 2012, Mr. Mercer served as Visiting Lecturer of Voice at The Delaware State University from 2010 to 2019. He currently teaches Vocal Music with Baltimore County Public Schools, and still performs frequently in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area.
During his studies at Oakwood, Mr. Mercer traveled with, and was a soloist for, the Oakwood University Aeolians. He has traveled and sung across the United States, as well as Bermuda, Spain, and Poland, where he performed in the annual Wratislavia Cantans International Music Festival in the city of Wroclaw. He also performed such works as Handel’s Messiah, Monostatos in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, and Moses in R. Nathaniel Dett’s oratorio The Ordering of Moses. During his studies at Peabody, Mr. Mercer performed the roles of Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and Eisenstein in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. He was also the tenor soloist for the Peabody Concert Orchestra performance of J. S. Bach’s Magnificat in D.
Other roles performed by Mr. Mercer include Manuel in Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Dream Lovers, Lippo in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, the title role in Mozart’s Idomeneo, Janáček’s Otčenáš , Le Chevalier Des Grieux in Massenet’s Manon, and both Gherardo and Spinelloccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. In April 2012, Mr. Mercer was a guest soloist for a recital given by Janice Chandler-Eteme, world-renowned soprano. Since August 2012, Mr. Mercer served as Visiting Lecturer of Voice at The Delaware State University from 2010 to 2019. He currently teaches Vocal Music with Baltimore County Public Schools, and still performs frequently in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area.
THE STRANGER
Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 5 PM
Westover Baptist Church
1125 Patrick Henry Dr., Arlington, VA 22205
Westover Baptist Church
1125 Patrick Henry Dr., Arlington, VA 22205
Embark on a profound musical journey with Kim André Arnesen's The Stranger. This extraordinary work was crafted to raise awareness for the plight of refugees worldwide, shedding light on their stories, struggles, and resilience. Commissioned by the Together in Hope project, whose mission is changing lives through music with a purpose, this work focuses the power of music on issues of our shared humanity. Using religious texts from the world’s major religions and first-person immigrant poetry, The Stranger serves as a call to action, compelling us to confront the challenges faced by millions of individuals displaced from their homes.
We are excited to welcome Negin Khpalwak, an Afghan conductor, who will conduct a movement of this large new work with orchestra. Presented in partnership with Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), members of the Arlington Chorale and its youth ensemble, Performers With Purpose, have been working with local refugees over the past year. Help us welcome new members of our community as we find a common language through music, a language that transcends borders, cultures, and circumstances.
We are excited to welcome Negin Khpalwak, an Afghan conductor, who will conduct a movement of this large new work with orchestra. Presented in partnership with Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA), members of the Arlington Chorale and its youth ensemble, Performers With Purpose, have been working with local refugees over the past year. Help us welcome new members of our community as we find a common language through music, a language that transcends borders, cultures, and circumstances.
You can view the program for this performance here.
MEET OUR SOLOIST
MELANIE ASHKAR, MEZZO-SOPRANO
Lebanese-American mezzo-soprano Melanie Ashkar is known for the “rich texture” of her voice and her “delightfully expressive” stage presence. A frequent interpreter of opera, she has performed across the United States with companies such as Utah Opera, Central City Opera, New York City Opera, OperaDelaware, Opera Southwest, and Virginia Opera. On the concert stage, she has appeared as the alto soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Utah Symphony, in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the Oratorio Society of Virginia, and in Beethoven’s Mass in C Major with the Chesapeake Chorale. This season, she makes role and company debuts with Opera Western Reserve as Mercédès (Carmen), with Winter Opera St. Louis as Adah (Naughty Marietta), and with L’Opéra Comique de Washington as Metella (La Vie Parisienne) and returns to New York City Opera as Gertrude (Roméo et Juliette). Later this spring, she joins the Canton Symphony Orchestra for a program of Gustav and Alma Mahler songs and Bel Cantanti Opera for a program of Offenbach. Melanie has been recognized by the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Opera Piccola, the Schuyler Foundation for Career Bridges Grant Awards, and the Gerda Lissner Foundation. An Arlington, VA native, she holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, and Mannes College.
