Free Concert Event Honors 9.11 Heroes and First Responders

July 11, 2011 - PRLog -- September 11, 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania. In honor of the civilian heroes and first responders who put themselves in harm’s way to save others, Bel Canto Chorus and the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra will present "United We Stand," a free outdoor concert event. The program will feature appearances by local and state government, community, and religious officials. First responders and veterans are encouraged to attend in uniform, as they will be publicly honored during the concert.  

The centerpiece of the performance will be Mozart’s "Requiem." “This piece is most appropriate because of its historical connection to the attacks on September 11,” said Bel Canto Music Director Richard Hynson. “Nine years ago, a worldwide movement called the ‘Rolling Requiem’ marked the first anniversary of that tragic event by organizing performances of Mozart’s "Requiem" around the world. In Milwaukee, Bel Canto Chorus spearheaded the Wisconsin production that involved numerous local performing artists, including the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. It proved to be a uniquely powerful musical and emotional experience for those who participated and attended. This year’s event aims to instill that same sense of unity, while offering solace, remembrance and healing through music.” The concert will also feature Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” performed by the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra. Written in 1938, it is well-known for its evocation of “pathos and cathartic passion.”

In addition to the chorus and orchestra, the performance will feature special guest soloists Rebecca Whitney (soprano), Nicole Warner (mezzo-soprano), Gregory Schmidt (tenor), and Gerard Sundberg (baritone).  

LISTING INFORMATION

What
United We Stand

Where
Cathedral Square Park (825 N. Jefferson Street, Milwaukee, WI)
Rain site: The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist (812 N. Jackson St., Milwaukee, WI)

Who
Bel Canto Chorus with the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra.  Featuring soloists Rebecca Whitney, Nicole Warner, Gregory Schmidt, and Gerard Sundberg.

Biographies
Richard Hynson, Bel Canto Music Director
This season marks Richard Hynson’s 24th season as Music Director of the Bel Canto Chorus and Orchestra. In addition, Hynson has served as Music Director of the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra since 2006. In demand as a guest conductor, Hynson’s past engagements include performances with the Milwaukee Symphony, The Skylight, and the Racine, Sheboygan, and Waukesha Symphony Orchestras. Hynson has conducted at Carnegie Hall in New York City, where he led a large, national festival chorus and orchestra in Ralph Vaughan Williams’s "Dona nobis pacem." In the summer of 2008, Hynson conducted the string orchestra and chorus for the Prelude Music Academy summer camp in Madison. In 2009, he guest-conducted the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in one of its Concerts on the Square in Madison. He also has been the Music Director for Gathering on the Green, the popular outdoor music festival in Mequon, WI, for the past two summers.

Hynson and members of Bel Canto Chorus have performed internationally at the acclaimed Spoleto Music Festival in Italy, at the Festivals of Troyes and Rheims in France, at the Llangollen Festival in Wales, and at the Elora and Huntsville Festivals in Canada.  During Bel Canto’s most recent tour, Hynson and members of Bel Canto International, including singers from six states, performed to critical acclaim in Ireland.  In addition to its annual concert season, the chorus is often called upon to participate in national touring performances.  In July 2010, Bel Canto participated in "Star Wars in Concert;" and in November 2010, Bel Canto sang in the "Video Games Live" national touring concert.  Bel Canto will perform with several orchestras in Argentina and Uruguay in July 2011.

In addition to his work as a conductor and educator, Hynson is a composer.  He has written a substantial body of published choral, vocal, and ensemble works, many of which he has recorded with Bel Canto Chorus singers.  The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants have frequently performed Hynson’s "In the Midst of Life," composed in response to the events of September 11.  Most notably, they presented it in New York City’s Avery Fisher Hall for the national conference of the American Choral Directors Association.  

Music critic Elaine Schmidt (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 11, 2010) wrote, “The Bel Canto Chorus and music director Richard Hynson…gave a dynamic, polished performance [and] thoughtful, credible performances of the selections.”

Tickets
The concert is free and open to the public.  Premium tickets ($100) include chair seating, a guaranteed seat inside the Cathedral in case of rain, and access to the post-concert reception.  To purchase tickets, please call the Box Office at (414) 481-8801.  

About Bel Canto Chorus
Formed in 1931, Bel Canto Chorus is Southeastern Wisconsin’s longest continuously performing arts group. Under the direction of Maestro Richard Hynson, the chorus opened its 80th anniversary season last October to a sold-out house and rave reviews of its “dynamic, polished performance” (Elaine Schmidt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).  http://www.BelCanto.org

About Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, Richard Hynson, director, presents the finest quality music and innovative programming for small orchestra and ensembles through performances, education and outreach; offers professional performance opportunities for professional musicians and artists; and collaborates with other arts and educational organizations. http://www.MilwaukeeChamberOrchestra.org

Contact information/interviews
For additional information, promotional photos, or interview requests, contact Bel Canto Chorus at (414) 481-8801.

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Bel Canto Chorus is Milwaukee’s premier choral organization. Founded in 1931, Bel
Canto is committed to enriching the lives of its audiences and singing members through
the outstanding live presentation of choral music.