Bel Canto Chorus Takes on Eric Whitacre, Billy Joel, Toto, and More

MILWAUKEE - April 16, 2015 - PRLog -- (MILWAUKEE, WI)-  “This is not your parents’ typical choral concert!  This is all about the sounds of today and what music has captured the imagination of listeners here and around the globe,” says Richard Hynson, Music Director of Bel Canto Chorus.  Performing works of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Billy Joel, Grammy winner Eric Whitacre, jazz great Duke Ellington, and young breakout star Jake Runestad, among others, Bel Canto Chorus will present Modern American Choral Masters on Wednesday, May 20, at 7 PM at 1451 Renaissance Place on the East Side of Milwaukee.  Bel Canto invites patrons to meet many of today’s hottest American choral composers through works that will move, amuse, and delight.  “You will hear the breadth and depth of the American Choral scene,” says Hynson.  From the incredibly moving “Lux” by Paul Fowler to an energetic choral version of Toto’s “Africa,” this concert promises to excite any music lover. Tickets ($29 - $37) are available online at www.belcanto.org or by phone at (414) 481-8801 (Monday – Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM). Senior, student, and group discounts are available.

LISTING INFORMATION

WHAT: Modern American Choral Masters
Leonardo Dreams of His Flying Machine, Eric Whitacre
My Flight for Heaven, Blake R. Henson
Africa, David Paich and Jeff Porcaro
Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Duke Ellington and Bob Russell
There Will Be Rest, Frank Ticheli
Cloudburst, Eric Whitacre
And So It Goes, Billy Joel
The Road Home, Stephen Paulus
Lux, Paul Fowler
Stand by Me, Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller
Fear Not, Dear Friend, Jake Runestad
Nyon, Nyon, Jake Runestad

WHO: Bel Canto Chorus

WHERE: 1451 Renaissance Place, 1451 Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53202

WHEN: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 7 PM

TICKETS:  Tickets ($29 - $37) are available online at www.belcanto.org or by phone at (414) 481-8801 (Monday – Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM). Senior, student, and group discounts are available.

About Richard Hynson (Music Director of Bel Canto Chorus)

This season marks Richard Hynson’s 27th year as Music Director of the Bel Canto Chorus. 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 Music Theatre, 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’ Dona Nobis Pacem. He has guest-conducted the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in one of the Concerts on the Square in Madison. He has also served as the Music Director for Gathering on the Green, the popular outdoor music festival in Mequon, WI.

In 2012, Hynson was awarded the American Prize – community choral division.  Hynson and members of Bel Canto Chorus have performed internationally at the acclaimed Spoleto Music Festival in Italy, the Festivals of Troyes and Rheims in France, the Llangollen Festival in Wales, and the Elora and Huntsville Festivals in Canada. In 2010, Bel Canto participated in Star Wars in Concert and in the Video Games Live national touring concert, and in February 2013, Bel Canto sang in the Distant Worlds touring concert. The chorus completed a successful international tour in July 2011, performing with several orchestras in Argentina and Uruguay, and in June 2013, Hynson conducted Bel Canto and two French choruses in three performances of Brahms’ Requiem with L’Ensemble Orchestral de Bordeaux in France.

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.

About Bel Canto Chorus
Founded in 1931, Bel Canto Chorus enriches the lives of its audiences and members through the presentation of fine choral music.  The group has been led for more than 26 years by Richard Hynson, considered one of the nation's finest choral and orchestral conductors (American Prize Winner 2012). Bel Canto Chorus ranks in the top ten percent of choral organizations in the country in terms of budget, longevity, and repertoire. Educational outreach includes Bel Canto Senior Singers and Bel Canto Boy Choir. Rehearsals are held at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. Characterized by a heartfelt belief in the value of Bel Canto Chorus, and supported by its 100+ devoted singers, audiences, talented artistic and administrative staff, and dedicated board members, the group's passion for sharing the thrill of live, choral music has remained steadfast throughout its long, proud history.

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

Bel Canto Chorus
www.belcanto.org (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=g9pxz8n6&et=11036333696...)
(414) 481-8801

Administrative Offices
158 N. Broadway
Milwaukee, WI 53202