CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS CONCERTS 2017

CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS

Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at 8pm
Wednesday, December 20, 2017 8pm
Concert at The Church of the Ascension, Fifth Ave at Tenth Street, NYC
Featuring Young Artist Soloist Liv Redpath, Trumpeter Kevin Cobb and the U.S. Premiere of 'Hands' by Sorel Artist Jocelyn Hagen

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR 12/19/2017

PURCHASE TICKETS FOR 12/20/2017

Just a few blocks from the Christmas tree under Washington Square Arch, the artistically revered Church of the Ascension is never more beautiful than at Christmas, when it is filled with evergreens and song. Built in 1840, its interior design, overseen by architect Stanford White, includes art by Louis Saint-Gaudens and John LaFarge. The Voices of Ascension chorus evokes Christmases past and present, performing traditional carols and festive works in an intimate, candlelit setting - including the U.S. premiere of Jocelyn Hagen’s Hands. Joyous, gorgeous, and exuberant, this is music that was written for everyone to enjoy. VoA is joined by a young star vocal soloist and trumpet virtuoso Kevin Cobb, and the audience will be invited to join in singing much-loved carols.

LIV REDPATH, SOPRANO
AWARD-WINNING SOPRANO, LOS ANGELES & SANTA FE OPERAS

Liv Redpath begins her 2017/18 season as a second year Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist with LA Opera. Her mainstage work in LAO’s season includes singing L’Amour in John Neumeier’s new production of Orphée et Eurydice and Frasquita in Carmen (both under maestro James Conlon). She sings Countess Ceprano and covers Gilda in Rigoletto, and also covers Cunégonde in Candide. Redpath’s 2016/17 season at LA Opera was a significant one: aside from making her debut in the company’s prestigious season opening, she also stepped in for Diana Damrau in performances of Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann under maestro Plácido Domingo. Again with maestro Domingo at the helm, Ms. Redpath appeared as a featured soloist in a gala celebration of the Domingo-Colburn-Stein Young Artist Program’s 10th anniversary. Further work included a host of collaborative projects with LA Opera Artist-in-Residence Matthew Aucoin.  Summer 2017 had Ms. Redpath as an Apprentice Artist at The Santa Fe Opera. Mainstage work there included covering the Queen of Shemakha in Paul Curran’s new production of The Golden Cockerel and scene work as Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier. Previous summers were spent singing Echo in Ariadne auf Naxos with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Héro in Béatrice et Bénédict at the Aspen Music Festival, and with Wolf Trap Opera.  Redpath earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Harvard University and her Master of Music from The Juilliard School. With the latter institution, she had the eminent distinction of being a Kovner Fellow. Favorite roles at Juilliard include Thérèse in Les mamelles de Tirésias, Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, and Angelo in La resurrezione (the last under maestro William Christie).  She has received awards from the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Palm Springs Opera Guild, The Loren L. Zachary Society, and the Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation. She was awarded the Novick Career Advancement Grant and the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from The Juilliard School.  Ms. Redpath's musical versatility is evidenced by her performance of works like Matthew Aucoin's Nosferatu (world premiere performed in LA Opera's Off-Grand series), Schoenberg's String Quartet No. 2 (with Juilliard's ChamberFest), and Babbitt's Philomel (with the Focus! Festival).

KEVIN COBB
TRUMPET, AMERICAN BRASS QUINET

Trumpeter Kevin Cobb became a member of the American Brass Quintet in the fall of 1998. Prior to his joining the ABQ, he had been a member of the Manhattan Brass Quintet and Meridian Arts Ensemble. Currently Mr. Cobb serves on the faculties of The Juilliard School, SUNY Stony Brook, New York University, and the Aspen Music School. He performs regularly in New York with such organizations as the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Equally at home in the orchestral realm, he has served as guest principal trumpet with numerous orchestras throughout the United States and Europe, and is co-principal trumpeter of the Aspen Festival Orchestra. His first solo CD entitled "One" features an all-American program of unaccompanied trumpet solos on the Summit Label. He holds a BM from the Curtis Institute of Music and an MM from The Juilliard School.