Music Behind the Vatican Walls
VIEW EVENT DETAILSAsia Society Music Series
Registration: 6:15pm
Performance: 6:30pm
Close: 7:30pm
Music Behind The Vatican Walls is an unusual, yet fascinating concert that will bring together a repertoire of A Cappella songs, ancient Gregorian chants, performed by a Croatian choir in several languages (including Chinese) as well as traditional organ pieces on the 80th birthday of His Holiness Pope Francis in celebration of Christmas. A real three-manual organ will enter the Asia Society Hong Kong Center premises for the first time to enchant the audience alongside the world-renowned Russian soprano Olga Makarina from New York’s Metropolitan Opera.
Program*
Organ |
A Cappella |
J. S. Bach – Prelude in F-Flat Major BWV 552 Boroding – In the steppes of central Asia |
J. Juratovic – Missus Venit |
J. S. Bach – “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” BWV 645 |
Traditional Americal Song - Down to the rive to pray |
M. Reger – Weihnachten op. 145/3 |
F. Gruber – Tiha Noc |
C. M. Widor – Symphonie No. 7, V. “Lento” |
F. Meldenssohn – Beati Motrui |
P.A. Yon – Prelude “Dies est laetitiae” |
J. Newton – Amazing Grace |
Russian folk – Legend of twelve bandits |
|
A. M. Liguori – Tu scendi dalle stelle |
|
Olga Makarina |
Davide Damiani |
Bach/Gunod – Ave Maria | Adams – O Holy Night |
*Program is subject to change.
Davide Damiani (Baritone) completed his studies in singing, double-bass, composition and conducting at the conservatories of Pesaro, Parma and Bologna. He was assistant conductor to Gustav Kuhn at the Arena Sferisterio in Macerata and after this period, he received many invitations from different opera houses and concert halls in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. In 1993, alongside his conducting activities, he made his debut as a baritone in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (title role) in Tel Aviv. Davide has worked with many distinguished conductors, such as Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Chailly, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and stage directors such as Franco Zeffirelli, Hans Neuenfels, Robert Carsen, Cesare Lievi, David Pountney and Stephen Lawless.
A graduate of the Mannes School of Music, soprano Olga Makarina was born in Archangel, Russia. She also holds master's degrees in piano and voice from the St. Petersburg Conservatory. She has won a number of important prizes and awards including the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, the Musicians Emergency Fund and the Liederkranz Competition. Ms Makarina travels all over the world to give master classes. She has taught in Israel, Russia, USA and Japan, as well as the Elena Obraztsova International Academy of Music in St. Petersburg. Ms Makarina is currently at her 18th season at The Metropolitan Theatre in New York.
Francesca Ajossa (Organist) was born in Cagliari, Italy. She is studying organ at the Palestrina Conservatory. She participated in the Organ Festival of Young Talents of Fermo Cathedral, the International Organ Festival of the Palestrina Conservatory and the Mediterranean Organ Festival. Francesca was admitted to the International Bach Academy for Organ in 2015. She recently won the Second Prize in the National Organ Competition Premio Abbado as the youngest winner of the competition. She is also one of the eight young organists who’ve been selected to take part in the Young Talents Class at the Haarlem Organ Academy 2016.
The Klapa music is a form of traditional 'A cappella' singing in Dalmatia, southern costal part of Croatia. The word klapa translates as "a group of friends" and traces its roots to littoral Church songs. A Cappella Choir Klapa Mriža was founded in 2008 in Split and in the past several years, they won one gold, one silver and two bronze audience awards at the prestigious Festival of Dalmatian klapas in Omiš. They are recognized as one of the best Croatian klapas today despite average age of just 27. In their first year together they also won a best debut award at the same festival. In the last two years, at the Jelsa od Versa Festival in Jelsa, Hvar, they won double award for best traditional song interpretation, one First Audience Award, one First and one Second jury awards.
In collaboration with:
The Holy See Study Mission in Hong Kong
Co-presenter: