Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice

Official logo created in 2011

The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice is an annual festival of vocal music held in Phoenicia, New York during the first week of August. The Festival was founded in 2010 and includes a variety of vocal music performances including opera, gospel music, world music, and musical theatre. In 2012 the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce awarded the festival "Best Cultural Event of the year".[1](

Elizabeth Futral performing at the 2010 festival

History

2010

The festival grew out of a one-off concert in 2009, "Opera under the Stars", to raise money for a children's playground in Phoenicia, a small hamlet in the Catskills. The concert was organized and performed by opera singers who live in Phoenicia—mezzo-soprano Maria Todaro and baritone Louis Otey. The success of the concert led to the first official festival the following year, a three-day event featuring performances by Elizabeth Futral and the Native American flutist Joseph Firecrow.

2011

The festival expanded to four days and offered 22 events attracting over 4,000 people to Phoenicia. Highlights included Mozart's Don Giovanni with a full orchestra conducted by Steven White, the Voices of Distinction Gala starring soprano Lauren Flanigan, and performances by gospel singer Rozz Morehead and Arabic oud master Simon Shaheen.

2012

In 2012, the festival attracted over 5,000 people. Festival highlights included a performance of Madama Butterfly, starring Yunah Lee and Richard Troxell, and a gala titled "Voice of Distinction: Broadway", featuring established Broadway professionals as well as newcomers. The festival closed with a presentation of Peter Schickele's 12 Months, a concerto for piano and choir, narrated by the composer and featuring Justin Kolb and Barry Banks.[2]

2013

The Voices of Distinction Gala celebrated the bicentennial of Richard Wagner and featured Jeanne Michele Charbonet, Victoria Livengood, Alfred Walker, Eduardo Villa, Babette Hierholzer and Jurgen Apell.[3][4] The festival's centerpiece was Verdi's Rigoletto. The opera, selected to honor the bicentennial of Verdi's birth, was conducted by Steven White with guest artists Barry Banks, Nancy Allen Lundy and Louis Otey. Other performances included a cantorial concert by Cantor Jack Mendelson of Westchester County's Temple Israel; Terrence McNally's Master Class, featuring Irene Glezos; Two's Company.. Three's a Crowd, a piano / orator collaboration concert with Carey Harrison and Justin Kolb; Spirit of Sephardad, featuring Gerard Edery. The festival concluded with Verdi's Requiem, conducted by David Wroe and featuring soloists Rosa D'Imperio, Maria Todaro, Stephan Kirchgraber and Eduardo Villa.[5][6]

Other features of the 2013 festival included a first-time offering of a vocal workshop available to the public, a gospel celebration concert, lectures, story telling for children and adults, and a master class for young singers.

2014

Voices of Distinction: Baroque with Brian Asawa, Barber of Seville with Lucas Meachem, Maria Todaro directed by Beth Greenberg, El Amor Brujo by Manuel de Falla, La Misa Criolla, Jose Todaro and his "Mediterranean Fiesta", The Seven Favorite Maladie of Ludwig van Beethoven by Carey Harrison with Justin Kolb, Gospel, Festival Orchestra and choir directed by David Wroe and Elizabeth Scott.

Advisory board

Members of the Advisory Board of the Festival of the Voice include Deborah Voigt, Frederica von Stade, Leon Botstein, Peter Schickele, Ira Siff and as of 2014, Georges Prêtre.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Tonner nabs top Ulster business honor". Daily Freeman. August 26, 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2014.(
  2. ↑ Wise, Tad (August 1, 2011). "The Hills are alive". Roll Magazine. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  3. ↑ Scherer, jenna (2013-07-30). "At four, the Phoenicia Festival of the Voice is bigger than ever". Watershedpost. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  4. ↑ Solis, marie (July 1, 2013). "Climbing to a Crescendo". Chronogram. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  5. ↑ Mitchell, Paula-Ann (August 1, 2013). "Phoenicia Festival of The Voice, a star-studded affair.". Daily Freeman. Retrieved 9 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Phoenicia Festival of The Voice". OperaPulse.
  7. ↑ Phoenicia International Festival of The Voice. Board of Advisors

External links

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