Musicians of Ma’alwyck and Excelsior Vocal Ensemble have announce a collaboration to present Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell, a Baroque opera rarely performed in the Capital Region.
The opera will be presented in conjunction with John Blow’s Ode on the Death of Mr. Henry Purcell. Dido and Aeneas, based on The Aeneid, is one the earliest English operas.
There will be two performances: February 20 at 7pm at Bethesda Episcopal Church in Saratoga Springs and February 22 at 3pm at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Soloists include Claire McCahan as Dido, AddieRose Brown as Belinda, Opera Saratoga Michel Segura as Aeneas, and Sharon Greene as the Sorceress.
This semi-staged performance directed by Sharon Greene will feature acclaimed soloists as well as premiere dance interludes. John Blow’s Ode, scored for chamber orchestra and two tenors, was written as a tribute to Blow’s student after his death. Excelsior Vocal Ensemble is a new vocal chamber ensemble in the Capital Region under the direction of esteemed emerging conductor Andrew Burger, Capital Region native.
Burger is a conductor and vocalist from Niskayuna. In addition to his position as Artistic Director of Excelsior Vocal Ensemble, Inc., he is the current Artistic Director and Conductor of the Octavo Singers in Schenectady and the Director of Music Ministries at the Niskayuna Reformed Church.
Musicians of Ma’alwyck bring history to life through provocative musical performances in the Greater Capital Region and beyond. Now entering their 25th Anniversary Season, they have made a significant impact on the local arts scene through hundreds of unique classical music performances and projects.
The ensemble’s mission is to commemorate and bring forth historic, majestic, and rarely performed great works in high-caliber performances. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Musicians of Ma’alwyck founded by Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz is a regional chamber group focused on presenting period music.
Founded in 2000 by violinist and artistic director Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, Musicians of Ma’alwyck evolved from performing music that may have been heard in Albany in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries to an expanded repertory, including twentieth-century and contemporary works, in addition to commissioning new works from emerging composers. Based in the Capital Region but performing throughout New York State and beyond, the ensemble serves a diverse audience of music lovers, history enthusiasts, and supporters of the arts.
Core musicians include Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, artistic director and violin; Norman Thibodeau, flute; Sten Isachsen, guitar; André Laurent O’Neil, cello. The group frequently collaborates with local, national, and international artists and organizations from a diversity of backgrounds and artistic styles. The ensemble performs five concert programs per season in addition to specially curated events, including wine tastings and galas, at unique venues throughout the region. Performances are almost always multimedia, and each concert series includes a number of run-out shows at museums and historic venues, churches, and community and retirement centers.
In addition to public performance, MofM has also explored the world of short film, and produces about one film per year. Musicians of Ma’alwyck have been in residence at the Schuyler Mansion in Albany for 25 years, and currently hold a residency at SUNY Schenectady. The ensemble released their first commercial CD in 2016, Music in the Schuyler Mansion, which the Times Union called “elegant and charming,” and their second in 2021, Hyde Hall & the Silver Goddess: Operatic Brilliance of Auber, Bellini, Meyerbeer, and Rossini from the Drawing Room. They have been nominated five times for a Thomas Edison Capital Region Music Award and have been featured on WMHT and WAMC radio stations and in film festivals.
For tickets visit here.
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