TWO CULTURES, ONE DREAM DCINY Debut Conductor ANA …€¦ · BRIAN WAHLSTROM, Baritone & Narrator* CHAI-LUN YUEH, Baritone JIAJU SHEN, Pipa Distinguished Concerts Orchestra Distinguished

Monday Evening, February 16, 2015, at 7:00Isaac Stern Auditorium / Ronald O. Perelman Stage

Iris Derke, Co-Founder and General Director Jonathan Griffith, Co-Founder and Artistic Director

presents

TWO CULTURES, ONE DREAMJIE YI, DCINY Debut ConductorANA ISABEL LAZO, Soprano*

BRIAN WAHLSTROM, Baritone & Narrator*CHAI-LUN YUEH, Baritone

JIAJU SHEN, PipaDistinguished Concerts Orchestra

Distinguished Concerts Singers International

XIAN XINGHAI Yellow River Cantata (30 minutes) 1. Boatmen’s Song 2. Ode to the Yellow River 3. Sing to the Yellow River 4. An Antiphonal Duet at the Riverside 5. Lament of the Yellow River 6. Defend the Yellow River 7. Unleash Your Anger, the Yellow River

IntermissionPlease hold your applause until the end of each complete work.

PLEASE SWITCH OFF YOUR CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES.

JONATHAN GRIFFITH, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor

EARNESTINE RODGERS ROBINSON, Visiting ComposerHEATHER SORENSON, Arranger, Orchestrator and Accompanist

ANA ISABEL LAZO, Soprano*TSHOMBE SELBY, Tenor

BRIAN WAHLSTROM, Baritone*JAMES T. MEEKS AND MICHELLE R. MCKISSACK, Narrators

EARNESTINE RODGERS Exodus (World Premiere) (60 minutes) ROBINSON Part I: Let My People Goarr. and orch. Heather Sorenson 1. Cry of the People 2. Let My People Go 3. The Passover Part II: Deliverence 4. Fear Not 5. Song of Moses 6. Song of Miriam Part III: In the Wilderness 7. Manna From Heaven 8. The Ten Commandments Part IV: Triumph 9. The Lord is My Shepherd 10. Great is His Name

We Want To Hear From You!

Upload your intermission photos and post-show feedback to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!#2cultures1dream @DCINY

DCINY thanks its kind sponsors and partners in education: Artist Travel Consultants, VH-1Save the Music, Education Through Music, High 5, and Hyatt Hotel Corporation. We wouldlike to thank the Asian Performing Arts Council and its iSING! International Young ArtistsFestival for introducing and teaching Mandarin as a lyric language to young Western singers.

iSING!’s found and artistic director is the world-renowned bas Hao Jiang Tian.

*Ms. Lazo and Mr. Wahlstrom are both appearing with DCINY this evening courtesy of iSING!

For information about performing on DCINY’s series or about purchasing tickets, [email protected], call 212-707-8566, or visit our website at www.DCINY.org.

DISTINGUISHED CONCERTS INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK250 W. 57TH STREET, SUITE 1610

NEW YORK, NY 10107212-707-8566

Notes ON THE PROGRAMThe historic Yellow River Cantata waswritten in 1939 by Xian Xinghai withpoems and lyrics by Guang Weiran.This major Chinese work uses Chineseand Western musical styles and waswritten to encourage the Chinese peo-ple to take up arms against theirinvaders.

1. Boatmen’s SongThe exciting beginning depicts the boatmen’s struggle against torrents whilecrossing the river. Optimism and laugh-ter lightens the mood, but the strugglecontinues!

2. Ode to the Yellow RiverThis movement evokes the flow of theYellow River with all its grandeur andstrength.

3. Sing to the Yellow RiverA simple melody with an expression ofsuffering and lament, while still beingfull of hope and spirit.

4. An antiphonal Duet at the RiversideThe tune of this folk song is of Shanxiorigin. The male singers bring the tradi-tional passages to life.

5. Lament of the Yellow RiverThis is the voice of all suppressedwomen—the tearful lament of thosehumiliated by their oppressor. The songis tragic, soulful, and very moving.

6. Defend the Yellow RiverThis majestic, stirring Chinese melodymoves from a two-part canon to threeand eventually four parts. It is sungwith strength, vitality and optimism.

7. Unleash your Anger, the Yellow RiverThe ‘Yellow River’ theme symbolizesthe river’s greatness, passionatelyinspiring all to stand strong againsttheir oppressors. A four-part chorus issincere and magnificent, full of passionand encouragement. The final words“Sound the struggling siren, to allthose who suffer in the world!” arerepeated until the song’s end. The tur-bulence of the river will inspire allthose who are suppressed throughoutthe whole world.

—Translated by Iris Cheng and Ryan Chow

XIAN XINGHAI The Yellow River Cantata

Exodus is a four-part oratorio with nar-ration that passionately depicts thestory of the enslaved and downtroddenIsraelites living in the land of Egypt;deliverance from Egyptian captivity;and their ultimate triumph in reachingtheir destination– the Promised Land.

The first part tells of the sufferingIsraelites’ cry to be set free and God’sresponse to their cries. God callsMoses and commissions him to godown to Egypt and bring forth Hispeople from the land of bondage. Part

Two paints a dynamic portrait of theIsraelites’ deliverance at the Red Seaand presents songs of praise to God forsetting them free. Part Three gives anaccount of the trials and tribulationsthat the Israelites encountered in thewilderness as they journeyed towardthe Promise Land. The final part is aglorious exultation of victory as thechildren of Israel finally reached theirdestination, Canaan. It is filled withhigh praise to God, for delivering themfrom bondage in Egypt and bringingthem into the Promised Land.

EARNESTINE RODGERS ROBINSON Exodus (World Premiere)

Texts AND TRANSLATIONSYellow River CantataXIAN XINGHAI

:

! !

……!

.

Boatmen’s SongNarration:Friends, have you been to the Yellow River? Have you crossed the Yellow River?Do you remember the boatmen fighting desperately against the surging waves?Listen, if you do not remember!

Chorus:Hey-yo! Row! Storm clouds cover the sky! Waves soar as high as the mountains!The cold wind brushes against our faces! The waves crash against the boat!Comrades, keep alert! Helmsman, hold tight! Stay vigilant, do not slacken! Fightfor your lives, don’t lose courage! Don’t be afraid of the monstrous waves!Steering the boat is just like being in the battlefront! Unite and pursue forward!Hahahaha! The shore is in sight, we have landed safely, we can finally be at easeand catch our breath. We are ready to face the wrath of the Yellow River again!

Ode to the Yellow RiverNarration:Friends! The Yellow River, with its daring enthusiasm, has emerged from the vastplains of Asia. Mighty and staunch our national spirit it displays! Here, before theRiver. Let’s sing our song of praise.

Baritone:I stand on the mountain peak, gazing at the Yellow River waves as they travelsoutheast. The waves appear golden in the sunset as they rise and fall. The YellowRiver has a natural winding contour from the Kunlun mountains to the YellowSea, dividing the central plains of China into the Northern and Southern parts.Ah, Yellow River! You are the cradle of the Chinese nation! You are the birthplaceof 5,000 years of ancient Chinese culture. Countless stories of heroism haveoccurred on your shores! Ah, Yellow River! Your might is like a giant on theplains of Asia. Your heroic physique can be used to protect our nation. Your for-midable power extends like two arms across both shores. Our national spirit willflourish under your belt! Sing to the Yellow River

Sing to the Yellow RiverNarration:Surely, being sons and daughters of the Yellow River, we struggle hard, our victoryis dawning. Yet, unless our enemy’s wiped out, we will not live in peace. Listen tothe suffering of our people, should you not believe!

Chorus:Water rushes to the east, flowing for miles. Agitated waters and mountainouswaves echo the cries of wolves and tigers. Open waterways and canals have cre-ated a flat plain on the east side of the river. The fertile soil provides ideal condi-tions for crops to grow. Men and women of all ages live in happiness. Since thearrival of the enemy, our people have lived in agony. Their hideous crimes havedestroyed families! As the river continues to flow, families are torn apart!

An Antiphonal Duet at the RiversideNarration:Our family is torn, we live far apart. Yet, should we keep fleeing? Listen to thetwo villagers speak!

Duet and Chorus:Zhang Laosan, I ask you, where is your hometown? My house is in Shanxi,approximately 300 miles from the river. I ask you, are you a farmer or a business-man? I ploughed the fields with my hoe, harvesting various crops. Why then areyou wandering the riverbank alone? Don’t speak of my troubles, I know notwhere my family is. Zhang Laosan, don’t be sad, my life is worse than yours! Why,Wang Laoqi, where is your hometown? In the northeast, doing business. I haven’theard anything from my family for 8 years! Both of us have no home to return to.Our pent-up emotions are swirling rapidly like the waters of the Yellow River!Let’s resolve to taking revenge! For your country, we will be soldiers, fighting onthe Taihang mountain! From today, we will fight to regain our homeland!

Lament of the Yellow RiverNarration:Friends! We must fight back! Our home isn’t the same at all! Who doesn’t have ahome? Who wants to live in tyranny? Listen to a woman’s grief!

Soprano:Oh wind, do not howl! Oh clouds, do not hide! Oh Yellow River, do not weep!Tonight, I stand in front of you, pouring out my hatred and grief. Oh fate, so bit-ter! Oh life, so tough! My enemy, you have no mercy! Oh my baby, you have diedso horribly! We have no grudge between us, yet you have destroyed all my self-worth! Tonight, I want to throw yourself into your embrace, to cleanse my sor-rows and sufferings! Oh my husband, you are as far as the horizon! I will meetyou in another world! Remember how your wife and children have died so tragi-cally! You must avenge their hideous crimes! You need to make them pay for whatthey have done!

Defend the Yellow RiverNarration:Sons and daughters of our Chinese nation, who wants to be slaughtered like pigsand lambs? With determination that we are bound to win. Let’s defend the YellowRiver! Let’s defend Northern China! Let’s defend our entire nation!

Chorus:The wind is howling, the horses are screaming. The Yellow River is roaring. Tothe west stands a tall hill. To the north and east, crops have ripened. There arecountless heroes amidst the mountains! In the green tents live the heroic guerrillaforces! Armed with an assortment of guns, wielding knives and spears, theydefend our hometowns! Defend the Yellow River! Defend the North! DefendChina! Unleash Your Wrath, the Yellow River

Unleash Your Wrath, the Yellow RiverNarration:Listen: The Pearl River is howling! The Yangtze River is in howling! Ah! TheYellow River! Your turbulent water is surging, Your bellow of rage is roaring, tisyour fighting order, to all the down-trodden in China! And the world over!

Chorus:Unleash your wrath, Yellow River! Stir up your relentless waves, let loose yourthunderous wails! Everyone, cry out in battle! Ah! A nation with 5000 years ofhistory, our adversities are many! Our oppressed people cannot bear with the painanymore. However, a new day is dawning for China, four hundred and fifty mil-lion people will unite to defend China to the death. Listen: the Songhua River iscalling, the Heilong River is calling, the Pearl River lets out a courageous roar; theYangtze River is lit up with beacon fire! Ah! Yellow River! Unleash your wrath!Sound your war cry on behalf of China’s suffering people! Sound your war cry onbehalf of all laborers of the world!

—Translated by Ryan Chow

ExodusEARNESTINE RODGERS ROBINSON

Cry of the PeopleOh Lord, my God, have mercy on me. Hear our cry, oh Lord. Hear our cry. Feel our sorrow,Lord; set us free.

Oh Lord, my God, have mercy. Amen, Amen, Amen.

Let My People GoSurely, Surely. Surely, I have heard the affliction of my people.I have heard their cry.I know their sorrow. He knows our sorrow. I am come to deliver My people. Surely, Surely, Surely, Surely

Tell Pharaoh, Let my people go! Go, Pharaoh! Pharaoh! Go! Let my people go!

I have heard their cryI know their sorrow. Go, Let my people go!

The PassoverWeeping and moaning, God smote the first born in all the landof Egypt. We marked our door, We marked ourdoorWith the blood, with the bloodOf the lamb.

And the Lord our God God passed, God passed over us. God broke the shackles and He lifted ourburden.God heard our cry and He set us free. God passed, God passed over us.

Fear NotFear not, fear not, fear not. The Lord is with thee The Lord is near, the Lord is near, Whom shall I fear?

Though a host should encamp roundabout me, Though war should rise up against me, My heart shall not fear For the Lord is near. Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is near, the Lord is near, Whom shall I fear? The Lord is near.

Karov li Adonai, m’ mi ef chad.The Lord is with thee. Karov li Adonai, The Lord is NearKarov li Adonai

Whom shall I fear? The Lord is near. Whom shall I fear?Fear not, the Lord is with thee.

Song of MosesI will sing unto the Lord,For He has triumphed.

The Lord has triumphed.Gloriously!

The horse and his rider, He’s thrown in the sea.God blew with His wind

And the sea covered them. Hallelujah, hallelujah! God blew with His wind and the seacovered them. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

The Lord has made a path in the sea.And He has led us safely through. Hallelujah, Hallelujah!The Lord has led us safely through.

The Lord God is mighty, And He shall reign forever. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!

Song of MiriamGreat is our God And greatly to be praised. Hallelujah!

The horse and his rider He’s thrown into the sea. Lord God redeemed, redeemed Hispeople. Great is our God And greatly to be praised.

Praise His holy nameAs the eagle bears her young on her wings,So the Lord has borne us out of Egyptland.

He has given us the victory. Great is our God And greatly to be praised. Hallelujah!

The Lord God led His people forth. Hallelujah!

Manna From HeavenWe journeyed through the wilderness Weary and worn, weary and worn. Thirsty and hungry

Hungry, hungryThirsty, thirsty.

But God, but God,Quenched our thirst with water from therock.He filled our hunger with manna fromheaven. Morning and evening, Goodness and mercy.

The Lord has poured His grace on us. The Lord God rained bread from heaven.

Journey, journey, journey, journeyWe journeyed through the wildernessweary and worn, Thirsty and hungry

But God, but God,He quenched our thirst with water fromthe rock.The Lord God rained bread fromheaven. My rock and my strength, The everlasting arms. Great is His faithfulness.

The Lord God rained bread fromheaven. The Lord has poured His grace on us. The Lord has fed us manna from heaven.

The Ten CommandmentsI am the Lord thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods beforeme. Thou shalt not make unto thee a gravenimage.

Thou shalt not take the nameOf the Lord thy God in vain, Remember the Sabbath day And keep it holy.

Honor thy father,Honor thy mother, That thy days may be long in the land.

Thou shalt not kill.Thy shalt not commit adultery,They shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thyneighbors. Thou shalt not, thou shalt not.

The Lord is My ShepherdThe Lord is my shepherdAnd I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in greenpastures.He leadeth me beside the still watersHe restoreth my soul And He leadeth me in the paths ofrighteous.

Though I walk through the valley of theshadow of death.I will fear no evil.For the Lord is with me.

The Lord is my shepherd, And I shall not want.

He prepares a table before meIn the presence of my enemiesHe anointeth my head with oilAnd my cup runneth over.

Surely, goodness and mercy shall followme All of the days of my lifeAnd I will dwell in the house of the Lord.

Forever and everAmen.

Great is His NameUnto us our God has come, He has shown His mighty powerGreat is His name!

Almighty God, Everlasting God, All the ends of the earth shall see Hissalvation.He has done unto marvelous things.

Unto us, our God has come.Great is His nameAlmighty God, everlasting God!

And He shall reign forever. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujahHe shall reignForever and everUnto us,Our God has come.

Great is His nameAlmighty! Jehovah! Redeemer! OurSavior! The Alpha! Omega! Messiah! Hisglorious name!His name, Great is His name!

Unto us our God has comeHe has shown His mighty power

Unto us, our God has comeGreat is His name.

Great, great, great, greatGreat is His nameAmen!

THE ArtistsJie Yi teaches at the Shanghai Conser-vatory of Music and is the ResidentConductor of Shanghai Opera Chorus.In 2006, he was selected to study withMaestro John Nelson in Paris by the“Internship and Overseas Fellowshipfor Young Conductors” sponsored bythe U.S. China Cultural Institute andCultural Associate of the Committee of100. In 2010, he received the “HuangHe Fellowship” sponsored by AsianCulture Council to study at the Metro-politan Opera under Chorus MasterDonald Palumbo as well as ThomasMuraco and Andrew Megill. He hasalso received full scholarship to studychoral conducting with Kent Tritle atManhattan School of Music.

In 2011, he participated in the JarviSummer Festival where he was invitedto perform with Neeme Jarvi and ParvoJarvi. In 2008, he was assistant conduc-tor to Maestro Lorin Maazel for the“Symphony Open Day” with the NewYork Philharmonic. In France, Mr. Yi isa finalist of the “Besancon InternationalCompetition for Young Conductors”and one of six conductors to be chosenfor the Vendome International Acad-emy of Conducting.

Mr. Yi has conducted and assisted con-ducting performances of Elijah,Messiah, Die Jahreszeiten, Carmina

Burana, Bach B minor Mass, Mozart’sand Verdi’s Requiems, and MahlerSymphony No. 8. A selection of hisoperatic conducting experience includesDie Zauberflöte, Le Nozze di Figaro,Così fan tutte, Don Carlo, La Traviata,L’elisir d’amore, La Bohème, Il Trittico,Turandot, The Merry Widow, Carmen,and I Capuleti e i Montecchi. He hasconducted the Ensemble Orchestra deParis, Orchestra de Besancon, EstonianNational Youth Orchestra, Parnu CityOrchestra, Shanghai PhilharmonicOrchestra, Shanghai Opera HouseOrchestra & Chorus, and ShenzhenSymphony Orchestra, among others. In2012, Mr. Yi was invited to give aninterview with Italian Vogue Magazinein the series “China to the Future” fea-turing internationally renowned artists.

JIE YI, DCINY Debut Conductor

Ana Isabel Lazo, a Guatemalansoprano has captivated audiences withher sonority and colorful timbre. A ver-satile repertorie, soulful presence andgood technique—make her a promisingtalent for the operatic stage.

Ms. Lazo began her studies at a youngage in Guatemala City. She later movedto Italy, where she resided for fouryears, to study with soprano DonataD’Annunzio Lombardi. Currently, shestudies with Maestro Bill Schuman inNew York City. She has participated inmaster classes and worked privatelywith Rolando Panerai, Rockwell Blake,Ines Salazar and Katia Riacciarelli.

Ms. Lazo has been heard in several the-aters in Guatemala (National Theater),Nicaragua (Ruben Darío Theater),Costa Rica (Melico Salazar), Panama(Anayanci), Mexico (Queretaro ConcertHall), China (Beijing National Centrefor the Performing Arts and The BeijingCentury Theater), United States ofAmerica (Alice Tully Hall) and Italy(The Puccini Festival). She had beenacclaimed for her operatic appearancesin the main roles of Tosca, Suor Angel-ica, Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni),Mimí (La Bohème), and Liú (Turandot).

During 2010 and 2011, Ms. Lazo partic-ipated in the Young Artist Program atthe Puccini Festival “Accademia di per-fezionamento per cantanti Lirici delFestival Pucciniano” at Torre del Lago,Italy; and the “Ensamble Opera Studio”at Genoa’s Carlo Felice. Ms. Lazo wasawarded for her “Historical Executionof Italian Opera” by Il Comitato diGuatemala dalla Societá Dante Alighieri,The “Asociación Artista del Año,” andshe has been finalist for the internationalcompetitions “Gianluca Ricci” (2009)and “Città di Bologna” (2011). In 2012she participated in the international sum-mer program “iSing! Festival” in China,and in 2013 she was part of the “ChinaInternational Youth Arts Festival.”

ANA ISABEL LAZO, Soprano

Ting Li, Tenor, from ZhejiangProvince, China, obtained his B.A. inVoice and Opera at the ShanghaiConservatory of Music. Ting is current-ly attending Yale School of Music as afirst-year Master of Music student inthe Opera Program, in conductingunder Professor Richard Cross.

At the Shanghai Conservatory of Music,Ting studied with Professor Bo Song. In2012, Ting sang in the annual celebra-tion for the European Union Chamber ofCommerce. In the same year, Ting joinedthe “Three Opera Singers Group” andfrequently performed in MainlandChina. He also became a mentee in theShanghai International Vocal MusicMaster Class and was recommended bymaestros Mrs. Xiaoyan Zhou and Mr.Marco Boemi. In 2013, he took on lead-ing roles in numerous opera scenesincluding L’elisir d’amore, Così fan tutte,Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Die Fledemaus,as well as West Side Story.

While at Yale University in 2014, Tingsang main character roles in operasGianni Schicchi, Aleko, La Nozze diFigaro and opera scenes Romèo etJulliet and Les Contes d’Hoffmann.Ting also performed as soloist singingHandel’s Messiah in Hartford Chorale.Ting was recently selected to partici-pate in the ASPEN program in the com-ing summer of 2015.

TING LI, Tenor

American Baritone, Brian Wahlstrom isin the midst of a dynamic career thatincludes opera, musical theater, artsong, and popular music. His mostrecent concert appearances includeCarnegie Hall (Zankel), Alice TullyHall at Lincoln Center and TheNational Center for Performing Arts inBeijing. As an avid performer ofChinese repertoire, he was honored tobe an inaugural member of iSing!Beijing, a distinguished cross-culturalinitiative led by famed MetropolitanOpera Bass, Hao Jiang Tian. With ISB,Brian has performed with some of theworld’s leading orchestras including theNCPA Orchestra and The New YorkCity Opera Orchestra and hasappeared on several national broad-

casts in China, including the “ChineseBridge” on Hunan TV. His most recentoperatic and musical theater rolesinclude Giovanni, Don Giovanni;

BRIAN WAHLSTROM, Baritone and Narrator

Chai-lun Yueh, award-winning artist,is a dramatic baritone with a rich andpowerful voice, a music director, andvoice educator. Mr. Yueh is the firstChinese-born classical musician toreceive a Grammy Award nomination.He is also a winner of MetropolitanOpera National Council Auditions anda finalist at the Pavarotti InternationalVocal Competition.

His vocal album 24 Italian Songs andArias won The Prestige Music Awards ofGold in 2012 and The Global MusicAwards (Award of Excellence) in 2013.The vocal album Infinite Time, a collec-tion of the best and well-known Chineseart songs, also received the Gold Awardfrom The Prestige Music Awards in 2013.

Over the last two decades, Mr. Yuehhas worked closely with many distin-guished directors and conductors suchas Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Gino Bechi,Sherrill Milnes, Nancy Milnes, AntonGuadagno, Yves Abel and AdelaideBishop. He successfully portrayed theleading operatic roles such as Tonio,Rigoletto, Giorgio Germont, Escamillo,Marcello, Sharpless, and Count Alma-viva. His voice has been heard at TheNational Opera of China, the AustinLyric Opera, the Baltimore Opera, theConnecticut Opera, the Hawaii Operaand Opera Theater of Connecticut.

As the soloist, he has performed atCarnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, ChicagoSymphony Hall, Boston SymphonyHall, The Strathmore Music Hall inMaryland, Jordan Hall in Boston, andWoolsey Hall at Yale University. Mr.Yueh has also performed in Vienna,Salzburg, Paris and Prague.

Mr. Yueh received a B.A. from theCentral Conservatory of Music ofChina, and Artist Diploma and Masterof Music from The Hartt School. Hehas also studied with Mrs. MarlenaMalas of The Julliard School andManhattan School of Music in NewYork City.

CHAI-LUN YUEH, Baritone

Manuel, La Vida Breve; Mr. Gedge,Albert Herring; John Buchanan Jr.,Summer and Smoke, Schicchi, GianniSchicchi, and Judas, Godspell; WillParker, Oklahoma. Mr. Wahlstrom cur-rently resides in San Diego where hehas a successful career as a recordingartist and producer. As a songwriterand pianist, he has been featured on

over twenty studio releases in the lastfour years and has done extensive tour-ing in Europe, Australia, New Zealand,Canada, Mexico and the United States.Brian holds a Bachelor’s degree fromthe University of California San Diego,and a Master of Music fromManhattan School of Music.

Jiaju Shen is a graduate of the ShanghaiTheater Academy and Pratt Institute.She won the Golden Medal of theChina Oriental Arts Star Competition.Jiaju has demonstrated her virtuosity atvarious important venues, performingat the Beijing Olympic and ParalympicGames in 2008, Shanghai Expo ClosingCeremony in 2010, the Shanghai SpringFestival Gala in 2011, United Nations,Consulate General of People’s Republicof China in New York, the Metropoli-tan Museum, Lincoln Center, the RubinMuseum of Art, Summer Stage, Wash-ington Performing Arts Society, theWawa Welcome America Festival,Asian American & Pacific Islander Her-itage Month, Asian American Arts

Alliance, Queens Library, and FlushingTown Hall among many others in 2013and 2014.

JIAJU SHEN, Pipa

JONATHAN GRIFFITH, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor

An acclaimed conductor, educator andlecturer, Jonathan Griffith has led per-formances across North America,Europe and Asia. Griffith is co-founderand Artistic Director of DistinguishedConcerts International New York(DCINY), which has brought together,under Griffith’s artistic leadership, thou-sands of musicians and choral singers inconcert at prestigious venues across theUnited States, including Carnegie Hall,Lincoln Center and Disney Hall. Thefounder and Music Director of the Dis-tinguished Concerts Orchestra, Griffithalso oversees DCINY’s mentoring pro-gram for conductors.

Maestro Griffith made his CarnegieHall conducting debut in 1989 and hassince conducted well over 65 perform-ances at Carnegie Hall and LincolnCenter combined. In addition to themajor works of the classical repertoire,conducting highlights include the U.S.premieres of Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Materand Te Deum; Sergei Taneyev’s UponReading a Psalm; Miloš Bok’s Missa

Solemnis; Luigi Boccherini’s Villancicos;and Eugène Goossens’ reorchestrationof Handel’s Messiah, along with worldpremieres by Eric Funk, Seymour Bern-stein, and Robert Convery.

Maestro Griffith’s additional conduct-ing credits include the MormonTabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City;Manhattan Philharmonic and NewEngland Symphonic Ensemble, both atCarnegie Hall; The European Symphony

Earnestine Rodgers Robinson is arenowned composer whose illustrioussong-writing career began in 1972.Her first oratorio, The Crucifixion wasrequested by the Library of Congressfor its Special Collections. Shortlythereafter, The Crucifixion oratoriowas featured in a documentary, “AWoman and Her Music,” which airedon PBS stations across the country.The Crucifixion oratorio received itsworld premiere at Carnegie Hall in1997. The performance was featured

on CNN’s special segment, “All AboutWomen.” Her oratorio, The Nativity,premiered at Carnegie Hall in 2001under the direction of Jonathan Griffith.Excerpts from the Carnegie Hall per-formance and an interview with thecomposer aired on National PublicRadio as the featured Christmas storyon Christmas morning, 2001. One yearlater, The Nativity oratorio received itsinternational premiere in Prague, CzechRepublic.

Ms. Robinson and her musical journeywere the subject of an award-winning doc-umentary, Sounds of a Miracle thatscreened in academy-nominating film festivals around the country. Her book,Driven by Faith, co-written with her son,Todd (a documentarian and medical doc-tor), takes the reader on a earth-shatteringjourney of finding purpose.

Ms. Robinson resides in Memphis,Tennessee with four of her five chil-dren, Todd, Craig, Michelle, andGaius. Her daughter, Cheryle, lives inChicago, Illinois.

EARNESTINE RODGERS ROBINSON, Visiting Composer

Orchestra in Spain; Bohuslava Martin�Philharmonia and Philharmonia Chorus, Virtuosi Pragensis ChamberOrchestra, Karlovy Vary SymphonyOrchestra, and Dvořák ChamberOrchestra, in the Czech Republic; andthe Bialystok State Philharmonic inPoland, as well as numerous regionalorchestras and choruses across theUnited States.

The Jonathan Griffith Singers, an ensem-ble drawn from singers across NorthAmerica and founded in 1987, has madeits mark internationally. In recent years,Griffith has led the Singers on highlyacclaimed tours to Uruguay andArgentina; to the People’s Republic ofChina, premiering Karl Jenkins’ TheArmed Man: A Mass for Peace in Beijing

and Shanghai; and to Pisa, Italy. Dr. Grif-fith and the Jonathan Griffith Singerstoured Turkey in June of 2013 perform-ing the acclaimed Turkish oratorioYunus Emre by A. Adnan Saygun inIstanbul with the Cemal Reșit ReyOrchestra and in Ankara and Eskin�ehirwith the Presidential Orchestra at theinvitation of the TURKSOY governmen-tal agency. Maestro Griffith is the 2014winner of The American Prize in Con-ducting, professional orchestra division.

Dr. Griffith received his DMA in con-ducting from the Conservatory ofMusic/University of Missouri-KansasCity, a Masters in Music Educationfrom Wichita State University, andBachelor of Music Education from theUniversity of Kansas.

Composer, arranger, and orchestratorHeather Sorenson entered the churchmusic industry several years ago, and hername has quickly become a welcomedfixture in the publishing world. Heatheris hired by the largest and most respectedpublishers in the world, and her compo-sitions remain at the top of bestseller listsand Editor’s Choice selections.

At the age of three, Heather beganplaying the piano. At fifteen, she won amaster class audition with world-renowned pianist Misha Dichter at theUniversity of Wisconsin. Originally recognized for her skill as a pianist,Heather easily transitioned into theworld of composition. Her stylisticdiversity is apparent, as she maneuversboth the traditional and contemporarygenres of music, often combining thetwo for a unique blend that has becomeher artistic fingerprint.

Heather’s publications to date include85 choral compositions, 15 pianobooks, one vocal solo book, and twoalbums. Her compositions are per-formed weekly in thousands of church-es worldwide, as well as in historic con-cert venues including the NationalCathedral, the DAR Constitution Hall,and Carnegie Hall.

Teaching has become a large part ofHeather’s career. She taught all elemen-tary levels of music at Grace Academy ofDallas for four years, served as an adjunctmusic professor at Baylor University’sSchool of Music, and has served on manymaster class panels in piano and song-writing. Heather regularly is a guestspeaker and choral conductor at churchesacross America, and leads scores of ses-sions each year at various worship con-ferences, schools, and universities.

Currently, Heather spends her time jug-gling an extremely full writing load,traveling as a guest artist, conductor,and lecturer, while holding the MusicAssociate position at Lavon DriveBaptist Church in the Dallas area.

HEATHER SORENSON, Arranger and Orchestrator

Tshombe Selby is a native of Manteo,North Carolina. His first introductionto music came when he convinced hisparents to let him join the youth choirat church. He was 5 years old. Hismusical talents and his willingness toshare it were recognized immediately.They were recognized not only by thechurch, but his school, the communityand everyone who heard him sing. Byage 15 he had become Minister ofMusic for his church, taught himself toplay the piano and had performed atcountless school and community events.

After graduating high school, Tshombereceived a Bachelor of Arts Degree in

Music Performance from ElizabethCity State University. While at theUniversity he excelled as a tenor soloistin the University Choir and held theoffice of choir president for severalyears. With the choir, Tshombe touredthroughout the United States, Africaand performed for NC State Senatorsand the United States Congress. It wasthrough his experience with the choirthat he discovered his love for opera.

In the spring of 2013 Tshombe wasinvited to apprentice with Nico Casteland his wife Carol Castel of the NewYork Opera Studio. He worked with theCastels for five months, traveling backand forth between New York City andManteo. In the fall of 2013, he moved toNew York to work with the Castels.This past spring Mr. Selby participatedin a concert produced by the New Yorkopera studio one which he sang the actone duet from Verdi’s La Traviata. Mostrecently Mr. Selby sang the role of KingCasper in Menotti’s Amahl and theNight Visitors with the Delaware ValleyOpera. Tshombe is currently workingon the role of Count Almaviva inRossini’s The Barber of Seville.

TSHOMBE SELBY, Tenor

Pastor James T. Meeks is the founderand senior pastor of Salem BaptistChurch of Chicago, which has been rec-ognized as one of the fastest growingmegachurches in the United States. It isthe largest African American church inIllinois with over 15,000 members.

Pastor Meeks has been in ministry for40 years, which has enabled him tospread the gospel beyond the four wallsof the church to local communities andaround the world including Israel,Africa, China, Jamaica, Argentina, Swe-den, Albania and the Czech Republic. Alifetime fixture in the community, Pas-tor Meeks led a rally to “dry up” thesurrounding area of his church by col-lecting enough votes to close 26 liquorstores in 1998. Deeply committed to thefact that every child deserves a highquality education, Pastor Meeks suc-cessfully ran for Illinois State Senatorfor the 15th Legislative District in2002. During his tenure, he was astaunch advocate for education reformlegislation. He retired from the IllinoisGeneral Assembly in 2013 after servingthree terms.

Pastor Meeks led Salem in the buildingof the House of Hope Arena, a $50 mil-lion, 10,000 seat community andworship center on the far South Side ofChicago in 2005. He launched Vision2007 two years later, which was consid-ered one of the largest community

outreach campaigns organized by a sin-gle church in the country. It will be ayear of many milestones in 2015 forPastor Meeks including the 10thanniversary of the House of HopeArena, the 30th anniversary of SalemBaptist Church of Chicago and his 40thanniversary as a preacher.

On January 12, 2015, Pastor Meekswas selected to serve as chairman of theIllinois State Board of Education. He isthe author of two books: How To GetOut of Debt and Into Praise, and Life-Changing Relationships.

Pastor Meeks received his B.A. in Reli-gion and Philosophy from BishopCollege in Dallas, TX. He and his wife,Jamell, are parents of four children andone grandchild.

JAMES T. MEEKS, Narrator

Michelle R. McKissack is an EmmyAward-winning journalist with anaccomplished broadcasting career rang-ing from reporter and anchor positionsin Memphis and Chicago on ABC, CBSand Fox affiliates. McKissack receivedher bachelor’s and master’s degrees in

journalism from Northwestern Univer-sity in Evanston, Illinois.

Though McKissack’s professional back-ground is in broadcast journalism, hertalents also venture into the entertain-ment industry. She has portrayed therole of reporter and news anchor in themotion pictures, The People vs. LarryFlynt and Castaway. McKissack alsoco-produced Sounds of a Miracle, adocumentary about her mother, com-poser Earnestine Rodgers Robinson,which has won entrance into film festi-vals like the Palm Beach InternationalFilm Festival and the Indie MemphisFilm Festival. She has also performeddramatic narrations as part of hermother’s oratorios, The Crucifixion atCarnegie Hall and The Nativity inPrague with the Czech National Sym-phony.

MICHELLE R. MCKISSACK, Narrator

Austin Chinese Choir (TX), Chung-Hwa Chen, DirectorCalgary Zhi Yin Choir (Canada), Shana Xue Jia Yang, DirectorCollege of Lake County Chamber Singers (IL), Ingrid Israel Mikolajczyk, DirectorDa-Ai Choir (Taiwan), Chen Yun Hung, DirectorDuffy Liturgical Dance Ensemble (OH), Edna Duffy, DirectorKang Hua Singers of Greater Hartford (CT), Chai-lun Yueh, DirectorLakeland Chorale (NJ), James Weber, DirectorThe Music Association of Auckland (New Zealand), Iris Cheng, DirectorNew York Festival Singers (NY), Alec Spencer, DirectorPalatine Children’s Chorus (IL), Rachel Rosellini, DirectorProvidence St. Mel School (IL), David Baar, DirectorRTP Chinese American Chorus (NC), Marshall Zhu, DirectorSalem Baptist Church of Chicago/Chicago Voices United (IL), Walter Owens, DirectorSeattle Chinese Chorus (WA), Lenna Xie, DirectorShanghai Philharmonic Association (China), Weiliang Duan, DirectorSunshine Chorus (China), Weiliang Duan, DirectorSoul Umoja (IL), Alexandra Merritt Mathews, Directorand Individual Singers from around the globe

DISTINGUISHED CONCERTS SINGERS INTERNATIONAL

DCINY would like to thank our Performing Arts Partners listed below, who, withtheir financial support, have made this performance possible.

Distinguished Concerts Singers International Gayle Adkins-McDonaldShao AiRhea AkhauryBeth AllenDiana AndersonIvan AndersonLawanda AndersonChristina AnnerinoOluwatoyosiArogbokunJessica BaileyTerri BakerGabrielle BarfieldAlexandra BaumgartMackenzie BeasleyXiang BixiaRebecca BoraKai BosleyJeremy BoyleDiane BradleyAngelique BrownIsabelle BrownSela BrownGloria BrowningTony BryantAbigail BuschEmily BushmoleAaliyah BynumMariah ByrdWardell A. Campbell IICathie ChancellorYuting ChangAi Fang ChenChi-feng ChenChuan Yue ChenChung-Hwa ChenSophie ChenMing-Chu ChenSue-Lan ChenXiu Yin ChenDominique CheneyIris ChengRegina ChiHwei Chu koDiana ClarkEarl ClarkGabriel ClassonRose ColvinLatrice CookNatasha CornogBaileyPei Qin CuiLei Da

Zhou DacaoTracy DaiZai He DaiWen DalingLinda DanielFelicia DavyTaneia DeBerryGail DentonBao DeqiangTammy DingXiang Hua DingKang Ding DongJing Bei DuanEdna DuffyAdrianne DunbarTy EasleyHai Ying FanZhong Ying FanDarryl FarrowNick FengNicolas FlowersJordan FreerAnna FroehlingXue Dong FuAllison GileKelly GilesKelly GimmlerLinda GlennLinda GrayJianxing GuChen GuizhenKyle HansonHsiao-ming HaoAdina HarrisBrenda HarrisNakeya Harris-RosenthallNikki HaywoodChi-San HoLi-nan HorngXiao Ming HuFei HuangMelanie HubbardGu HuiIngrid IsraelMikolajczykWillamena JacksonQatananiRachael JameauMeselle Jeff-EkeLaverne JenkinsHong JiWen Lan JiMengji Jiang

Min JiangChen JieAprella JohnsonGeminesse JohnsonMarchello JohnsonKaren JonesSamantha JuddKira KeJamaris KennedyEmily KielbaSara KielbaSophie KishIsabella KratzerDoris KwanRaymond KwanEllice KwongAllon Lamot LewisMao LanPrinces Isis LangVincent LauSulien LawShirley LawrenceAllen LeaDebbie LeeKam Lam LeeMichelle LeeSylvia LeeTeddy LeePatrice LewisHai Xia LiPing LiWei LiXiaohong Limo-tze LinTina LinXiao Qin LinJing Yan LiuSophie LiuZou LiushaLu LiyaDaqing LuGuang LyuXiao Yi LyuAi Hua MaJian Hua MaTaryn MaclinPamela MalyLaTisha MarcusAngela MarshallLauren MartinLauretta MartinAlexandra MathewsKay McCastleCarl McGee

Paula McGheeGwen MillerJordan Miller-SurrattAngel MiltonSharon MitchellAnne MokTerence MokLeslie MooreBrittany MoranDenise MorganAngela MosleyJulia MuchaSusan MumpheryDivya MuraliYolanda MylesDavid NietoKelly NiggemannXiaoshan OdomEbonee OffordChynita OrangeOlajuwon OsinaikeJulian T. OwensWalter OwensKyriaki PagonesJim PalmoreMan Ping PanJoe PattersonOree Mellody PayneLindsey PeroneBrianna PickettChen PingyunViveca PoinsetteKyla PollardDamon PollockNaomi PorterSharon PriceBrenda PryorJinna QianLiu QiguoYang QingfenLiuquan QiuPing QiuMarguerite RhodesVincent RichardsonDiana RobinsonLarMont RobinsonLisa RobinsonRick RochelleLyndell RogersShani RuizManasvi SagarkarShi Qun ShenXin Yan ShenWeiming Shi

PERFORMING ARTS PARTNERS

Sydney ShiffmanBeverly SmithDouglas SmithJoseph SmithLeeanne SmithSteven SmithAlan SmitheeVatisha SniderBethany SormanSamantha SowellSimone SowellBrenda SpicerBrea StewardLilly StreichChia-tung SunMeilin SunXiaoping SunHeidi TamCarmen Tao

Aiyanna Tasker-LewisGeneva ToddSheila UptonEmmett VaughnCamilla VazquezTimothy WalkerDebra WalkerJohnsonDa Yong WangRoy WangMakayla WattsRebecca WeedenJiang WeiTang WeihuaDeidre WesleyHelen WhitfieldMia WilliamsLenora Wilson

Thea WilsonAngela WinbornConnie WongRosita WongShirley WongChia-yen WuLi Xing WuPei-chi WuLi XiangfangYu XiaoxuanDefang XieLeming XuLi XuSu Nam XuXiong XueyingJing YanXue YanShana YangWen Jun Yang

Xing Lin YangYi Lin YeFangzi YenWilliam YeungKar YipRita YiuMei Hua YuWenjin YuanHuizu ZhangYa Ping ZhangYuan Zen ZhangSue ZhangYue Hua ZhaoLi ZhiyongLi Qing ZhongZuo Shi ZhouQihong ZhuShurong Zhu

The Performing Arts Partners list includes names supplied by choral directors as of January 13,2015. Any questions regarding missing or misspelled names should be addressed to the individualdirectors.

Founded by Iris Derke (general direc-tor) and Jonathan Griffith (artisticdirector and principal conductor)Distinguished Concerts InternationalNew York is driven by passion, innova-tive vision, a total belief in its artists,and unwavering commitment to bring-ing forth unforgettable performer andaudience experiences. DCINY is a cre-

ative producing entity with unmatchedintegrity that is a talent incubator, astar-maker, and a presenter of broadlyaccessible, world-class musical enter-tainment. For more information aboutDistinguished Concerts InternationalNew York and upcoming DCINYmusical events around the world,please visit: www.DCINY.org.

DISTINGUISHED CONCERTS INTERNATIONAL NEW YORK

Iris Derke, Co-Founder and General DirectorJonathan Griffith, Co-Founder, ArtisticDirector and Principal ConductorDanuta Gross, Director of Finance andAdministrationKevin Taylor, Associate Director of ProgramDevelopmentJason Mlynek, Program DevelopmentJames Meaders, Program DevelopmentRobert Vuichard, Program DevelopmentNeil McDonald, Program Development

Andrea Macy, Marketing & PromotionsEdmundo Montoya, Production ManagerDeAnna Choi, Finance & AccountingKaren Cohn, Website and GraphicsEmily Nelson, Concert OperationsJoshua Grace, Program DevelopmentAssistantMaria Braginsky, Program DevelopmentAssistantConnor Murphy-White, Intern

DCINY ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

For press inquires please contact Ms. Shira Gilbert at [email protected] or 212.707.8566 exten-sion 316.

2015 DCINY Concert and Artist SeriesPlease join us for one of our other events:

Friday Evening, March 13, 2015 at 8:00Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Halla cappella NEXT!Le Choeur de chambre du Québec, Robert Ingari, DirectorElora Festival Singers, Noel Edison, DirectorHarmonia Chamber Singers, Robert Pacillo, Director

Sunday Afternoon, March 29, 2015 at 2:00Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie HallTotal VocalDeke Sharon, Arranger/ConductorSoloists Shelley Regner, Kelley Jakle (Pitch Perfect) and Chesney SnowFeaturing Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Sunday Evening, April 12, 2015 at 8:30Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie HallGrant Us PeaceMozart: Mass in C Major, K. 317 (Coronation Mass)Catherine Sailer, DCINY Debut Conductor Ralph Vaughan Williams: Dona Nobis PacemTrey Jacobs, DCINY Debut Conductor Featuring Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Monday Evening, April 13, 2015 at 7:00Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln CenterRing of Fire: Pacific SoundsAnthony Giles, DirectorFeaturing Distinguished Concerts Singers InternationalJim Rice and Ted Christensen, DirectorsInglemoor High School Wind Ensemble and Orchestra

Friday Evening, May 22, 2015 at 7:00Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie HallA High Lonesome Bluegrass MassTim Sharp: Come Away to the Skies: A High, Lonesome Mass (New York Premiere)Tim Sharp, Composer/ConductorFeaturing The Chuck Nation Bluegrass Band and Distinguished Concerts Singers International

Sunday Evening, May 24, 2015 at 8:30 Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie HallVerdi RequiemJonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal ConductorFeaturing Distinguished Concerts Orchestra and Distinguished Concerts Singers International

For DCINY’s full season listing, visit DCINY.org.Distinguished Concerts International New York250 W. 57th Street, Suite 1610, New York, NY 10107(212) 707-8566 | DCINY.org

Link UpFor 30 years, Link Up has brought fun and exciting musical experiences to thousands of elementary school students. Children in grades 3–5 learn about orchestras through engaging classroom activities that incorporate hands-on music making with recorders and other instruments, and join their local orchestra for an interactive culminating concert. Teachers in each orchestra’s community receive free curriculum guides, video and audio resources, and workbooks for students to use throughout the year.

Carnegie Hall provides this innovative curriculum free of charge. National participation has grown exponentially, with more than 285,000 students taking part this season through partnerships with 70 orchestras and organizations across the country, around the world, and right here at Carnegie Hall.

Visit carnegiehall.org/LinkUpNational for more information, and a list of our 2014–2015 partner orchestras. Major support for Link Up has been provided by the Siegel Family Endowment, with additional funding from The Ambrose Monell Foundation and The Barker Welfare Foundation.

Link Up in New York City schools is made possible, in part, by an endowment gift from The Irene Diamond Fund.

The Weill Music Institute’s programs are made available to a nationwide audience, in part, by an endowment grant from the Citi Foundation.

Weill Music Institute

Richard Term

ine