LEMON GROVE (Press Release)– The second concert in the 2011-2012 performance season of the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra & Master Chorale will be “I Am Woman” to be performed twice. The first performance will be at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 8086 Broadway, Lemon Grove, and the second performance will be at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21, at St. Joseph Cathedral, 1535 Third Avenue, in downtown San Diego. There is no admission charge, but free will offerings will be accepted.
The evening’s symphony orchestra concert features attributes associated with “woman”: from the strength of Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman,” the emotional contrasts inherent in Nielsen’s “The Four Temperaments,” to the sympathetic longing of Gorecki’s “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs,”—a concert sure to intrigue and satisfy the woman in us all. Famed Ukranian soprano, Anna Belaya, joins the GSO for this performance (singing in the original Polish).
REPERTOIRE:
Joan Tower Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 1
Carl Nielsen Symphony No. 2 (The Four Temperaments)
Henryk Górecki – Symphony No. 3 (Symphony of Sorrowful Songs)
Ukrainian born soprano, Anna Belaya, made her debut with San Diego Symphony in 2010. 2009 marked her appearance in Mexico as Gianetta in G. Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore in a co-production between Cultural Center of Tijuana CECUT and Bellas Artes in Mexico City where she received glowing reviews. Isaac Namme Galindo of Tijuana’s El Mexicano wrote “…dramatic soprano Anna Belaya possesses an extraordinary timbre of profound musicality, …a potent voice that clearly projects itself in a velvety ray of impeccable technique and deep resonance.” Ms. Belaya made her debut with Opera de Tijuana in 2008 as Micaela in G. Bizet’s Carmen.
In Kiev Conservatory Opera Studio Ms. Belaya appeared in productions of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin as Tatiana, and G.Verdi’s La Traviata as Anina, and subsequently Flora.
An active performer, Belaya has given numerous solo recitals in Mexico and the United States, including Teatro Benito Juarez, in Baja California, Mexico and an appearance in the Athenaeum Concert Series at the Lyceum Theater in San Diego, California.
In 2007 Belaya was a student at the International Vocal School in Moscow, where she worked with Rudolf Piernay (London) and Richard Bado (Houston Grand Opera). Belaya has also performed in master classes with renowned tenor, Robert C. White (USA), and dramatic soprano Diane Zola (Houston Grand Opera).
Belaya is a two-time recipient of laureate (1997/98) in the Ukrainian competition-festival Ukrainian Talents in the category Arts of Acting.
As an artist who believes in helping her community in every possible way, Belaya has donated the proceeds from her recitals in Mexico, to the Mexican Red Cross organization. Ms. Belaya holds a Post-Graduate Specialist Diploma in Vocal Performance from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Kiev, Ukraine, as well as the Post-Graduate Specialist Diploma in German and English from the Kiev Polytechnic Institute. Her principal teachers include Galina Suhorukova (Kiev Conservatory) and Dmitry Vdovin (Bol’shoi Opera Theater Young Artist program).
Randall Tweed, D.M.A., Music Director, has been conducting opera, symphony, and chorus throughout Southern and Baja California since joining the music faculty in 1986. Tweed has frequently appeared as guest conductor on concert music series throughout Southern California including the Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Ballet, Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theatre, United States International Orchestra, Spreckels Organ Society, and various church music concert series. In the area of education Tweed has appeared as adjudicator for the California Music Teachers Association, the Music Educator’s National Conference and has twice appeared as conductor for the Suzuki awards concerts.
Tweed’s performing experience is both in the areas of vocal and instrumental fields winning competitions sponsored by the La Jolla Civic University Orchestra and the Musical Merit Foundation of Greater San Diego. Tweed earned the Doctorate in Musical Arts (D.M.A.) from the School of Music at Arizona State University, located in Tempe, Arizona. He has also completed two Master of Music degrees from the University of Southern California in addition to pursuing post-graduate study in Berlin, Germany (studying at the Berliner Kirchenmusikschule) where he was a recipient of a Konrad Adenauer Foundation Fellowship.
The Grossmont Symphony Orchestra (GSO) is East County’s answer to quality classical music performances. Under the musical direction of Tweed, the seventy-five member orchestral ensemble is comprised of music and non-music majors, music teachers, and talented musicians from the community. The 2011-2012 performance season finds the GSO continuing to perform in venues throughout San Diego County. With the temporary closure of its performance home—El Cajon’s own East County Performing Arts Center—the orchestra and chorale continue to support one of the Grossmont College’s missions—music in support our community. From school to church, El Cajon to San Diego—Grossmont is performing near you.
For more information on the Grossmont Symphony Orchestra, Grossmont Master Chorale, Grossmont Symphony String Quartet, or Grossmont Symphony Woodwind Quintet, please visit: www.grossmontsymphony.org or call the Grossmont College Music Dept. at: (619) 644-7254.
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Preceding provided by Grossmont College’s music department
