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Maria Guinand Headlines ¡Celebracion¡ The Guinand Festival
Internationally renowned choral conductor Maria Guinand, director of Latin America’s premier touring chorus Schola Cantorum of Venezuela, leads concerts, workshops and master classes featuring five of the country’s leading children’s choirs at “¡Celebración! The Guinand Festival,” a two-day event named in her honor and presented by the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, on Saturday April 17 and Sunday, April 18, 2010, at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Festival highlights include two free concerts on April 17, at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Featured choirs include the incomparable American Boychoir, based in New Jersey and considered the country’s premiere concert boys’ choir, directed by Fernando Malvar-Ruiz; the Bay Area’s award-winning Cantabella Children’s Chorus, directed by Bee Chow; LA’s elite Harmonies Girls Choir, directed by Antonio Espinal; the noted South Bay Children’s Choir, based at El Camino College and directed by Diane Simons; and the host ensemble, Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, under the artistic direction of Anne Tomlinson and described by critics as “a world-class choral organization.” The directors will conduct selections with their own individual ensembles, which, except for the American Boychoir, will also perform collectively in a combined choir under the baton of Ms. Guinand.
“We are ecstatic and honored to have Maria Guinand work with our choirs, and to be able to offer the public a rare opportunity to hear so many top-notch children’s choirs in one location,” said Tomlinson.
In addition to the free community concerts, the festival includes a paid portion – designed for conductors, music educators and musicians – featuring an array of master classes and lectures led by Guinand as well as Latin American choral expert Cristian Grases, who will present a workshop on Latin American body percussion and movement.
The community festival is sponsored by Wells Fargo and also made possible in part by the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.
The community concerts are free and reservations are not required. For price information on attending workshops, lectures and master classes, please call (626) 793-4231 or visit www.lachildrenschorus.org. # # #
Guest Conductor/Clinician MARÍA GUINAND – a renowned choral conductor, university professor and leader of numerous choral projects both nationally and internationally – specializes in Latin American Choral Music of the 20th and 21st centuries. She currently conducts two prestigious choirs in Venezuela: the Cantoría Alberto Grau and the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela, with whom she has recorded and toured extensively. As a conductor of the National Symphonic Choir of Venezuela she has collaborated closely with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Youth Orhcestra since 1980, preparing the choirs for such conductors as Rattle, Abbado, Rilling, Mata, Alcantara, Grau, Abreu, Penderecki, and others. As conductor of the Polar Foundation Choir, Ms. Guinand has actively contributed to the development of choral music in private enterprises. During the European Music Festival organized by the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart in 2000, she premiered Osvaldo Golijov's St. Mark’ s Passion as a special project for the Bach's year. This performance received glowing press reviews, and its recording by Haenssler Verlag was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002. In 2007, Ms. Guinand recorded the work again for Deutsche Gramophon, which is being released in March 2010. In 2006, she prepared the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela for the premiere of John Adams´ Opera A Flowering Tree during the Festival ‘New Crowned Hope’ in Vienna, under the composer’s baton and the scene direction of Peter Sellars. She also conducted the Festivalensemble Choir during the European Music Festival from 2001-2004 and is currently editor of the "Musica de Latinoamerica" collection at Earthsongs, a music editorial house. In 1997, Ms. Guinand was awarded the 'Kulturpreis' of the InterNationes Foundation, in 2000, the Robert Edler Preis für Chormusik and, in 2009, the Helmuth Rilling Prize. A champion of the choral arts, Ms. Guinand organizes the activities of Schola Cantorum of Venezuela Foundation, Movimiento Coral Cantemos Foundation, Bach Academy of Venezuela and the National Academy for Gregorian Chant, and contributes to the permanent development of centers of choral music for children and youth of low economic resources in Venezuela through the program ‘Construir Cantando’ and in other Andean countries through the project ‘Music for Social Action,’ sponsored by the Andean Corporation Bank. Ms. Guinand also served as Vice-President for Latin America of the International Federation for Choral Music (1996-2008) and is currently Advisor to the Board, and a Professor for the Music Master Degree of the University Simón Bolívar (Caracas), where she served as Dean for four years. She served as Dean of the Music School "Jose Angel Lamas" and of the Conservatory of Music "Simón Bolívar," the main academic program of the Foundation for Youth and Children Orchestras in Venezuela, and also as member of the Executive Committee of the International Music Council of UNESCO. Ms. Guinand is frequently invited to guest conduct prestigious choirs in North and South America, Europe and Asia, and is also as a lecturer in the World Symposia for Choral Music and the Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Last season, she conducted Golijov’s St. Mark’s Passion in the Canary Islands, participated with the Cantoria Alberto GRau at the ACDA Nacional Convention in Oklahoma, and conducted the Nacional Choir of Spain and the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela in New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival. Last fall, she guest conducted for the World Youth Choir’s 20th Anniversary celebration in Örebro, Sweden. Ms. Guinand graduated from Bristol University (England) and studied choral conducting with Alberto Grau. She furthered her conducting and musical education with Helmuth Rilling, Luigi Agustoni and Johannes B. Goeschl.
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS (host choir) – described as “astonishingly polished,” “hauntingly beautiful,” “a homogenous blanket of sound that is smooth, silky” and “one heck of a talented group of kids” – is recognized throughout the country for its exceptional artistic quality and technical ability. Under Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson, LACC is recognized throughout the country for its exceptional artistic quality and technical ability. Founded in 1986, LACC performs frequently with leading music ensembles including the LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Calder Quartet and Pasadena Symphony. LACC also assists Los Angeles Opera by training and providing children for its opera productions that require children’s chorus or child soloists. The Chorus’ roster includes more than 350 children aged 6-18 from 60 communities across Los Angeles in six choirs and a program of “First Experiences in Singing” classes for young singers. LACC’s intensive training program includes weekly or twice weekly rehearsals, individual vocal coaching and comprehensive musicianship classes. LACC has toured Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Australia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as many parts of the United States and Canada. In 2008, Concert Choir performed at the China International Arts Celebration for Young People during its tour to China prior to the Beijing summer Olympics. Among its numerous accomplishments, LACC produced a commissioned world-premiere opera, Keepers of the Night, by composer Peter Ash and librettist Donald Sturrock in 2007 and appears on "Amore Infinito" ("Infinite Love"), a Deutsche Grammophon CD of songs based on poems by the late Pope John Paul II and performed by Plácido Domingo, which was released worldwide in March 2009. LACC is also featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary, “Sing!” and sequel documentary “Sing Opera!” by award-winning Santa Monica filmmakers Freida Lee Mock and Jessica Sanders. “Sing!” documents a year in the life of the choir and is shown frequently on PBS stations nationwide. “Sing China!,” a third documentary premiering in fall 2009, chronicles the choir’s groundbreaking tour to China. LACC has appeared twice on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” including, in June 2009, with Grammy Award-winning pop artist John Mayer, and was featured on Public Radio International’s acclaimed nationally syndicated radio show “From the Top,” hosted by acclaimed pianist Christopher O’Riley. On a local outreach level, LACC continues its long-standing commitment to the community by performing frequently in retirement homes, community centers and public schools, and for various civic organizations throughout the year.
EDITOR’S PLEASE NOTE:
WHAT: “¡Celebration! Guinand Festival” – featuring renowned choral conductor María Guinand and 5 celebrated children’s choirs (hosted by Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Anne Tomlinson, director)
WHO: María Guinand, guest conductor The American Boychoir, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, director; Cantabella Children’s Chorus, Bee Chow, director; Harmonies Girls Choir, Antonio Espinal, director; South Bay Children’s Choir, Diane Simons, director; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Anne Tomlinson, director;
WHEN: FREE COMMUNITY CONCERTS – no reservations necessary Saturday, April 17, 2010 11:30 AM The American Boychoir 4:00 PM individual and combined performances by: Cantabella Children’s Chorus, Harmonies Girls Choir, South Bay Children’s Choir, LACC Concert Choir
PAID PORTION (includes various workshops, lectures and master classes) Saturday, April 17, 2010, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sunday, April 18, 2010, 4:30 – 8:00 PM
PRICE: Community concerts – Free (contact LACC for price info for attending lectures and master classes)
VENUE: Pasadena Presbyterian Church 585 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101
INFORMATION: 626-793-4231 info@lachildrenschorus.org
“We are ecstatic and honored to have Maria Guinand work with our choirs, and to be able to offer the public a rare opportunity to hear so many top-notch children’s choirs in one location,” said Tomlinson.
In addition to the free community concerts, the festival includes a paid portion – designed for conductors, music educators and musicians – featuring an array of master classes and lectures led by Guinand as well as Latin American choral expert Cristian Grases, who will present a workshop on Latin American body percussion and movement.
The community festival is sponsored by Wells Fargo and also made possible in part by the Pasadena Arts & Culture Commission and the City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division.
The community concerts are free and reservations are not required. For price information on attending workshops, lectures and master classes, please call (626) 793-4231 or visit www.lachildrenschorus.org. # # #
Guest Conductor/Clinician MARÍA GUINAND – a renowned choral conductor, university professor and leader of numerous choral projects both nationally and internationally – specializes in Latin American Choral Music of the 20th and 21st centuries. She currently conducts two prestigious choirs in Venezuela: the Cantoría Alberto Grau and the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela, with whom she has recorded and toured extensively. As a conductor of the National Symphonic Choir of Venezuela she has collaborated closely with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Youth Orhcestra since 1980, preparing the choirs for such conductors as Rattle, Abbado, Rilling, Mata, Alcantara, Grau, Abreu, Penderecki, and others. As conductor of the Polar Foundation Choir, Ms. Guinand has actively contributed to the development of choral music in private enterprises. During the European Music Festival organized by the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart in 2000, she premiered Osvaldo Golijov's St. Mark’ s Passion as a special project for the Bach's year. This performance received glowing press reviews, and its recording by Haenssler Verlag was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2002. In 2007, Ms. Guinand recorded the work again for Deutsche Gramophon, which is being released in March 2010. In 2006, she prepared the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela for the premiere of John Adams´ Opera A Flowering Tree during the Festival ‘New Crowned Hope’ in Vienna, under the composer’s baton and the scene direction of Peter Sellars. She also conducted the Festivalensemble Choir during the European Music Festival from 2001-2004 and is currently editor of the "Musica de Latinoamerica" collection at Earthsongs, a music editorial house. In 1997, Ms. Guinand was awarded the 'Kulturpreis' of the InterNationes Foundation, in 2000, the Robert Edler Preis für Chormusik and, in 2009, the Helmuth Rilling Prize. A champion of the choral arts, Ms. Guinand organizes the activities of Schola Cantorum of Venezuela Foundation, Movimiento Coral Cantemos Foundation, Bach Academy of Venezuela and the National Academy for Gregorian Chant, and contributes to the permanent development of centers of choral music for children and youth of low economic resources in Venezuela through the program ‘Construir Cantando’ and in other Andean countries through the project ‘Music for Social Action,’ sponsored by the Andean Corporation Bank. Ms. Guinand also served as Vice-President for Latin America of the International Federation for Choral Music (1996-2008) and is currently Advisor to the Board, and a Professor for the Music Master Degree of the University Simón Bolívar (Caracas), where she served as Dean for four years. She served as Dean of the Music School "Jose Angel Lamas" and of the Conservatory of Music "Simón Bolívar," the main academic program of the Foundation for Youth and Children Orchestras in Venezuela, and also as member of the Executive Committee of the International Music Council of UNESCO. Ms. Guinand is frequently invited to guest conduct prestigious choirs in North and South America, Europe and Asia, and is also as a lecturer in the World Symposia for Choral Music and the Conventions of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Last season, she conducted Golijov’s St. Mark’s Passion in the Canary Islands, participated with the Cantoria Alberto GRau at the ACDA Nacional Convention in Oklahoma, and conducted the Nacional Choir of Spain and the Schola Cantorum de Venezuela in New York’s Mostly Mozart Festival. Last fall, she guest conducted for the World Youth Choir’s 20th Anniversary celebration in Örebro, Sweden. Ms. Guinand graduated from Bristol University (England) and studied choral conducting with Alberto Grau. She furthered her conducting and musical education with Helmuth Rilling, Luigi Agustoni and Johannes B. Goeschl.
LOS ANGELES CHILDREN’S CHORUS (host choir) – described as “astonishingly polished,” “hauntingly beautiful,” “a homogenous blanket of sound that is smooth, silky” and “one heck of a talented group of kids” – is recognized throughout the country for its exceptional artistic quality and technical ability. Under Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson, LACC is recognized throughout the country for its exceptional artistic quality and technical ability. Founded in 1986, LACC performs frequently with leading music ensembles including the LA Phil, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Master Chorale, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Calder Quartet and Pasadena Symphony. LACC also assists Los Angeles Opera by training and providing children for its opera productions that require children’s chorus or child soloists. The Chorus’ roster includes more than 350 children aged 6-18 from 60 communities across Los Angeles in six choirs and a program of “First Experiences in Singing” classes for young singers. LACC’s intensive training program includes weekly or twice weekly rehearsals, individual vocal coaching and comprehensive musicianship classes. LACC has toured Brazil, Great Britain, Italy, Australia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as many parts of the United States and Canada. In 2008, Concert Choir performed at the China International Arts Celebration for Young People during its tour to China prior to the Beijing summer Olympics. Among its numerous accomplishments, LACC produced a commissioned world-premiere opera, Keepers of the Night, by composer Peter Ash and librettist Donald Sturrock in 2007 and appears on "Amore Infinito" ("Infinite Love"), a Deutsche Grammophon CD of songs based on poems by the late Pope John Paul II and performed by Plácido Domingo, which was released worldwide in March 2009. LACC is also featured in the Academy Award-nominated documentary, “Sing!” and sequel documentary “Sing Opera!” by award-winning Santa Monica filmmakers Freida Lee Mock and Jessica Sanders. “Sing!” documents a year in the life of the choir and is shown frequently on PBS stations nationwide. “Sing China!,” a third documentary premiering in fall 2009, chronicles the choir’s groundbreaking tour to China. LACC has appeared twice on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” including, in June 2009, with Grammy Award-winning pop artist John Mayer, and was featured on Public Radio International’s acclaimed nationally syndicated radio show “From the Top,” hosted by acclaimed pianist Christopher O’Riley. On a local outreach level, LACC continues its long-standing commitment to the community by performing frequently in retirement homes, community centers and public schools, and for various civic organizations throughout the year.
EDITOR’S PLEASE NOTE:
WHAT: “¡Celebration! Guinand Festival” – featuring renowned choral conductor María Guinand and 5 celebrated children’s choirs (hosted by Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Anne Tomlinson, director)
WHO: María Guinand, guest conductor The American Boychoir, Fernando Malvar-Ruiz, director; Cantabella Children’s Chorus, Bee Chow, director; Harmonies Girls Choir, Antonio Espinal, director; South Bay Children’s Choir, Diane Simons, director; Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, Anne Tomlinson, director;
WHEN: FREE COMMUNITY CONCERTS – no reservations necessary Saturday, April 17, 2010 11:30 AM The American Boychoir 4:00 PM individual and combined performances by: Cantabella Children’s Chorus, Harmonies Girls Choir, South Bay Children’s Choir, LACC Concert Choir
PAID PORTION (includes various workshops, lectures and master classes) Saturday, April 17, 2010, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sunday, April 18, 2010, 4:30 – 8:00 PM
PRICE: Community concerts – Free (contact LACC for price info for attending lectures and master classes)
VENUE: Pasadena Presbyterian Church 585 E. Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91101
INFORMATION: 626-793-4231 info@lachildrenschorus.org
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