Tenor Nicholas Phan joins Mercury Chamber Orchestra In premiere of dramatic new staging of Schubert’s “The Miller’s Daughter”

Houston, TX -October 19, 2018 – Unrequited love is given center stage in Mercury Chamber Orchestra’s upcoming November 17 performance of Schubert’s renowned song cycle, “The Miller’s Daughter”, with new orchestration by Artistic Director Antoine Plante. Tenor Nicholas Phan, “one of the world’s most remarkable singers” (The Boston Globe) returns to the period instrument orchestra to bring 19^th century poet Wilhelm Müller’s texts to life in an emotion-laden, original event. Directed by Denis Plante, Mercury presents the cycle in an operatic format with costumes, lighting and set design.

“Schubert’s score is so stimulating,” said Antoine Plante of the premiere, which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. “We wanted to tell this story, an incredible blend of beautiful, romantic poetry and deeply inspired music, in a relevant and powerful manner. So, we have replaced the original single piano and have created an orchestration for strings and wind quintet and have also added contemporary theatrical trappings to offer a fresh way to experience this important cycle of songs.”

Audiences can experience the one-night only production at Mercury’s downtown home, the world class Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater.

MERCURY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

The Miller’s Daughter

Saturday, November 17 at 8:00 PM

WORTHAM CENTER, DOWNTOWN

FRANZ SCHUBERT Die schöne Müllerin, Op. 25/D. 795, orchestrated by Antoine Plante

Nicholas Phan, Tenor

Asia Marie Kreitz, Actor

Denis Plante, Director

Antoine Plante, Conductor

This concert is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Houston Endowment and the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

NICHOLAS PHAN, TENOR

Praised by Gramophone as singing "with a fine mixture of poetry and strength" American tenor Nicholas Phan continues to distinguish himself as one of the most compelling tenors performing today, appearing regularly in the world's premiere concert halls, music festivals and opera houses. Mr. Phan has appeared with many of the leading orchestras in the North America and Europe, including the Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony, Atlanta Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Philharmonia Baroque, Boston Baroque, Les Violons du Roy, BBC Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Strasbourg Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra of London, and the Lucerne Symphony. He has also toured extensively throughout the major concert halls of Europe with Il Complesso Barocco, and appeared with the Oregon Bach, Ravinia, Marlboro, Edinburgh, Rheingau, Saint-Denis, and Tanglewood festivals, as well as the BBC Proms. (Full bio in link below.)

DENIS PLANTE, DIRECTOR

Director and creator of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (2018), two Mercury all-time audience favorites, Bach and Piazzolla (2016) and The Crimson Prince (2015), Denis Plante has long been a partner in Mercury’s creative endeavors. His unusual career as a performer and composer has made him the bandoneón artist in Canada, and an exceptional figure in contemporary tango on the world scene. Denis is frequently invited to perform as a soloist with symphony orchestras or chamber - music ensembles. A spiritual son of Astor Piazzolla, he has enriched the bandoneón repertoire with dozens of works capturing the essential pulse of the tango. He has recorded seven CDs of his work, composed two operas and a ballet, and has been awarded the title of Creator of the Year by Quebec’s Art Council and an Opus prize for best Global album.

MERCURY CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Innovation, accessibility and dynamism are just three of the distinguishing characteristics of Mercury Chamber Orchestra, the critically acclaimed Houston-based period instrument ensemble that continues to redefine the orchestra experience. Now in its 18th season, Mercury celebrates the power of music – from the Baroque period and more - serving the Houston community and beyond through teaching, sharing and performing with passion, intimacy and excellence.

In addition to performances in multiple venues throughout the Houston area, including its flagship series at Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater, and Neighborhood Series at the Baroque gallery in the Museum of Fine Arts (MFAH) Beck Building (with an addition concert added this season at 8:30 PM), Midtown’s MATCH, the chapel at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, and Dosey Doe in The Woodlands, Mercury continues to invest in the community. It offers free community performances annually, including the community concert at The Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, and public concerts in the Crain Garden at Houston Methodist Hospital. Recognized for its award-winning team-teaching programs, Mercury also provides in-school performances for Houston area students and master classes for school orchestras. Active in the recording scene, to date, Mercury has released eight albums on its own label, featuring works by Corelli, Mozart, Schubert, Rameau, Vivaldi, Piazzolla, and Handel.

Mercury gratefully acknowledges the following organizations and corporations for their ongoing support: The City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Endowment Inc., Texas Commission on the Arts, the Wyatt Foundation, the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation, Phillips 66, The Brown Foundation, Inc., Houston First, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

For additional information on Mercury, its events and concerts, tickets, directions to the venues, or to learn more about its recordings, please visit www.mercuryhouston.org

Click here for link to biographies, photos and pdf of this release.

Press Contact: Laura Grant, Grant Communications

917.359.7319; Laura@grant-communications.com