T H E   N E W B E R R Y   L I B R A R Y

60 West Walton Street
Chicago, Illinois 60610-7324
(312)943-9090

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 1, 2004

Contact:  Erika Hartings
Phone:  (312)255-3553
[email protected]
www.newberry.org

CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF BEL CANTO

CHICAGO--From November 11 through November 14, 2004, the Newberry Consort's director Mary Springfels will be joined by guest soprano Christine Brandes and harpsichordist Barbara Weiss for There and Back Again--Transalpine Musical Chairs.  The concert delves into the rich vocal world of bel canto, which is largely credited to celebrated eighteenth-century musicians Johann Adolph Hasse and Niccolò Jommelli, who are generally unknown to modern audiences.

Noted for her superlative musicianship and silvery-toned voice, Christine Brandes performs repertoires ranging from Baroque era to music written specifically for her by some of today's most noted composers.  This past year, Brandes performed with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and to Les Violons du Roy, as well as the New York City Opera and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.  Barbara Weiss comes from a diverse musical background, which ranges from performing classical Cambodian music to coordinating a university Early Music program.  She has performed at the Boston, San Antonio and Berkeley Early Music Festivals, and at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

The Newberry Consort will present four performances of There and Back Again--Transalpine Musical Chairs in Chicago, Oak Park, and Evanston.  Ticket prices vary by section and venue, but range from $21-$38 for general attendance, $19-$34 for Library Associates and seniors, and $11-$19 for students.  Open rehearsal tickets are $10, $7, and $5, respectively.  For more information, call the Center for Public Programs at (312)255-3700.

The Newberry Consort is ensemble-in-residence at the Newberry Library, the Northwestern University School of Music, and the University of Chicago.  Programs are made possible in part with funding from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, a CityArts Program 4 grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation, and generous individuals known as the Friends of the Consort.  The Anne P. Lederer Research Institute supports the open rehearsals and the Senior Community Project.