Seattle Philharmonic: "The Sounds of Primitive Magic" – Orff's 'Carmina Burana'

• Adam Stern, conductor
• Seattle Symphony Chorale
• Joseph Crnko, conductor
• Northwest Boychoir
• Jacob Winkler, conductor
• Mark Robbins, horn
• Stacey Mastrian, soprano
• José Luis Muñoz, countertenor
• Zachary Lenox, baritone

Premiered in 1937, Carl Orff's "scenic cantata" Carmina Burana lost no time establishing itself as the most popular choral work of the 20th Century. The Philharmonic's much-anticipated 2020 Carmina had to be delayed due to COVID, and we are thrilled to finally be able to offer it to our audiences again, in a performance featuring three superb vocal soloists and two of the region’s finest choirs. Ukrainian composer Victoria Vita Polevá has cited her religious faith and “love of humanity” as principal inspirations for her creations. The Philharmonic celebrates this major contemporary composer with the U.S. premiere of her symphonic poem Null, a work of staggering power in which time seems to stand still. The program begins with Morton Gould's stirring Fanfare for Freedom, and guest soloist Mark Robbins brings his glowing artistry to Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 4.

About Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra

http://www.seattlephil.org/

About Adam Stern, conductor

http://www.adamsternconductor.com/

About Seattle Symphony Chorale

https://www.seattlesymphony.org/chorale

About Northwest Boychoir

http://www.nwboychoir.org

About Jacob Winkler, conductor

https://www.nwchoirs.org/nwc-staff/

About Mark Robbins, horn

Mark Robbins is Associate Principal French Horn with the Seattle Symphony. He performs as Principal Horn with Seattle Opera, including playing the horn calls for Wagner’s Ring cycle. He is also a member of the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, a summer orchestra in Upstate New York. Also a devoted chamber musician, Robbins has performed often with the Seattle Chamber Players and on the Seattle Symphony’s Chamber series. Formerly, he was a member of the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra in Miami, and has played at the Spoleto, Tanglewood and Olympic music festivals. Also an active teacher, Robbins is on the faculty at Cornish College for the Arts and at the Chautauqua Music Festival. He is the horn coach for the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra, and teaches horn in the Seattle area.

About Stacey Mastrian, soprano

Stacey Mastrian, a "manifestly courageous" (Boston Globe) and "versatile and passionate" (Der Tagesspiegel) Italian-American soprano, has sung at the Konzerthaus (Berlin), Kennedy Center (DC), Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur (Montréal), Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center (NY), St. Peter's (Vatican City), Teatro La Fenice (Venice), and in Mexico and more than half of the U.S. states. Dr. Mastrian performs music from Hildegard von Bingen to the present, specializing in Italian vocal music, and she teaches voice, diction, and anatomy. She has been a Fulbright grantee to Italy and appears on the NAXOS, Neuma, and Stradivarius labels.

About José Luis Muñoz, countertenor

José Luis Muñoz has been described as "a fabulous countertenor" with "amazing, powerful expression." He is often heard premiering and creating new works and principal roles in such works as Mauricio Sotelo’s opera Dulcinea (Modesto), Bless Me, Ultima (Albuquerque), Juana (San Francisco), Monticello Wakes (Los Angeles), Yoshinaka (Seattle), Kakitsubata (Cologne, Germany), and Magda G for which he was featured in the Los Angeles Times. A versatile performer, Muñoz's other work includes: Melissa in Caccini's La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall'Isola d'Alcina, Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem and Missa Brevis K. 275, Bach's B minor Mass, St Matthew's Passion, Magnificat, Orff's Carmina Burana, and Bernstein's Missa Brevis.

About Zachary Lenox, baritone

https://www.zacharylenox.com/