(Phoenix, AZ) – Phoenix Chorale’s momentous season kicks off with a 2-city Special Event in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona. Arizona’s premier professional choirs come together for concerts featuring two of the most stunning masterworks of the 20th-century choral repertoire, DURUFLÉ REQUIEM / MARTIN MASS FOR DOUBLE CHOIR.
For the first time ever, the Grammy-winning ensemble will unite with True Concord, the acclaimed Grammy- and Emmy-nominated professional choir from Tucson, showcasing the talents of 48 professional singers. The performances will highlight the exceptional skills of two distinguished conductors: Phoenix Chorale’s Christopher Gabbitas and True Concord’s Eric Holtan, each leading a captivating work.
The performances will also showcase the stunning new Fisk organ at Camelback Bible Church, a Silberman-style pipe organ renowned for its rich tonal qualities. Jeremy Filsell, the esteemed Organist and Director of Music at St. Thomas Church in Manhattan, will bring this exceptional instrument to life. This concert presents a rare opportunity to experience these choral masterpieces in their most authentic form, featuring Duruflé’s original organ setting and the Martin Mass performed a cappella, ensuring an unforgettable and deeply immersive musical experience.
“Martin’s Mass for Double Choir is a masterpiece and a tour de force; there aren’t many choirs that can perform it as well as it deserves,” says True Concord’s Music Director Eric Holtan. “The combined choir of 48 professional voices from Arizona’s two GRAMMY-honored ensembles is sure to be a very special performance,”
“One of the greatest joys in professional music is collaborating with fellow musicians to enhance our performances and learn from each other,” says Phoenix Chorale Artistic Director Christopher Gabbitas. “Since arriving in Phoenix in 2019, I’ve admired True Concord and their founder, Eric Holtan, for building a successful arts organization over the past 20 years. With both Phoenix Chorale and True Concord recording at Camelback Bible Church and earning Grammy recognition, the installation of a new organ provided a perfect opportunity to join forces. We’re excited to welcome virtuoso organist Jeremy Filsell for a performance of Duruflé’s Requiem, celebrating Arizona’s choral artistry.”
Single tickets are $50 adult, $44 senior/active military and $20 youth, and are on sale now https://phoenixchorale.org/
Arizona PBS will be capturing this historic moment of the State’s choral artistry for a future TV broadcast.
For more information visit phoenixchorale.org.
ABOUT THE PHOENIX CHORALE
The Grammy® Award-winning Phoenix Chorale, led by Artistic Director Christopher Gabbitas since 2019, is regarded as one of the finest choral ensembles in North America of the western classical tradition. All of the 24-voice ensemble’s members are professional singers who currently reside in Arizona.
Founded in 1958 as the Bach & Madrigal Society of Phoenix and subsequently known as the Phoenix Bach Choir, the Phoenix Chorale became a fully professional choir in 1992.
Previous Phoenix Chorale conductors have included Millicent Wesley, Wallace Hornibrook, Dan Durand, Vance George, Anders Öhrwall, Jon Washburn, and Charles Bruffy.
Phoenix Chorale’s digital audience continues to grow through radio broadcasts, performance videos, and streaming services like Spotify, where the Chorale maintains a listenership of over 35,000 fans each month. The Chorale’s recordings have spent over 20 weeks on the Billboard Charts and have earned a total of ten Grammy® nominations and three Grammy® wins.
Annually, the Chorale’s video and audio recordings reach over one million listeners around the world. The Chorale is ensemble-in-residence at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Phoenix. For more information visit phoenixchorale.org.
ABOUT TRUE CONCORD
Tucson’s only Grammy & Emmy-honored ensemble, True Concord Voices & Orchestra thrills audiences in live performances and over international radio waves with innovative programming and some of the finest professional voices and instrumentalists from across the country. True Concord is committed to performances of celebrated masterworks and music of today’s leading composers. For more information visit https://trueconcord.org/.