The Kilbourn Concert Series presents New York Polyphony on December 11, 2018, at 7:30 p.m., in Kilbourn Hall at the Eastman School of Music. New York Polyphony consists of: Geoffrey Williams, countertenor; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Christopher Dylan Herbert, baritone; and Craig Phillips, bass.
Praised for a “rich, natural sound that’s larger and more complex than the sum of its parts” (National Public Radio), New York Polyphony is one of the foremost vocal chamber ensembles active today. The four men, “singers of superb musicianship and vocal allure” (The New Yorker), give vibrant, modern voice to repertoire ranging from Gregorian chant to cutting-edge compositions. Their dedication to innovative programming, as well as a focus on rare and rediscovered Renaissance and medieval works, has not only earned New York Polyphony two Grammy nominations and wide acclaim, but also helped to move early music into the classical mainstream.
The ensemble’s growing discography includes albums that have topped the “best of” lists of The New Yorker, Gramophone, and BBC Music Magazine. In August 2016, New York Polyphony released Roma aeterna, a program highlighted by two masses of the High Renaissance by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and Tomás Luis de Victoria. The album, their seventh overall and fourth on BIS Records, debuted at #4 on Billboard magazine’s Traditional Classical Album chart. It has been hailed as “blissfully confident and beautiful” (BBC Radio 3 – Record Review), “resplendent and elegant” (San Francisco Chronicle), and “nothing short of revelatory” (AllMusic).
New York Polyphony’s Eastman program includes a very diverse set of repertoire by composers Andrew Smith, Philipe Verdelot, Palestrina, Thomas Byttering, Willaert, Michael McGlynn, Ritson, Peter Maxwell Davies, Patrick Murray, Camille Saint-Saens, Paul Manz, Geoffrey Williams, John Jacob Niles, and Alexander Craig.
Tickets for New York Polyphony are $29-40, with $10 student tickets available. Tickets can be purchased at the Eastman Theatre Box Office, 433 East Main St.; by phone (585) 274-3000; or online at http://eastmantheatre.org.
# # #
About Eastman School of Music:
The Eastman School of Music was founded in 1921 by industrialist and philanthropist George Eastman (1854-1932), founder of Eastman Kodak Company. It was the first professional school of the University of Rochester. Mr. Eastman’s dream was that his school would provide a broad education in the liberal arts as well as superb musical training. The current dean is Jamal Rossi, appointed in 2014.
About 900 students are enrolled in Eastman’s Collegiate Division—about 550 undergraduate and 350 graduate students. Students come from almost every state, and approximately 25 percent are from other countries. They are guided by more than 95 full-time faculty members. Six alumni and three faculty members have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music, and numerous alumni and faculty have received Grammy Awards. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 800 concerts to the Rochester community.