The Eastman Philharmonia and Eastman-Rochester Chorus (ERC) will present Ralph Vaughan Williams’ grand first symphony A Sea Symphony on Friday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The concert will be conducted by Dr. William Weinert and features solos by current DMA students Sofia Scattarreggia ‘21E (MM), soprano, and S Joshua Sheppard ‘22E (MM), baritone.
The ERC, now in its fortieth season, is a select symphonic chorus consisting of singers from the greater Rochester community and students from the Eastman School of Music. Dr. William Weinert has directed the chorus for over 25 years and has molded it into an impressively versatile ensemble with a keen sense of musical integrity.
A huge, confident work for large chorus, symphony orchestra, and two soloists spanning over an hour in length, A Sea Symphony created a sensation at its first performance in 1910, conducted by the composer, and has been a popular work ever since. Weinert shares that this work is one of the few symphonies permeated entirely with singing and Vaughan William chose texts by the lauded American poet, Walt Whitman. “The poetry explores a wide variety of sea imagery, from waves and tides to ships and sailors,” notes Weinert. “But the emphasis is on the seemingly endless expanse of the sea as a metaphor for the universe. Exploring the sea is seen as exploring ourselves and our place in the cosmos.”
Eastman-Rochester Chorus & Eastman Philharmonia
Friday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre
William Weinert, conductor
Sofia Scattarreggia, soprano; S Joshua Sheppard, baritone, featured student soloists
Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1)
This event is free and open to the public.
Media only: Lauren Sageer, Assistant Director of Public Relations and Digital Content,
(585) 451-8492, lsageer@esm.rochester.edu
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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.
More than 900 students are enrolled in the Collegiate Division of the Eastman School of Music—about 500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. They come from almost every state, and approximately 23 percent are from other countries. They are taught by a faculty comprised of more than 130 highly regarded performers, composers, conductors, scholars, and educators. They are Pulitzer Prize winners, Grammy winners, Emmy winners, Guggenheim fellows, ASCAP Award recipients, published authors, recording artists, and acclaimed musicians who have performed in the world’s greatest concert halls. Each year, Eastman’s students, faculty members, and guest artists present more than 900 concerts to the Rochester community. Additionally, more than 1,700 members of the Rochester community, from young children through senior citizens, are enrolled in the Eastman Community Music School.
About the University of Rochester:
The University of Rochester is one of the nation’s leading private research universities, one of only 62-member institutions in the Association of American Universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives undergraduates exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by the Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.