Bang on a Can Long Play 2025 presents American Opera Projects in partnership with String Orchestra of Brooklyn and GHOSTLIGHT Chorus:
american opera projects plays arvo pärt
May 3, 2025 1 PM
South Oxford Space - 138 South Oxford St., Brooklyn, NY 11217
In celebration of the 90th birthday of Estonian composer Arvo Pärt
O-Antiphonen (2008)
Arrangement of the choral piece Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen
Celli of the String Orchestra of Brooklyn: Ken Hashimoto, Diana Gatschet, Aya Terki, Ruth Stokes, Lucie le Blanc, Sylvia Woodmansee, Maria Hadge, Adele Mori
Eli Spindel, Conductor
THE ABBOT AGATHON (2005)
celli of the String Orchestra of Brooklyn
Eli Spindel, conductor
Sarah Moulton Faux, Soprano
AOP-commissioned English translation by Cori Ellison from the Sayings of the Desert Fathers
The Abbot Agathon went one afternoon into town, to market to sell his wares and there, along the road was a leper. The leper said: “Where will you go?”
The Abbot Agathon replied: “Into town selling humble wares.”
So the leper replied: “For mercy’s sake, take me forth with you.” So he did. Agathon took the leper into town.
Then the leper spoke: “Transport me to the market stalls where you sell all your wares.”
And the Abbot Agathon did as he was asked. When the monk had made his first sale, the leper dared to ask him: “How much have you sold it for?”
“Much.”
“Kind Sir, then buy me a cake.” And he obliged. When the monk had sold another ware, the leper said: “This item here, how much did it fetch you?”
“Much.”
“Then purchase it for me.” Agathon did the leper’s will. When Abbot Agathon sold all his wares, and then desired to leave, the leper said: “You depart?”
“Yes.”
“If you will, for mercy’s sake, take me back along the road where I lay today.” The Abbot Agathon lifted the man, took the leper back to where he’d lain. When he had, the leper said: “Blest indeed are you, Agathon. Blest indeed are you by Jesus, the Lord of Heaven and of the Earth.”
Agathon raised up his eyes, but he saw not anyone. For the leper was an angel of the Lord come to put him to the trial.
Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen (1988/1991)
ghostlight chorus
Dr. Evelyn DeGraf, conductor
Sopranos: Kathleen Cantrell, Cassie Kirk, Margaret Streeter, Elena Williamson, Barbara Zay; Altos: Mary Beth Alexander, Fiona Crawford, Lizzy Hewitt, Bee-Seon Keum, Emily Nash; Tenors: Walter Cain, Elliott Cairns, Lindsay Elliott, Michael Protacio, Matt Zay; Bass: Steve Friedman, Masa Gibson, David McIntosh, Dylan Olster, Max Parsons, Joe Power
Choral text (translated from German)
1.O Weisheit (O wisdom)
O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Almighty, you encompass the world from one end to the other
with power and moderation, you ordain all things: O come and show us the way of wisdom and of understanding. O Wisdom.2. O Adonai (O Master)
O Adonai, Lord and leader of the house of Israel, in the flaming thorn bush were you revealed to Moses, and on the mountain did you give him your law: O come and free us with your strong arms.
3.O Sproß aus Isais Wurzel (O sprout from the root of Jesse)
O Root of the stem of Jesse, stand forward as a sign for the people, before you the lords of the earth are struck dumb, the people cry out to you: O come and help us, stir yourself, delay no longer.
4. O Schlüssel Davids (O key of David)
O key of David, scepter of the house of Israel, you open something, no one can close it, you close something, and no might will open it: O come and open the prison of darkness and the chain of death.
5. O Morgenstern (O Morning Star)
O Morning Star, gleam of immutable light: shining sun of righteousness: O come and lighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.
6. O König aller Völker (O King of all people)
O King of all people, their expectations and desire, cornerstone, which holds together the edifice, O come and help mankind which you constructed on earth!
7. O Immanuel (O Emmanuel)
O Emmanuel, our King and teacher, you hope and savior of the people: O come, hurry and bring us help, you our lord and our God.
CREATORS
Arvo Pärt (born September 11, 1935, Paide, Estonia) is an Estonian composer who developed a style based on the slow modulation of sounds such as those produced by bells and pure voice tones, a technique reminiscent of the medieval Notre-Dame school and the sacred music of Eastern Orthodoxy; Pärt is a devout Orthodox Christian. His major works include the violin concerto Tabula Rasa (1977), Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten (1977), Magnificat-Antiphones (1988), The Beatitudes (1991), and Lamentate (first performed 2003).
Photo by Eric Marinitsch
Cori Ellison, a leading creative figure in the opera world, has served as staff Dramaturg at Santa Fe Opera, the Glyndebourne Festival, and New York City Opera. Active in developing contemporary opera, she is a founding faculty member of American Lyric Theatre’s Composer Librettist Development Program and has developed new operatic works for companies including Icelandic Opera, Canadian Opera, Norwegian Opera, Opera Philadelphia, Chicago Opera Theater, Arizona Opera, Opera Birmingham, Pittsburgh Opera, and Beth Morrison Projects. She has served as production dramaturg for projects at companies including Salzburg Landestheater, Washington National Opera, Cincinnati Opera, National Sawdust, Opera Boston, and Bard Summerscape. She creates supertitles for opera companies worldwide, and helped launch Met Titles, the Met’s simultaneous translation system. A faculty member at The Juilliard School and the Ravinia Steans Music Institute Program for Singers, she also works with singers at young artist programs and conservatories worldwide.
Eli Spindel is a violinist and conductor, and the founder of the String Orchestra of Brooklyn. He studied violin with Clayton Hoener, Betty-Jean Hagen, and Liz Chang, and conducting with Eduardo Navega and Harold Farbermann. An alumnus of Vassar College, he also studied at the Bard Conducting Institute, the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, and the preparatory divisions of the Longy School and the New England Conservatory. He teaches conducting and violin privately and is a teaching artist at PS 321 and PS 230 through the Brooklyn Conservatory’s Music Partners program. As a writer and editor he has worked for the International Center of Photography, PEN America Journal, Umbrage Books, and MSN News. He lives in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.
Sarah Moulton Faux is lauded for her “full, silvery soprano” (Opera News) and “mesmerizing” performances (Brooklyn Spectator) in repertoire ranging from opera’s most famous heroines to contemporary works. Sarah recently made her BAM debut singing two roles in the World Premiere of The Climate Opera Project (2024). Sarah’s upcoming album "YULIYA" featuring the art songs of Julia Weissberg Rimsky-Korsakov (1880-1942) and produced by multiple Grammy award winner Judith Sherman, will be released by Azica Records in 2025. For her debut album, "Where Should This Music Be? Songs of Lola Williams” (New World Records), Sarah is the 2022 Winner of the America Prize: “Sarah Moulton Faux is stunning: her devotion to this music shines through her every syllable…a glorious disc” (Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine). An ardent champion of new work particularly by women composers, Sarah received the 2023 Opera America National Opera Trustee Recognition Award for her service as Co-President of the Board of Directors of American Opera Projects. A graduate of Barnard College in Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, Sarah holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance & Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College.
Dr. Evelyn DeGraf is the conductor of the internationally acclaimed chamber choir GHOSTLIGHT, music director and organist at Christ's Church in Rye, and choirmaster at the German International School in White Plains. She is choir director emerita at Sacred Hearts & St. Stephen Church in Brooklyn where she served for twelve years as conductor, cantor, voice teacher, as well as assistant organist. Dr. DeGraf has also worked as adjunct assistant professor at Columbia University where she was the director of Collegium Musicum, and taught conducting and applied lessons in voice, piano, and guitar at Teachers College. She has been a guest lecturer, choral clinician, and master teacher for choirs and music organizations in both Germany and the US, including the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich, Teachers College Columbia University, the Audi Jugendchorfestival Ingolstadt, New York University, Brooklyn College, Nyack College, Rockport Choral Summit, World Scholar and Athlete Games, and the Spence School.
bios
STRING ORCHESTRA OF BROOKLYN
The String Orchestra of Brooklyn (SOB) is a unique community of musicians who come together in a supportive environment to enrich the life of our communities through music. Embracing an inclusive approach to music-making, the SOB seeks to democratize both the production and reception of concert music. Founded in 2007 by artistic director Eli Spindel, the String Orchestra of Brooklyn is “quickly solidifying its role as a major orchestral figure in the borough” (I Care if You Listen), providing an enriching creative outlet to hundreds of musicians, and accessible, adventurous programming to thousands of concertgoers and community members. https://thesob.org/
Ghostlight Chorus
GHOSTLIGHT Chorus is a chamber choir based in New York City. Founded in 2010 by artistic director Dr. Evelyn DeGraf, the choir is comprised of experienced singers who collectively strive for superior musicality, intonation, and choral blend. Acclaimed as “beautiful” by Vogue, “first-class” by Time Out New York, and “simply one of the best vocal ensembles” by Maine’s Press Herald, GHOSTLIGHT pursues both high-quality musicianship and a comprehensive repertoire, with a commitment to original concert programming and frequent world premieres. Recent performance highlights include: Genius Festival at the 92nd Street Y; PS1 Benefit at New York’s Museum of Modern Art; sold-out concerts in prolific venues in Germany; concert tours in the United States’ East and West coasts; and live performances with the Rolling Stones. In 2015, the New York ensemble won 3rd prize in the 14th International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf, Germany. https://www.ghostlightchorus.com/
BANG ON A CAN’S LONG PLAY FESTIVAL
Bang on a Can presents the 4th year of Long Play, a three-day destination music festival, presented from Friday, May 2 through Sunday, May 4, 2025. The NY Times called Long Play “the most important classical music festival in New York City.” Featuring 50+ concerts, Long Play also showcases a dense network of inventive music venues in Brooklyn – with performances at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), BRIC, the Church of St Luke and St Matthew, Fort Greene Park, ISSUE Project Room, Pioneer Works, Public Records, Roulette, South Oxford Space, and The Space at Irondale. https://bangonacan.org/long-play-2025/
Publisher Universal Edition
Stage Manager Jack Meister-Lopez
special thanks
Madli-Liis Parts, Estonian Cultural Attaché; Norman Ryan, Senior Vice President Schott Music Group; Katie Norchi, soprano
AOP Staff:
Charles Jarden – Interim General Director
Joel Kalow – General Manager
W. Wilson Jones – Resident Stage Manager
Ziyan Yang – Program Associate
Steven Osgood – Composers & the Voice Artistic Director
Naomi Ramirez – Accounting Consultant
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP –Legal Counsel
AOP Board:
Anthony Roth Costanzo
Sarah Moulton Faux
David Gordon
J. David Jackson
Charles Jarden
W. Wilson Jones
Cassondra E. Joseph
Mark Kalow
Norman Ryan
Upcoming events
March 16 & 17 — AOP-NYU/Tisch Opera Lab: THE WOODLAWN OPERAS at the African Grove Theatre, 7:30 PM (181 Mercer St., New York, NY 10012)
Tickets available here ($10)
March 20 — AOP-NYU/Tisch Opera Lab: THE WOODLAWN OPERAS at the Woolworth Chapel, Woodlawn Cemetery, 7:00 PM (3800 Jerome Ave, Bronx, NY 10467)
Tickets available soon (free)
March 30 & 31 — Composers & the Voice: PARTY OF FIVE, a showcase of five twenty-minute staged scenes at South Oxford Space, 7:30 PM (138 South Oxford St., Brooklyn, NY 11217)
Tickets available soon
AOP’s programs are made possible in part by the Howard Gilman Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Inc., The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Amphion Foundation, BMI, and the contributions of many individuals.
