Italian Opera at the Emerson

We're getting ready for our next concert at the Emerson. We love singing in the Great Room, and this time we're focusing on opera in Italian. Not hard for us, as most of our repertoire is in Italiano, but focusing purely on Italian is very nice- and the opportunity to pair the musical delights with Italian culinary specialties is rewarding. Our friend, Chef Kurt is organizing the food and wine. We've invited a couple of wonderful guest singers along- the lovely soprano, Kimberly Kahan and the very talented young tenor, CJ Sokolowski. I recently sang with Kimberly in a concert with the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra, and she's such an endearing performer. CJ made a great impression at the Festival last year, and will be a real treat to hear him sing again.

So here is the blurb!


Cibo e Canto: Una Notte Italiana

You are cordially invited to an evening of Italian delights, both culinary and operatic!

3:30 PM: Concert 5:30PM: Dinner with the Artists
$25 Concert $60 Concert and Dinner
Bookings Tel: 845 586 3588

Please join us in the Great Room of the Emerson for an elegant musical salon, followed by an Italian banquet prepared for you by Emerson chef Kurt Robair.

Allow us to introduce ourselves to you, and this summer's Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice.

Soprano: Kimberly Kahan
Mezzo-soprano: Maria Todaro
Tenor: CJ Sokolowski
Baritones: Kerry Henderson and Louis Otey
Piano: Douglas Martin

Guest pianist: Justin Kolb

Renowned Harvard Choral Group to perform at the Festival

Today’s hot news is that the distinguished choral group, The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicale has agreed to perform at the Festival!

The Collegium Musicale, a student-run organization at Harvard College, is a select ensemble of musicians and students dedicated to the highest caliber of both a cappella and choral-orchestral masterworks performances. Spanning nearly five octaves and six centuries, their diverse repertoire has delighted audiences around the world, most recently in Australia, where the Collegium spent its 35th anniversary tour.

Singers in HRCM are also given the opportunity to perform with two subset ensembles, the Chamber Singers, a smaller ensemble that specializes in Renaissance works, and the Collegium Underground, focusing on a cappella classics.

The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicale will be performing at the Catholic Church in Phoenicia on August 6th at 11AM. This is sure to be a sold-out performance, so book your tickets early. Tel: (845) 586-3588

The Healing Power of Voice

The creation of The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice was and is a labor of love, passion and hope. Love for music and singing and the amazing effects that it produces on human beings. Passion for this area and its people and hope for the rebirth both artistically and economically of this lovely corner of the Catskills.
Classical singing, particularly opera, has an ability to uplift, to cause vibrations that ripple through people and touch places they didn’t know they had. A soaring high note, a rumbling low note, a note sustained and soft, a beautifully arching phrase, notes that fly by like the wind—almost no other vocal forms contain these vocal expressions. Well, maybe one at a time but opera has all of them all the time!!! Opera is emotional, opera is drama, opera is athletic; opera is a combination of such skilled expression- opera is ultimate!!!

Not everyone can play an instrument; piano, violin, oboe, trombone, accordion, bagpipes, flute, guitar; these are instruments that one picks up and learns. But everyone has a voice, the one instrument that is with us always, all day, all night and I would bet there is not a person who does not or has not sung. People sing when they’re happy, when they’re sad…but people sing. And that is why the human voice and singing is so important, it’s innate in each of us. And though it can be, singing is not just a ‘noise’, it combines music and words. Sounds and words that work together to express, to incite, to calm, to inspire, to heal!!!
We truly believe in the healing power of singing. We don’t want the audience to leave merely feeling entertained; we want their spirits to reach a higher level. When you leave a concert suspended in a cloud of indescribable sensation—something has shifted in you and the singing made it happen. That is our vision and it is why so many work as volunteers to bring this amazing event to our little town.

Just as Phoenicia is transformed for four days and evenings, so are our hearts.

From Opera to Indie Rock!

The Festival is not all opera. One of the hottest young local bands, The Paper Planets will be playing on the porch at Mama’s Boy, 3:15, Saturday 6th August. The three band members are all just out of high school, and play their own brand of reggae-influenced indie rock. This concert is entry by donation- grab a latte and listen to the boys.

Pledge Campaign Gathering Steam!

Very good news from our Pledge Music Campaign. We now have over 50% of funds needed to bring the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra to Phoenicia this summer.

It would be a sad thing for the Don to perform with piano alone- the world's greatest lover absolutely needs an orchestra!

Pledge Music is a fabulous organization. They were set up to help rock musicians raise money to make albums- the idea is that anybody who pledges some money becomes a part producer/backer of up and coming talent. It's a cool idea, particularly with the demise of the recording industry.

We're innovators using a rock industry tool, and applying it to a classical music cause. We saw we had nothing to lose, assembled our supporters and gave it a shot.

We can do this with the help of our friends near and far.

Imagine trombones resounding through the mountains heralding the arrival of the Commendatore at his dinner engagement with the Don!

Pledge Now, get your festival tickets, VIP passes and other cool stuff, and help us bring powerful symphonic sound to Don Giovanni's world.

Only 2 months to go!

Can you believe it's only two months until VOICEFEST 2011?

We have a fabulous lineup this year-- check out our latest press release with program details:

ALL THE HAMLET’S A STAGE

PhoeniciaVOICEFEST got off to an auspicious start last summer when over 3,000 attendees were treated to a gutsy program featuring world-class talent. The dynamic trio of acclaimed opera singers—Louis Otey (Metropolitan Opera), Maria Todaro (Opera Rio de Janeiro) and Kerry Henderson (Opera Australia) founded The Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice in

2010 as a springboard for their vision to bring outstanding vocal artists from diverse genres including Opera, World Music, Gospel, Baroque, and Choral music to the Central Catskills.

This year’s festival--August 4, 5, 6, and 7—expands upon the reverberation of last summer. Opening on Thursday at 7:30pm, Gospel Diva Rozz Morehead performs at Parish Field to accommodate the largest possible crowd for her energetic and inspirational performance. Friday at 7:30, Voices of Distinction features some of the country’s most promising young professional singers on the cutting edge of their operatic careers. Saturday at 7pm, Mozart’s Don Giovanni, with the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra conducted by Metropolitan Opera maestro Steven White, takes place under-the-stars with celebrated cast and subtitles. Sunday afternoon. Simon Shaheen, one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers, and composers of his generation, dazzles listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles. The grand finale, Vivaldi’s Gloria sung by choirs from near and far, wraps up four days of glorious music.

PhoeniciaVOICEFEST offers fun times for all ages in the place Budget Travel Magazine dubbed the sixth “Coolest Small Town in America.” Its summer music festival is a good time to find out why. On Friday, the wacky and offbeat “Ralph and Ralph,” performs at the Empire State Railway Museum where kids and adults can ride the Scenic Esopus Creek Train on the vintage Catskill Mountain Railroad. On Sunday, kids sing socially conscious music at the Pete Seeger-inspired Clearwater initiative, “The Power of Song.” Meanwhile, young-at-heart festival goers easily stroll to a selection of 18 events.

The festive atmosphere takes place indoors and in the park with cool shops and eateries along the way. The overall effect transforms the charming hamlet of Phoenicia into a midsummer’s dream. Bring-your-own picnic and sip champagne in the twilight. Check the website for updated information regarding event locations and time.

The four-day, affordable festival is an easy 2 ½ hour Adirondack Trailways bus ride from NYC and a 1 ½ hour drive south of Albany.

For tickets visit the website at www.phoeniciaVOICEFEST.com or call 845-586-3588