Artistic Director Philip Brunelle was interviewed about why VocalEssence chose to perform The Times They Are A-Changin’ at the Palace Theatre in Saint Paul. The Palace Theatre is not the first venue you think of when you think of a choir concert. Why did you choose to perform at the Palace? I always think about… Read More →
Jules | Minnesota Theater Love PUBLISHED: Sunday, March 24, 2019 http://www.mntheaterlove.com/2019/03/candide-by-theater-latte-da-and.html When: March 20-24 At: Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts Running Time: two and a half hours with intermish About: “A tale exploding with star-crossed lovers, melodramatic villains, broad comedy, and a beautiful score, Candide combines the power of opera with the delights of musical theatre. Wrapped… Read More →
This weekend around the Twin Cities: Waffle Day, classic musicals, more By Erik Tormoen | Minnesota Monthly March 21, 2019 https://www.minnesotamonthly.com/general/weekend-best-bets-march-22-24/ Candide at the Cowles What: Candide When: March 21-24, various showtimes Where: Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts, 528 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis It’s Leonard Bernstein’s other musical: a Broadway-bedazzled operetta, goofier than West Side, with less snapping but a… Read More →
by Jill | Cherry and Spoon Friday, March 22, 2019 Leonard Bernstein is one of the best 20th Century American composers (not to mention pianist and conductor, as I learned last year). His Candide is stunningly beautiful, but based on Voltaire’s 18th Century satirical novel, it’s a bit… weird. Twin Cities vocal ensemble VocalEssence and music-theater company Theater Latte Da have combined to… Read More →
By TERRY BLAIN | Special to the Star Tribune PUBLISHED: MARCH 22, 2019 — 5:48PM http://www.startribune.com/theater-latt-vocalessence-stage-leonard-bernstein-s-candide-as-the-masterpiece-it-always-was/507520572/ REVIEW: A new staging helps audiences find the brilliance in Bernstein’s misunderstood operetta. A hanging, a hurricane, a flood, a rape, plus multiple other acts of violence, all happening across a variety of countries and continents. No wonder… Read More →
By DOMINIC P. PAPATOLA | Special to the Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: March 22, 2019 at 12:08 pm https://www.twincities.com/2019/03/22/review-a-fine-candide-indeed/ For certain theater people, searching for a really good production of “Candide” is like trying to find the mythical Shangri La or Eldorado. For these people, the “Candide” playing an unfortunately short and even more unfortunately sold-out run at… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland | MinnPost Wednesday, March 20, 2019 – 10:04 AM: https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2019/03/260-films-from-77-nations-coming-our-way-in-april/ Courtesy of the Film Society of Minneapolis/St. Paul A still from MSPIFF’s opening night film, “Yuli,” about the life of Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta. The 38th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival is just over two weeks away. Tickets go on sale to the… Read More →
Brad Richason | CityPages http://www.citypages.com/calendar/candide/393423261 Candide DAILY FROM MARCH 21-23, 7:30 P.M. DAILY FROM MARCH 23-24, 2 P.M. $35-$45 CHORAL, CLASSICAL, THEATER Based on the 1759 novella by Voltaire, Candide’s satirical storyline follows its titular character as calamity drives him from a sheltered upbringing to a journey of discovery. Along the way, he reunites… Read More →
Star Tribune MARCH 17, 2019 — 2:00PM: http://www.startribune.com/the-week-s-five-best-twin-cities-classical-concerts/507213622/ Medieval gets modern Picture a trio singing medieval works. Add newly penned pieces and plenty of electronics. Then squint a little, adjusting for the unexpected. Liquid Music and the Walker Art Center present an evening that toggles between 12th-century chants and world premieres. Vocal trio ModernMedieval —… Read More →
by Basil Considine | Twin Cities Arts Reader March 18, 2019: https://twincitiesarts.com/2019/03/18/interview-soprano-liv-redpath-on-singing-in-the-best-of-all-possible-worlds/ Opera is seemingly everywhere in the Twin Cities in March, with productions and concerts by the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Opera, Skylark Opera Theatre, and more. Into this tangled period leaps the choral music ensemble VocalEssence, which has chosen “The Best of All Possible… Read More →
By Terry Blain | Special to the Star Tribune MARCH 17, 2019 — 11:11AM: http://www.startribune.com/twin-cities-team-tries-to-fix-leonard-bernstein-s-biggest-flop/507161192/ Theater Latté Da doubles up with VocalEssence to rethink a confounding musical theater work. Photo: Allen Weeks After opening on Broadway in 1956, Leonard Bernstein’s operetta “Candide” ran for a paltry 73 performances. That’s a disaster in terms of music theater.… Read More →
Click Here to Download the 2019 Welcome Christmas Guidelines and Application 2019 Contest Guidelines World premiere: No prior performance of submitted work. Original carol: No arrangements or new settings of existing tunes. Eligibility: Composers of all ages whose permanent residence is North America. Form: Carol (defined as a strophic song, which may or may not… Read More →
By Pamela Espeland MinnPost FEBRUARY 28, 2019 — 08:24AM https://www.minnpost.com/artscape/2019/02/vocalessence-to-present-witness-times-two-joffrey-ballet-to-perform-anna-karenina/ VocalEssence was born in 1969 as the Plymouth Church Music Series. Just another concert series at a local church, founded by an ambitious, tireless and hypercreative choir director and organist named Philip Brunelle. In 2002, the Plymouth Music Series became VocalEssence. Today, Brunelle and his singers are… Read More →
Both Artistic Director and Founder Philip Brunelle and Associate Conductor G. Phillip Shoultz, III will be attending the national convention of ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) in Kansas City the last days of February. It is an important time for them to connect with colleagues and also to attend the premiere of Dr. André Thomas’… Read More →
Dominick Argento was an amazing man—he was my teacher, colleague and personal friend of our family. When I arrived at the University of Minnesota, I signed up for History of Opera, not knowing that I would have the best professor on opera as my teacher! I have often said that if you wish to take… Read More →
