More about the show

“We are passionate about presenting both important new American works and really excellent Bach to Pittsburgh, so the cultural intersection of Esmail’s transcendent piece and Bach’s sublime Magnificat made this pairing the perfect choice as we step into our second decade.” - Maria Sensi Sellner

Resonance Works continues its journey through the major works of Johann Sebastian Bach with one of the most popular and vibrant - his Magnificat in D major from 1733, featuring a quintet of spectacular soloists. Making their Pittsburgh debuts are: Pakistani-American soprano Samina Aslam, praised for her “velvet tone” and celebrated for recent debuts with Portland Opera and Chautauqua Opera; Sri Lankan-American mezzo-soprano Tahanee Aluwihare, hailed as “impeccable” by OperaWire; and critically acclaimed Korean-American multidisciplinary bass Paul Chwe MinChul An, who has performed as an oratorio soloist and chamber musician with such groups as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street. One of the country’s most called upon Bach specialists, tenor soloist Gene Stenger, a Pittsburgh native hailed as “impressive” by The New York Times, makes his company debut, joined by Pittsburgh and Resonance Works favorite, soprano Katy Shackleton Williams (Mass in B Minor, St. John Passion). 

One of the most exciting voices in new music today, Indian-American composer Reena Esmail’s work brings communities together through the creation of equitable musical spaces.  Written in 2016, This Love Between Us: Prayers for Unity juxtaposes texts from seven different religious traditions, setting them in both English and in their original languages.  Each movement is also a unique combination of Indian and Western classical styles, spanning a continuum from the Christian movement, which is rooted firmly in the baroque style, to the Zoroastrian movement, which calls upon the Hindustani vilambit bandish. 

“Even more than uniting musical practices, this piece unites people from two different musical traditions: a sitar and tabla join the choir and baroque orchestra. Each of the musicians is asked to keep one hand firmly rooted in their own tradition and training, while reaching the other hand outward to greet another musical culture.” Esmail says in her program notes. 

Joining the Resonance Chamber Orchestra for these performances are sitar player Michael Griska and Tabla player Vikram Mukherjee.  A Pittsburgh native, Griska began his sitar training with Pittsburgh’s own Dr. Sushanta Banerjee, and has traveled the world studying, performing, and accompanying his Guruji, Pandit K. Sridhar. Mukherjee, an alum of the University of Pittsburgh, began studying tabla at age 6, and is currently under the guidance of his guru, internationally renowned tabla virtuoso Pandit Samir Chatterjee.

Acclaimed Pittsburgh-based violinist Maureen Conlon Gutierrez will open the program with Breaking Bread by American composer Nkeiru Okoye. Okoye is an American-born composer of African American and Nigerian ancestry, whose compositions incorporate a variety of musical styles and influences to create a sound that is all her own. Breaking Bread culminates in a quotation from the African American spiritual, Let Us Break Bread Together, sung in many American denominations as a communion hymn, reminding the listener to enter into this shared space with the spirit of peace and humility.