Hear ‘Shakespeare in Song’ by Acclaimed Pasadena Chorale Group AVOLA May 30

70 Classical Voices Raised in Celebration of the Bard’s Best Works

World-Renowned Tenor and Bassist to Share the Stage May 30

Maestro Dr. Steven Kronauer. – Photo by Gabor Ekecs

Artes Vocales of Los Angeles (AVOLA) proudly presents “Shakespeare in Song,” Saturday, May 30th at 8 p.m., at the beautiful First Baptist Church at 75 North Marengo Avenue, Pasadena.

Conducted by Dr. Steven Kronauer and accompanied by pianist Twyla Meyer, Artes Vocales of Los Angeles is a select community chorale of 70 voices united in their love of fine choral music.

Shakespeare’s words will be brought to life in a wide-ranging concert featuring the music of Felix Mendelssohn, Giuseppe Verdi, John Rutter, and George Shearing. Local Shakespearean actors Raymond Donahey, Brendan Haley, and Bree Pavey, together with soloists from the chorale, will guide the audience through the vagaries of mood and situation, from love to dreams, from tragedy to comedy, illuminating meaning and sometimes stepping into the action.

The program will feature internationally renowned operatic tenor Eduardo Villa, who has performed in leading opera houses throughout Europe and North America. He is a regular guest of the Metropolitan Opera and has appeared on their stage in the title roles in Don Carlo and Ernani, Radames in Aida, and Don Jose in Carmen. In Europe, he was a regular guest of the Bavarian State Opera in Munich.

Also featured will be the world renowned bassist, Abraham Laboriel, Sr., who has recorded and performed with a remarkable array of artists from Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, and Al Jarreau to Ella Fitzgerald, Placido Domingo, and Joe Sample; as well as dozens of movie soundtracks including Frozen, MI3, and the upcoming Jurassic World. Guitar Player magazine calls him “the most widely recorded bass player of our times.”

General admission tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the door or at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1474897.

For further information and directions, see Events at http://pasadenaconservatory.org, or contact the conservatory at (626) 683-3355 or Katherine White at singingsoprano@yahoo.com.

AVOLA was formed in the fall of 2014 and began rehearsals in September, under the auspices of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music at 100 North Hill in Pasadena. Its inaugural concert in January 2015 at St. John’s Cathedral in Los Angeles featured Durufle, Britten, Mozart and Liszt, and was a sell-out. The group then performed at the newly renovated Globe Theater during the Back to Broadway celebration in downtown Los Angeles, and has been invited to perform there again. It is presently rehearsing its spring program, Shakespeare in Song, to be performed at the First Baptist Church of Pasadena, 75 North Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, on May 30 at 8:00pm.

The ensemble is directed by Dr. Steven Kronauer, who teaches voice at California State University, Long Beach, and at his studio in Los Angeles. Renowned for his brilliance and leadership in the vocal arts, his performance credits include singing opera for ten years at the Munich State Opera, and many international concerts. He also conducts and coaches the Young Men’s Ensemble of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.

Members of AVOLA, who can’t wait to present Shakespeare in Song on May 30. – Photo by Gabor Ekecs

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