Evening of French and Italian Music to be presented by Oratorio Society of NJ April 1 in Montclair

A 20^th century masterpiece of French choral music, and two Baroque era works by Italian composers will be presented Saturday April 1, 2017 at 8 pm by the Oratorio Society of New Jersey (OSNJ), at the Church of the Immaculate Conception, 30 North Fullerton Ave. in Montclair. All three works are based on texts about the biblical Mary. The concert begins at 8 pm; tickets are $20 and available at the door.

Conductor Sandor Szabo, music director of OSNJ for 11 years, leads an ensemble of 50 singers, an orchestra, and soloists in Francis Poulenc’s Stabat Mater, Giovanni Pergolesi’s Magnificat, and Antonio Vivaldi’s Magnificat.

Joining the OSNJ and a chamber orchestra for this performance will be tenor Christopher Lucier and baritone Jimi James. (Soprano soloist to be announced.)

The Stabat Mater by Francis Poulenc was composed in 1950 as a response to the death of Poulenc’s friend, the artist Christian Berard. Although Poulenc is often associated with works in a lighter, secular style, towards the middle of his life he began to pursue more “serious” works. Poulenc’s work includes twelve choruses in a range of styles, including the upbeat “Eja mater.” Poulenc was fond of this composition, and in 1961, towards the end of his life, he remarked to a friend, after completing Les Tenebres -- “…with Gloria and the Stabat I think I have three good religious works. May they spare me a few days of purgatory, if I do narrowly avoid going to hell.”

Two tuneful and rhythmic Magnificats by major composers of the Italian baroque, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi and Antonio Vivaldi will round out the program. The Magnificat text is known often as the “Song of Mary.”

Dr. Sandor Szabo has led OSNJ in numerous performances of major choral works, since his appointment in 2005 as the fourth music director of the OSNJ. A truly international musician, he maintains a full schedule as conductor, organist, pianist, vocal coach and arranger, with appearances throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Dr. Szabo was educated in Yugoslavia, receiving degrees in music from the University of Sovi Sad, and the University of Music Arts in Belgrade. From 1983 until his immigration to Canada in 1988, he performed as a pianist, taught piano at universities in Yugoslavia, and served as assistant conductor and accompanist at the Serbian National Opera Theatre. In Canada he was founder and conductor of the Guelph Sinfonietta and Coro Culturale di Italia in Ontario. After his move to the U.S., he received master’s degrees in organ performance and sacred music by the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ; and a doctoral degree in piano performance at Boston University. In addition to directing OSNJ, he currently serves as minister of music at the Reformed Church of Bronxville, NY; and the choir director/organist at B’Nai Abraham Temple, in Livingston, N.J.

Tenor Christopher Lucier is in increasing demand as an operatic and concert artist. Recent performances have included Rigoletto with the Hubbard Hall Opera, and presentations of his original hour of opera and comedy with the Salt Marsh Opera in New England. Over the past several years, Lucier has shared this exciting introduction to opera with more than 5,000 children in more than 100 performances. He has appeared in the American premiere of Nancy Van de Vate's All Quiet on the Western Front, with the Metro Chamber Orchestra, in the central role of Paul; as Nemorino in L’eliser d’Amore with Resonance Works Pittsburgh; as Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi with the Salt Marsh Opera, and as Pong in Turandot with the Metro Chamber Orchestra. Additional appearances have been with the Pittsburgh Opera Theatre, Weston Opera House, Connecticut Lyric Opera, and Ash Lawn Opera. He was acclaimed as the tenor soloist in the Verdi Requiem with the Connecticut Virtuosi Orchestra, has presented concerts throughout Iowa as a Simon Estes Young Artist, and was the winner in the 2012 Amici Vocal Competition - professional division in Clinton, CT. His performance in Lee Hoiby’s Summer and Smoke, is available on Albany Records, and the recording was named by Opera News as one of the “10 Best Opera Recordings of 2011.” Lucier is a native of Connecticut and studied music and opera performance at the Manhattan School of Music.

Baritone Jimi James is widely acclaimed for his energetic performances, both in staged works and in concert, and in a wide range of performance styles. James’ repertoire includes the Requiems of Fauré, Mozart, Brahms and Verdi; a number of Bach cantatas; Moravec‘s Songs of Love and War, Schubert’s Mass in G, Haydn’s The Creation; Handel’s Messiah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Dvorak’s Stabat Mater and Beethoven’s Mass in C and Symphony No. 9. On stage his roles include Scarpia, Lord Mountararat, Guglielmo, Escamillo, Tonio, Silvio, The Police Sergeant, Leporello, Schaunard, Gianni Schicchi, Rigoletto, Enrico (Lucia), Masetto, Mustafa, Dr. Bartolo, Figaro, Emile de Becque, Billy Bigelow and The Pirate King. Born in Hawaii and raised on Cape Cod, James finds equally appealing the broad range of expression available and necessary in classical repertoire, and the experiences of performing in varied locales. He maintains a busy performance schedule throughout the U.S., where along with the requisite skills of singer/actor he adds his talents of stilt-walking and juggling. A strong proponent of arts education, James has done more than 900 outreach performances, including The Three Little Pigs, Jack and the Beanstalk, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, Never Tickle a Mule and Sweet Betsy from Pike. James’ awards include finalist in the Chester Ludgin Verdi Competition in New York and winner of the JDAF Vocal Competition in New York. Recent appearances have been in Rigoletto in Connecticut, Carmina Burana in New Hampshire and Fauré Requiem, in 2016, with the Oratorio Society of New Jersey.

Founded in 1952, the Oratorio Society of New Jersey is an amateur ensemble dedicated to performing major works of the Western classical choral repertoire, from the Baroque era to the current century. Based in Montclair, choir members reside throughout northern New Jersey. OSNJ performs twice yearly at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Montclair, and also presents an annual Community Messiah Sing in December. Recordings of numerous performances of OSNJ can be heard on the website www.oratoriosocietynj.org, and also purchased in CD format.

Further information about the April concert, and membership in the choir is available at www.oratoriosocietynj.org