Choral Art Society Concert - The Mestre: History's Classical Bridge from Rio to Vienna

Choral Art Society of New Jersey is busy preparing the second concert of its 2025–2026 season. The concert, The Mestre: History’s Classical Bridge from Rio to Vienna, explores musical connections between the familiar Austrian composers, Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), and the lesser-known Brazilian composer, José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767–1830). The concert will take place on Sunday, May 3, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at The Presbyterian Church in Westfield (140 Mountain Avenue, Westfield, NJ). 

The concert repertoire includes Nunes Garcia’s Requiem, Haydn’s Kleine Orgelmesse (Little Organ Mass), and excerpts from two of Mozart’s operas, Così fan tutte and Die Zauberflöte. 

Nunes Garcia, born in Rio de Janeiro to Afro-Brazilian parents, studied music from an early age. He was ordained a priest in 1792 and served as organist, conductor, composer, and music teacher at the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral. In 1816, he composed Requiem for the funeral of the Portuguese Queen Maria I, who died in Brazil after fleeing the Napoleonic invasion of her country. The composition is regarded as the most prominent requiem from the Americas and, while greatly influenced by Mozart’s Requiem, it is innovative and prolific in its own right.

Haydn’s Kleine Orgelmesse, composed circa 1775, is an intimate setting of the Mass, evoking the small chapel in Eisenstadt, Austria, where Haydn worked at the time. The chapel could only accommodate a small organ, a few string players, and a small chorus. The composition is also short in length, bowing to the desire of the nobility to spend less time in church. To ensure all parts of the Mass were covered, some movements require the chorus to sing different words simultaneously, a technique known as “telescoping.”

Mozart’s Così fan tutte, a comic opera composed with librettist Lorenzo da Ponte, premiered in 1790 in Vienna. The title translates to “So Do They All” but is sometimes referred to as “Women Are Like That.” The music, characteristic of Mozart’s later style, is complex and has great depth of feeling. Die Zauberflöte, or The Magic Flute, composed with librettist Emanuel Schikaneder, premiered in 1791 shortly before Mozart’s death. Inspired by the folk music of the time, the score expertly reflects the personalities of the opera’s main characters. 

The May concert will be conducted by Choral Art Society of NJ’s music director, Seth Velez, and will feature the group’s accompanist, Carol Walker. The soprano soloist will be Choral Art Society of NJ’s own Linda Jo Smargiassi. She will be joined by mezzo soprano Mary Pat Finucane, tenor Kevin Ray, and bass George Baolin. A full orchestra will accompany the performance.

General Admission tickets are $35. A discounted ticket price of $30 is offered to seniors (65 and older) and students (18 and older) if purchased in advance of concert day. Youth under 18, Families First cardholders, and WIC recipients are admitted free. To purchase advance tickets for the May 3rd concert, visit www.casofnj.org/ticket.

Choral Art Society of New Jersey originated as The Suburban Symphony Chorus in 1962. Dedicated to the study and performance of the great choral masterpieces, the chorus performs works spanning many centuries and styles. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members, with a variety of training and experience levels, share a common joy in singing and community. Visit www.casofnj.org for more information about the group or to donate.

This concert is made possible in part by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.