Magnificat

We were pleased to learn that Urban Opera’s production was named to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 10 Classical Music events of 2009. The Jubilate Orchestra was pleased to collaborate with Urban Opera in this innovative production.

On December 5th and 6th, the Jubilate Orchestra will join with The San Francisco Choral Society for performances of Parts 4-6 of J.S. Bach's magnificent Christmas Oratorio. The concerts complete the cycle begun a year ago when the first half of the oratorio and continue a long relationship between the two ensembles. Jubilate performed Bach's Magnificat with the Choral Society in 2004. Like Magnificat, the San Francisco Choral Society was established in 1989 and since then has shared their joy and enthusiasm for choral music with more than 60,000 concertgoers. The Choral Society's year-round program offers singers the opportunity to perform major choral works with professional orchestras and soloists in front of live audiences. They also provide low-cost music instruction to our singers in the form of classes and workshop and a student internship program. Jubilate has worked with the Choral Society's director Robert Geary in numerous projects over the past two ...

Over the past weekend, the Jubilate Orchestra, a project of Magnificat, served as the "pit orchestra" for Urban Opera's production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. The performances took place in a sculpture garden between two office buildings by Mission Bay. The San Francisco Weekly noted that Bay Area audiences have the choice of a plethora of opera experiences and welcomed Urban Opera's concept into the mix while acknowledging the climatic complications that the City by the Bay poses. I was struck by the similarities in the company's intention of "telling the beautiful, yet often improbable, stories of the classic operas in a compelling way for a modern audience" by setting these "tales of passion, betrayal, love and loss in unexpected locations in the City with minimal sets and emerging, talented singers who aren't afraid to take risks" and the adventures of the intrepid and talented chamber music ensemble Domus in the early 80s. Indeed, Urban ...

The Jubilate Orchestra is providing the orchestra for performances this weekend of Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. The performances mark the launch of a new opera company in San Francisco called Urban Opera. Urban Opera is focused on "telling the beautiful, yet often improbable, stories of the classic operas in a compelling way for a modern audience." The cast features Kindra Scharich as Dido along with sopranos Kimarie Torre (Belinda), Milissa Carey (Sorceress), and Pamela Igelsrud (Second Woman); tenor Todd Wedge (Aeneas); and counter-tenors Cortez Mitchell (First Witch/Mercury) and Michael McNeil (Second Witch/Sailor). The orchestra is led by David Wilson, and includes Katherine Kyme, David Sego, Farley Pearce, John Dornenburg, and Phebe Craig. Mark Rudio wrote about opening night in the San Francisco Cultural Events Examiner: The last line in the program for Urban Opera's Dido and Aeneas, is "If you like what you see, please make it a point to thank them [the ...