Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir with Sarasota Orchestra Music Director Anu Tali (center) before their final performance in the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota (FL), Feb. 26, 2017. Photo: Esper Linnamägi
“Their Nordic sound is pure; that is something we don’t have here (in the US),” explained Joseph Holt, host of the Sarasota Orchestra Friends’ Classical Conversations, Thursday, February 23, 2017.
“I heard the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir rehearse. You are in for something very special.” This morning session followed a gala dinner, Tuesday, February 21, 2017, attended by more than 250 Sarasota Orchestra friends who were fortunate to share their evening meals with members of the orchestra and chamber choir. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, nominated 14 times for and twice a recipient of Grammy Awards, is world-renowned. To the delight of everyone during the dinner, the chamber choir performed two Estonian songs acapella. Together these two events successfully built excitement for the weekend to come.
The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir concluded their February 2017 American tour, its longest tour in America, with performances with the Sarasota Orchestra (FL) February 23 to 26, 2017. Sarasota was the only stop on the tour where the Chamber Choir performed with an orchestra. Ms. Anu Tali, Sarasota Orchestra Music Director, conducted the four performances that were enthusiastically received with extended standing ovations.
The choir performed Pärt’s Credo, featuring Sarasota Orchestra’s own Jonathan Spivey, beautifully on the piano. The chamber choir and orchestra were paired perfectly. Following a very brief stage change, the combined chamber choir and orchestra performance continued with Mozart’s Requiem, K. 626, featuring soloists Pureum Jo, soprano; Sofia Selowsky, alto; Miles Mykkanen, tenor; and Sam Handley, bass. The afternoon concluded with a Mozart encore that seemed to take the audience’s breath away.
A music review was published by Correspondent Richard Storm in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, Friday, February 24, 2017, and is found easily on line. The Sarasota Orchestra’s Masterworks series includes two more weekends in March and April. For more information, visit sarasotaorchestra.org.
Lisa A. Mets
St. Petersburg, FL
