Join Us for MasterVoices 2023-24 Season!
Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Artistic Director Ted Sperling with
A Rare Sondheim Musical, a Contemporary American Opera, and a Baroque Choreo-Choral Collaboration
THE FROGS
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Burt Shevelove, based on the comedy by Aristophanes
Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center
The world is at war, civilization is imperiled, and Dionysus is dispirited. He’s looking for one good playwright. But who’s the greatest of them all? And can a poet save the culture from itself? Descend with us to Hades and find out… Catch one of the most rarely-performed Sondheim shows in the canon, including what may be his most beautiful love song (“Ariadne”). Much in the tradition of our sold-out Anyone Can Whistle at Carnegie Hall, we’ll be giving THE FROGS the MasterVoices treatment – a lush 18-piece orchestra, top-tier casting, and the full 100+ MasterVoices Chorus, all under the skillful direction of Artistic Director Ted Sperling. Performed in the intimate Rose Theater, THE FROGS is sure to be on everyone’s “Must See” list for the fall. So leap to it and get your tickets quick!
Ted Sperling, Director and Conductor
MasterVoices Chorus
Performance Dates: Friday, November 3, 2023 at 8:00 pm Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Tickets on Sale: August 28, 2023, and may be purchased online at jazz.org, at the Jazz at Lincoln Center box office, Broadway at 60th Street, or by calling 212-721-6500.
TO MY ARMS/RESTORE
Music by Frideric Handel, and Nico Bentley (Handel Remixed)
Conceived and Choreographed by Doug Varone
NYU Skirball Center
Already known for our multidisciplinary choral collabs, this baroque extravaganza is kicking it up a notch with over 125 artists live on stage! Part 1 (To My Arms) will feature 8 dancers and 11 dances, set to a suite of exquisite Handel arias, sung by five live soloists and performed with authentic period instrumentation by New York Baroque Incorporated under the baton of Ted Sperling. For Part 2 (Restore), composer Nico Bentley and the MasterVoices Chorus will join the dancers, orchestra, and soloists in performing Handel’s choral masterwork Dixit Dominus, layered with Bentley’s live electronic DJ’ing. Varone is at the height of his powers with this intimate, explosive, post-pandemic piece – we promise you 75 riveting minutes and a performance like nothing you’ve ever seen.
Ted Sperling, Conductor
MasterVoices Chorus | Doug Varone & Dancers | New York Baroque Incorporated
Performance Dates: Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Tickets, priced at $45, are on sale on November 17, 2023, and may be purchased online at nyuskirball.org, by calling 212-998-4941 or in person at NYU Skirball’s box office at 566 LaGuardia Pl, New York, NY
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
Music by Ricky Ian Gordon
Libretto by Michael Korie, based on the novel by John Steinbeck
Carnegie Hall
Since the day it was published on April 14, 1939, The Grapes of Wrath has captured the American imagination with its sweeping plot and epic scope – two elements that make it perfect for an opera. In the true spirit of Steinbeck, Gordon and Korie have fashioned “a people’s opera” whose orchestral score is laced with banjo, guitar, harmonica, saxophones, and barroom piano. Originally commissioned by Minnesota Opera, MasterVoices premiered the concert version in 2010, with a cast including Victoria Clark, Nathan Gunn, Christine Ebersole, and Jane Fonda. What better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Artistic Director Ted Sperling’s tenure with MasterVoices than to revisit this gorgeous piece – which he brought to us – with fresh revisions, a new aria, and our signature casting of theater and opera stars? At its heart, GRAPES is a plea for political and spiritual unity that is as relevant today as the day it was penned.
Ted Sperling, Director and Conductor
MasterVoices Chorus | Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Performance Dates: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Tickets on Sale: January 18, 2024, and may be purchased online at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800 or in person at Carnegie Hall’s box office at 57th and Seventh Avenue.