A Letter From Our Artistic Director

photo by Susan Wilson www.susanwilsonphoto.com

Dear Friends,

Too often recently, it feels like our core covenants as human beings – the ones we should hold most dear – are being broken, covenants between genders, races, religions, and nations. Despite these broken promises, there remains a groundswell of hope that rises above the fray, as we strive to make our collective selves whole. Music is a powerful vehicle through which such messages resonate.
 
Coro’s 2018-2019 season launches Sunday, November 11, on the centennial of the Armistice, with Vivaldi/Pärt. Two composers, centuries apart, express their yearning for peace in a surprisingly common language. To mark the 20th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, we dedicate to his memory our performance of Arvo Pärt’s Adam’s Lament for Cain, Abel, and the generations of human conflict that follow.

In March, America/We Need to Talk celebrates the 20th anniversary of Coro's historic collaboration with the Heritage Chorale of New Haven for the Boston premiere of William Grant Still’s And They Lynched him on a Tree. Coro also presents the world premiere of A Triptych of American Voices by Fred Onovwerosuoke, that shines light on race relations in America through the prism of three poems by writers of color. We will also honor our beloved Darryl Hollister with the 12th annual Daniel Pinkham Award.

We close our season in June with the healing communion of Rachmaninoff/Liturgy, a work rooted in chant, whose austere beauty is transformed by Rachmaninoff’s infinite invention and soothing Romantic lushness.

This season is filled with a rich tapestry of music that reaffirms our spirit and nourishes our soul. I hope you will be inspired by how art can transform the way we perceive the world around us, as we seek to rebuild those broken covenants into a lasting trust.
 
I invite you to join us.