SFBC is thrilled to welcome Chris Wemp as our new Assistant to the Artistic Director! We are excited to have Chris working with our singers, starting in our 2020-2021 season. We caught up with Chris to learn about his connection to choral music and how he’s sustained his musical practice during the pandemic. Chris directs and coaches intergenerational music ensembles … Read More
Meet Keith Terry: Even During COVID, The Beat Goes On
SFBC board member Dean Ebesu spoke with Keith Terry, founder of Crosspulse and the International Body Music Festival. Keith has led several fantastic workshops at our annual Many Voices, One Art Choral Festival. Learn about Keith’s musical background and history, his sense of adventure and love of travel, and how he’s staying hopeful during this time of COVID. Register here … Read More
Composer Jean Ahn on “Roasted Chestnuts”
Your new piece, Roasted Chestnuts, was commissioned by SFBC and is being premiered at our December concert. How did you approach writing for SFBC and this particular concert? When Magen told me that the concert is about the winter solstice, I immediately thought of Roasted Chestnuts, one of the most cozy Korean folk songs we have. The Korean winter is … Read More
The Mozart Requiem After 9/11
An SFBC singer remembers the Mozart Requiem and the first anniversary of 9/11 In January, 2002, the Seattle Symphony and Chorale performed the Mozart Requiem. Afterwards, a woman from the audience stopped one of the singers, telling the singer of an image that had come to her while listening: a performance of the Requiem by the country’s best choruses, standing … Read More
Marianna…who?
Marianna Martines (1744-1812) was the rare female composer in 18th-century Vienna. Her prodigious musical gifts were recognized and developed early on, owing to her family’s fortuitous–and musical–living arrangement. The Martines family lived on Vienna’s famous Michaelerplatz. As was common at the time, the floors of the building corresponded to the social class of the inhabitants: on the bottom floor were … Read More