Join us for a season rich in history and brimming with artistry. True to our mission to present historically significant and underperformed works, you are sure to expand your musical horizons this season as you encounter rare choral gems.
Ruben Valenzuela, guest conductor
Welcome to Seraphic Fire’s 2023-2024 Season! We begin our third decade with fresh sounds and new music which will delight your ears and expand your mind.
From the energetic and stately sounds of the French Baroque and the bracing soundtrack of Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton’s visit with Franz Joseph Haydn to the exotic 17th-century harmonies of Johann Schein’s The Fountains of Israel and the exciting modern harmonies of the mid-20th century, Seraphic Fire will continue to be your passport to fulfilling musical and intellectual experiences.
Elena Sharkova, guest conductor
This year we are joined by friends both new and familiar on the podium: Ruben Valenzuela makes his Seraphic Fire debut with seldom-heard works from the early German Baroque; Elena Sharkova returns to lead us in music by women composers on libretti by women authors; and our very own Associate Conductor James K. Bass takes us on a mid-century modern musical tour, in addition to helming the release of Seraphic Fire’s newest Christmas album.
In all our performing, we want you to know that we keep you—our dear friends and subscribers—at the forefront of our mind. Your enthusiasm for our artists and programs, including our wide education and community outreach offerings, is the fuel for our music-making. Whether this is your first or your twenty-first season with us, we believe it will be the most exciting yet. Thank you for your continued support as patrons and donors for these past two decades, and we look forward to our next performance with you in the audience.
2023-2024 Season
The Art of Protest
Raise your voice and join us for a powerful concert of protest songs! Seraphic Fire and Funding Arts Network present songs from the Civil Rights, Women's Suffrage, Abolitionist movements, and more. Host Reginald Mobley will lead this concert and sing-along with 5 singers, guitar, and percussion.
Gods and Mortals: Music of the French Baroque
Seraphic Fire opens its 21st Season with scenes from Castor and Pollux by Jean-Philippe Rameau. Follow solo voices, chorus, and chamber orchestra through this dramatic story of mythological twins as they struggle with their love of the same woman, and a trip to the underworld.
A Seraphic Fire Christmas
Let the gentle glow of candlelight and angelic tones of Seraphic Fire voices usher you into the holiday season. We hope this concert becomes the soundtrack of your season—literally!—since it marks the release of Seraphic Fire’s newest Christmas album. Come hear this concert and bring all your favorites home with you.
In Her Own Voice
Guest conductor Elena Sharkova returns for a concert highlighting the creative expressions of women composers and poets. Enjoy a diverse program of music where the lives, experiences, passions, and pains of women are described in their own voices.
Enlightenment Festival: A Scarlatti Family Affair
Father and son Alessandro and Domenico Scarlatti were influential in the musical life of Naples, Italy in the Baroque period. Captivating and meditative, these intricate Baroque vocal works provide a pause from modern life.
Enlightenment Festival: A Visit with Haydn
A special visit to the Esterházy palace by war hero Admiral Lord Nelson and his mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, inspired this concert of works by Haydn.
The Fountains of Israel
Seraphic Fire welcomes guest conductor Ruben Valenzuela for a concert highlighting madrigals of German Baroque composer Johann Schein. Rarely performed, The Fountains of Israel is an uncommon example of German sacred madrigals. Fans of Monteverdi and William Byrd are sure to enjoy the expressive text painting and interlocking lines in Schein’s works for chorus and continuo.
Mid-Century Modern
Furniture or architecture might come to mind when one hears the phrase "mid-century modern," but the creative style also impacted the music of the time. You’ll likely discover a mid-century work you’ve never heard before on this program for a cappella chorus.
