Welcome to Seraphic Fire’s 2024-2025 Season: Music History 101! 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.
This season, Seraphic Fire brings you the fun and enlightening music appreciation course you always wished you had taken. Throughout Season 22, you will learn more about the pivotal artistic movements in Western classical music history through exciting concerts and accompanying lectures by scholars from top academic institutions. Satisfy your intellectual curiosity and expand your mind with Seraphic Fire!
Learn Something New from Music Scholars
In Seraphic Fire’s 22nd Season, we’ve gathered a host of the nation’s top musicologists to present on the major eras of music, record our podcast, and provide in-depth articles for the Seraphic Fire Magazine.
Online Lectures & Panel Discussions
Attend a lively virtual panel discussion and Q&A hosted by Patrick Dupre Quigley and James K. Bass, featuring our consulting scholars, two weeks prior to each program. Can't make the live session? All programs will be available on-demand before the concert.
2024-2025 Season
A Brief History of Western Music
Artistic Director Patrick Dupre Quigley gives you a crash course on the history of Western music in one lively evening with chorus, period keyboard instruments, and cello. You’ll hear the contrasts and connections between eras: the stark simplicity of Medieval chant, the rich polyphony of the Renaissance, the ornate structure of the Baroque, the elegant balance of the Classical, the passionate intensity of the Romantic, and the creative ingenuity of the Contemporary. Don’t miss this chance to experience the evolution of Western music in a new and exciting way.
Contemporary: Jewish Voices
The voices of today’s Jewish composers ring out in a program for choir a cappella conducted by Associate Conductor James K. Bass. Shirim L'yom Tov, a set of celebratory songs by Pulitzer-prize-winning composer Shulamit Ran, offers wisdom and inspiration. The contemporary sounds and thought-provoking music of Lera Auerbach, David Lang, and Sid Robinovitch examine the rich tapestry of the Jewish experience. This concert is about more than music: it’s an exploration of culture and connection.
A Seraphic Fire Christmas
Unaccompanied voices in a candlelit setting mark the Christmas season in South Florida. Guest conductor Anthony Trecek-King returns to lead our Billboard-chart-topping Christmas program. Enjoy yuletide tunes from Modern composers like Benjamin Britten—and, as always, celebrate the season with fan favorites like O Come All Ye Faithful and Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.
A Seraphic Fire Christmas in Grafton, VT
In the idyllic village of Grafton, Vermont, guest conductor Anthony Trecek-King returns to lead our Billboard-chart-topping Christmas program. Enjoy fresh yuletide tunes like Taylor Scott Davis’ Solstice—and, as always, celebrate the season with fan favorites like O Come All Ye Faithful and Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.
Renaissance: The Capilla Flamenca
The Capilla Flamenca was perhaps the most glorious choir ever assembled. A gift from a queen to her grandson, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, the elite group of singer-composers dazzled the courts and cathedrals of Spain for centuries with their sublime voices and awe-inspiring music. Now, Seraphic Fire—led by guest conductor Amanda Quist—will bring their legacy to life in a stunning tribute to the Capilla Flamenca. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness the splendor of a golden age of choral music.
Enlightenment Festival - Romantic: Schumann & Mendelssohn
Clara and Robert. Fanny and Felix. Experience expressive songs from brilliant, yet underrecognized composers —Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor—and from artists who have traditionally defined the era—Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn, and Johannes Brahms. Immerse yourself in hummable melodies and passionate lyrics as we celebrate the beauty and diversity of Romantic choral music.
Enlightenment Festival - Classical: Martines, Mozart & Haydn
Explore the vibrant works of Marianna Martines, a star of Viennese Classical music. A pupil of Franz Joseph Haydn and duet partner to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Martines' music radiates simplicity and elegance. In a concert featuring chorus and period orchestra, we highlight the modern world premiere of Martines' O, Virgo, cui salutem, alongside bedrock works by Haydn and Mozart, including the ravishing "Laudate Dominum" from the Vesperae solennes de confessore.
Baroque: Angels Behind the Walls
Journey back to 18th-century Italy, where captivating music blossomed in convents. Antonio Vivaldi, the "Red Priest," composed vibrant choral pieces for Venice's cloistered convent and orphanage, the Ospedale della Pietà, including the beloved Magnificat. Across Italy, talented women like Chiara Margarita Cozzolani and Maria Xaveria Perucona crafted ecstatic compositions that raised eyebrows among religious authorities. Join Patrick Dupre Quigley as he leads chorus and period orchestra in this program that offers a peek into the secret lives of 18th-century nuns.