The Chorus of Westerly to Hold Benefit Concert Featuring Brian Cheney
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Westerly, RI – The Chorus of Westerly invites the public to An Evening of Music with Brian Cheney, a unique benefit event taking place in the historic George Kent Performance Hall, on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at 6pm.?? The evening will feature a cocktail hour, dinner, and a performance by the critically acclaimed tenor, Brian Cheney. Tickets are available at chorusofwesterly.org, by calling 401.596.8663, or at the Kent Hall Box Office, 119 High Street, in Westerly.????
An Evening of Music with Brian Cheney??is a special Chorus of Westerly fundraiser event. Doors will open for the event beginning at 5:30 pm, to light hors d’oeuvres and a cocktail hour. Dinner will feature a Mediterranean inspired chicken dish prepared by Chorus Chefs Deborah Dunham and Pamela Young. During the cocktail hour and dinner, special Chorus inspired raffle baskets will be on display with a chance to win fabulous prizes.?? The highlight of the evening will be an intimate music experience with Brian Cheney as he performs a program of opera and musical theatre hits, accompanied by Simon Holt.
Brian Cheney, a nationally renowned opera singer and tenor concert soloist, has been hailed by The New York Sun for his ???pure vocal beauty??? and ???expressiveness??? that captivates audiences. Mr. Cheney performs across the country, and is no stranger to the Ocean Community. He has frequently graced the stage at Salt Marsh Opera, and recently performed as a tenor soloist for the Chorus of Westerly???s Verdi Requiem. The Chorus of Westerly is delighted to have him return to the George Kent Performance Hall for this special benefit concert.??
All proceeds from the benefit concert will support the Chorus of Westerly’s ongoing community music and outreach programs, as well as its performance programs such as the Symphonic Concert Series, Christmas Pops, Summer Pops, the Collegiate Concert Series, and others.??
Tickets are on sale now and guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by calling 401.596.8663 or online at tickets.chorusofwesterly.org. Tickets are $40, and include dinner and the performance. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door. The cocktail hour begins at 5:30pm with a cash bar that will remain open all evening. Dinner is served at 6:45pm with the performance and dessert to follow. Childcare is available for the evening, but space is limited. Please inquire at 401.596.8663 for details and to make a reservation for your child.
About Brian Cheney
Hailed by KUSC Los Angeles as the ???next great tenor???, Brian Cheney, prot??g?? of legendary tenor Jerry Hadley, has gained international acclaim for his portrayal of characters such as Don Jos?? in??Carmen, Mario Cavaradossi in??Tosca, Rodolfo in??La boh??me, the Duke in??Rigoletto, Edgardo in??Lucia di Lammermoor, and Canio in??Pagliacci.?? ???It is tenor Brian Cheney as the brave painter Cavaradossi who really blew me away. Cheney has that terrific tenor sound: the power, richness, and vocal color of a high baritone combined with ringing, awe-inspiring high notes??? (Stage and Cinema.)??
Mr. Cheney has worked with a multitude of opera companies and music festivals such as Opera Naples as Don Ottavio in their production of??Don Giovanni??and Ismaele in??Nabucco; Salt Marsh Opera as The Duke in??Rigoletto??and a tenor soloist for a Valentine???s Concert; and at The Ocean House as the tenor soloist for a concert titled?????Love Songs on the Beach?????and?????Broadway on the Lawn.??? ???Cheney exhibits a robust, ringing tenor with a sure sense of style, firm tone and excellent diction.???????OPERA NEWS
Also an accomplished tenor concert artist, Mr. Cheney has sang the tenor solo in a multitude of works including??Carmina Burana??with Brevard Symphony Orchestra, H??ndel???s??Messiah??with Norwalk Symphony Orchestra, Mozart???s??Requiem??with Chorus of Westerly, Beethoven???s??Symphony No. 9??with Empire State Sinfonia,??Deep in My Heart??with Klavier Galerie, the Credo from??Missa??at Carnegie Hall, an opera gala with Monmouth Symphony, and a concert with soprano Danielle Talamantes with the Danbury Concert Association.
Mr. Cheney has performed numerous times as a soloist at Carnegie Hall including a recent performance of a world premi??re and US premi??re of Hungarian music with the American Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Leon Botstein. Mr. Cheney also made his Lincoln Center d??but as tenor soloist for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 at Avery Fisher Hall appearing with acclaimed soprano, Jessye Norman. Most recently, he gave a world premi??re performance of a song cycle for Tenor and Orchestra, Daniel Steven Crafts?????From a Distant Mesa with the New Mexico Philharmonic.??He was praised for his?????tone,??? ???expression,??? and ???lustrous radiance that illuminated the text at every point.???
Engagements for the 2016/17 season include Belmonte in Opera Piccola San Antonio, Festival Opera, and Salt Marsh Opera, Rodolfo in La Boheme with the Windsor Symphony and Norwalk Symphony Opera and Tenor Soloist in Salute to Vienna at Lincoln Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Jacobs Music Center in San Diego.
CHORUS OF WESTERLY??
The 190-voice Chorus of Westerly is the nation???s only intergenerational symphonic choral ensemble. For each concert in its professional concert season, children ages 8 to 18 sing alongside adult singers as ensemble members of equal rank and expectations. Founded in 1959 by George Kent and today directed by Andrew Howell, the Chorus has had more than 2,500 area residents sing in its program, with more than 1,500 singing as child members. In its 58 seasons, the Chorus has presented nearly 700 performances to over 1.7 million people. The Chorus has performed in concert over 100 major choral works with fully professional orchestra and soloists, and has presented 13 major American premieres.
While its home is in Rhode Island, the Chorus has toured internationally four times, singing in such venues as Smetana Hall in Prague, Stephansdom in Vienna, Westminster Abbey in London, and St. Peter???s??Basilica in the Vatican while also receiving countless awards for its work. The Chorus has also established regional traditions such as their annual Summer Pops??performance which is attended annually by 25,000 people.
In addition to its extensive performance season, the Chorus also offers a broad reaching musical??education program to its singing members and area children. This includes an?????in rehearsal??? music fundamentals class for all child and adult singers focusing on sight-singing, theory, and other musical techniques, as well as an introductory music and movement class for children ages 3 to 7.
The Chorus is also one of only three American choral organizations to own and operate its own performance venue – the??historic George Kent Performance Hall.