Misatango Festival, November 2022 - Vienna
Participating choirs:
Chaplains, St. Thomas (D)
The Chaplains of St. Thomas Church were founded 20 years ago in Augsburg . The name "Chaplains" is both a reference to the choir's concern and its mission in the community as well as a reference to the rehearsal location of the "Chapel", which was once an American church in the garrison town of Augsburg. The choir considers itself a "multi-generational choir" in which everyone who enjoys singing is welcome. In 2018 it was able to perform the Misatango in front of an enthusiastic audience at Sankt Thomas.
In 2019 it invited members of the neighboring Heretsried-Emersacker choir community to join some of their members in the performance of Martín Palmeri's Misatango at Carnegie Hall in New York. After this great experience, the desire arose to repeat the performance together, which ultimately led them to Vienna.
For the rehearsals they were able to win over the choir director Sieglinde Kazemyieh of the choir community. Sieglinde has already performed the wonderful piece with her choir with great success in several churches in the "Holzwinkel".
Choeur Vivace (CH)
Founded in 1860, the Union Chorale de Lausanne later merged with Choeur de Dames de Lausanne. To bring the choir in to the 21st century, it was renamed Choeur Vivace in 2001.
The choir focuses on the major choral repertoire such as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Monteverdi’s Vespers, Handel’s Messiah, St John’s Passion by Bach and Brahms’s German Requiem.
More recently, since the COVID pandemic, the choir has performed Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. After 35 years, this was the last concert under the baton of Christophe Gesseney.
In the Autumn of 2021, under the new direction of Johanna Hernandez, the Choeur Vivace presented a concert of music by Pergolesi and Vivaldi. This year's autumn program included Bruckner's Mass in E minor.
Coro Callìope (CH)
Founded in 1923 as a church choir - flanked by the Evangelical Community of Locarno - and renamed Coro Misto in 1929, the association became Coro Callìope in 2012. Since 2002 the Callìope Choir has been led with passion by the teacher Esther Haarbeck.
Despite its origins linked to the evangelical community, with which it continues a constructive collaboration, Callìope is a lay choir today and open to everyone. The choir consists of up to 35 choristers.
The choir's musical repertoire includes works from the Baroque to the contemporary period, a cappella pieces as well as pieces with instrumental accompaniment. The Callìope choir cultivates collaborations and connections with different sounds and genres: from ancient to classical music, spanning from medieval to contemporary themes; with references to Gregorian chant, lesser known literature, jazz, pop and current sounds and styles. Ivo Antognini from Ticino, Martín Palmeri from Argentina and John Rutter from England are three of the most widely interpreted contemporary composers.
In recent years, the choir has performed together with numerous instrumental groups, including the Sinfonietta Anphiona orchestra conducted by Yvo Wettstein and the Ascona Big Band conducted by Paolo Cervetti. Among the recent programs are the Misatango - Misa in Buenos Aires, composed by M. Palmeri, the concerts in collaboration with the Civica Filarmonica di Bellinzona, directed by Franco Arrigoni and the 2019 advent concerts with the OCL - Chamber Orchestra of Locarnese, directed by Andreas Laake.
After the trip to New York in 2019 for an international project that saw them on the stage of the prestigious Carnegie Hall along with 200 other singers from all over the world with Misatango, the choir is looking forward to performing the piece in Vienna.
Ensemble Vocal de Neuchâtel (CH)
Founded in 1980 by Charles-Philippe Huguenin, the Ensemble Vocal de Neuchâtel has been directed by its talented choir director Steve Dunn since 2001. Currently made up of around thirty choristers, the choir has a repertoire spanning from the Renaissance to contemporary compositions. They perform either a cappella or with accompaniment by organ, piano or various instrumental formations, such as the Ensemble Symphonique Neuchâtel, the Geneva Chamber Orchestra, Histoires de Musique and Le Moment Baroque.
In this diversity, local composers are not forgotten; thus in 2011, the choir sang the chamber version of Wahnfried-Symphonie by Bertrand Roulet and in 2012, a composition by Steve Muriset, Magnificat, commissioned by the EVN.
It is also with great enthusiasm that the choir participates in significant international events; and consequently participated in April 2016 in a concert in New York’s Carnegie Hall to sing among seven other choirs, Misa a Buenos Aires, by Martin Palmeri, in honor of the 20th anniversary of its creation.
The EVN is also pleased to join the other choirs directed by Steve Dunn - La Psallette and Le Chœur Norvégien de Genève - when it comes to singing works requiring a large number of singers. Thus in 2013, the public of Neuchâtel could hear L'EVN and La Psallette united interpreting Karl Jenkins’ Requiem during the Festi'Neuch and then in 2015 Te Deum by Anton Bruckner. In 2017, the two choirs met for a world premiere of a piece specifically written for them by composer Turgay Atamer: Requiem for Double Chœur.
Last November, the EVN once again joined forces with La Psallette and the Norwegian Choir of Geneva to sing another outstanding work by Karl Jenkins, The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace, accompanied by the Chamber Orchestra from Geneva.
In June 2018, the EVN performed Le Roi David by Arthur Honegger, accompanied by the instrumental ensemble Histoires de Musique, and in the spring of 2019, the Johannes-Passion by Georg Gebel d.J. with the Baroque Moment.
In September 2021, the EVN presented Joseph Haydn’s frequently performed “Creation” in a little-known transcription for string quintet and harpsichord by Anton Wranitzky, a Viennese contemporary of Haydn. In May 2022, the EVN along with the four other Geneva choirs directed by Steve Dunn took part in the concerts remembering the 200th anniversary of the birth of César Franck, notably by singing airs taken from the Oratorio de Ruth, and accompanied by the Orchester d'Harmonie de l'Etat de Genève.
You can consult the EVN website, www.evneuchatel.ch to find out more about all the works sung by the EVN since its creation in 1980.
Ensemble Vocal Émergence (F)
The Ensemble Vocal Émergence has its beginnings in 2016 when Séverine Dervaux initially brought together a few friends who, like her, wanted to sing in a small choir. Today there are some 20-25 singers, all of whom have solid experience in singing choral music and sing assiduously in various ensembles in the southwest of France.
EVÉ is a chamber choir whose objective is to perform varied and original works. From their first concert in February 2017 with the Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini, the public responded very favorably. A Brahms cycle followed in 2018 and 2019 with the Liebeslieder, Neue Liebeslieder and A German Requiem.
In February 2018, the choir began working on Latin American music, especially Martin Palmeri's Misatango, which they performed a second time in February 2020 featuring a show centering around the tango with dancers from the Tangueando ensemble near Pau. The event sold-out just a couple of days before the pandemic set in.
However, because of Covid, they were only able to give the first of three concerts of Maurice Duruflé's Requiem for organ and choir and other sacred pieces by French musicians of the 20th century. Currently the choir is singing three concerts based on American composers of jazz music from the 30’s, 40’s and all the way to the 60’s as well as contemporary compositions by the likes of Morten Lauridsen and Samuel Barber. Choir master Séverine Dervaux is never lacking ideas and the ensemble’s next concerts will feature Baroque music after the Misatango Festival in Vienna this fall!
Gruppo Incontro (I)
Complesso vocale e strumentale Gruppo Incontro
Gruppo Incontro was founded in 1971 in Trieste, Italy by a group of young people sharing both friendship and a passion for music.
Over the 50 years of its existence the choir has carried out an intense programme of concerts in Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia e Croatia. It was awarded First Prize with honours by the jury of the 25th International Festival of Neerpelt in Belgium. The choir has made recordings for RAI, Radio Capodistria, Radio Ljubljana, Belgian and Dutch Radio Television. It has recorded six Cds of the most significant works of its repertoire spanning medieval to contemporary composers. For the noted label Tactus it recently recorded a CD entitled "Cantus Dei Gloriae - Novecento sacro a Trieste", (sacred music of the 20th Century in Trieste) dedicated to the composers Giuseppe Radole, Marco Sofianopulo and Roberto Brisotto. Gruppo Incontro is directed by Rita Susovsky.
Ensemble Vocal Le Tourdion (F)
The vocal ensemble LE TOURDION was created in Dole in 1978 by the music teacher Louis Jacques. The choir consists of 40 singers and its program is mainly classical music.
Several choirmasters have successfully led the choir. Since 2012 the choir is directed by Florence GRANDCLEMENT, director of the Nord-Jura music school.
- From 1994 to 1998 the choir performed Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, Haydn's Stabat Mater, Fauré's Requiem and Stravinsky's Wedding.
- From 1998, under the baton of a new conductor, Le Tourdion interpreted the Ninth Symphony by Beethoven, the German Requiem by Brahms, the Requiem by Mozart, the Requiem by Duruflé, the Passion according to Saint John by Bach and the Mass by Stravinsky.
- From 2007 to 2012: Le Tourdion performs works from Central Europe and Lieder by Brahms, Schubert, Mendelssohn, sacred and secular music from Latin America, Mozart's Coronation Mass. In 2010 revival of Requiem De Fauré.
- Since 2012 Florence GRANDCLEMENT has conducted: Gloria RV589 by Vivaldi, (2013) the motet BWV 227 Jesu Meine Freude by J.S. BACH (2014), Solemn Vespers for a Confessor by Mozart (2015). La Sunrise Mass by Ola Gjeilo (2016) La Misa a Buenos Aires by Martín Palmeri (2017), Magnificat by Arvo Pärt (2017) Stabat Mater by Karl Jenkins (2018), Requiem by Steve Dobrogosz (2019).
- In February 2018 Le Tourdion, with other choirs sang the Misa Tango at the Konzerthaus in Vienna and in June 2019 at Carnegie Hall in New York.
- Only the main works have been cited. Le Tourdion also organizes a Christmas concert every year. The choir is accompanied by professional or amateur musicians from the conservatories of Dole, Dijon Besançon and the Nord Jura music school. Le Tourdion also travels abroad: Sestri-Levante, Lahr, Yverdon, Prague.
Passionato (F)
The Choir PASSIONATO was founded in 2011 by Natalia Raykher. The choir is composed of around 30 choristers who have a passion for singing (4 voices). The choir gives several concerts every year and has participated in chorals festivals in Japan (Yokohama 2014), Italy (Firenze 2016) and Belgium (Antwerpen 2017).
The choir takes part in the International Assembly of Russian chorals since its creation 5 years ago. It performs eclectic pieces (classic, folk, contemporary music). The choir has performed major works such as Leo Delibes' Missa brevis, Gabriel Fauré's Requiem, Haydn's Missa brevis in B-flat, Mozart's Missa brevis in C Major, Dmitri Bortnyansky' Concerto for two choirs Te Deum; Francis Poulenc's Stabat Mater, Martín Palmeri's Missa Tango, Stabat Mater by Karl Jenkins.
The permanent artistic director and conductor is Natalia Raykher (Tikhonova). Natalia graduated from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. She acquired her experience as a choir Master in Russia during 17 years.
She has been living in France since 2003 where she conducts several choirs of children and adults: the choir PASSIONATO at the Conservatory of Asnières sur Seine, the choir La Forlane in Paris, and « La Croche Choeur » at Franconville.
St. Martinschor Visp (CH)
The St. Martinschor Visp from Switzerland has a long tradition. Old writings in the parish and community show that there was already a church choir in 1892. The main goal of the St. Martinschor is to musically shape and beautify church services during the year and to sing solemn masses at Christmas and Easter.
Currently the choir has around 40 active members. It is led by the conductor and music director Johannes Diederen and the Russian-born assistant and organist Alina Nikitina.
The St. Martinschor has a versatile and rich repertoire. Traditionally on the annual programme there are orchestral masses by great composers at Christmas and Easter. The repertoire ranges from Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Liszt, Haydn to modern composers.
The choir frequently appears in public in concerts. In 2005 the oratorio "The Creation" by Josef Haydn, in 2008 the "Coronation Mass" by Franz Liszt and in 2012 the Cecilia Mass by Charles Gounod and the musical "Franz von Assisi" by Peter Jansens were performed.
A long tradition of operettas and musicals performances would be unthinkable without the choir. In the past 20 years, for example, the musicals "Show Boat", "Mask in Blue" and in 2020 "Zorro" have been successfully performed.
An unforgettable highlight of the choir was in 2014, on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the parish of Visp, the premiere of the musical "Martin", which was written by the composer Martin Völlinger especially for the choir.
Soloists & Orchestra
Natalia Vartanian, Singer & Conductor
Born in Córdoba, Argentina in 1987.
Education:
• Advanced Classical Singing Studies with Adriana Mastrangelo, Raúl Giménez (Barcelona), Rosa Domínguez (Switzerland), Silvina Sadoly (Buenos Aires) and Patricia González (Córdoba).
• College Degree in Choral Conducting at the National University of La Plata, Argentina.
• Graduated as Teacher of Choirs - Music Teacher from the School of Children Singers of Córdoba, Instituto “Domingo Zípoli”. Current engagements:
• Member of the National Choir of Argentina (Coro Polifónico Nacional Argentino).
• Assistant Professor of Vocal Technique at the National University of La Plata, Buenos Aires. Awards:
• The Banco Roela for “Academic Excellence”.
• The “Córdoba Student Award” awarded by the Government of Córdoba.
• The “Medal of Musical Merit” received as an outstanding student and for the quality of musical performance.
Pablo Mainetti, Bandoneonist and Composer
Pablo Mainetti was born in Buenos Aires in 1971 but his education has been between his born city, Barcelona and Paris.
He plays in the most important orchestras and tango ensembles as: Leopoldo Federico, Julian Plaza, Emilio Balcarce, la Orquesta de Tango de la Ciudad de Bs. As., Carlos García, Sexteto Mayor, Atilio Stampone, Osvaldo Berlingieri, Néstor Marconi, Rodolfo Mederos, Orquesta Juan de Dios Filiberto, Julio Pane, Daniel Binelli. He has also shared the stage with good singers such as among others Roberto Goyeneche, María Graña, Raúl Lavié, Rubén Juárez, Susana Rinaldi, Alba Solís, Amelita Baltar, Eladia Blazquez, Ute Lemper, Mercedes Sosa, Juan Manuel Serrat.
As a bandoneon soloist Pablo Mainetti has among others played with Orquestas Sinfónicas del Teatro Liure (Barcelona), Orquesta Nacional de España, BBC de Londres, Capitolio de Tolouse, Gubenkian de Lisboa, Orquesta de Granada, Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra, OCB (Orquesta Ciudad de Barcelona), Orquesta Sinfónica de Praga, Orquesta de Poitiers, Orquesta de Niza.
Under the direction of Josep Pons he recorded the “Concierto para Bandoneón y Orquesta de Astor Piazzolla” for Harmonia Mundi, with the Orquesta de Cámara del Teatro Liure.
Conducted by Ernest Martinez Izquierdo, he played his arrangments of Piazzolla´s tango music for Bandoneón and Symphony Orchestra, commissioned in a co-production between Orquesta Ciudad de Barcelona y Sinfónica de Navarra.
He has also participated as a soloist in the National Symphony Orchestra (Argentina) under the direction of the conductors Pedro Ignacio Calderón, Facundo Agudin, Mariano Chiacchiarini, Jose Maria Sciutto y Luis Vacalov.
He currently leads his own group, Pablo Mainetti Quinteto and is part of the Duet Mainetti – Angeleri, the Quintet of the Foundation Astor Piazzolla and the National Selection of Tango.
As a composer he writes works for solo instruments, songs and tangos, to chamber music and orchestra, concerts, ballets, and operas. Among his works include La luna sanada (Homage to Arnold Schönberg), El Quijote (Tango quarter), Cadencia para un concierto ausente (Piano solo), En Silencio (lyric by Evaristo Carriego), Breaking Silence (Bandoneon and string quartet), Eolicas (Bandoneon y woodwinds quartet), Ultramarina (chamber opera, lyrics by Edgardo Cozarinsky and regie Marcelo Lombardero), La última comilona (Opera lyrics by Jon Paul Laka and regie Michal Znaniecki)
He was nominated for the following awards: Grammy Latino 2004 for his CD Tres Rincones, Premio Clarín for the Tango Personality, Premios Ace for the opera Ultramarina music, and the rewards Gardel to the Best Tango Album with Mainetti-Angeleri Duet.
Youth Chamber Orchestra VIOLINISSIMO, Erding/ Germany
The Youth Chamber Orchestra VIOLINISSIMO was founded in 2004 by the violinist Ms. Ulli Büsel to enable young musicians to present their solo pieces with orchestra accompaniment, to develop their abilities and to gain professional experience on stage during performances in concerts which take place mostly as charity events.
The VIOLINISSIMO does perform without a conductor as the young soloists are directing the orchestra themselves. Thanks to this special concept developed by the artistic director Ms. Ulli Büsel the young musicians have been guided to making music self-responsibly and independently. The respect among each other and the profound understanding of music demand from each individual full concentration and full contribution to the group. Not just to participate but to be an active part of the music making. For music director Ulli Buesel, though, it is vitally important that each player retains his/her personal individuality.
This concept was transferred by VIOLINISSIMO and its artistic director Ulli Büsel to the music pieces which lead to a highly improved understanding of the composition. In principle, this means transferring the chamber music idea to an entire orchestra: Though, the principal players of each group cue the other players, there are no passive players in the orchestra. Everyone has to come in and perform actively. Everyone can rely on everyone else. This leads to a distinct team spirit, which is even more surprising considering the age differences of the players. Ulli Büsel’s special commitment towards musical education is therefore highly recognized.
Almost all members of VIOLINISSIMO are award winners of the competition „Jugend musiziert“ („Youth makes music“). Besides regular charity concerts, the Youth Chamber Orchestra VIOLINISSIMO takes part in national and international competitions and is the winner of various competitions – among others:
☆ Winner of the Bavarian Orchestra Competition 2011
☆ Winner of the German Orchestra Competition 2012
☆ Tassilo Culture Award granted by Süddeutsche Zeitung 2012
☆ VIOLINISSIMO represents Germany at the „Singapore Youth Festival“ with concerts at the Cultural Centre Hall and at the Great Hall in SOTA
☆ 2012 VIOLINISSIMO and ist artistic director Ms Ulli Büsel were honored with the signature in the Golden Book of Erding (near to Munich), hometown of VIOLINISSIMO
☆ Rotary Music Award 2013
☆ Award with distinction at the International Orchestra Competition „Summa Cum Laude“ in Vienna – concerts at the Golden Hall of Musikverein and at the Great Hall of the Wiener Konzerthaus 2013
☆ VIOLINISSIMO represents Germany at the „International Music Festival New York 2014“ – Gala Concert at the Carnegie Hall
☆ VIOLINISSIMO represents Germany at the „Cantus Music Festival“ at the Great Hall of Mozarteum in Salzburg and performs a beneficiary concert for AMREF at the Diabelli-Summer in Austria 2015
☆ Winner of the Bavarian Orchestra Competition 2015
☆ Winner as the best Bavarian Orchestra in all categories of the German Orchestra Competition in Ulm, concert at the Cathedral in Ulm 2016
☆ VIOLINISSIMO represents Germany at the „International Misatango-Festival“ in the Wiener Konzerthaus 2017
Since November 2015 the VIOLINISSIMO has been cooperating with the Music School Erding, which opens further possibilities for the young string players and enriches the cultural life in the district of Erding.
The chamber ensemble of VIOLINISSIMO is the next step of this special concept. 8 to 12 musicians of the Orchestra – all of them students at the Music Academy or future students – come together for selected projects to develop their chamber music skills and to realize their own artistic ideas.
The repertoire of the VIOLINISSIMO includes „classical“ pieces of baroque, classic and romantic periods and reaches up to sound tracks, commissioned compositions and contemporary music. The diversity of the orchestra repertoire allows the creation of fascinating and manifold programs.
The artistic director, Ms Ulli Büsel, is convinced that it is of essential importance for the young artists to get involved with contemporary music. Therefore she is in continuous search of rarely performed works to challenge the students to come up with their own thoughts and suggestions for the interpretation and not only to reproduce the music according to accessible YouTube and CD resources.
Recently, the Bavarian Radio made a recording with the orchestra. The CD with the recorded music by J. S. Bach, Mozart, Grieg, Ysaye, Piazzolla and the Canadian composer Alan Torok will be released later this year.
World Premiere - Salve Regina
at the Misatango Festival Vienna: Join in!
Have you always wanted to combine singing in a choir with your passion for tango? Now you can! A brand new musical experience for tango-loving choir communities is coming to a concert hall near you at the Vienna Konzerthaus.
A rare opportunity to take part in intensive rehearsal project, to work with the Argentinian experts and learn the secrets of the stylistically authentic performance of Argentinian choral and instrumental music, culminating in an unforgettable concert experience.
We would like to invite you and your choir to celebrate and perform Misatango and the World Premiere of Salve Regina by Martin Palmeri at the Grand Hall of the Vienna Konzerthaus in 2022!
The Misatango and the Salve Regina are written by the Argentinean composer Martin Palmeri and conducted by the Argentinean Grammy Award Nominee conductor Saul Zaks. They are choral works written for soprano soloist, bandoneón, strings, piano and mixed SATB choir and share a similar level of difficulty.
Both works manifest Palmeri's splendid talent for integrating stylistic features of the tango into his compositions. The marvellous employment of the bandoneón, sometimes as a singing voice, then again as a rhythm instrument, assures the preservation of the "tango soul." It is with excellent melodic and ingenious richness that Palmeri mixes the various tone colors of the tango with the various characteristics of the individual parts of the liturgical text.
