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ARTS ON ALEXANDER PRESENTS:

MOZART

PHILHARMONIE AUSTIN | ENSEMBLE VII

MAY 3 & 4 | 7:30 P.M. | REDEEMER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Philharmonie Austin & Ensemble VIII

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 39 in E-flat Major
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem

Jennifer Paulino, soprano
Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto
Kyle Stegall, tenor
Edward Vogel, bass

Ensemble VIII; Donald Meineke, artistic director
Philharmonie Austin; Mark Dupere, conductor

{$30 General | $25 Senior 60+ | $5 Student}

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Ensemble VIII comprises some of the nation’s most accomplished and outstanding early musicians. Under the direction of artistic director Donald Meineke, these artists bring to the extremely challenging music of the Baroque and Renaissance superior technical abilities and experience in performing stunning and exacting repertoire.

Philharmonie Austin is Austin's premier period instrument orchestra.

In 2002, Redeemer Presbyterian Church began a ten-year collaboration with First Presbyterian Church in its annual St. Cecilia Music Festival. Each year, the two churches contracted period instrument players for three separate concert programs. In 2010, Redeemer moved its part in the festival to the church’s current East Austin location on Alexander Avenue. At that time, the orchestra not only began to accompany the Redeemer Choir but also began its own orchestral concerts under the direction of conductor Mark Dupere. The name Musica Redemptor Orchestra was first adopted and has recently been changed to Philharmonie Austin, and has since played annual orchestra concerts featuring repertoire of the baroque and classical periods. The development of the orchestra more recently expanded in size for the performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, a work requiring an orchestra of 45 players.

Donald Meineke, Artistic Director

Hailed as a “fresh voice on New York’s musical scene” (The New Yorker), Donald Meineke is an organist, conductor, tenor, and the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble VIII. He maintains an active career as a recitalist, lecturer, conductor, and singer performing with local, national, and international ensembles.

Mark Dupere, conductor

Mark Dupere is Associate Professor of Music at Lawrence University, where he is the Director of Orchestral Studies. He is a passionate educator and hopes to impart a love of music-making and active engagement with audiences in the performance of music from all periods. He currently conducts the Lawrence Symphony and Chamber Orchestras.

Jennifer Paulino, soprano

San Francisco Bay Area soprano Jennifer Paulino’s voice has been praised as “graceful yet powerful” and “sensitive and clear” by San Francisco Classical Voice.  Her performance in Handel’s Messiah with Seraphic Fire was praised in South Florida Classical Voice:  “The sheer beauty and sincerity that soprano Jennifer Paulino brought to I know that my Redeemer liveth would be hard to equal.”

When Jennifer’s not performing, she’s teaching voice, caring for her young son, and composing and arranging with her husband, an indie singer-songwriter. https://jenniferpaulino.com/

Kristen Dubenion-Smith, alto

Recognized for her “velvety legato and embracing warmth of sound” (Washington Classical Review) and “lyric-mezzo of uncommon beauty” (The Washington Post,)  mezzo soprano Kristen Dubenion-Smith enjoys an active performing career in oratorio and sacred vocal chamber music, specializing in music of the medieval, renaissance and baroque eras.

Originally from Michigan, Ms. Dubenion-Smith attended Alma College (Bachelor of Music) before moving to Maryland to complete her studies at The Peabody Conservatory of Music (Master of Music) in Baltimore. https://kristendubenionsmith.com/

Kyle Stegall, tenor

Kyle Stegall’s performances around the world have been met with accolade for his “blemish-free production” (Sydney Morning Herald), “lovely tone and ardent expression” (NY Times), as well as his “lively and empathetic delivery” (San Francisco Classical Voice). An artist who communicates equally well on concert, opera, and recital stages, his performances are characterized by an unfailing attention to style and detail, and a penetrating directness of communication.

Holding a special relationship with the music of Benjamin Britten, Mr. Stegall was twice invited to participate as a fellow at the Aldeburgh Music Festival, in the composer’s hometown of Suffolk, England. There, he performed in recital and studied Britten song and Schubert lieder under the guidance of Ian Bostridge and Malcolm Martineau. Kyle has been heard in recital singing all of the composer’s cycles for tenor, including Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings. https://www.kylestegall.com/

Edward Vogel, bass

With a voice described as “rather appealing” (The New York Times), and praised for his “clarion tone” (Chicago Classical Review) and “commanding and animated” presence (Seen & Heard International), baritone Edward Vogel possesses a diverse repertoire spanning ten centuries. Highlights of the 2023-2024 season include solo appearances with GRAMMY®-winning Apollo’s Fire under the direction of Jeannette Sorrell, solo debuts with the Jacksonville and Tucson Symphonies, and his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in Handel’s Israel in Egypt, for which Musical America praised him as “one of the evening’s highlights.” Other recent solo appearances include Handel’s Messiah and Monteverdi’s Vespers with Apollo’s Fire; and Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem, Bach’s Mass in B minor, and Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem with GRAMMY®-nominated True Concord under the direction of Eric Holtan. In 2019 Edward made his international solo debut in Bach’s Mass in G Major at Snape Maltings, UK, under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe. Highly in-demand as an ensemble singer, Mr. Vogel has performed with groups including Bach Collegium Japan, and Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices in the world premiere of David Lang’s the writings at Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Vogel holds degrees from the Yale School of Music and the University of Notre Dame.

Ensemble VIII is a world-class vocal ensemble whose mission is to perform vocal music of the Renaissance and Baroque at the highest artistic level with a keen attention to scholarship and historically informed performance practices.

Event Details

• Date: Friday, May 3, 2024 & Saturday, May 4, 2024
• Time: 7:30 P.M.
• Venue: Arts on Alexander
• Website: https://www.artsonalexander.org/events/festival-mozart

Ticket Information

• Cost: $30 General | $25 Senior 60+ | $5 Student

Presenter Details

• Name: Arts on Alexander

The founding board members of Arts on Alexander (AoA) established the nonprofit organization in 2019 after decades of serving and participating in Austin’s artistic community.

AoA derives its origins from Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s Redeemer Artes, which has hosted choral and instrumental organizations, including the Texas Early Music Project, La Follia, Conspirare, Austin Baroque Orchestra, and numerous national and international musicians on its East Austin campus.

AoA, as with its predecessor Redeemer Artes, seeks to provide a place where community development and artistic and cultural development can grow together.

AoA envisions building education and outreach and youth programs into its core offerings, including opportunities to engage in the culinary, literary, and visual arts.

As Austin is a dynamic and fast-growing city, AoA provides a common thread that brings diverse communities together for the benefit of the city and its people.

The current Arts on Alexander Board of Directors includes: Dr. Ben King, Dr. George Dupere, Barry McBee, Gerson Brisola, Carolyn Ahrens, Dewayne Perry, and Brenda Simms. For information on how to support Arts on Alexander, contact us.

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