Boston Conservatory at Berklee is honored to welcome the foremost interpreter of Maurice Duruflé’s music, Dennis Keene, to conduct Duruflé’s beloved Requiem, with guest organist Mark Kruczek. This evening features additional choral works to be performed by the Conservatory’s orchestra and chorus in the historic Old South Church in Back Bay, Boston.
Dennis Keene is artistic director and conductor of the Voices of Ascension. Known internationally through his many concerts and recordings, as well as his regular guest appearances as conductor and teacher, he is one of leading choral conductors in the world today. Keene, whom Marie-Madeleine Duruflé calls the “perfect interpreter of my husband’s music,” has established his Duruflé credentials in his native land as well, in the years following his 1989 Duruflé Festival in New York City.
Organist Mark Kruczek serves as the organist and accompanist for Voices of Ascension, where he has collaborated with Dennis Keene since 1981. He has played master classes for Birgit Nilsson, Renata Scotto, Peter Pears, and Janet Bookspan.
Program Information
Repertoire
THE CONSERVATORY CHOIR:
RINDE ECKERT (b. 1951): Cesca’s View
Jocie Schnee, soprano
CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862–1918): Salut Printemps
Natalie Hensel, soloist
FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809–1847): “Lift thine eyes” from Elijah
GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845–1924): Puisqu'ici-bas toute âme
KAIJA SAARIAHO (1952–1923): Horloge, tais-tois!
FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797–1824): Stänchen
Alec House-Baillargeon, baritone
GEORGE FRIEDRICH HÄNDEL (1685–1759): Quel fior che all'alba ride
Elaina Spiro, cello
TRADITIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN SPIRITUAL arr. WILLIAM L. DAWSON (1899–1990): There Is a Balm in Gilead
Sarah Mesibov, soloist
THE COMBINED CONSERVATORY CHORALE AND GRADUATE CONDUCTOR’S CHORUS:
MAURICE DURUFLÉ: Requiem
1. Introit (Requiem aeternam)
2. Kyrie
3. Offertory
4. Sanctus
5. Pie Jesu
Darya Narymanava, mezzo-soprano
Elaina Spiro, cello
6. Agnus Dei
7. Communion (Lux aeterna)
8. Libera me: Moderato
9. In Paradisum
About the Artists
Dennis Keene is an internationally renowned conductor. Through his concerts and Grammy-nominated recordings with Voices of Ascension, regular guest appearances as conductor and teacher, and his work as artistic director of the Dennis Keene Choral Festival and Voices of Ascension Conductor Academy, he has become one of the preeminent figures in choral music today. Recipient of awards for exceptional artistry from the Juilliard School and Chorus America, Dr. Keene has also served on grants panels for the NEA and NYSCA as well as the board of Chorus America.Keene has dedicated a large part of his career to the performance of the music of Maurice Duruflé. He has conducted all of Duruflé’s choral music many times and, during his organ recital years, regularly played the organ works, which he had studied with Mme Duruflé, the legendary organ virtuoso and wife of the composer. In 1989, he organized the first complete retrospective of the music of Maurice Duruflé and conducted the complete choral works. He was a close personal friend of Mme Duruflé until her death in 1999. Mme Duruflé called Dennis Keene the “perfect interpreter of my husband’s music.” He now serves on the Comité International de Soutien of the Association Maurice and Marie-Madeleine Duruflé.Mark Kruczek is an organist, conductor, and vocal coach who began his musical training at DePaul University in Chicago with Arthur Becker, the founder of the School of Music. Kruczek also studied with the organists Conrad Bernier, Robert Twynham, and George Baker at the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C., where he also served on the faculty. A graduate of the Juilliard School with undergraduate and master’s degrees, he studied under Vernon de Tar and was awarded the Gaston Dethier Organ Prize. Kruczek has done extensive piano study with Helen Engler at the Chicago Conservatory, and Amos Allen of the Peabody Conservatory. From 1979 to 2020, he held the post of director of music at St. Joan of Arc Roman Catholic Church in Jackson Heights, New York. In 1985, Kruczek founded Chorus Angelorum of Northwest Indiana, a professional chorus that performed great sacred choral repertoire. He served as the artistic director and principal conductor. He has played master classes for Birgit Nilson, Renata Scotto, Peter Pears, Martin Isepp, and Janet Bookspan. He has been a coach and accompanist for the Denes Striny Voice Studio in New York City. As an accompanist, he has performed with Lauren Flanigan and Myra Merritt of the Metropolitan Opera, as well as international tenor John Aler. Kruczek has been the accompanist of Voices of Ascension with Maestro Keene since 1981, including multiple performances (and recordings) of Duruflé’s choral music. He had the privilege of studying the organ part of the Requiem with Mme Duruflé.
Ensemble
CONDUCTORSDennis KeeneKatie GardinerTHE CONSERVATORY CHOIRAmanda Robertson, B.M. '27Avery Ross, B.M. '27Brooklynn Schroeder, B.M. '27Edith Mora Hernandez, M.M. '25Grace Kang, B.M. '27Jennifer Diaz Malanche, B.M. '27Jenny Brito, B.M. '25Jocie Schnee, B.M. '27Madeline Lee, B.M. '25Naomi Bennett, M.M. '24Natalie Hansel, B.M. '25Neenah Fuste, B.M. '27Sarah Mesibov, B.M. '25Xinyue Wanyan, B.M. '26Yuruo Sun, B.M. '27Zizi Vargas Chaffa, B.M. '27Jackson Alfrey, B.M. '24 Justin Berg, B.M. '26Montse Martinez Buganza, B.M. '24Claire Burreson, B.M. '24Ciara Cuneo, B.M. '26Madeline Darigan, B.M. '26Nicole DiPasquale, B.M. '26Chirbee Dy, B.M. '24Eva Espinoza, B.M. '27Alex Georgopoulos, B.M. '25 Kyle Huang, B.M. '26 Kat Lutz, B.M. '26 Klara La Guardia, B.M. '25Rachel London, B.M. '25Matthew MacNeal, B.M. '27Lucy Martindale, B.M. '24 Anthony Mattson, B.M. '27Oscar Medina, B.M. '26 Isabella Napoli, B.M. '26 Owen Olson, B.M. '27Anthony Paredes, B.M. '24Maisy Parker, B.M. '25 Erick Pico, M.M. '25Alex Roges, B.M. '24Lourdes Ruiz, B.M. '26Aoife Schenz, B.M. '24Andrew Steele, B.M. '24Hanqing Sun, B.M. '25Carla Louise Wolfer, B.M. '24Dee Ypsilantis, B.M. '26 Xin Zheng, B.M. '25COLLABORATIVE PIANISTOlivia Pike, G.P.D. '25THE CONSERVATORY CHORALEJayson Banton, M.M. '25Olivia Brice, M.M. '25 Ally Brigley, G.P.D. '24 Raban Brunner, M.M. '24 Tyler Cesario, M.M. '24 Sam Crosby-Schmidt, M.M. '24Jason Edelstein, M.M. '25 Jovanni Ferrer, M.M. '25 Molly Flynn, M.M. '25Nina Gojcaj, M.M. '25Violet Joy Hansen, M.F.A. '24Edith Mora Hernandez, M.M. '25Alec House-Baillargeon, M.M. '25 Rachel Klippel, M.M. '25 Corey Mann, M.M. '24Mandy Matthews, M.M. '24Rebecca Matte, M.M. '25Molly McDonough, M.M. '25 Sidney O’Gorman, M.M. '24Olivia Pike, G.P.D. '25Nur Fahlevi Pratama, M.M. '25Harold Rivas, M.M. '25Laura Santamaria-Mendez, M.M. '25Merced Stratton, M.M. '24 Alex Voss, M.M. '24REHEARSAL PIANISTScott NicholasTRUMPETEmily Dillon, B.M. '27Frederick Poor, B.M. '27Cal Richards, B.M. '25TIMPANIApril Ong, B.M. '24HARPJiayi Li, M.M. '24Cherish McKellar, M.M. '24ORGANMark KruczekHARPSICHORDJulian Dürr, B.M. '25VIOLIN IGaia Sbeghen, P.S.C '24Lauren Oeser, B.M. '25Celeste Di Meo, G.P.D. '24Stella Feliberti, B.M. '27Isabella Yee, B.M. '26Annabelle Lee, B.M. '27Leah Zhao, M.M. '24Tommaso Lorenzon, G.P.D. '25Annali Wirtz, B.M. '26VIOLIN IIBrianna Ingber, B.M. '24Yinfei Li, G.P.D. '24Stanley SilvermanNicole ParksSierra Freund, B.M. '27Mary Davis, B.M. '26VIOLADrew Keeve, M.M. '24Changhyun Paek, G.P.D. '25Lydia Xiao Yan Tan, B.M. '27Simon Daly, B.M. '26Maya Hartglass, B.M. '27CELLOElaina Spiro, B.M. '24Bryceton Au, B.M. '26Matthew Williams II, B.M. '26Ting-Chen Chen, M.M. '25Xingyu Wang, M.M. '25BASSNicolette Kindred, B.M. '24Zakar Basan, B.M. '27
Concert Services Staff
Senior Manager of Concert Services – Luis Herrera
Coordinator, Concert Services – Matthew CareyConcert Production Manager – Kendall FloydPerformance Technology Technicians – Sara Pagiaro, Goran Daskalov
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