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Requiem by W.A. Mozart

Presented by Music Dept. of St. Matthew's Espicopal Church at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church

March 6, 2011

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The music department of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church presents REQUIEM by W. A. Mozart, performed with soloists, orchestra, and choir under the direction of St. Matthew’s choral director Michael Rosensteel. The St. Matthew's parish choir and orchestra are joined by the choir of St. Louis Catholic Church and professional vocal soloists: soprano Gitanjali Mathur, mezzo-soprano Linda Ramsey, tenor David Stevens, and baritone David Small.

 

Mozart’s Requiem is widely known, particularly as the soundtrack to the popular film Amadeus (1984), and much loved by classical music fans.

About the Soloists

 

Gitanjali Mathur, soprano, was born in India and immigrated to the United States at age 8. She earned bachelor’s, master’s, and performer diploma degrees in voice performance at Indiana University, Bloomington, and is active in opera, recital, solo, and choral performance in the U.S. and Europe. She has sung in numerous festivals and organizations as a soloist and chorister including the Grammy-nominated group Conspirare with Craig Hella Johnson, the Austin Chamber Music Festival, La Follia Baroque, Viola By Choice, Vox Humana with David Childs, Oregon Bach Festival with Mr. Helmuth Rilling, The Victoria Bach Festival, Seraphic Fire with Patrick Quigley, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale with Josh Habermann, and Texas Early Music Project conducted by Daniel Johnson. Most recently, Gitanjali sang the solo roles of “Serpina” in Pergolesi’s “La Serva Padrona” and “Gabriel” in “The Creation” by Haydn. In May 2009 and May 2010 she was nominated in the “Best Singer” category for the Austin Critics Table Awards. Gitanjali teaches voice in her private studio and at Westlake United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas.

 

Linda Blair Ramsey, mezzo soprano, a native Texan who has lived in Austin since 1974, has been a choral artist and featured soloist for many area music organizations and churches. Since 2005, she has sung with Grammy-nominated Conspirare and the Conspirare Symphonic Choir, and with the Victoria Bach Festival. From 1978 to 2004, under the choral direction of the late Morris Beachy, she sang in cathedrals and concert halls throughout England, Ireland, Wales and Italy. In 2000, Ms. Ramsey was the mezzo soloist for Ballet Austin’s premiere of the Mozart Requiem at the University of Texas’ Bass Concert Hall and also for the repeat performance in 2003. She is a devoted member of the First Baptist Church of Austin’s choral program and has served as the soloist on its Sunday radio broadcasts since 1991.

 

David Stevens, tenor, has been a part of the Central Texas music community since moving to Austin in 1985 for doctoral studies at the University of Texas. He has taught, studied, conducted, and performed with many area music organizations, including the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Choral Union, Austin Civic Chorus, Austin Vocal Arts Ensemble, Texas Early Music Project, La Follia Austin Baroque, Austin Civic Orchestra, and others. He has had the privilege of singing with Maestros Robert Shaw and Helmut Rilling in the Robert Shaw Festival Chorus and Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, respectively. With Rilling, David was a part of many recording projects, including the Haydn late symphonic masses and the Dvorak Stabat mater. With Maestro Shaw he was a chorister in several recordings made in southern France, including the Grammy-winning CD of the Rachmaninoff Vespers. David recently began his 22nd year as Director of Music at St. David's Episcopal Church.

 

David Small, baritone, enjoys an established and continuing career on the operatic and concert stage in the U.S. and Europe. He earned his bachelor of music degree from the DePauw University School of Music and an artist’s diploma in opera and master of music in voice performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Equally comfortable with comedy or drama, his repertoire is richly varied, including performances of over fifty different operatic roles. In 1991 he debuted his Figaro in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City and subsequently has enjoyed over one hundred performances of the role for several companies. He made his Austin Lyric Opera debut in this signature role in 1998 and repeated it for ALO in the 2007 season. Mr. Small sang and recorded the role of Tony in Menotti’s HELP, HELP THE GLOBOLINKS! for Madison Opera and is featured on the recording of Jerre Tanner’s THE KONA COFFEE CANTATA with the Prague Chamber Orchestra. In addition to numerous recitals, he has appeared as soloist with St. Louis Symphony, Cincinnati May Festival, Austin Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Canton Symphony, Missouri Symphony, and Bravo! Colorado Music Festival. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in the LORD NELSON MASS and SCHUBERT MASS IN G with John Rutter conducting. Mr. Small is associate professor of voice at the Butler School of Music, University of Texas.