Handel's Messiah December 3, 2010

The Pacific Chamber Symphony and Lawrence Kohl, conductor, herald in the holiday season at Livermore's Bankhead Theater with a joyful performance of Handel's Messiah, featuring accomplished soloists Marnie Breckenridge (soprano), Erin Neff (alto), Thomas Glenn (tenor) and Torlef Borsting (bass). Marnie Breckenridge has just returned from an engagement in Japan and will be flying in from New York to join PCS for this performance. Erin Neff will be singing with the San Francisco Opera next season. Local audiences will remember her as Cheribino in the recent Livermore Valley Opera production of Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro". Thomas Glenn is a graduate of the Adler Fellowship program at San Francisco Opera where he portrayed Maintop in Billy Bud and the Steersman in Der Filegende Holiander. Torlef Borsting's voice has been hailed as "heroic" and "wonderfully rich and warm" while his stage persona was lauded as "bigger than life." He has performed with the Verismo Opera, Ensemble Parallele, Sacramento Opera and Opera San Luis Obispo. The chorus will be directed by Robert Lappa, a member of the music faculty at Las Positas College where he directs the Chamber Choir, Concert Choir and Vocal Jazz Choirs. He has directed and sung with numerous choral ensembles in the Bay Area over the past 20 years, including the San Francisco Concert chorale, The Valley Concert Chorale and the vocal jazz quintent, Special Blend.

The Pacific Chamber Symphony (PCS) is composed of professional musicians from throughout the Bay Area. It was founded over 20 years ago by its talented conductor and musical director, Lawrence Kohl. The orchestra combines the precision of a small ensemble with surprising dynamic range and power. PCS is notable for innovative and insightful interpretations of music of all eras.

Official Website: http://www.pacificchambersymphony.org/