presents
becoming what we say
Vince Peterson | Conductor
Robbie Cowan | Associate Conductor
Hee Sung Kim | Principal Pianist
with
Carlos Cuestas, Guitar
Christine Chen, Principal Percussionist
Maiko Hosada, Percussionist
Chi-Ching Lin, Percussionist
Ari Messenger, Violin
Ben Meigners, Bass
Sun, Dec 10, 2023, 5:00 pm
Church of the Ascension
127 Kent St.
Brooklyn, NY
Tues, Dec 12, 2023, 7:00 pm
Church of the Holy Apostles
296 9th Ave
New York, NY
Fri, Dec 15, 2023, 8:00 pm
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
3 W 65th St.
New York, NY
Dear Friends,
Welcome once again to ECMC's eagerly awaited Holiday concerts. We are thrilled to have you join us, especially as we celebrate the first concert of our 30th Anniversary Season.
We are who we say we are.
From its inception, Gay Gotham Chorus embarked on a critical mission: to represent those who were voiceless or marginalized, and to embody humanity in the face of harsh scrutiny and judgment. GGC was unapologetic in its outward expression of identity. At our core, we remain that robust group of men, embodying the experiences of certain individuals in today's world. We advocate for using choral music as a response to violence, injustice, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and all forms of prejudice. Thirty years later, we are stronger than ever, having realized our vision in the world.
This realization is the essence of incarnation: words transforming into action, convictions into commitments, and love into justice. All of this requires the courage to speak out and make it a reality.
My mentor, Conrad Susa, presented me with an intriguing book titled "The Limits of Art" upon my graduation from the Conservatory of Music in San Francisco. The book, a thought-provoking anthology ranging from Homer to Valéry and Herodotus to James Joyce, suggests that art's only boundaries are those we impose on ourselves, and these are fewer than we often believe.
The music of this season invites everyone, regardless of background, to experience numerous manifestations of goodness as narrated in timeless stories. The Christmas story, in particular, speaks of overcoming adversity and steadfastly upholding our true selves against all challenges.
To me, the hundreds of resilient and brave individuals who have been a part of ECMC over the years symbolize this very spirit. Today, over fifty of them will perform for you.
Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones. We cherish you, just as you say you are.
-Vince Peterson
Rosephanye Powell
arr. William Powell
Healey Willan
Alfred Burt
Joshua Joseph, Baritone
Hans Leo Hassler
Mike Rowan
Jeremy Ritz, Tenor
Bill Powell, Baritone
Elizabeth Alexander
Ariel Ramirez
arr. Vince Peterson
I: La anunciación
III: La peregrinación
III: El nacimiento
IV: Los pastores
V: Los reyes magos
VI: La huida
Josaphat Contreras, Tenor
Craig Goodwin-Ortiz de León, Tenor
JImmy Johnson, Tenor
Su-Jan Miguel Sang Rodriguez, Baritone
Rodrigo Bolaños, Bass
Carson Cooman
Daniel Brewbaker
Nico Muhly
Julian Baldwin, Tenor
Jason Robert Brown
arr. Mac Huff
Matthew Kenney, Baritone
Franz Biebl
Conrad Susa
Jimmy Johnson, Tenor
Mark Heflin, Baritone
Marshall Taylor, Bass
Empire City Men's Chorus is a chorus of compassion and courage, we embrace the marginalized, empower the disconnected, and elevate the human spirit through evocative music. As vanguards of men's choral music, we break barriers, challenge norms, and inspire the celebration of every individual, regardless of gender, identity, or orientation.
For over 30 years, ECMC's high quality choral concert programming has brought countless audiences to their feet, made significant contributions to the tradition of men's choral repertoire, and given back to its greater community through volunteer service, profit-sharing, and goodwill performances. ECMC is much more than an avocational men's chorus. It is a tight-knit community that values fraternity, musical excellence, and social justice. Its membership reflects a diverse cross-section of New Yorkers, identifying with multiple racial and ethnic heritages and across the LGBTQ+ community.
Josaphat Contreras
Kameron Ghanavati
Craig Goodwin-Ortiz de León
Jimmy Johnson
Jeremy Ritz
Amos Toh
Julian Baldwin
Bruce Bergquist
Michael Cheffo
Brian Dashew
Daniel Ehrman
Edward Angelo Enrique
William Garner
Daniel Greller
Jack Kirk
Casey Koh*
Keith Odums
Steve Ostrow
Chris Quach
Peter Yangga
Jonathan Berg
Scott Michael Brown
Marshall Gunter
Mark Heflin
Aaron S. Hock
Joshua Joseph
Matthew Kenney
Micah Krajca
Ronald Languedoc
David Lick
David R. Murray
Steven Oliveri
Jacques Pavlenyi
Bill Powell
Su-Jan Miguel Sang Rodriguez
Daniel Weinberg
Rodrigo Bolaños
Brent Capron
Robbie Cowan
Daniel Hogan
John Maderazo
Stephen Milne*
Marshall Taylor
Kent Walker
David Ward
John Wellmann
*Stephen Milne is the Co-Founder of Gay Gotham Chorus (today’s ECMC) and Founding CEO Gotham Performing Arts. Casey Koh is a Founding Member of Gay Gotham Chorus
Carlos Cuestas is an active musician and scholar based in New York City. He has performed in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, and Ireland as a soloist and in chamber, orchestral, and traditional music ensembles. He has participated in numerous early music projects including opera and oratorio productions in New York City, New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Francisco. For the past ten years, Carlos and flutist Jenny Cline have explored extensively guitar and flute repertoire, ranging from established pieces in the repertoire to commissioning original compositions by celebrated American composers. The Cline/Cuestas duo will release their second album in 2024.
Carlos’s scholarly research centers in the centuries-old son jarocho tradition from Veracruz, Mexico, playing a consort of traditional instruments, and was a member of the New York City ensemble Radio Jarocho. Carlos, a Colombian national, is a PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology at the City University of New York, The Graduate Center researching the intersection of activism between youth collectives and son jarocho practice in Veracruz and Chicago.
Christine Ching-Yu Chen, born in Taichung, Taiwan, is an active percussionist based in the New York/New Jersey area. As an orchestral percussionist, she has performed with renowned orchestras, including the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, New World Symphony, Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, Westchester Chamber Symphony, New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra, Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, and Park Avenue Chamber Symphony. She was also invited to major music festivals, such as the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara as an academy member. Dr. Chen has performed with numerous chamber groups, including New York Percussion Group, Excelsis Percussion Quartet, Ensemble du Monde, Lunatics at Large, and Areté Ensemble. In recent years, Dr. Chen has collaborated with many choirs in live concerts, recording projects, and concert tours. Choral groups include Choral Chameleon, Empire City Men’s Chorus, Choral Art Society of New Jersey, Collegiate Chorale, Vox Nova, VS/VS, and Highbridge Voices.
Dr. Chen holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University, and Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from the Mannes School of Music at the New School. She is currently on faculty of SpeakMusic Conservatory and is a dance accompanist for Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
When founding Choral Chameleon, his “shape-shifting choral ensemble” (Time Out New York) in 2008, Vince Peterson began a nearly 15-year dissertation on what choral music could be for the next generation of singers and listeners. Today, he still works within Choral Chameleon and in many other places to invest in the continuing evolution of the art form. He is responsible for over 200 premieres of new choral music and founding an annual institute for composers and conductors where he has guided 175+ students on their journeys to find their best musical selves. He has been a devoted advocate for functional music used for humanitarian and social justice work in the communities he serves.
Vince is a recipient of the prestigious Chorus America Louis Botto Award for Innovative Action and Entrepreneurial Zeal, a lifetime distinction he shares with fewer than twenty choral musicians. His work in choral music has been reviewed in major news outlets, including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Time Out New York, The Brooklyn Eagle, and I Care If You Listen, among other publications. It has been funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, The New York State Council on the Arts, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and The Sparkplug Foundation. Choral Chameleon is the recipient of The American Prize in Choral Music and the prestigious ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming.
A recognized thought leader in choral music, The NewYork Times called Vince Peterson “authoritative beyond his... years.” The Brooklyn Eagle praised his work as “a stunning symphony of the spiritual and secular” while hailing him as a solo performer “with depth and vigor” who “provided a universal context which resonated with his audience.”
Trained formally and primarily as a composer, Vince has devoted the lion’s share of his compositional output to choral music, both original and arrangements, chamber music, and musical theater. His catalog comprises nearly 100 works and includes eight commissions from the multi Grammy® award-winning ensemble, Chanticleer, a million+ views on YouTube, and performances in some of the world’s most significant spaces, including Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall, Bela Bartok Concert Hall in Budapest, San Francisco’s Herbst Theater, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and others.
For over 20 years, Vince has explored how to reframe traditional mindsets about music education for the modern era. No matter the educational setting, Vince’s work as a music pedagogue bridges gaps between starkly opposed philosophies, embracing time-tested learning techniques and helping musicians of all ages and stages of development to become their best musical selves.
He lives in the Bronx with his husband, David, a Hebrew Bible Theologian.
Robbie Cowan has conducted or played performances in 49 states (Hawaii remains elusive). Primarily working in theater, he has been the music director for several national tours including Bullets Over Broadway, Anything Goes, Shrek, and Elf. He supervised the long-running off-broadway hit The Imbible, is the resident music supervisor and contractor at the historic New London Barn Playhouse, and has worked at some of the country’s best loved regional theaters, like the Ogunquit Playhouse and Northern Stage. He conceived, wrote, and directed the original comedy revue 4 Guys Who Sing, which can now be seen worldwide aboard luxury cruise lines, and his original 10-minute comedy murder mystery play, Who Did It?, was selected from hundreds to be performed in Playbill’s inaugural Virtual Theater Festival. Educated at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Gonzaga University, and New College, Oxford. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska.
Hee Sung Kim is a versatile pianist, collaborative artist, music director, and pedagogue. A native of Seoul, she began her musical studies at the Juilliard School Pre-College division at the age of six. Hee Sung holds a B.M. from Seoul National University, M.M. from Yonsei University, and Professional Studies Certificate from Manhattan School of Music. Her extensive performing career as soloist and chamber musician has led her to venues across the Americas, Europe, and Asia, including Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and Seoul National Arts Center. As an avid proponent of contemporary music, she has premiered numerous new works by present-day composers. Her initial training was in classical music, but she is equally at home collaborating with artists across multiple genres such as sacred, pop, and musical theater. She is in demand as a pianist, director, and coach; working with various instrumentalists, vocalists, choral groups, and educational institutions throughout the city.
It’s so wonderful to sing live for you again! Did you know that transformative musical experiences like this are only possible with your generous support? From commissioning landmark new works for men’s voices, to programming ambitious concerts, and creating a diverse community of artists and audiences, your gift to ECMC is an investment in the power and potential of choral music to change minds and hearts. Please make a tax-deductible gift today.
Sarah Benvenuti, Nathan Bussard, Mike Clemow, Justin Lockwood, Jacob McCoy, Emma Mooradian, Brian Thompson, Thomas Wu, Esq., Metro Baptist Church, Church of the Ascension, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, and Church of the Holy Apostles.
A very special thanks to our generous donors and to our volunteers for this performance.
Rodrigo Bolaños - President
Bill Powell - Vice President
Daniel Weinberg - Secretary
Craig Goodwin-Ortiz de León - Treasurer
Jeremy Ritz - Director
Jonathan Berg - Director
Brent Capron - Director
Liliana De Jesus - Director
Jeremy Ritz - Director
Mitchell Foote - Director
David Ward - Director
Emma Mooradian - Chorus Manager
Matthew Pisciotta - Marketing Consultant
Edward Angelo Enrique - Marketing Specialist
Benvenuti Arts - Grants and Development Consultant