Thu 10/12 @ 7:30PM
Fri 10/13 @ 8PM
Sat 10/14 @ 8PM
Sun 10/15 @ 4PM
After selling out concerts at Tangelwood, in Madrid, Spain and BBC programs in London, Apollo’s Fire comes home to open its 2017-2018 season with Israel in Egypt.
Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt vividly traces the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. Filled with sumptuous music, the adaptation by Apollo’s Fire music director Jeanette Sorrell will feature the Apollo’s Singers as well as performances by soprano Erica Schuller, countertenor Daniel Moody, tenor Ross Hauck and baritone Jeffrey Strauss.
Fitting nicely into the high holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper season, the concert continues the tradition of showcasing Jewish themes by the orchestra which previously performed Sephardic Journey, which, in its recorded version, made Billboard’s Top 10 list. (To read a review of the “Sephardic Journey” concert and a bio of soloist Jeffrey Strauss, go to royberko.info, and enter Apollo’s Fire in the search box in the upper right side.)
The orchestra, which is named after the classical god of music and sun, was founded in 1992 by Sorrell with a grant from the Cleveland Foundation. The music director envisioned an ensemble dedicated to the baroque ideal that music should evoke the passions of the listeners through drama and rhetoric. She has succeeded! Using period instruments, the ensemble includes a pool of music specialists and singers who create a unique sound and features innovative programming.
The group, whose recordings are often best sellers, frequently broadcast on National Public Radio and can be heard throughout North America and Europe. Apollo’s Fire will make its debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 22, 2018 and then travel to Boston for a Boston Early Musical Festival on March 24.
Apollo’s Fire dedication to nurturing the next generation of musical appreciators and performers is highlighted by an intimate artistic learning experience, which centers on free family concerts, a Treble Youth Choir and a Young Artist Apprentice Program.
Performances of Israel in Egypt take place at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Akron on Thursday; First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights Friday; The Temple-Tifereth Israel Saturday, and Avon Lake Church on Sunday. Information about Apollo’s Fire and tickets may be purchased at apollosfire.org/ or by calling 216-320-0012.
Akron, OH 44313
Cleveland, OH 44118
Avon Lake, OH 44012