GREENWICH MADRIGAL SINGERS
The Greenwich Academy Madrigal Singers at Megaro Gyzi in Santorini
The Cultural Centre Megaro Gyzi at Fira, Santorini presents on Friday 20th of June 2008 the American treble choir Greenwich Academy Madrigal Singers, participating in the events that are organized all over Europe for the «European Music Day» between 19-21 June, on the occasion of celebrations of the World Music Day on 21st of June, through the exclusive representation of the Greek network of M.E.S.O. Music Events in Greece.
The first part of the evening will take place in the St. John΄s Catholic Church in Fira at 8:30pm, where the members of the choir will sing sacred classical music a capella and organ accompaniment under the conductor Beth Raaen. The second part of the event will follow at 9:30pm in the Megaro Gyzi Concert Hall, which is just opposite the church. There, the Madrigal Singers will perform accompanied by pianist Dianne Kelley Ellis a repertory of contemporary songs, that will be a pleasant and amusing surprise for the spectators.
The 2008 tour in Greece is organized by the international ACFEA Tour Consultants and the artistic activity is managed by the conductor and pianist Anastasios Strikos. The choir will be in Greece between 8th and 21st of June 2008 and will appear in Athens, Delphi, Patras, Nafplio, Mykonos and Santorini.
MADRIGAL SINGERS 2008
Marie Gabrielle Arco, Victoria Berner, Katherine Bishop, Elizabeth Buffone, Claire Delcourt, Tessa Demmerle, Caroline Figgie, Caroline Francis, Margaret Georgitseas, Dana Hindman, Ashley Kellam, Lily Galef, Madeline Leaman, Laine Levitt, Hollace Linneman, Rebekah Lowin, Julia Marcus, Nina Mullen, Anne Munger, Sana Neumann
The Madrigal Singers represent a long tradition of musical excellence at Greenwich Academy. The Upper School treble ensemble has received invitations to perform both regionally and internationally. In December 2004, they performed at a private reception hosted by First Lady Laura Bush at the White House. The Madrigals sang a private mass at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy as part of their 2004 tour of Italy and France. In 2002, they joined the Boys Choir of Harlem in a benefit concert at the Academy. This year they have performed with the Greenwich Symphony and at the Bruce Museum for Palladium Musicum. They have also been invited and performed to the NAIS (National Association of Independent School) Annual Convention at Radio City Music Hall.
Beth Raaen, conductor of the Madrigal Singers, earned her bachelor of music degree in voice from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and her master of music degree from Southern Methodist University. Her teaching experience includes work with lower, middle and upper school students in Minnesota, Texas and England (TASIS England – Thorpe, Surrey). Now serving as performing arts chair at Greenwich Academy, she also directs Freshman Chorus, Bel Canto, AP Music Theory and the private lesson program. Under her leadership, the Madrigals have produced six CDs, and have expanded their repertoire extensively.
Dianne Kelley Ellis, accompanist, is the director of the Lower School music program at the Academy. She earned her bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in piano performance at the State University of New York at Purchase. She has received Kodaly certification through Level III. Currently, she is completing a master of music degree at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. Mrs. Ellis served as interim director of the Madrigals during the spring of 1997.
21st JUNE : WORLD MUSIC DAY
21st of June is no ordinary day. It is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. And it is European Music Day.
In other words it is a day to celebrate. For Music, Musicians and Music lovers. And there are plenty of us out there. That is the reason why European Music Day keeps getting bigger and bigger by the year. In 2008, from the 19th to the 21st of June 2008 music will be celebrating all over Greece, entrance free and we are all invited. The European Network encourages the exchange of artists, supports new artists, informs members of innovative events and performances and promotes the idea of Music Day on the 21st of June internationally.
Today Music Day is celebrated in over 340 cities around the world. In Greece, year by year European Music Day is establishing more and more events all over the country. The idea is catching on! We hope that one day on the 21st of June, we will hear music everywhere, on every corner, every square, every street, every concert location and every park. All kinds of artists and all kinds of music along with crowds will dance in the streets. Schools, conservatories and every organisation that is familiar with the magic of a musical-score will organize their own concerts. Upcoming Greek and foreign bands will play in public spaces throughout Greece and artist exchanges from city to city and country to country will multiply and we will all discover a previously unknown group. European Music Day is working for a dream come true sooner or later. This is why it organizes with the support of public, state, private sponsors and institutions, as many as possible music performances all over Greece. The events are always free and artists perform free of charge or with minimum compensation.
Because when music celebrates we are all invited!
The beginning
In 1982, on the 21st of June, a symbolic date due to the summer solstice, on the initiative of the then French Minister of Culture Jack Lang and the financial support of the French Ministry of Culture France celebrated for the first time Music Day (Fete de la Musique) with the aim of bringing out onto the streets all musicians. Next year Music Day brought together 200.000 amateur and professional artists of every kind with the support of local authorities, flooding public spaces, squares, streets, parks, concerts halls and all kinds of locations, presenting numerous gigs.
European Music Day soon becomes an exportable concept and institution and in 1985 travelled beyond France with the same aim and parameters. Athens, the first cultural capital of Europe, is the first city outside France to celebrate Music Day in 1985 at the initiative of Melina Merkouri, then Greek Minister of Culture.
In 1999 M.E.S.O. Music Events is founded in Greece with the exclusive rights of representation of the institution and the aim of promoting Music Day in Greece. Today European Music Day is celebrated with more than 20.000 events throughout Europe recognising it as the largest popular cultural institution of its kind.
The entrance is free for the public.
