Camarata concert also features Latin-influenced work by Ariel Quintana


May might be a morbid month for Camarata Music Company.

For the second year in a row Camarata is putting on a requiem. This year, an orchestra will accompany the 55-voice CMC Chorale for Mozart’s Requiem on May 7.

There will also be a performance by the CMC Chamber Singers of Argentinean-American composer Ariel Quintana’s “Mass from Two Worlds.” Quintana’s work gets its name from the combination of classical and Latin influences.

Soloists will be bass Shin Keum-ho, senior Kang Bong-su, alto Allison Pozdahl and soprano Hannah Kim.

Last May’s performance of Faure and Durufle’s Requiem was attended by 550 people. Ryan Goessl, who set up the company, expects the central location to bring a crowd close to the venue’s capacity of 1,200.

Camarata is a non-profit organization that performs classical music about three times a year, with the biggest event being the annual December concert of Handel’s Messiah. The group brought in U.S. choral director Weston Noble to conduct the 2010 year-end concert, which had more than 1,200 attend.

The group is also preparing for a performance of “Little Shop of Horrors” on June 18 and 19.

Thought to be composed for his own death, and completed by his student, Mozart’s Requiem is one of the most important classical choral works.

Goessl said Camarata chose the piece because it was challenging and also because it was one of the best known choral works and people had wanted to do it for some time. He added that Easter-time was a traditional time for requiems to be performed.

The performance will be at Chungdong First Methodist Church in central Seoul, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available for 15,000 won in advance by calling (010) 9806-8655 (English) or (010) 2751-9675 (Korean) and 25,000 won on the door.

For more information about Camarata Music Company visit www.camaratamusic.com.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)