Renowned Conductor Joanna Medawar Nachef to Lead El Camino College Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in Ensemble Spotlight Series

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Renowned Conductor Joanna Medawar Nachef to Lead El Camino College Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in Ensemble Spotlight Series

The concert will take place on Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 7:00 PM, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New York, NY (April 25, 2024) — New York, NY — On Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 7:00 PM, Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall will resonate with the harmonies of exceptional talent as MidAmerica Productions, Inc presents the 2024 Ensemble Spotlight Series led by the distinguished conductor Joanna Medawar Nachef. This extraordinary event will showcase the Carnegie Hall debut of the El Camino College Symphony Orchestra from Torrance, CA, in collaboration with a stellar lineup of soloists and choruses from across the nation. The El Camino College Chorale, Concert Choir, Women’s Chorus, Joanna Medawar Nachef Singers and Sons of Thunder will join forces with the orchestra to share this multicultural and soulful concert.

Under the baton of Joanna Medawar Nachef, the El Camino College Symphony Orchestra will mesmerize audiences with their rendition of Mozart’s masterpiece, the Mass in C Major, K. 317, “Coronation.” Known for her dynamic interpretations and profound musical insight, Nachef promises to deliver an unforgettable performance that captures the essence of Mozart’s timeless composition.

“I am thrilled to once more be conducting at Carnegie Hall,” said Director Joanna Medawar Nachef. “It is an honor to lead such talented musicians and to share the stage with exceptional soloists and choruses from around the country. This concert represents the culmination of dedicated preparation and a celebration of the power of music to unite and inspire.”

This will be Nachef’s seventh conducting appearance with MidAmerica Productions at Carnegie Hall. According to the program notes, “The concert is designed to feature many cultures and genres, including Gospel, Spirituals, Spanish Gospel, Korean folk music, orchestral premieres as well as the featured “Coronation Mass” of Mozart. It is through the “Universal Language of Music” that bridges of inclusion, tolerance, and peacebuilding can succeed.”

“A Memorial Bow” by the award-winning composer, Georges Tomb, is a world premiere that Dr. Nachef commissioned for this concert. Georges Tomb will be giving his Carnegie Hall debut with a Memorial Day orchestral/choral tribute, as composer and pianist. Dr. Nachef’s concert will also open with the orchestral overture “UAV” (United Against Violence) composition Georges Tomb wrote in 2017 for the Middle East United Nations.”

The Ensemble Spotlight Series promises to be a pinnacle event in the cultural calendar, offering audiences a transcendent musical experience and a testament to the collaborative spirit of musicians and performers from diverse backgrounds.

The concert program will also feature a diverse repertoire of works conducted by esteemed guest conductors:

• Maestro James Kinchen will lead the New England Symphonic Ensemble in Margaret Bonds’ poignant “Ballad Of The Brown King,” featuring soloists Sarah Cooper, Lucia Bradford, Zabriel Rivers, and Fred Redd.
• Maestro Jonathan Palant will conduct Taylor Scott Davis’ “Magnificat,” featuring soprano Virginia Mims, alongside the Credo Community Choir of Dallas and the Milwaukee Choristers with the New England Symphonic Ensemble.
• Maestra Sarah Pearson will direct Mark Hayes’ uplifting “Te Deum,” and Conductor Andrew Roby will lead the New England Symphonic Ensemble in Elaine Hagenberg’s ethereal “Illuminare,” featuring tenor Dylan Davis and participating choruses including Carolina Choral Artists, Rocky Mount, NC (James Mauk, Director), Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Chattanooga, TN (Sarah Pearson, Director), Concert Choir of the Greenville Choral Society, Greenville, NC (Andrew Roby, Director), Lakeside Baptist Church, Rocky Mount, NC (James Mauk, Director), Pompton Lakes High School Choir, Pompton Lakes, NJ (Christopher Nappa, Director)TICKETS FROM $25For single tickets call CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or visit carnegiehall.org. Box Office is located at 57th Street and Seventh Avenue. For group sales of 10 or more, contact groupsales@carnegiehall.org or call 212-903-9705.Click Here for a Complete 2024 season Press KitABOUT MIDAMERICA PRODUCTIONS AND MIDAM INTERNATIONALPeter Tiboris created and conducted his first concert in New York on January 7, 1984, at Lincoln Center, featuring The American Symphony Orchestra, soloists, and three choruses, the Louisiana Chorale of Acadiana, Camerata Singers of Baton Rouge, and Collegiate Chorale of New York. According to Kathleen Sabogal, archives and museum director for the Carnegie Hall Corporation, “MidAmerica Productions is the most prolific presenter of choral concerts in the history of Carnegie Hall” dating back to May 5, 1891, at the opening of the hall when Tchaikovsky conducted the first concert.For 41 years, MidAmerica Productions has brought together conductors, soloists, and choral and orchestral ensembles from the U.S. and abroad to appear at New York’s top venues, including Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Weill Recital Hall, and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall; and Alice Tully Hall and David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. In addition to presenting orchestral and choral works, MidAmerica Productions has championed contemporary composers with over 1,480 Concerts Worldwide (1,145 in New York), 92 World Premieres, 22 US Premieres, 100 NY Premieres and 3,610 Choral Ensembles.

In 2004, MidAm International, Inc. was formed to support MidAmerica’s growing presence in Europe. Since then, concerts have taken place in countries throughout the world, including Greece, England, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, France, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, Slovakia, and Mexico.

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