Stambaugh Chorus and Festival Orchestra perform May 17

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Stambaugh Chorus and Stambaugh Festival Orchestra, directed by Dr. Hae-Jong Lee, will present “The Creation” by Joseph Haydn at 5 p.m. next Sunday in Stambaugh Auditorium.

Additional repertoire will include three Opera Choruses written by Giuseppe Verdi: from Il Trovatore, Anvil Chorus (Chorus of Gypsies); from Nabucco, Va pensiero (Chorus of Hebrew Slaves); and from La Traviata, Libiamo (drinking song).

On the lighter side, Stambaugh Chorus will perform “The Sound of Music Medley” on the 50th anniversary of its release.

“The Creation” is an oratorio written between 1797 and 1798 by Haydn, and considered by many to be his masterpiece.

The oratorio depicts and celebrates the creation of the world as described in the Book of Genesis and “Paradise Lost.”

It is scored for soprano, tenor and bass soloists (the soloists representing the Archangels Gabriel, Uriel and Raphael, respectively), chorus and a symphonic orchestra.

Soloists performing are soprano Misook Yun, tenor Tim Culver and bass Brian Johnson. Yun is an accomplished operatic performer who is a music professor at Youngstown State University. Culver is an associate professor of voice at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University. Johnson’s concert repertoire includes most of the major baritone works in opera and musical theater across the United States.

Joseph Kromholz, assistant professor of Dana School of Music, will serve as concertmaster for the Stambaugh Festival Orchestra.

Dr. Lee has been the director of the Stambaugh Chorus since 2008 and during this time has expanded the reputation of the chorus. He is an associate professor and director of choral activities at Dana School of Music at YSU, director of Warren Civic Chorus and chorus master of Opera Western Reserve.

Stambaugh Chorus is unique in that it is a chorus that presents master choral works with an orchestra at the Youngstown historical site of Stambaugh Auditorium.