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Handel’s Messiah

Handel’s Messiah

Tuesday
Dec 12, 2023
7:30 PM

Winston-Salem Symphony
Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus
Ashley Fabian Soprano
Leah Wool Mezzo-Soprano
Gene Stenger Tenor
Michael Hix Bass
Michelle Merrill Conductor
Chris Gilliam Chorus Director

George Frideric Handel
Messiah

Program Notes

Handel’s Messiah is one of the most celebrated oratorios of all time. The glorious “Hallelujah” chorus, tenderly expressive arias, and the majestic choruses have been drawing crowds since the composition was premiered in 1742. Let Handel’s melodies lift your spirit and fill your heart this Christmas season as Music Director Michelle Merrill invites you to rediscover the magic of this enduring work.

Bell, Davis & Pitt
AMErectors
Chris and Mike Morykwas

‘Tis the season of giving. This concert is a food drive for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC. Please bring a donation of non-perishable food items; Second Harvest representatives will be with their truck on Wake Forest Drive just behind Wait Chapel, and a bin will also be at the front door.

Single tickets to this event go on sale August 1, but you can save your seat with a subscription!

Handel’s Messiah

Tuesday
Dec 12
7:30 PM

Venue

Wait Chapel
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC

Map showing Wait Chapel and adjacent parking lots.

Rideshare and Dining

Low & Lower
(WSS principal musicians Brooks Whitehouse and Paul Sharpe)
The Microwave Messiah
Chorus: For Unto Us A Child is Born
December 2021
Recitative: There Were Shepherds
Chorus: Glory to God
December 2021
Chorus: Hallelujah!
December 2021

About the Performers

Ashley Fabian
Soprano

Acclaimed by the New York Classical Review as “a vision of sunshine and joy”, possessing a “lovely lyric soprano”, Ashley Fabian is quickly garnering recognition for her artistry in both comedic and dramatic roles. She is celebrated for her “voice of immense warmth and scintillating spin” (parterre box), and her command of the stage has been praised by critics and audiences across the nation.

Leah Wool
Mezzo Soprano

Grammy-nominated for her work as Minerva on Boston Baroque’s recording of Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, mezzo-soprano Leah Wool is in-demand on operatic and concert stages, most recently with the San Francisco and Cincinnati symphonies, the Utah Opera, and the Defiant Requiem Foundation, to whom she makes a return in 2023/24.

Gene Stenger
Tenor

Hailed as an “impressive tenor” (The New York Times) who sings with “sweet vibrancy” (The Cleveland Plain Dealer) Gene Stenger is one of the country’s most called upon Bach specialists who is also heralded for his performances of oratorios by Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Mozart.

Michael Hix
Baritone

Baritone Michael Hix has been praised by critics for his “expressive voice” and “commanding stage presence.” His career highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, Tanglewood Music Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and Vienna’s Musikverein.

Michelle Merrill
Music Director

Michelle Merrill has been inspiring audiences throughout the country with her sharply detailed and vibrant performances. A passionate and dynamic artist, she served four years as the Assistant and then Associate Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where she also carried the title of Phillip and Lauren Fisher Community Ambassador.

Christopher Gilliam

Chris GIlliam
Symphony Chorus Director

A conductor praised for his “precision and clarity,” and performances hailed as “enlightened,” Chris Gilliam is the Director of the Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus, Director of Choral Activities at Wake Forest University, and Director of Music at Highland Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem.

About the Music

Dvorak

Antonin Dvorak:
Carnival Overture

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Brahms

Johannes Brahms:
Violin Concerto

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Bernstien

Leonard Bernstein:
Symphonic Dances from
West Side Story

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