2022 Program Booklet
Online EditionIt is with great pride and exhilaration that I welcome you to the 57th season of presenting our amazing gift to the community – Handel’s Messiah. The work is monumental and transformative for all involved whether as a listener or as a participant. It is our mission to bring the celebration of Christ’s life to the region through this great work of art and with the purposeful community of all involved. Each season we long to rekindle friendships and continue the journey of joy and wonderment brought through the exploration of this blessed music.
We revel in the opportunity to keep Christ in Christmas and renew our own convictions through Handel’s unabashed passion. There is deep meaning in every single note and it is our duty to bring that to life.
Our presentation of Messiah is only made possible through the tireless work of our Board of Directors who hold the same passion for the work as the musicians and singers – all year long. My undying gratitude goes to this essential core of volunteers. Personally, it has been an inspiring journey to explore this masterpiece with each participant and audience member. New treasures are discovered at every rehearsal and performance. I invite you to not only hear the music performed, but also feel the words and allow them to touch your heart. As your soul is nurtured, we are all blessed!
Philip Bauman
Music Director
Messiah
Oratorio
1742 A.D.
Composed by
George Frideric Handel
1684-1759 A.D.
Philip J. Bauman, Conductor
Featuring:
Michigan City Messiah Chorus
Messiah Orchestra
Guest Soloists:
Kirsten Leslie Karadzhova, Soprano
Kristin Gornstein, Contralto
Matthew Daniel, Tenor
Vince Wallace, Bass
Holdcraft Performing Arts Center
1200 Spring Street
Michigan City, Indiana
Our performances are free.
Please consider a donation if you enjoyed today’s performance!
Special Gifts
Michael and Judith Sawyier
Our performances are free.
Please consider a donation if you enjoyed today’s performance!
Philip Bauman, conductor
Recognized by critics as offering “tremendously sensitive direction” and being “a gifted and spirited conductor,” Philip Bauman also serves as Music Director of the South Holland Master Chorale. Known for his charismatic presence on and off the podium he is frequently hailed for his innovative programs and consistently captivating performances. Mr. Bauman recently concluded a 24-year tenure as Music Director of the La Porte County Symphony Orchestra.
December 2015 marked Mr. Bauman’s inaugural performance as the Music Director of the Michigan City Messiah. Maestro Bauman was selected to carry on the traditional faithfully conducted by Dan McNabb for 50 years. The 58th season continues a new era in the community’s celebration of this grand and popular tradition.
Kirsten Leslie Karadzhova, soprano
Kirsten Leslie Karadzhova has performed nationally and internationally as both singer and actress. She gave her Carnegie Hall debut singing Mozart’s Exultate Jubilate, Vivaldi’s Gloria and John Rutter’s Magnificat. She has since soloed at Carnegie Hall in the Messiah and in a premiere performance of Rossini’s Ermione with well-known tenors, Barry Banks and Bruce Ford and mezzo soprano, Victoria Livengood. She has been soprano soloist with various symphony orchestras including the Houston Symphony, the Pacific Symphony with conductor Carl St. Clair in California, the Illinois Symphony, the Knox-Galesburg Symphony with conductor Kedrick Armstrong, the Elgin Symphony and more. She was Virtuoso Soloist in the Handel Week Festival in which she sang three obscure Handel solo cantatas with Baroque instruments.
Kristen Gornstein, mezzo-soprano
Praised as “a fine actress with a deep, spacious sound” [Parterre], American mezzo-soprano Kristin Gornstein brings her “rich-voiced mezzo-soprano” and “lines of an uncannily silky legato” [New York Times] to her work, ranging from the traditional to the edgy and imaginative. She was lauded for her recent portrayal of Piramo in Johan Hasse’s baroque gem Piramo e Tisbe with The Little Opera Theatre of New York, with Opera News calling her performance, “…masterful. She sang the difficult role with a truly flawless lyric mezzo”.
Matthew Daniel, tenor
Matthew Daniel, tenor, is in his twelfth season with the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s chorus. As a soloist, he has performed many opera roles, some of which include Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, Rodolfo in La Boheme, Hoffmann in Tales of Hoffmann, Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore,The Duke in Rigoletto, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Canio in I Pagliacci, King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors with David Aiken tours. Opera companies Matthew has worked with include Opera Grand Rapids, Harrisburg Opera, Indiana Opera North, Opera!Lenawee, Aspen Opera Theater, and most recently Harbor Country Opera.
Vince Wallace, bass-baritone
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, American bass-baritone Vince Wallace is a versatile performer with broad performing experience ranging from skilled ensemble performances to a variety of solo roles and orchestral appearances. Currently based in Chicago, Mr. Wallace has appeared regularly with the Lyric Opera of Chicago since 2008; as a member of the ensemble, and as the Usher in Rigoletto. For the 2008/2009 season, Vince performed with Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Fransisco Opera and the Metropolitan Opera (NYC) productions of Porgy & Bess in the ensemble; covering and going on to perform a small roles. Mr. Wallace was singing at The Metropolitan Opera house for the first half of their 2021-22 season which included the premiere of Fire Shut Up In My Bones (Blanchard). He performs with the Grammy Award-winning Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in several programs including their encore and live rendering of the scores to The Lord of the Rings at the Ravinia Festival. Locally, he sings with Chicago Opera Theater, Florentine Opera and Des Moines Metro Opera, the Grant Park Music Festival as well as numerous chamber ensembles and churches in the area.