The Toronto Mendelssohn Choir will take on Bach’s epic St. Matthew Passion in concert. Joining the choir are soloists Jonathon Adams, Isaiah Bell, Allyson McHardy, Nicholas Nicolaidis, and Sherezade Panthaki, as well as the St. Michael’s Choir School.
In a video on the TMC website, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Jean-Sébastien Vallée remarks that Bach’s St. Matthew Passion offers, “not simply a story from the past, but a profound reflection on human suffering, and what it means to respond with empathy, dignity, and care.”
The concerts take place March 24 and 25 at Koerner Hall.
Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244
Bach’s sacred oratorio was written in 1727 and features soloists and a double choir. The libretto was written by Picander, aka German poet Christian Friedrich Henrici, who had written the texts for a few of Bach’s secular and sacred cantatas prior to the St. Matthew Passion. Both the lyrics and melodies of the chorales are drawn from the Lutheran hymn book, enriched by Bach’s harmonies. Picander wrote original lyrics for the opening and closing choruses, and the arias.
While it tells the story of Jesus’ betrayal, judgment, death, and burial, the work is also infused with love and empathy. The singers take on the roles of various characters, and offer different perspectives on the story, including that of Judas, Peter, a slave girl, the high priests, the public, soldiers, and others, and that of Christ himself. The “Daughters of Zion”, i.e. citizens of Jerusalem, and the faithful are presented as separate groups, often in dialogue with each other. Musically, the split is reflected in the double choir configuration.
As they sing, the action of the story pauses.
The piece, one of the composer’s most ambitious works, is dramatic and devout, and imbued with Bach’s musical genius.
Performers
The concert features the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir with guest soloists and choir, including:
- Jean-Sébastien Vallée, conductor
- Jonathon Adams, baritone
- Isaiah Bell, tenor
- Allyson McHardy, mezzo-soprano
- Nicholas Nicolaidis, evangelist
- Sherezade Panthaki, soprano
- Baroque orchestral ensemble
- St. Michael’s Choir School
Baritone Jonathon Adams is a Cree-Métis two-spirit vocalist from amiskwaciwâskahikan (Edmonton, AB). A graduate of the Victoria Conservatory of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Adams has performed as a soloist across North America and in Europe, including engagements with the New York Philharmonic, National Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Toronto Symphony Orchestras, the Washington Bach Consort, Tafelmusik, Ricercar Consort, B’Rock, Vox Luminis, the Netherlands Bach Society, and il Gardellino. Jonathon was featured in Against the Grain Theatre’s 2020 film MESSIAH/COMPLEX, and is a dedicated educator as well as performer.
Canadian-American tenor Isaiah Bell has performed both in concert and operas across North America. His repertoire includes both early and modern works. Bell has performed at Lincoln Center, and at the Edinburgh and Aldeburgh Festivals, and in concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and Ottawa Choral Society, among others. Notable operatic engagements include roles with Pacific Opera Victoria, Opéra de Montréal, and the Canadian Opera Company, including Rufus Wainwright and Daniel MacIvor’s Hadrian, and more recently in La Reine-garçon.
A native of Ontario, mezzo-soprano Allyson McHardy has performed across North America and in Europe with opera companies, symphony orchestras, and early music ensembles. This season, highlights include engagements with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Grand Philharmonic Choir, and the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec. Prior seasons include performances with the Victoria Symphony, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Opera Atelier, and the Canadian Opera Company, among others. She has performed at the Glyndebourne Festival, and in the productions of Heggie’s Dead Man Walking with Opéra de Montréal, and Wagner’s Der Fliegende Hollander with Opéra du Québec. Both of the latter garnered Prix Opus wins.
Soloist, chorister, conductor, and vocal pedagogue Nicholas Nicolaidis is a native of South Africa. He earned a Bachelor of Music Degree (Voice) from the University of the Witwatersrand, followed by post graduate singing studies with professors from the Royal College of Music in London, England. He also studied conducting studies at the University of Stellenbosch. Nicholas worked as a conductor with various choirs and schools in Johannesburg. Since coming to Canada in 2019, he has performed as a soloist with The Elora Singers, Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, Pax Christie Chorale, Grand Philharmonic Choir, Spiritus, and with the Trinity Bach Project. He teaches voice at St. Michael’s Choir School.
Soprano Sherezade Panthaki has developed an international reputation for her interpretation of Baroque vocal music. A graduate of Yale University, she has taught as a Vocal Instructor at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music and the Yale Baroque Opera Project. She has also taught at Millikin University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a soprano soloist, she has performed widely across North America, in Europe, and beyond, including engagements with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Bach Collegium Japan, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Wiener Akademie (Austria), Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover, Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, The Boston Early Music Festival, The San Francisco Early Music Festival, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and the Spoleto Festival, among others.
- Find concert details and tickets for Toronto Mendelssohn Choir’s St. Matthew Passion on March 24 and 25 [HERE].
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