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2025-2026 Season

Schubert Mass + Haydn's London

February 21, 2026 • 7:30 PM

/

February 22, 2026 • 3:00 PM

Sunset Center, Carmel Map

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Jayce Ogren, Music Director and Conductor

Voices carry at Sunset Center when we are joined by VOLTI for a concert of Classical and Romantic masters. Tonal waves crash on the rocks of the Scottish Isles in Felix Mendelsohn's vivid concert overture The Hebrides. Composed for the Catholic Feast of the Corpus Christi, Ave Verum Corpus is a radiant gem and among a handful of works Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed in the final year of his life. Hear art song wunderkind Franz Schubert's venture into sacred choral music in the sublime Mass in G major. The program concludes with a composer credited with inventing the symphony form: Franz Joseph Haydn and his propulsive Symphony No. 104, "London."

- Christopher Anderson-Bazzoli

PROGRAM
85-minute program, includes a 20-minute intermission

MENDELSSOHN
The Hebrides
with Youth Music Monterey

MOZART
Ave verum corpus
Chorus provided in cooperation with San Francisco based VOLTI, prepared by Artistic Director, Robert Geary

SCHUBERT
Mass in G major
Chorus provided in cooperation with San Francisco based VOLTI, prepared by Artistic Director, Robert Geary
featuring
Deanna Breiwick, soprano
Alek Shrader, tenor
Andrew Garland, baritone

-- intermission --

HAYDN
Symphony No. 104 in D major, "London"

Concert Sponsor

Beverly Hamilton

Media Sponsors

Deanna Breiwick

Deanna Breiwick, Soprano

American soprano Deanna Breiwick, hailed by The New York Times for her "sweet sound and floating high notes" and for being a "vocal trapeze artist," is enjoying an exciting and diverse career. In the 25/26 season, Deanna Breiwick will return to The Dallas Opera to sing Sister Constance in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Nannetta in Falstaff with Los Angeles Opera, and in concert, Mahler's Symphony No. 8 with Fabio Luisi and the Dallas Symphony.

In the 24/25 season, Deanna Breiwick performed Lisette in La Rondine at Opéra de Monte Carlo, Adele in Die Fledermaus at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, joined the Utah Symphony for Mozart's Requiem, the Oregon Symphony for the Soprano 2 solos in Mendelssohn's Lobgesang, the Allentown Symphony for Vaughan-Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem as well as presented recitals under the auspices of Florentine Opera and the Pacific Vocal Series in Laguna Beach, CA.

Past operatic engagements have included a debut at San Francisco Opera, performing Sister Constance, conducted by Eun Sun Kim, the Bayerische Staatsoper for Adele in Die Fledermaus, and made debuts at the Gran Teatre del Liceu as Drusilla in L'incoronazione di Poppea, the Atlanta Opera as Cunegonde in Candide and with Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Oriana in Amadigi, returned to The Dallas Opera for the world premiere of Gene Scheer and Jody Talbot's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, singing the role of Claude and a concert performance as Lisette in La Rondine with Washington Concert Opera. At the Metropolitan Opera, Deanna Breiwick has been featured as La Charmeuse in Massenet's Thaïs, a Flower Maiden in Wagner's Parsifal, a Shadow in the North American premiere of Nico Muhly's Marnie, Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos, and a featured soloist in the company's Summer Recital Series. Ms. Breiwick performed Amore in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice with Seattle Opera, the roles of Bradamante and Pittura in Il Palazzo Incantato by Alarcon with Opéra national de Lorraine, Opéra di Dijon, and The Royal Opera of Versailles and debuted with Detroit Opera as Gretel in Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel, Opera Philadelphia as Aveline Mortimer in Elizabeth Cree, Rosasharn in Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath, Adina in Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore and Despina in Così fan tutte at Opera Omaha, performed Nannetta and debuted the role of Cunegonde in Candide at Des Moines Metro Opera, and Norina in Don Pasquale for a house debut with Berkshire Opera Festival. A frequent guest at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, she has appeared as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, and Rosasharn.

As an Ensemble member of Opernhaus Zürich, Deanna Breiwick has performed a variety of roles: Carolina (Il matrimonio segreto), Elisa (Il Re Pastore), Marzelline (Fidelio), Frauke Beeke Hansen in the world premiere of Das Gespenst von Canterville, Madame Silberklang (Der Schauspieldirektor), Adelaide (The Enchanted Pig), a Shepherdess and Amor (King Arthur), and Dorinda (Orlando). She has made several returns as a Guest, as Dorothy in Pierangelo Valtinoni's Der Zauberer von Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Drusilla in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea and the title role of Mark-Anthony Turnage's Coraline. As an ensemble member of the Bayerische Staatsoper for the 21/22 season only, Ms. Breiwick performed Nannetta in Falstaff, Oscar in Un ballo in maschera, and the Italian Singer in Capriccio, among others.

Past orchestral engagements include Fauré's Requiem and Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the San Antonio Symphony, Messiah with the Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Detroit Symphony, United States Naval Academy and New Choral Society in Scarsdale, NY, Mendelssohn's Lobgesang with the Charlotte Symphony, Orff's Carmina Burana in a joint project with the Charleston Symphony and Nashville Ballet, as well as with the El Paso Choral Society, Vaughan-Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem with the Pacific Chorale, Venice Symphony, Owensboro Symphony, and the Israelite Woman in Handel's Judas Maccabaeus with the International Handel Festival in Göttingen, Germany. Ms. Breiwick has also presented solo recitals in El Paso, Texas, the Moab Music Festival, Laguna Art Museum in California, and Chicago, Illinois.
Deanna Breiwick is a Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finalist, a Grand Prize Winner of the Sullivan Foundation Vocal Competition, and a First Prize Winner of the Gerda Lissner Foundation International Vocal Competition. She also holds awards from the George London Foundation, the Giulio Gari Foundation, the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, and the Richard F. Gold Career Grant. Ms. Breiwick is a native of Seattle, WA.

Alek Shrader

Alek Shrader, Tenor

The brilliant lyric tenor Alek Shrader continues to impress audiences with the "luxury of his phrasing, the clarity of his diction and the sensitivity and expressiveness of his characterizations". Mr. Shrader makes several debuts in the 2016–2017 season, including at Wigmore Hall in a recital with pianist Roger Vignoles, with Opera de Oviedo in Spain performing Ferrando in Così fan tutte, and with the Minnesota Opera as Endimione in a production of Vicente Martín y Soler's Diana's Garden. He then returns to the Arizona Opera for performances of Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola and to the Santa Fe Opera to sing Oronte in Handel's Alcina. Future projects include returns to San Francisco Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Seattle Opera, and Opera de Oviedo.

Mr. Shrader's 2015–2016 season began with performances of Alfredo in La traviata with Opera Philadelphia, followed by a return to the San Francisco Opera to sing David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Later in the season he sang Count Almaviva in Il barbiere di Siviglia at Baltimore Lyric Opera and Tom Rakewell in The Rake's Progress with the Pittsburgh Opera.

Prior to that, Mr. Shrader performed the role of Emilio in Handel's Partenope at the San Francisco Opera followed by a return to the Metropolitan Opera for Camille in a new production of Lehár's The Merry Widow. Other engagements included Jupiter and Apollo in Handel's Semele with the Seattle Opera, singing one of his signature roles, Count Almaviva at the Canadian Opera Company, and a return to Santa Fe Opera for Donizetti's La fille du régiment. In concert, Mr. Shrader sang the title role in Candide with the Vancouver Symphony.

Alek Shrader began the 2013–2014 season singing Almaviva with the San Francisco Opera, followed by reprises of the role at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Dallas Opera. The season also included engagements as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Metropolitan Opera and Ernesto in Don Pasquale at Santa Fe Opera. Mr. Shrader was also heard as Ferdinand in Thomas Adès' The Tempest for his San Francisco Symphony debut in the fall and as Ferrando in the Christopher Alden/Gustavo Dudamel Così fan tutte with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Disney Hall.

In 2012–2013, Mr. Shrader made his Metropolitan Opera debut in Adès' "modern masterpiece", I conducted by the composer himself, and returned to sing Almaviva in the English version of The Barber of Seville. He sang Don Ramiro at the Hamburgische Staatsoper and then returned to the United States for a North American recital tour, including San Francisco performances, Oberlin University, and his Carnegie Weill Hall debut. Baltimore audiences had the opportunity to hear Mr. Shrader in a gala performance of bel canto arias and ensembles in the spring. Later in the season, he was featured in an opera gala, sponsored by the San Antonio Opera. Mr. Shrader closed the season with the tenor solo in the Mozart Requiem at the Cincinnati May Festival with James Conlon conducting, followed by his role debut as Ernesto in Donizetti's Don Pasquale at the Glyndebourne Festival.

Mr. Shrader opened the 2011–2012 season as Tom Rakewell with Opæera de Lille, followed by Don Ramiro at the Hamburg Opera. He sang Tamino in Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of Die Zauberflöte, and the title role in Britten's Albert Herring with the Los Angeles Opera. Mr. Shrader appeared as Oronte in David Alden's highly-acclaimed new production of Handel's Alcina at the Opéra National de Bordeaux and returned to San Francisco Opera for Tamino. He closed the season as Gonzalve in Ravel's L'heure espagnole at the Glyndebourne Festival.

Highlights of the 2010–2011 season include the title role in Berstein's, Candide in concert performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Egeo in Medea in Corinto, Belmonte in Die Entfuehrung aus dem Serail, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at the Bavarian State Opera. On the concert stage, he gave a recital in Santiago, Spain, and made his Wigmore Hall Recital debut with pianist Roger Vignoles. Mr. Shrader also appeared as Lindoro in L'italiana in Algeri with Opéra National de Bordeaux and as Almaviva with Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse. He closed the season at the Salzburg Festival, where he debuted as Ferrando in Così fan Tutte.

Highly acclaimed by the San Francisco press as a recitalist who is "natural and effortless, so different from just about everybody else", Alek Shrader was featured in two "On Wings of Song" recitals in the spring of the 2009–2010 season; at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and also at Santa Monica College for the Performing Arts (Broad Stage), both sponsored by The Marilyn Horne Foundation. Concert appearances this season included Handel's Messiah with the Cleveland Orchestra and Mozart's Requiem with the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Saint Louis Symphony.

Mr. Shrader, a former Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera, made a spectacular mainstage debut in the San Francisco 2008–2009 season, replacing an indisposed Ramon Vargas as Nemorino in two performances of L'elisir d'amore. Additional performances with the San Francisco Opera have included Korngold's Die tote Stadt, the role of Arbace in Mozart's Idomeneo, and Nemorino in student performances. Other opera highlights have included Almaviva at Opera Cleveland and Il re pastore with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He was also a featured soloist in the 2009 Metropolitan Opera Concert in the Park series.

Alek Shrader made his professional debut as Almaviva at the Opera Theater of St. Louis, where he had spent the previous two summers as a young artist. He has appeared in Rossini's Il Signor Bruschino with the Gotham Chamber Opera, in William Bolcom's A Wedding at the Music Academy of the West, and participated in Renata Scotto's Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Opera Studio. Shrader's roles in previous seasons have included the title role in Le Comte Ory, Fenton in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Tony in West Side Story, and Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola.

Alek Shrader is the recipient of a Sarah Tucker grant from the Richard Tucker Foundation and a winner of the 2007 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Andrew Garland

Andrew Garland, Baritone

Baritone Andrew Garland is hailed as a performer whose artistry is a perfect combination of "baritone of strength and vocal opulence" (Opera News) and "cosmic energy and suavity" (Opera News). He is widely recognized as a leader in recital work with dozens of performances around the country including Carnegie Hall with pianist Warren Jones, and programs of modern American songs across the United States and Canada. Jones, Marilyn Horne, Steven Blier, many American composers and several major music publications all endorse Garland as a highly communicative singer leading the way for the song recital into the 21st century. This season, Garland makes his Boston Symphony Orchestra debut soloing in the Holiday Pops. He will also be heard in Gabriela Frank's "Conquest Requiem" (Columbus Symphony) the Bach B Minor Mass (Colorado Bach Ensemble), Mozart Requiem (Colorado Symphony), and in recitals of new American music in Colorado and the East Coast.

Garland brings his highly communicative style to the concert stage with orchestras including the Atlanta Symphony, Boston Baroque, the Handel and Haydn Society, Emmanuel Music, Boston Youth Symphony, National Philharmonic, Albany Symphony, Houston Symphony, UMS Ann Arbor, Washington Master Chorale at the Kennedy Center and National Chorale at Lincoln Center.

Garland has been a regular with the New York Festival of Song and has given multiple recitals at Carnegie Hall, the Ravinia Festival as well as Vocal Arts DC, Marilyn Horne Foundation, Bard Music Festival, Camerata Pacifica, Moab Music Festival, André-Turp Musical Society in Montreal, Voce at Pace, Huntsville Chamber Music Guild, Fort Worth Opera, Seattle Opera, Fanfare in Hammond, Louisiana, Cincinnati Matinee Musicale, Cincinnati Song Initiative, Tuesday Morning Music Club and dozens of college music series around the country. In 2014, he was the featured recitalist for the NATS National Conference where that organization's president declared him "the next Thomas Hampson." (Garland prefers to think of himself as "the first Andrew Garland.")

In addition to numerous song and concert premieres, Garland has created operatic roles in the world premieres of "Dinner at Eight," William Bolcom/Mark Campbell, Minnesota Opera; "Steal a Pencil For Me," Gerald Cohen/Deborah Brevoort, Opera Colorado; "The Book Collector," Stella Sung/Ernest Herbert, Dayton Opera; and "Artemisia," Laura Schwendinger/Ginger Strand, Prototype Festival. He has also sung with Opera Philadelphia, New York City Opera, Seattle Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Fort Worth Opera and Hawaii Opera Theater, among others.

His last solo CD—"El Reblde: Gabriela Frank|Dmitri Shostakovich" with Jeremy Reger and Javier Abreu—received rave reviews in Opera News, BBC Magazine, Voix des Arts and a dozen other journals. His previous solo CD—"American Portraits" with pianist Donna Loewy—went to #1 on Amazon Classical. Garland has six other recordings on the Telarc, Naxos, Roven Records and Azica labels.

Chamber music appearances have included the Ravinia Festival, Camerata Pacifica, Maverick Concerts and Huntsville Chamber Music Guild, and he has sung with the Takács, Dover, Calder, Amernet and Daedalus string quartets.

Garland is the winner of the Lavinia Jensen, NATS Artist Awards, Washington International, American Traditions, NATS and Opera Columbus competitions, and a prize winner in the Montreal International, Jose Iturbi, Gerda Lissner, McCammon and Palm Beach International competitions. He was an apprentice at the San Francisco Opera Center, and the Seattle Opera and Cincinnati Opera Young Artists programs.

Garland believes strongly in service and education. He raises money for the Pan Massachusetts Challenge (the Jimmy Fund / Dana Farber Cancer Institute) and does educational outreach for local public school students.

Garland teaches on the voice faculty at the University of Colorado Boulder and is a mentor with Bel Canto Boot Camp.

Robert Geary

Robert Geary

Robert Geary, founding Artistic Director of Volti, the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir, and the Golden Gate International Choral Festival, also serves as Artistic Director of the San Francisco Choral Society. His multi-dimensional commitment to the choral arts over more than forty years has led him and his choirs to national and international prominence. Under his direction since its founding in 1979, Volti has become recognized as one of the most important and accomplished new music ensembles in the USA.

For 37 years, until stepping down as Artistic Director in 2019, Geary oversaw the development of the Piedmont East Bay Children's Choir, an innovative education and performance program whose record of success in competition is at the highest international standard. With his guiding vision, the Golden Gate International Children's and Youth Choral Festival has become part of the international choral environment, bringing thousands of young singers from dozens of countries to California for a thrilling series of performances and competitions. For 28 years he has led the San Francisco Choral Society to a robust position as a keeper of the traditional repertoire and an innovative force in the commissioning and performance of new works for chorus and orchestra.

Recipient of awards for conducting in Germany and Poland, Geary has also received the KDFC Music Educator of the Year Award and the Lois Blair Rawlings Educational Inspiration Award. Most recently (2023) he received Chorus America's Michael Korn Founders Award for a lifetime of significant contributions to the professional choral art.

Geary's dedication to today's choral music has encouraged the careers of several leading composers and has led to more than 200 new works. He has served as a clinician internationally and he has conducted in dozens of countries. His choirs have performed with symphony orchestras and opera companies and for many musical conferences and festivals, both internationally and here in the United States, and can be heard on recordings with many labels. Geary has prepared choirs for leading conductors including JoAnn Falletta, Helmuth Rilling, Robert Shaw, Kurt Herbert Adler, Edo de Waart, Krzysztof Penderecki, Herbert Blomstedt, Dale Warland, Kent Nagano, Michael Morgan, Michael Tilson Thomas, Ludovic Morlot, and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

VOLTI

VOLTI

Volti's professional singers, under the direction of founder and Artistic Director Robert Geary, are dedicated to the discovery, creation, and performance of new vocal music. The ensemble's mission is to foster and showcase contemporary American music and composers, and to introduce contemporary vocal music from around the world to local audiences. The group has commissioned more than 120 new works, by emerging as well as established composers.

Hailed by San Francisco Classical Voice as "undoubtedly the finest collection of new music singers we have," Volti boasts a 45-year track record of some of the most sophisticated vocal performances in the nation. Composers seek opportunities to partner with these stellar musicians, who are known for their sheer technical brilliance as well as their vibrant, passionate sound. Nationally recognized as a pioneer in new vocal music, Volti has won the prestigious ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming of Contemporary Music seven times – the only vocal ensemble to ever be honored with this award so many times – a testament to the fresh perspective and new voices the group brings to life — and is the 2023 recipient of Chorus America's highest award, the Margaret Hillis Award for Excellence.

Art is redefined in every generation by the best and the brightest, artists who are paying attention to the world around them. Volti seeks composers who explore timely issues of the modern human experience. At a Volti concert you might hear music addressing such topics as social justice, political and class strife, and different conceptions of God/spirit. Volti explores the nexus between poetry and sound, the translation of inspiration to creation, the evocative power of an artist compelled to express this thing, at this time, in this way. At its best, it's the aural equivalent of a sunspot — an explosion of energy, a flash of brilliance, a glimpse of some eternal truth seen in a new and breathtaking way.

Attending a Volti concert is like visiting a modern art gallery, stimulating the mind, the imagination and the heart.

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