Experience the sublime beauty of one of the most profoundly moving choral works ever written when Associate Conductor Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith leads the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and Choir in Antonín Dvořák’s Stabat Mater.
On August 21, 1875 the Dvořák family suffered a tragedy. The newest addition to the family, a daughter Josefa, passed away only two days after being born. Six months later, Antonín Dvořák began to set to music the Stabat Mater dolorosa a Latin poem composed by Franciscans in the 13th century that meditates on the Virgin Mary’s grief at the death of her son, Jesus. At 35, Dvořák was still little known outside Prague, and no commission lay behind the Stabat Mater; this was a piece he wrote for himself , creating a transcendent work of healing that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Joining conductor Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith and the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra is a cast of amazing soloists including award-winning bass-baritone Warwick Fyfe. Accompanied by Julliard-trained Christina Henson Hayes, and emerging opera artists Ashlee Woodgate and Nathan Bryon. Plus, hear the divine voices of the Willoughby Symphony Choir.
Don’t miss this incredible choral masterpiece!
- Saturday, 12 October 2024 | 07:00 PM – 09:00 PM
- Sunday, 13 October 2024 | 02:00 PM – 04:00 PM
- Book here.