The Houston Symphony will perform the world premiere of the symphonic version of Lawrence Siegel’s Kaddish “I Am Here” on November 23 at Jones Hall in Houston. The choral symphonic work, co-presented by Holocaust Museum Houston, features texts and a framework taken from verbatim testimonies of those who survived the Holocaust. Music Director Hans Graf will lead the orchestra and vocal soloists, who include soprano Jessica Rivera, mezzo-soprano Margaret Lattimore, tenor Chad Shelton, and baritone James Maddalena. On the afternoon of the public Jones Hall premiere, the work will also be performed for 2,400 Houston-area students and educators. The original chamber version of Kaddish was commissioned by the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies at Keene State College in New Hampshire in honor of its 25th anniversary; it was performed at Keene State College on in May 2008 and in Minneapolis in November 2008, with the VocalEssence ensemble led by Philip Brunelle. In September 2011, Kaddish will travel to Israel, where it will be performed at Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to victims of the Holocaust, with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, led by Gil Shohat.
Posted November 11, 2010
