About this Event
In a journey across parenthood, identity seeking, and loss, vocalists, Laurel Irene and Rohan Ramanan, and organist, Dr. Christoph Bull, present an evening of G.B. Pergolesi’s most celebrated and timeless masterpiece, Stabat Mater. A union of baroque virtuosity and “emotionally wrenching and vocally kaleidoscopic” (San Francisco Voice Chronicle) musicianship, this trio brings to life the highly emotive 13th century poem that has inspired artists and spiritual seekers across the centuries. “Downright superhuman” (LA Times) soprano, Laurel Irene intertwines this historic masterwork with contemporary settings and poetry on motherhood and mothering as she shares her deep and personal connection to the themes and music while performing the work in her third trimester of pregnancy.
Christoph Bull likes organ music, rock music and rocking organ music.
He improvised his first melodies on the piano at the age of five and gave his first organ recitals and rock concerts with a band at the age of twelve.
He has concertized around the world, including Europe, Russia, India, Taiwan, China, Japan, El Salvador and many U.S. states. He’s performed at national and regional conventions of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society.
Christoph Bull recorded the first album featuring the organ at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, entitled First & Grand. His music has been broadcast on KCRW, on Classical KUSC and the Minnesota Public Radio program “Pipedreams”.
He studied at University of Sacred Music in Heidelberg, Musikhochschule Freiburg, Berklee College of Music in Boston, American Conservatory of Music and University of Southern California. His organ teachers were Cherry Rhodes, Hermann Schäffer, Ludwig Dörr, Samuel Swartz, Christoph Schöner and Paul Jordan. He also participated in master courses with Marie-Claire Alain, Guy Bovet, Craig Cramer and Rudi Lutz.
Christoph Bull is university organist and organ professor at UCLA as well as organist-in-residence at First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, regularly playing one of the largest pipe organs in the world.
www.christophbull.com
Laurel Irene (M.M.), Los Angeles-based “astounding...downright superhuman” (Los Angeles Times) vocal artist and voice researcher, specializes in bringing new compositional works to life with vocal repertoire ranging from Monteverdi to Mozart to the wacky, wild, and extreme sounds of the 21st century. With incredible vocal range, agile flexibility, and “resigned, compassionate, forbearing, affectionate, sympathetic, absolving” (Los Angeles Times) emotional connection that stretches from playful to unhinged in the span of a page, she draws on her expertise in vocal research to heighten unique timbres, textures, and vocal expressions. In 2019 she performed the role of Countess Almaviva in REDCAT’s 12-hour endurance art piece, earning Mark Swed’s acclaim as “one of the most astonishing performances, vocally and interpretively, I have ever encountered.” Other features include Long Beach Opera (Kate Soper’s Voices from the Killing Jar and The Romance of the Rose, world premiere), Musica Angelica (Purcell’s The Fairy Queen), The Kennedy Center (Baljinder Sekhon premiere), LA Phil New Music Group (John Cage’s Europeras 1 & 2), The Industry (Du Yun and Raven Chacon’s Sweetland), Monday Evening Concerts (John Sheppard’s Media Vita, Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians), and The First Congregational Church, L.A. (Vivaldi’s Gloria, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, Fauré’s Requiem, Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem).
Rohan Ramanan is a Southern California-based tenor/countertenor with a diverse musical background and expansive range. He has studied both Western and Hindustani voice, & performs in many commercial, classical, and world music styles.
Rohan sings with LA Master Chorale, Tonality, LA Choral Lab, Pacific Chorale, Long Beach Camerata, Catalyst, Long Beach Opera, Musica Transalpina, Choral Arts Initiative, Street Symphony, & Laude as a chorister and soloist (AGMA), and for studio sessions (SAG- AFTRA), where his voice can be heard in scores for NatGeo, Disney, & Marvel. He has performed with Thirty Seconds to Mars @iHeartRadio, Tiësto, Michael Giacchino, Kronos Quartet, LA Philharmonic, Björk on her 'Cornucopia' USA tour, and for Houston Grand Opera's premiere of 'Another City' as Manoj Mukherjee. He is a Thirteen Choir 2024 Fellow and was recently a finalist for Chanticleer.
Rohan also plays oboe and English horn professionally, teaches privately, and is quite the plant/flower geek!
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, 540 South Commonwealth Avenue, Los Angeles, United States
USD 10.00 to USD 99.00
