ELEGANT ARIAS
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
August 21, 2021 | 7:00 PM
International Pentecostal Church
WELCOME!
Hello everyone and thank you for joining us for Synesthesia Sinfonietta’s Elegant Arias concert program! As Interim-President of our organization, I am grateful to work with a board of incredible and passionate people. And as a musician, I am constantly impressed by the talent of this diverse group. It is surreal to see a group like this come together and create such an extraordinary experience for each other and audiences alike, and we look forward to sharing many more great music as we continue growing as an organization. Thank you again for coming to enjoy and celebrate the efforts of our musicians and members, and we hope you enjoy tonight’s performance!
Vanessa Maez
Interim-President
PLEASE WEAR A FACE MASK
In response to Los Angeles County's recent reinstatement of masks, we will be asking all guests to remain masked when inside the venue throughout the duration of the performance.
MISSION STATEMENT
SYNESTHESIA (N) - when the stimulation of one sense triggers an automatic experience in another sense.
At Synesthesia Sinfonietta, our purpose is to evoke in our audiences an experience of orchestral musical selections which goes beyond the mere enjoyment of sound production. By showcasing selections from the familiar to the lesser known, from the past to the relevant present in a thematic format, we invite listeners to find personal connections within the programming that takes them on journeys to imagined sights, smells, and feelings. Additionally, we seek to unite audiences within these multi-sensory experiences while working with up and coming musicians, composers, and artists in our unique programming approach.
PROGRAM
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO: PARTO, PARTO
Emliy Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
Jenna Tatiyatrairong, clarinet
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)
LA RONDINE: CHI IL BE SOGNO
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO: SULL'ARIA
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
W.A. Mozart (1756-1797)
DON PASQUALE: QUEL GUARDO IL CAVALIERE
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)
DON CARLO: O DON FATALE
Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
INTERMEZZO FROM CAVALLERIA RUSTICATE
Maranda Li, assistant conductor
Pietro Mascagni (1863-1945)
COSI FAN TUTTE: PRENDERO QUEL BRUNETINO
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
W.A. Mozart (1756-1791)
INTERMISSION
DIE FLEDERMAUS: OVERTURE
Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
Michael Huynh, associate conductor
PUISQU’ICI-BAS TOUTE AME
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Emliy Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
DIE FLEDERMAUS: MEIN HERR MARQUIS
Johann Strauss II (1825-1899)
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Michael Huynh, associate conductor
SYMPHONY NO. 2, MVT. IV: URLICHT
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)
Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
PIRATES OF PENZANCE: POOR WANDERING ONE
W. S. Gilbert (1835-1911) & Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900)
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
LITTLE WOMEN: THINGS CHANGE, JO
Mark Adamo (b. 1962)
arr. Mat Campbell
Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
DIOS MÍO
Isaiah Castro (b. 1994)
Sarah Lonsert, soprano
Emily Weinberg, mezzo-soprano
GUEST ARTISTS
SARAH LONSERT
Soprano
Lyric Coloratura Soprano, Sarah Lonsert, began her singing career as a form of therapy for her High-functioning Autism. Winner of the Vo-Cal Competition, 2nd at NATS, and semifinalist in the Classical Singer competition. She has sung with; Andrea Bocelli, The L.A. Symphony, and John Williams. Notable overseas performances; Rome, Paris, Eglise Notre-Dame des Blancs-Manteaux, Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen, The Glinka Cappella, and The Rock Church. Sarah’s scholastic achievements are graduating from California State University Fullerton with her BM in Vocal Performance and is currently working on her Master’s in Music at California State University Northridge. Sarah continues to study classical voice under Diane Ketchie. She currently performs in the LA Master Chorale under Maestro Grant Gershon and in the Pacific Chorale under Maestro Robert Istad.
EMILY WEINBERG
Mezzo-soprano
Emily Weinberg began her vocal studies ten years ago with her current teacher, tenor, Daniel Hendrick. Over the last decade, Emily has used her time to expand her understanding of the musical world by earning her bachelors degree in vocal performance from California State University Fullerton where she continued her private vocal studies with mezzo soprano Janet Smith. During her time at CSUF, Emily was cast in lead roles such as Mrs. Peachum in Weil’s Threepenny Opera, Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, and L’enfant in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortileges. She also spent three years as a member of the CSUF University Singers under the baton of Dr. Robert Istad, a group with which she performed on two international tours; in the Baltics and Russia in 2017 and a second in Spain in 2019 as a featured soloist for David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion.
Since her graduation from CSUF, Emily has become a professional singer with the Pacific Chorale and many other institutions. Her upcoming performances include a featured solo with Opera Buffs, the role of Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen with Lyric Opera of Orange County, and the role of Ms. Todd in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief with the International Lyric Academy in Venice for the summer of 2022.
HELP US GROW
Support Our Work
Synesthesia Sinfonietta is a community orchestra dedicated to providing our audience with a variety of quality programming. Our organization is thriving thanks to our generous benefactors, and we are highly grateful for the help we get in doing what we love the most. Interested in contributing a helping hand? The sky’s the limit when it comes to all the options.
Synesthesia Sinfonietta has obtained 501(C)3 status under the IRS, making all of our donations tax deductible! Get in touch today and see how you can help!
OUR CONDUCTORS
ISAIAH CASTRO
Artistic and Music Director
Responsible for overseeing all programs and events, Isaiah Castro is an award-winning conductor, composer, and founding member of the Synesthesia Sinfonietta. Castro studied instrumental conducting and composition at California State University Fullerton’s School of Music. His love for music began at the age of 10 with piano and various brass instruments, later inspiring him to express interest in conducting and composing at the age of 12. His most recent accomplishments feature:
• Commissioned to compose original music for the San Jose Youth Symphony
• Received recognition through the American Harp Society for his work "Love Is" written for harp and choir.
• Scoring music for Embark Dance Theatre's first full-length production, "LOST/find.”
• Achieving status on the Grammy Awards ballot for his piece "Dios Mío", written for award-winning soprano, Sarah Lonsert.
• Writing arrangements for Pacific Symphony Orchestra's program "OC Can You Play?"
Concurrently, Castro enjoys collaborating with solo artists, and ensembles, creating new music one work at a time. He is in high demand by several organizations throughout California as both a composer and conductor. Not only is he artistic and music director of Synesthesia Sinfonietta, but he is also the conductor of Buddha's Light Youth Symphony Orchestra (BLYSO) at Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, CA and serves as the primary pianist and organist at International Pentecostal Church in Bellflower, CA. Presently, he rides in Chino, CA where he is dedicated to the development and success of the Synesthesia Sinfonietta.
MICHAEL HUYNH
Associate Conductor
Responsible for overseeing chamber programs, Michael Huynh, conductor and clarinetist, is a recent graduate of Azusa Pacific University where he studied orchestral conducting with Christopher Russell.
As a conductor, Huynh has an interest in the orchestral and operatic repertoire. In 2018, he was selected to appear at the College Orchestra Directors Association National Conference with Alan McMurray in a master class setting. Recent conducting engagements include assistant conducting Opera UCI’s 2019 production of Die Fledermaus, where he also served as the chorus master, leading the California Solisti in collaboration with the Arts at St. Margaret’s, and performances with the Community Youth Orchestra of Southern California. Future engagements are scheduled in 2021 with his new appointment as Associate Conductor of Synesthesia Sinfonietta.
Huynh holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from the University of California, Irvine and a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from Azusa Pacific University where he studied with Christopher Russell. He also holds professional affiliations with College Orchestra Directors Association and Mu Phi Epsilon Professional Music Fraternity.
MARANDA LI
Assistant Conductor
Trained as a cellist, Maranda Li received her B.A. in Music from the University of California, Irvine, where she studied with Dr. Margaret Parkins. She has been deeply engaged with classical music from a young age and has performed both solo and in ensembles of varying size, but her first love is the Symphony Orchestra.
From 2016-2019, Li lived in Amami, Japan where she served as conductor of the Amami Orchestra. There, she oversaw the development of the orchestra through its early formative period, prepared them for performances under guest conductors, created and taught classes for beginner string players, and frequently collaborated with local soloists as both a conductor and a cellist. She also expanded the scope of Amami Orchestra's educational outreach efforts through a series of side-by-side performances with local high school wind bands that continued even after her return to the US.
Li currently studies conducting with Dr. Stephen Tucker. When not on the podium or playing in the orchestra as a cellist, Li enjoys performing chamber music, teaching, and arranging. She concurrently holds a position as community program coordinator for OC Music & Dance, Orange County's premier non-profit music school, which is dedicated to making performing arts accessible to every child.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Guerry Collins and Rena Stone
Bret Iwan
Loretta Malaby
Mark and Noriko Malaby
Bill Rogers and Camille Dixon
Anonymous Supporters
OUR SPONSORS AND PARTNERS
We thank our sponsors and partners for their contributions towards Synesthesia Sinfonietta.
Without them, our operations would not be possible!
MARK L. MALABY, ART + ARCHITECTURE
SUPPORT US WHEN YOU SHOP THROUGH AMAZON SMILE
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THE ENSEMBLE
☥concertmaster *principal
VIOLIN
Aryan Blourchian
Chujian Li
Jonathan Nagano☥
Isaac Visoutsy*
VIOLA
Dana Apolonio
Kimberly Inglis
Lawson Madlener*
CELLO
Emily Balderrama*
Josie Boyer
Annabelle Carlson
Maranda Li
Shane Nagatani
BASS
Andrew De Stakelberg*
Miguel Martinez
PICCOLO
Luis Alvarado
Eyana Fomby
FLUTE
Luis Alvarado
Marlon Arriaza
Madeline Brydges*
Eyana Fomby
OBOE
Claire Hom
Rohan Ramanan*
ENGLISH HORN
Claire Hom
CLARINET
Carlos Herrera
David Sanchez
Jenna Tatiyatrairong*
BASS CLARINET
Carlos Herrera
BASSOON
Dan Abrams*
Alec Richard
HORN
Alexander Delperdang
Avery Jett
Jennifer Ornelas
Keith Pepper*
TRUMPET
Tatiana Giesler
Julie Morimoto
Andrew Owens*
TROMBONE
Nathan Fulmizi*
Max Mineer
BASS TROMBONE
Christopher Colocho
TUBA
Joseph Jackson
TIMPANI
Shota Hanai
PERCUSSION
Chris Amaro
Hiram Rivera*
HARP
Jessica Brizuela
PIANO, CELESTA, ORGAN
Marisa Lifquist
BEHIND THE SCENES
DEELISA HURTADO
Venue Coordinator
SULEEN MENCHACA
Audio Technician
KENZIE JONES
Recording Engineer
PRESCILA TRAN
Lighting Technician
SHBREENA WHITFIELD
Photography
RICKY HURTADO
Videography