Conductor Eugene Rogers tells us about the upcoming concert he will be conducting on June 13 and 14 at the National Auditorium of the CCK. The event will feature Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah,” with performances by the prestigious Washington Chorus and the University of Michigan Chamber Choir, along with baritone Will Liverman, soprano Juliet Schlefer, mezzo-soprano Monique Spells, and tenor Tyrese Byrd.

By Virginia Chacon Dorr

The Washington Chorus and the University of Michigan Chamber Choir, two of the most important choirs in the United States, are coming to Argentina as part of their tour organized by Classical Movements, to perform the oratorio “Elijah.” Also participating will be the National Youth Symphony Orchestra Libertador San Martín and the National Children’s Choir. Admission is free, and tickets can be reserved through the website www.cck.gob.ar starting 48 hours before the concert. We spoke with the eminent conductor Eugene Rogers, who tells us about the challenges of this work and the timeless message it conveys.

What musical and dramatic aspects of Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” would you highlight as the most challenging and rewarding for a conductor?

The sheer volume of music and the drama and flexibility needed to accurately perform this work is a monumental task. The other technical challenges for the conductor are learning the recitatives and being nimble for the soloists to portray both the drama and passion of their individual arias and recitatives; not to mention the amount of choruses and their distinct vocal requirements make this one of the greatest works ever composed.

In this monumental work, what is your method for conveying your specific vision of the piece to each of the artists?

My vision with the orchestra and chorus is conveyed both by my score markings and requests for in rehearsals. The piece requires the chorus and orchestra to be flexible and fully engaged and committed to every musical nuance. When it comes to the vision with the soloists, there is a compromise between both their interpretation and mine. With great artists like Will Liverman, it is truly a collaborative process and one that gives him the ultimate freedom to become Mendelssohn’s setting of this remarkable character.

The overall message of this work is hope and love no matter the costs. – Eugene Rogers

In this work, which elements do you consider the most innovative within the nineteenth-century symphonic-choral repertoire?

One of the most inventive aspects of “Elijah” is how much Mendelssohn requires of the chorus. The chorus is actively engaged from the beginning to the end. In many ways, the chorus IS the main character—they sing more than any soloist. From 18th-century chorale-like settings to turba (crowd) choruses like Bach’s passions to Handelian-like choral counterpoint and dramatic power all within a 19th-century tonal landscape, this work stretches the choral singer and listener alike. Many consider this Mendelssohn’s only opera.

And also the richness of this work is presented in its content… In such a complex global context, what moral or spiritual message do you believe “Elijah” communicates to contemporary audiences?

I think “Elijah” is a great example of the struggle of any great leader. Leadership can be challenging and at times can be full of pain and opposition. I think we also see how much love Elijah has for his people and for his God. The moments of compassion that you see towards the widow, her son, and the people are all quite moving examples of great leadership. The overall message of this work is hope and love no matter the costs.

If more of our world could come together through the power of music, we would have much more peace! –Eugene Rogers

What are your expectations for the performances on June 13 and 14 at the CCK, regarding both the interaction with the audience and the experience within the space of the CCK?

Due to the sheer volume of music and forces, this work is rarely performed. We are thrilled to be performing alongside the people of Argentina and to share this with the community. This work requires a mighty chorus with a magnificent soloist and we are thrilled to have Metropolitan Opera star Will Liverman to travel and perform with us. We believe the collaboration with the orchestra and youth chorus of Argentina with our ensembles and these talented soloists will make for an amazing experience. If more of our world could come together through the power of music, we would have much more peace! This concert will reflect two different cultures united as one to share in this very special work.

Is there any particular work or collaboration that you are looking forward to directing in the near future?

I feel very blessed to make such great music with both the University of Michigan Chamber Choir and The Washington Chorus. Next year, I get the distinct honor of conducting the East Coast premiere of a new oratorio by Carlos Simon about the life of iconic singer and activist Paul Robeson with the National Symphony Orchestra and The Washington Chorus. At the University of Michigan, I look forward to workshopping and conducting a new opera by Christopher Theofanidis and Melissa Studdard called “Siddhartha: A Hermitage Collaboration of Words and Music” based on a novel by Hermann Hesse.

About the Oratorio “Elijah”

Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio “Elijah,” premiered in 1846 at the Birmingham Triennial Musical Festival in England, represents a pinnacle of the symphonic choral repertoire. Inspired by the Baroque style of Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Handel, Mendelssohn created a monumental piece that fuses traditional elements with Romantic innovation.

In “Elijah,” Mendelssohn interweaves biblical episodes centered on the Hebrew prophet Elijah with selected texts from the Old Testament, performed by a body of soloists and an extensive vocal ensemble. While the influence of Bach and Handel is evident, Mendelssohn imbues his own musical lyricism and harmonic language characteristic of the Romantic era, creating a work that challenges the conventions of the oratorio genre.

This oratorio presents a variety of musical and dramatic challenges. From impactful choral passages to arias that provide moments of reflection and divine contemplation, “Elijah” exposes a wide range of emotions and experiences. Howard E. Smither even suggested that the work could be considered the opera that Mendelssohn never wrote due to its strong dramatic action.

Despite its musical and dramatic elements, which could be associated with the essence of an opera, “Elijah” is rooted in a deeply spiritual relationship and a devotional spirit. Through its choruses and words, the work professes eternal spiritual values, emphasizing resilience, perseverance, and the importance of hope amid despair.

About Eugene Rogers

Winner of two Emmy Awards, the 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence, and Grammy-nominated in 2015, Eugene Rogers is recognized as an outstanding conductor and educator in the United States and abroad. Appointed as the fifth artistic director of The Washington Chorus, he leads the graduate program in choral conducting at the University of Michigan.

Previously, he directed the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club, which recently visited Argentina, Macalester College (St. Paul, Minnesota), the Boys Choir of Harlem, Waubonsie Valley High School (Aurora, Illinois), Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago, and the Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus. In 2016, for his dedication to social justice and music, Rogers appeared in the award-winning documentary Love, Life and Loss.

About The Washington Chorus: From Mendelssohn to The Rolling Stones and the Grammy Awards

Considered one of the most important symphonic choirs in the United States and winner of two Grammy Awards, TWC, formed by 160 voices, was the first significant symphonic choir in the Washington area founded independently and not as part of a church or university in 1961, under the name of Montgomery County Oratorio Society.

Its successive directors, from Hugh Hayward to Christopher Bell, through Robert Shafer and Julian Wachner, contributed to the growth of the ensemble from different perspectives, resulting in a body that synthesizes tradition and classicism with innovation and avant-garde without neglecting a certain pedagogical character in its programs, framed in the pursuit of excellence.

Eugene Rogers, the fifth and current artistic conductor of the choir, is recognized as one of the new generation’s leading directors and musical leaders, focusing on the intersection of classical music and social change, evident in his programs related to public education.

Among its recognitions, TWC received the Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance for the live recording of Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, and the 1996 Grammy Award for John Corigliano’s Of Rage and Remembrance with the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

In its extensive career, the choir has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) in over 300 concerts, under the direction of many conductors like Mstislav Rostropovich, Seiji Ozawa, Sir Neville Marriner, Kent Nagano, and Gustavo Dudamel, in addition to Slatkin, among many others. Additionally, during their 50th Anniversary tour, The Rolling Stones included their voices for the classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

About the University of Michigan Chamber Choir: From the CCK Auditorium to El Círculo in Rosario

The Chamber Choir of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance at the University of Michigan is a 47-voice ensemble composed of graduate and advanced-level students in singing, choral music education, and conducting, forming the principal choral ensemble of the university.

They perform a wide range of repertoire from Renaissance to contemporary music. Directed by Eugene Rogers, they have appeared on Grammy-winning and nominated albums, singing with the Detroit and Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestras, while frequently presenting premieres of commissioned works by contemporary composers.

In addition to performing at the National Auditorium of the CCK, the University of Michigan Chamber Choir will perform on June 11 at 8:00 pm at the El Círculo Theatre in the City of Rosario, as part of their 2024 Season Subscription, to perform a repertoire that will include works by Mendelssohn, Rossini, Puccini, Mozart, Tallis, Gershwin, and Báez, among others. [https://www.teatroelcirculo.com/michigan-chamber-choir]

About Will Liverman: The Voice “For This Historic Moment”

Praised by The Washington Post as “the voice for this historic moment,” baritone Will Liverman has received accolades and awards alike. Among the latter, the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording for his role as Charles in Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones, and the 2022 Beverly Sills Artist Award from The Metropolitan Opera, where he returns this year in the title role of X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X.

Acclaimed by critics as “nothing short of extraordinary” (Opera News) and noted as a “radiant and soaring baritone” (LA Times), Liverman’s 2023-24 season includes productions with the Philadelphia Opera for the world premiere of Rene Orth’s 10 Days in a Madhouse, and with the Met Opera in Roméo et Juliette, along with a long list of concerts with the Lexington Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, among others. [www.willliverman.com]

About the National Youth Symphony Orchestra Libertador San Martín

The National Youth Symphony Orchestra Libertador San Martín is a school orchestra that fulfills various educational objectives through comprehensive teaching work that encompasses orchestral and professional musical training for young musicians.

Founded in 1994 by its current principal conductor Mario Benzecry with the support and donation of instruments from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), it allowed the formal and sustained initiation of its formative and artistic activities.

Since 2013, it has been under the jurisdiction of the former Ministry of Culture, now Secretariat, a fundamental milestone for the orchestra’s growth and development, which promoted the professionalization of its overall structure, with the primary objective of the professional training of young musicians, soloists, conductors, and the comprehensive development of all within the framework of orchestral teaching.

Its season takes place in the Great Concerts series of the Faculty of Law of UBA, in the National Auditorium of the CCK, and other venues across the country. It has been awarded the “Stimulus Award” for its 2015 season and recognized as the “Best Youth Symphony Orchestra” for its 2017 season by the Argentine Association of Music Critics, which honored it again in 2021 for the 2019 season.

In 2022 and 2023, it won the National Classical Award in the Orchestral Training category, an award it received consecutively for its 2023 season. Currently, it consists of 86 scholars and 15 interns aged between 14 and 27, in addition to a permanent staff of four conductors and 13 teachers responsible for the musical and educational development of the program.

About the National Children’s Choir of Argentina

The National Children’s Choir is a musical ensemble belonging to the National Stable Ensembles Directorate, under the Secretariat of Culture of the Nation, Ministry of Human Capital, and aims at the artistic expression of the choral repertoire throughout the country while promoting the professional training of the young singers who make up the ensemble.

Since its creation in 1967, and currently under the direction of Maestra María Isabel Sanz, the ensemble has maintained the premise of upholding the highest artistic quality with a broad musical spirit reflected in its prolific career and the interpretation of works primarily “a cappella,” symphonic-choral, or written for other musical formations. Its vast repertoire ranges from Renaissance chamber music to contemporary works, including the operatic genre.

It has six recordings and has been directed by artists such as Michel Corboz (St. Matthew Passion by J.S. Bach), Ljerko Spiller (St. Leopold Mass by M. Haydn), Pedro Ignacio Calderón (3rd and 8th Symphony by G. Mahler and Psalm 150 by A. Ginastera), Alberto Balzanelli (Carmina Burana by C. Orff), Mario Benzecry (Cantata: A Child is Born by D. Buxtehude and The Births by I. Urteaga), Antonio María Russo (Spring Symphony by B. Britten and Scenes from Goethe’s Faust by R. Schumann), Jorge Fontenla (Elijah by F. Mendelssohn) and Carlos Calleja (Psalm LI by J.A. Hasse), among many others.

Recent performances include Te Deum (H. Berlioz, 2023), Stabat Mater (G. Pergolesi, 2023), Carmina Burana (C. Orff, 2023), and St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 and St. John Passion BWV 245 (J.S. Bach, 2024). The choir celebrated its 50th and 55th