Robert Istad, artistic director of Pacific Chorale (pacificchorale.org), discusses the Grammy-winning choir’s first international tour in seven years, from July 12 to 24, and what’s next for the resident chorus of Segerstrom Center for the Arts (scfta.org).
Robert Istad will conduct all five performances on Pacific Chorale’s international tour. PHOTO BY ALEX KOPPEL
Where are you most excited to perform on the international tour? While every venue will be fabulous, I am incredibly excited to lead performances in Salzburg’s spectacular cathedral and the iconic Sheldonian Theater in Oxford. I grew up watching PBS’ Great Performances broadcast from the Sheldonian Theater and cannot believe I’ll be conducting a performance there!
How did you decide what to perform? I wanted to pair Joseph Haydn’s beloved “Nelson Mass” with something brand new and intend to use our performances to voice support for peace in Ukraine. Florence Price’s “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight” is the perfect pairing with “Nelson Mass.” Both pieces address the horrible, senseless violence of war in Europe from different perspectives. Additionally, it’s quite significant to give the European premiere of Ms. Price’s composition. She was one of America’s most important composers and was the first African American woman to have her music played by a major American orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, in 1933.
Who are you looking forward to collaborating with on the tour? I am honored to lead multiple performances with the Freies Landesorchester Bayern in Austria and Germany and the Bath Philharmonia in Oxford and Bath. We will also have a special opportunity to collaborate with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus. My singers are so excited to join their voices with the musicians in this wonderful chorus, and our combined forces will be massive—over 150 singers! Additionally, I am thrilled to make music with our fabulous soloists, Aundi Marie Moore, I-Chin Betty Feinblatt, Michael Sumuel and Nicholas Preston.
What’s next for Pacific Chorale locally? Upcoming highlights include our season opener on Oct. 7, a spectacular multifaceted cinematic and aural event featuring the choir’s live performance of Richard Einhorn’s film score to the legendary silent film The Passion of Joan of Arc directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. Additionally, I’ll be conducting Pacific Chorale’s annual holiday spectacular performances on Dec. 17 and 18 and an emotionally gripping, staged performance of Caroline Shaw’s “To the Hands” to cap the season in June 2024. The latter will be staged by director Marty Austin Lamar and will highlight the plight of Orange County’s homeless community.
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