MidAm International is proud to announce the world premiere of composer/conductor Chris Maunu’s Phoenix: A Trilogy of Hope on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 7:30 PM at the Kawaiahao Church in Honolulu, Hawaii with with the Honolulu Chamber Players. In addition to the world premiere, Allan Robert Petker, will conduct the choir and orchestra in the Hawaiʻian Premiere of his Dona Nobis Pacem, an original six-movement work based on the theme of social justice.This performance is part of MidAm International's 40th anniversary season celebration, running from 1983 to 2023.
Phoenix; a three-movement work written by composer Chris Maunu, is inspired by humanity's resilience. The first movement, Choirs Won't Be Silenced, was written by Maunu in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the incredible response from choir directors worldwide. The second movement, Alleluia Votum, is an exuberant piece primarily consisting of two words, "alleluia" and "votum" (the Latin word for hope). The third and final movement, May We Not Return, closes the trilogy with a message of radical self-reflection becoming a potential agent for good. The trilogy will be conducted by Chris Maunu himself.
The final portion of the concert will feature Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor, K. 626 conducted by Peter Tiboris, Founder, General Director, and Music Director of MidAmerica Productions with soloists Eilana Lappalainen, Soprano, Sarah Lambert Connelly, Mezzo-soprano, Taka Komagata, Tenor, and Robert Ellsworth Feng, Bass.
Participating choruses include the Allan Petker Chorale, San Pedro, CA (Allan Robert Petker, Director), Arvada West Choir Alumni, Arvada, CO (Christopher Maunu, Director), Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Chorus, Lawrenceville, GA (Laurie Duke, Director) and The Hoʻolōkahi Chamber Choir, Laie, HI (Erica Glenn, Director).
Tickets are free and the concert is open to the public
