Sunday, November 2, 3:00 pm

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen

John Churchwell, piano

Praised by The Guardian for his “astonishingly beautiful,” “golden toned” voice, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen brings striking vocal beauty and dramatic depth to repertoire from the Baroque to the contemporary. A GRAMMY® winner and Grand Prize winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, he is hailed as “a redefining force in the countertenor field” (Limelight).

PROGRAM: UNCHARTED

KORNGOLD: Selections from Lieder des Abschieds, Op. 14
LESLIE ADAMS: “Prayer” from Nightsongs
F. PRICE: Sunset
HANDEL: “O Lord, Whose Mercies Numberless” from Saul
C. SCHUMANN: “Ich stand in dunkeln Träumen,” Op. 13, No. 1
BRAHMS: “In meiner Nächte Sehnen,” Op. 57, No. 5
BRAHMS: “Unbewegte laue Luft,” Op. 57, No. 8
JANOWSKI: Avinu Malkeinu
RAVEL: “Kaddisch” from Deux mélodies hébraïques

Intermission

JAKE HEGGIE: “Oh Children”
R. SCHUMANN: Liederkreis, Op. 39

In this sweeping program centered around the beauty found walking in nature, Nussbaum Cohen brings his “ravishing, otherworldly” (Opera News) tone to a wide range of repertoire never before sung by a Countertenor. A rising star of opera and art song, he has been called a “complete artist,” “a young star” (NYTimes), an “astonishingly beautiful” singer (The Guardian), and “extravagantly gifted… poised to redefine what’s possible for singers of this distinctive voice type” (SF Chronicle).

Heightened by the deeply sensitive playing of pianist John Churchwell, with this moving program, Nussbaum Cohen opens up new paths for his voice type. The program includes the rarely performed Songs of Farewell by Korngold, Robert Schumann’s Liederkreis op. 39, works from Nussbaum Cohen’s Jewish heritage, songs by Black American composers H. Leslie Adams and Florence Price, and a new work composed for this program by leading American composer, Jake Heggie. Having recently recorded the German song repertoire on the program, never before recorded by a Countertenor, this program’s departure from the standard repertory of the voice type promises to create a moving and memorable performance.

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