FULL PROGRAM:
Bach’s Cantata 2: Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein (Ah God, look down from Heaven)
Beloved Bach Arias:
- “Erbarme dich” (from St. Matthew Passion)
- “Komm in mein Herzenshaus” (from Cantata 80)
- “Agnus Dei” (from B Minor Mass)
- “Ach mein sinn” (from St. John Passion)
- “Es reißet euch ein schrecklich Ende” (from Cantata 90)
- “Wann komst du, mein Heil” (from Cantata 140)
FEATURED SOLOISTS:
Amanda Simms, soprano
Gloria Park, alto*
Matthew Hill, tenor**
Eliam Ramos, bass
* The alto soloist for this concert is endowed in memory of Rev. John and Margaret Lovejoy.
** The tenor soloist for this concert is endowed in honor of Pastor (Ret.) Dr. Otfried O. Arndt, given by the Rev. Andrea R. Hagen-Arndt.
*** The concertmaster for this concert is endowed in the memory of a violinist who died tragically young, given by Henry & Linda Chen.
Learn more about our Permanent Endowment Fund HERE.
Spend an afternoon luxuriating in a program that includes Bach’s soulful Cantata 2: Ach Gott vom Himmel sieh darein (Ah God, look down from Heaven) and six of the most beloved and enduring arias of J. S. Bach drawn from the entire lifelong output of the master, including “Erbarme dich,” an alto aria from St. Matthew Passion; “Komm in mein Herzenshaus,” a soprano solo from Cantata 80; “Agnus Dei,” an alto solo from the B Minor Mass; “Ach mein sinn,” a tenor aria from St. John Passion; “Es reißet euch ein schrecklich Ende” a tenor solo from Cantata 90; and “Wann komst du, mein Heil,” a soprano and brass duet from Cantata 140.
Eliam Ramos, bass-baritone
Eliam Ramos is a thrilling Puerto Rican bass-baritone who has performed opera and concert works with companies in the United States, Spain, Israel and Mexico. His artistic engagements range from traditional opera such as Leporello in Don Giovanni, to Luis Nogales in the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda, to symphony concerts such as Fauré’s Requiem to the title role of the modern composition of El Cimarrón by Hans Werner Henze.
Mr. Ramos’ will be featured in several productions of La Bohème in the fall season of 2022. He’s contracted to sing Schaunard with Soo Theatre in Michigan, and also engaged with The Metropolitan Opera Guild as a featured soloist in their 2022-2023 season.
Matthew Hill, tenor
Praised for “clarion high notes placed with unfailing precision,” (Washington Classical Review), tenor Matthew Hill is a versatile performer who excels in opera, oratorio, art song, and musical theater.
Highly regarded for his interpretations of Bach, Matthew’s Evangelist was praised by the Washington Post for “deliver[ing] the Gospel texts with agile conviction.” Matthew has appeared as a concert soloist with ensembles including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Washington National Cathedral, American Bach Soloists, the Washington Bach Consort, and the Thirteen, in repertoire including Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Bach’s St. Matthew and St. John Passions, Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, Mozart’s Requiem, Britten’s Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, and Stravinsky’s Les Noces. Additionally, Matthew is a founding member of The Polyphonists and a member of the U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants.
Matthew’s stage credits include: Candide (cover – Candide) with Washington National Opera, Older brother in Dead Man Walking (Washington National Opera), Jack in Into the Woods (Annapolis Opera), Marcellus in Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet (Washington Concert Opera), Parpignol in La Bohème (Wolf Trap Opera), Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (Maryland Opera Studio and Siena Music Festival), Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni (Maryland Opera Studio), and Damon in Acis and Galatea (New Dominion Chorale).
Matthew was awarded 1st place in the Bethlehem Bach Young American Singers Competition and 1st place at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards, and was a prizewinner at the following competitions: the Metropolitan Opera National Council Middle Atlantic Regional Competition, Oratorio Society of New York Competition, the Lotte Lenya Competition, the Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition, the National Society of Arts and Letters Dorothy Lincoln-Smith Voice Competition, Choralis Young Artist Competition, and the Vocal Arts DC Art Song Competition. Matthew holds degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Amanda Simms, soprano
Amanda Simms, soprano, known for her “impressive coloratura” (Joseph Li), currently attends the Peabody Institute for her Graduate Performance Diploma where she was awarded the Artistic Excellence Scholarship. Amanda boasts a wide repertoire from Baroque to the 21st Century. Most recently, Amanda was a finalist in the 2022 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition and a finalist in the 2022 Sylvia Green Vocal Competition. Also in 2022, she performed Rhoda (Rhoda and the Fossil Hunt) under the direction of librettist Eric Einhorn with the Peabody Institute in collaboration with the Maryland Science Center. Amanda joined Opera North in 2021 as a resident artist for the roles of Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare), and Amore (Orfeo ed Euridice). She has performed the role of Lucia (Rape of Lucretia) and Asteria (Tamerlano), with Montclair State University.
Gloria Park, mezzo-soprano
Gloria Park, mezzo-soprano, has become known not only for her versatility as a singer, but also for her strong stage presence and vivid portrayal of characters in opera, oratorio and on the concert stage. The New York Times quoted her as “a scene stealer” for her performance as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro. Ms. Park has performed at numerous concerts which include: New American Opera Previews by WQXR, The Orion String Quartet Concert as the main guest singer, Trinity Wall Street Schumann Festival as a soloist, and VOX ’06 and ’07 under New York City Opera. Her past significant operatic performances include: Hansel and Gretel (Hansel), The Tragedy of Carmen (Carmen), Le Nozze di Figaro (Cherubino), Cosi fan tutte (Dorabella), The Turn of the Screw (Miss Jessel), The Theory of Everything (Bertie), My Mother’s Mother (Mother), and Four Nights of Dream (Voice, Woman). Since her debut as a Messiah soloist at the Lincoln Center, she has been a frequent performer in repertoire of various oratorios and had her New Zealand Debut as a Messiah Soloist. Ms. Park was a winner of David Adams Art Song Competition and was the recipient of Michael Sisca Opera Award. In 2015, Ms. Park received her Doctoral degree from Stony Brook University, and recently she had her solo recital in great success at the Lefrak Center, New York. Present Gloria lives in NY and actively performs in United States., Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea.
Maryland State Boychoir Center for the Arts
3400 Norman Avenue, Baltimore
Plentiful street parking available in neighborhood setting.
Conveniently located in Baltimore’s Mayfield neighborhood, the Center for the Arts is home to the Maryland State Boychoir. Bach in Baltimore is grateful to The Maryland State Boychoir Center for the Arts for inviting us to share their home.
Learn more here.