FULL PROGRAM:
Hollis Thoms Requiem (2020) [in the time of coronavirus]—World Premiere
Bach’s Cantata 4: Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in death’s bonds)
FEATURED SOLOISTS:
Lisa Parente, Soprano
Sonya Knussen, Alto
Joseph Regan, Tenor
Jason Thoms, Bass
Ben Goodly, Oboe
Jonas Thoms, Horn
Bach in Baltimore is overjoyed to welcome back local composer and long-time Bach in Baltimore friend Hollis Thoms for the World Premiere of his Requiem, written to honor and commemorate the millions we have lost during the COVID-19 pandemic across the world and in our community. This original composition will be paired with Bach’s Cantata 4: Christ lag in Todesbanden (Christ lay in death’s bonds). Bach’s Cantata 4 is believed to be one of the earliest surviving cantatas composed by Bach. It is based on Martin Luther’s hymn and the much-admired music draws on medieval musical roots.
Sonya Knussen, alto
Sonya Knussen’s dedication to music education, her talents as a vocalist, and her passion for music, make her a vital force in the world of music. As a soloist and performer in small ensembles, she has a diverse repertoire that includes early music and contemporary compositions. She has had engagements in the US, UK, and Europe, showcasing her versatility as a performer. Her dedication to music education is evident in her work as an arts administrator and workshop director, where she focuses on promoting new music and nurturing young artists. In 2020, she founded Go Compose North America, an online program that provides composition workshops and community for young composers worldwide. She is also an online voice and general music teacher, sharing her knowledge and experience with students globally. To learn more about Sonya and her work, visit her website at www.sonyaknussen.com.
Joseph Regan, tenor
Joseph Regan is thrilled to be returning to the Bach in Baltimore Concert Series this season. Mr. Regan is a highly sought after performer whose singing has taken him all over the Eastern Seaboard and parts of Europe. Recent highlights from the opera stage include a turn as Azaël from Debussy’s L’Enfant Prodigue for Lyric Opera of Baltimore, Don José in Opus Concert Theater’s production of Carmen, and Pinkerton from Madame Butterfly with Loudon Lyric Opera. Mr. Regan is frequently engaged as a tenor soloist. He is particularly well known for his singing of Bach and Handel with numerous performances of Handel’s Messiah as well as Bach’s Passions and Cantatas to his credit. Recent highlights include the regional premiere of the concert oratorio Barbara Allen with Shepherd University Masterworks and Gerald Finzi’s A Farewell to Arms with Live Arts Maryland. In addition to multiple turns as the tenor soloist for Bach’s St. John Passion, Mr. Regan recently made his debut as the Evangelist. Mr. Regan also deeply enjoys singing art song, in particular French Mélodies. This intimate and personal form allows him to more deeply explore the connection between text, music, emotional intent, and its impact on the listener.
He earned his BM and MM from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and his DMA from University of Maryland, College Park.
Hollis Thoms, composer
Composer Hollis Thoms has spent his professional career as a teacher of music and English, a school administrator, and an active composer. He has had over 40 articles published in educational journals and written about 170 compositions for a variety of ensembles: operas, oratorios, symphonies, chamber works, sacred and secular vocal and choral works.
Mr. Thoms received a BA from Concordia University-Chicago, MM in composition from Northwestern, finished the course work for the PhD in composition from the Eastman School of Music, has an EdS in educational administration from the University of Toledo, and an MALA from St. John’s College, Annapolis. He has been the recipient of a number of fellowships: Joseph Klingenstein Fellowship to Columbia University Teachers College, an Alden B. Dow Creativity Fellowship, and a Fulbright Teacher Exchange to Scotland. In addition, he was selected to participate in the summer seminar for principals at Harvard University Graduate School of Education. His major compositions are in special collections at the Maryland State Archives, Folger Shakespeare Library, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust in Stratford, England and the Church Music Center-Concordia University-Chicago.
The Bach Concert Series has previously premiered four of Mr. Thoms’ works: Passion, based on the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Gospel of John and other religious poetry, on March 27, 2011; Isaac, based on the Abraham and Isaac Story, on October 7, 2012; for the 500th anniversary of the nailing of the 95 theses, a Luther opera, “And did the world with devils swarm,” on November 4 and 5, 2017; and Adam and Eve, based on John Milton’s Paradise Lost, on November 3, 2019. In 2018, a book entitled Memoirs: Through Music and Texts was published, which describes Mr. Thoms’ compositional journey.
Read Susan Brall’s interview with Hollis Thoms in the Maryland Theatre Guide.
Learn more at hollisthoms.com.
Lisa Parente, soprano
Lisa Parente, hailing from California, is known for her effortless high notes and silvery tone. She is known to be a versatile performer, seasoned in opera, art song, oratorio, and musical theater.
She has been seen as Belinda in Dido and Aeneas, The Dew Fairy in Hänsel und Gretel, Amore in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Pepik and Grasshopper in The Cunning Little Vixen, and as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro where she was described as “the perfect Susanna.” Lisa has also been an artist with San Diego Opera’s Opera Exposed!
In addition to opera, Lisa performs in other solo settings. She has been featured as the soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria, the Soprano soloist in Stephen Paulus’ To Be Certain of the Dawn and the soprano soloist in Faure’s Requiem. She has also been featured in concert series such as Bach in Baltimore, and Union Square Concert Series, and is an Artist in Residence with Carmel Valley Manor, and Musica Vitale, where she recently gave a recital in collaboration with well-known American composer, Lori Laitman.
She has been recognized by many prestigious competitions, including First Place in the California Women’s Choral Competition, Second Place in the San Diego Choral Club Competition, and Honorable Mention in the La Jolla Young Artist Competition. Lisa holds a Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Peabody Conservatory a Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from San Diego State University.
Jason Thoms, bass
Dr. Jason Thoms is the Director of Choral Activities at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota. He is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the Dakota Pro Musica and host of Dakota Sings a radio show on North Dakota choirs, composers, and choral music. Dr. Thoms is a professional bass soloist and chorister and has sung with many of the top choral ensembles in the US usually as an octavist in Russian Orthodox music. Recently, Dr. Thoms sang as a professional chorister for three commercial recording projects of Orthodox music in Boston, MA; Wilkes Barre, PA; and Belgrade, Serbia. Dr. Thoms has been a soloist for Bach in Baltimore concerts for over a decade.
Jonas Thoms, horn
Jonas Thoms is the Assistant Professor of Horn at West Virginia University. He has served on the applied faculty at the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music, Wright State University, the University of Evansville, and the MasterWorks Festival. He has presented and performed at numerous International Horn Symposia, regional workshops, and universities throughout the United States and has been published in The Horn Call. In 2021, he hosted the virtual Northeast Horn Workshop.
Thoms has held positions in numerous regional orchestras and performed as a substitute or extra player with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Artosphere Festival Orchestra, Atlantic Classical Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Concert:Nova, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, the Huang He Symphony Orchestra of Zhengzhou, China, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra/Symphony Syracuse, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, and West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.
Thoms is a graduate from the Eastman School of Music (B.M.) and the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (M.M), where he served as the graduate assistant to the horn studio of Randy Gardner. His primary teachers include W. Peter Kurau, Randy Gardner, Elizabeth Freimuth, Kristy Morrell, Tom Sherwood, and Roger Kaza. He currently serves as the West Virginia Representative of the International Horn Society.
Bach in Baltimore’s Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock continues the conversation with composer Hollis Thoms. In this new “Artist Insiders” episode, learn more about the inspiration for Thoms’s newest work, Requiem (2020) [in the time of the coronavirus]
In 2020, Maestro T. Herbert Dimmock sat down with Maryland composer Hollis Thoms to discuss his music. This “Artist Insiders” episode concludes with an excerpt of Hollis Thoms’s opera Passion, performed by Bach in Baltimore in 2011. Passion is a 75-minute work for vocal soloists, mixed chorus, oboe, horn, two violins, two cellos, string bass, marimba and amplified harpsichord. It is set at the trial and death of Jesus as seen through the eyes of Nicodemus. The work is also an homage to Johann Sebastian Bach, quoting from some of Bach’s works, and imitating a Bach Passion in its design, shape and scope.