press
There are precious few vocal ensembles in any country that could achieve what DiOrio and NOTUS have in this work—and the others—in this recital.
David DeBoor Canfield
The Philadelphia Orchestra isn’t the only local ensemble to be performing at the top of its game. Dominick DiOrio led the Mendelssohn Chorus in its annual “Feast of Carols” concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Chestnut Hill, on Dec. 13. Both performances were sold out at 500 tickets apiece, and both audiences heard selections of holiday music that was beautifully chosen and even more beautifully presented.
Michael Caruso
Of all the many musical holiday traditions that grace the Christmas season in Chestnut Hill, none has become a more cherished event that the Mendelssohn Chorus’ annual “A Feast of Carols.” The concert is so popular that its program must be performed twice to accommodate the large audiences that wish to hear it.
Michael Caruso
The program peaked with I Am, by Dominick DiOrio, a technically demanding piece that requires total control by the singers because of its highly dissonant lines. Its performance was nothing short of virtuosic and one wishes it had closed the program, which was actually finished with two rather pedestrian compositions by Alvaro Bermudez (Padre Nuestro) and Rafael Hernández (Cachita).
Márcio Bezerra
In 2003, he remembers seeing Robinson’s election as the first openly gay bishop. “I felt like there was hope,” DiOrio recalls. “If one of the major Christian denominations in the world could welcome (Robinson) as a faith leader, surely there were paths for my own life that I had not yet imagined.”
Danielle Charbonneau
Historic episcopal leader to preach at Pasadena church as commissioned choral work debuts
Pasadena Now Staff
"An effort where each track carries its own unique identity, Adams is in excellent company and every moment benefits from the skilled interaction and rich solo bouts."
Take Effect Staff
By the time the concert started, the hall was filled with about 300 audience members for “Voices and Video Games,” the first collaboration between the Music in Games Society and the Jacobs School of Music’s contemporary vocal ensemble, NOTUS.
Emerson Elledge
From start to finish, this year’s edition of “A Feast of Carols” was performed at the highest level I can ever remember the Mendelssohn Chorus singing. Ensemble, tuning, blend, diction and balance were consistently immaculate.
Michael Caruso
"In her score, Snider displays a delicate ear for the texture of choral writing, an imaginative feel for harmony and a lilting lyricism that sets the mood of the text beautifully. DiOrio led the Mendelssohn Chorus and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia with technical command and emotional vitality, eliciting a stirring ovation from the audience that nicely filled Holy Trinity’s stately Victorian/Romanesque sanctuary."
Michael Caruso
