CAMERATA PACIFICA Presents Highly Anticipated Debut of Acclaimed Male Soprano Samuel Mariño

Camerata-Pacifica-chamber-music-11 — Camerata Pacifica - Kristin Lee, Richard Yongjae O’Neill, Molly Morkoski, Ani Aznavoorian, Martin Owen, Jose Franch-Ballester 3/9/18 MAW Hahn Hall

Camerata Pacifica, considered one of the nation’s leading chamber ensembles and celebrated for its adventurous programming, caps its 2022-23 season with the highly anticipated U.S. debut of acclaimed Venezuelan male soprano Samuel Mariño in a program of Bach and Pergolesi. Hailed as “a rarity in opera” (New York Times), Mariño describes himself as a true male soprano whose voice at puberty only “partially broke.” He performs Bach’s cantata Non sa che sia dolore, BWV 209, and Pergolesi’s exquisite Salve Regina in C Minor. Camerata Pacifica also performs John Adams’ exhilarating Shaker Loops.

The program is presented in four locations across Southern California, from the San Gabriel Valley to Santa Barbara, with performances on Friday, May 12, 7:30 pm, at Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West; Sunday, May 14, 3 pm, at Museum of Ventura County in Ventura; Tuesday, May 16, 7:30 pm, at The Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall in San Marino; and Thursday, May 18, 2023, 8 pm, at Zipper Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.

Camerata Pacifica members featured include Joseph Lin, Tricia Park, Jason Uyeyama, and Agnes Gottschewski, violin; Jonathan Moerschel and Mathis Rochat, viola; Ani Aznavoorian and Raman Ramakrishnan, cello; Timothy Eckert, double bass; Matvey Demin, flute; and Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord.

Mariño, born in 1993, began his studies in piano and voice at the National Conservatory in Caracas, and also studied ballet at the National School of Dance in Venezuela. After puberty, he was considering surgical and vocal treatment options for his high voice when a doctor suggested he focus on singing, instead. Ultimately, Mariño “chose to leave his unusually high voice intact” (WBUR), and subsequently studied at the Paris Conservatory and with soprano Barbara Bonney. He explains that he is not a countertenor and doesn’t sing in a falsetto, but rather “my voice is a light lyric soprano, with a bit of coloratura.” Mariño’s natural musicality and unique vocal talent have set the stage for a career which allows him to perform a wide range of operatic roles in the baroque and classical repertoire.

His first operatic experience was with the Camerata Barroca in Caracas, where he had the opportunity to work with conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Helmuth Rilling, and Theodore Kuchar. It was there that his passion and affinity for the baroque repertoire was ignited. At his young age, Mariño has already portrayed some of the most monumental roles in baroque and classical opera and oratorio, including works by Monteverdi, Handel, Porpora, Vivaldi, Hasse, Mozart, and Salieri. His versatility and ample vocal range have enabled the male soprano to explore such roles in the Bel Canto repertoire as Oscar (Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera), Romeo (Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi), and Arsace (Rossini’s Aureliano in Palmira). Mariño was awarded the Interpretation Award at the 2017 Opéra de Marseille International Singing Competition and won the 2017 Neue Stimmen Audience prize. Following his passion for rediscovering music and innovating period performance practice, Mariño founded Ensemble Teseo in 2019, where he aims to bring forgotten Baroque works and techniques to mainstream opera and concert stages. He is featured on four recordings, including his most recent, Sopranista released by Decca in 2022.

For tickets ($68) and information, visit www.cameratapacifica.org.

Camerata Pacifica, considered one of the nation’s leading chamber ensembles, has captivated, delighted, and enthralled audiences with its adventurous music since its inception in 1990. Hailed as “innovative and intrepid” (The Daily Telegraph), “visceral and powerful” (The Economist), the collective, comprised of virtuoso musicians from around the globe, is renowned for its musical versatility and bold programming that illuminates the limitless scope of the chamber music repertoire. Camerata Pacifica presents heritage works beside less familiar music and commissioned pieces. Its considerable commissioning portfolio includes more than 20 works by such established and rising composers as John Harbison, Jake Heggie, Huang Ruo, Lera Auerbach, Bright Sheng, Ian Wilson, David Bruce, and John Luther Adams. Three new commissions for the ensemble are currently in process from Clarice Assad, Libby Larsen, and Niloufar Nourbakhsh. The chamber collective has also been lauded for its warm and engaging rapport with audiences, bringing context and immediacy to the music it performs. Based in Santa Barbara, California, the ensemble enjoys a busy performance schedule throughout Southern California and beyond. Camerata Pacifica presents a flagship series of nine programs each season, showcasing its exceptional musicians as well as a range of distinguished guest artists. Each program is structured as a week-long residency with the ensemble performing in four Southern California locales: The Huntington’s Rothenberg Hall in San Marino; The Colburn School’s Zipper Hall in downtown Los Angeles; the Museum of Ventura County in Ventura; and Santa Barbara’s Music Academy. The chamber ensemble has previously toured to Hong Kong and appeared at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., Morgan Library & Museum in New York City, and major concert halls in London, Dublin and Belfast. Camerata Pacifica was founded by Artistic Director Adrian Spence, an acclaimed “high-flying flautist” (The Irish Times) applauded for his “unstoppable energy, his organizational genius, his taste in music and musicians” (Noozhawk). A native of Northern Ireland, Spence’s keen artistic sensibilities are evident in every aspect of Camerata Pacifica, from the ensemble’s stellar roster of international chamber artists and thoughtfully curated musical offerings, to its authentic connection with audiences. He also sets the tone for the deep comradery among the collective’s musicians, which is evident both on and off stage.

In addition to its busy performance schedule, Camerata Pacifica is committed to serving the community. In 2021, Camerata Pacifica, in collaboration with UCLA Health, developed The Nightingale Channel, a landmark resource for hospitals providing programming drawn from the ensemble’s extensive video library of its performances delivered via iPads to patient bedsides and care teams. Based on the well-documented positive effects of music in healing, The Nightingale Channel has been adopted by UCLA Health, UC Davis Health, Keck Medicine at USC, Loma Linda University Medical Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, and Augusta University Health, and is being introduced to other hospitals across the country.

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EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

WHO/WHAT:

Camerata Pacifica Presents U.S. Debut of Male Soprano Samuel Mariño

Samuel Mariño, male soprano

Joseph Lin, violin

Tricia Park, violin

Jason Uyeyama, violin

Agnes Gottschewski, violin

Jonathan Moerschel, viola

Mathis Rochat, viola

Ani Aznavoorian, cello