October 24, 2011
Press Announcement – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Contact: Antonio Espinal, 323-304-8104
L.A’s HARMONIES GIRLS CHOIR marks 9th year with “NIGHT OF ZARZUELA, OPERA AND MEXICAN MUSIC”
Mexican actor and singing star Rafael Jorge Negrete is celebration’s guest artist
LOS ANGELES — Harmonies Girls Choir, an all-female ensemble that draws singers from throughout the Greater Los Angeles area and has earned critical acclaim in the United States, Europe and Mexico, celebrates its 9th anniversary with its “NIGHT OF ZARZUELA, OPERA AND MEXICAN MUSIC” concert, Thursday, Nov. 10, starting 7:30 p.m. at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Barnsdall Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027.
The event features guest musical artist Rafael Jorge Negrete, who will join Harmonies Girls Choir in selections from Spanish Zarzuela, Opera and Classical Mexican repertoire. The music will include pieces by Gershwin, Rossini, Mozart, Gounod, Verdi, Falla, Lara, Chueca and Vices.
“This performance will showcase the complexity and variety of music the extraordinary singers of Harmonies have performed since the beginning,” said Anotonio Espinal, the choir’s founder, a former accompanist for the Mexico State Opera and two-time winner of the prestigious Conductor’s Award given by Mexico’s National Endowment for the Arts and Culture. “Musical excellence has always been our goal and the girls of Harmonies have risen to every challenge.”
Under an Andrew Carnegie Scholarship, Espinal received his Master’s Degree in orchestral and choral conducting in 2000 from Carnegie Mellon University, where he studied under Juan Pablo Izquierdo (Orchestral) and Dr. Robert Page (Choral Conducting). After earning his master’s, he ventured to Los Angeles to serve as a conducting apprentice under the L.A. Philharmonic’s director at the time, Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Harmonies was one of the few local groups invited to join the performance of Beethoven’s “Choral” Symphony during “Bienvenido Gustavo” at the Hollywood Bowl, Gustavo Dudamel’s introductory concert as the L.A. Phil’s music director.
“Our group has accomplished a lot, we look forward to much more,” said Espinal. “Our city, our country, our world can be moved to better things by music. Harmonies has been and will be there to offer beauty and inspiration to our shared community.”
Tickets for “NIGHT OF ZARZUELA, OPERA AND MEXICAN MUSIC” are $20.00 pre-order, 25.00 at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.fremontgallery.com or by calling (626) 403-9901.
More information about the concert and Harmonies Girls Choir is available at www.harmonieschoir.org.