United States Premiere of Karl Jenkins’ Newest Masterpiece Gloria Launches DCINY’s 2011 Concert Season

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NEW YORK, N.Y. – October 12, 2010 – Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) opens its 2011 Concert Season on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with acclaimed Welsh composer Karl Jenkins’ Gloria (US Premiere) and Stabat Mater. Conducted by Maestro Jonathan Griffith, DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, the performance will take place at New York City’s Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, Carnegie Hall, on January 17, 2011 at 7:00 pm with Dr. Jenkins in attendance.


The performance of Gloria will mark the work’s United States Premiere. In composing Gloria, Jenkins used the Latin text of the Gloria, derived from the song of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus. Interested in exploring how other religions conceive of the divine, Jenkins also selected excerpts from the Bhagavad Gita, the Diamond Sutra, the Tao Te Ching, and the Qur’an. This spirit of inclusion makes it an ideal commemoration for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Rounding out the program is Jenkins’ Stabat Mater. The text is a powerful hymn dating from the 13th century that meditates on the suffering of Mary during Christ’s crucifixion. Says Jenkins, “I tend to look outside the purely Western European tradition for inspiration and freshness so, apart from setting the religious text, I have also included words by ancient writers from what is now the Middle East.” Stabat Mater also includes instruments and solo vocals characteristic of Middle Eastern music.

Stabat Mater will feature mezzo-soprano Charlotte Daw Paulsen, whose recent appearance in Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle was called "dramatic in the best sense and utterly gripping" by the New York Times. Ms. Paulsen's Western classical singing will be juxtaposed with the Middle Eastern-based vocals of Belinda Sykes, who will also demonstrate her virtuosity on the mey, a Middle Eastern reed instrument. Both works will also feature Distinguished Concerts Singers International, a stellar group of vocalists from across the US, South Africa, and England.

Welshman Karl Jenkins is one of the most prolific, popular, and performed composers in the world today, with a powerful style that continually transcends musical boundaries. He was appointed as Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 2005 “for services to music.”

Maestro Dr. Jonathan Griffith’s conducting credits include the Manhattan Philharmonic, the New England Symphonic Ensemble, and the European Symphony Orchestra. His 45-plus Carnegie Hall appearances since 1989 have spanned major works of the classical repertoire.

Founded by Iris Derke (General Director) and Jonathan Griffith (Artistic Director and Principal Conductor) Distinguished Concerts International is driven by passion, innovative vision, a total belief in its artists, and unwavering commitment to bringing forth unforgettable audience experiences. With over 20 combined years of experience, DCINY is a creative producing entity with unmatched integrity that is a talent incubator, a star-maker, and a presenter of broadly accessible, world-class musical entertainment. For more information about Distinguished Concerts International in New York and upcoming DCINY musical events around the world, please visit: www.dciny.org, or call toll free: 1-877-MYDCINY.

Tickets may be purchased by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting www.carnegiehall.org. For more information on group sales or other special offers, please contact us at 212-707-8566, Ext. 307 or BoxOffice@DCINY.org. Press inquiries and interviews may be arranged by contacting Johanna Kodlick, 212-707-8566, Ext. 305 or Johanna@DCINY.org.

Karl Jenkins Discusses 'Stabat Mater'

Welsh Composer - Karl Jenkins To Play New York!!!

Karl Jenkins on Wikipedia


Karl Jenkins Website


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Karl Jenkins: The United Kingdom's Most Popular Living Composer To Have Three Premieres At Avery Fiher Hall On Monday, January 19, 2009, 8 PM

Concert to be Presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York - Purchase tickets HERE

(DCINY) Will Feature World Premiere Performance of Jenkins’ Violin Concerto, Sarikiz; US Premieres of His Te Deum and Stabat Mater; Jonathan Griffith and Karl Jenkins, Conductors

Karl Jenkins was voted the United Kingdom’s most popular living composer for the past five years by listeners on BBC Classical Radio One, and entered Classic FM’s “Hall of Fame” at number eight, the highest position ever for a living composer. Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) is proud to present two US premiere performances of new works by Mr. Jenkins, as well as the world premiere performance of his violin concerto, Sarikiz. This evening of choral and orchestral works will take place on January 19, 2009, 8 PM, at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, and will feature the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International and the Distinguished Concerts Singers International.

Sarikiz will showcase the talent of the Kazakh violinist for whom the piece was written, Marat Bisengaliev. Mr. Bisengaliev has performed in over thirty-five countries, and was the winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s “Instrumentalist of the Year” award in 2007. Featured in the US premiere performance of Stabat Mater will be mezzo-soprano Charlotte Daw Paulsen, whose recent appearance in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle was called “dramatic in the best sense and utterly gripping” by the New York Times. Ms. Paulsen’s Western classical singing will be juxtaposed with the Middle Eastern-based vocals of Belinda Sykes, who will also demonstrate her virtuosity on the “mey”, an indigenous Middle Eastern reed instrument. Mr. Jenkins himself will be conducting, marking his Lincoln Center debut.

The opening piece of the evening, and the first of the US debuts, will be Te Deum, commissioned by Liverpool’s Welsh Choral. The text is based on an early Christian hymn of praise and thanksgiving. Jenkins’ setting of Te Deum was reviewed as “a joyous, theatrical piece of music…which alternates between dynamic, brassy flourishes and the lush rise and fall of massed voices” by the Liverpool Echo in 2008. At the baton will be DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Jonathan Griffith.

Sarikiz was commissioned by Kazakh philanthropist Sapar Iskakov. It is dedicated to his ancestor, Tlep Aspantaiuly, composer and master of the kobyz, a Middle Eastern relative of the violin. Throughout, Jenkins makes references to native folk themes, and employs two traditional percussion instruments, the dabel [hand drum] and the kepshek [tambourine].

The second half of the evening will consist of Stabat Mater. The 13th-century poem, a meditation on the sorrows of Jesus’ mother Mary during his crucifixion, has been used as a theme by composers from Vivaldi to Verdi. Mr. Jenkins’ 21st-century interpretation of the verse includes six texts not from the original poem, including a section of the Epic of Gilgamesh as well as a poem by 13th-century mystic poet Jalal al-Din Rumi.

In Jenkins’ words, “The Epic of Gilgamesh…is the world’s oldest written story. It is from the ancient Babylonian civilization, which means, of course, that it comes from what is now Iraq, so it has real resonance for our current time. Rumi…had an intense relationship with a spiritual mentor called Shams al-Din Tabrizi, whose apparent murder turned [him] into a poet and mystic who sought consolation in the Divine.”

Karl Jenkins has received numerous critical accolades and extensive academic honors, and has achieved wide-scale popular appeal as well.

He is a recipient of the Order of the British Empire for his “services to music”, and his innovative work with the jazz ensemble Nucleus won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1970. The album on which he initially appeared as part of the seminal progressive rock group Soft Machine, entitled Six, won the Melody Maker “British Jazz Album of the Year” award. He has twice won industry prizes in the advertising field, and his work Palladio has become iconic for the De Beers diamond company. He is both a Fellow and an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, where a room has been named in his honor. Additionally, he has been bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate in music from the University of Leicester, and a Chancellor’s Medal from the University of Glamorgan.

Date & Concert Programme

Karl Jenkins at Avery Fisher Hall
Monday, January 19, 2009, 8:00 PM

Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
Te Deum (US premiere performance)

Sarikiz, violin concerto (world premiere performance)

Stabat Mater (US premiere performance)

Karl Jenkins Conducts "Palladio"