Cantus Vocal Ensemble to close UO chamber music series

The University of Oregon’s ChamberMusic@Beall concert series — known throughout Oregon for bringing renowned live chamber musicians to the ears of Willamette Valley music-lovers — will end its 2014-15 season on a (literal) high note with an April 12 appearance by the Cantus Vocal Ensemble.

Acclaimed as the premier men’s vocal ensemble in the United States, Cantus will perform a program of choral pieces from around the world, a blend of composers and styles in a widely varied program. The concert begins at 3 p.m. in Beall Concert Hall.

Titled “Anthem,” the concert will include works by Gustav Holst, Leoš Janáček, Richard Rodgers, Robert De Cormier and Stephen Hatfield, as well as folk and traditional tunes spanning the globe from Bali to Japan to Australia. Also to be included is “When we Sing,” a world premiere by Rosephayne Powell.

The first choral group featured by the ChamberMusic@Beall series in several years, Cantus has become famous for its intellectually, emotionally and musically rich performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st Century. One of America’s top-selling recording artists and regular guests on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion, Cantus performs more than 60 concerts a year, touring both nationally and internationally.

Prior to the Cantus concert, UO-trained musicologist Lindsey Henriksen will offer attendees a free pre-concert "Musical Insights" talk at 2:10 p.m.

Reserved-seat tickets are available in advance from the Hult Center for the Performing Arts at541-682-5000 or the UO Ticket Office at 541-346-4363. All ChamberMusic@Beall concerts take place in Beall Concert Hall, 961 E. 18th Ave. Complete concert details are available here.

The ChamberMusic@Beall series is a co-production of the Oregon Bach Festival and the UO School of Music and Dance.