Elijah

An exhilarating performance of one of the great choral classics. Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah tells the story of a uniquely brave and passionate truth-teller during a time of great turmoil and unrest. Featuring Conspirare soloists with the Conspirare Symphonic Choir and chamber orchestra.

Marques Jerrell Ruff, Bass-Baritone
Chelsea Helm, Soprano
Laura Mercado, Mezzo-soprano
Haitham Haidar, Tenor
Peter Jurski, Youth Soprano

Performed in English in an abridged version with no intermission.

Join us at 7 pm for a pre-concert talk. Included with concert admission.

Get to know Elijah soloist Marques Jerrell Ruff including his thoughts on performing Elijah and Austin in this Q & A.

View the  program note to learn more about Elijah and the oratorio tradition it is part of. If you like Dad jokes with your Elijah, check out tenor Omen Safavi’s Kid’s Guide to Elijah.

Recommended listening

Elijah conducted by Robert Shaw

Elijah soloist Marques Jerrell Ruff performs with the Symphonic Choir:

SYNOPSIS

Elijah outlines several events in the life of the 9th-century BCE prophet. In Part I, God establishes a three-year drought because of Israel’s faithlessness.
As the people mourn their fate and pray for deliverance, Elijah challenges the priests of the pagan god, Baal, to a contest in order to prove that his is the
true and only God. The victorious Elijah commands the people to slaughter the false prophets and, as Part I concludes, rain returns to the parched land.

As Part II begins, Queen Jezebel seeks revenge against Elijah, and the prophet flees to the wilderness, resigned to the failure of his mission of turning the
hearts of his people, but his spirit and strength are restored by the appearance of God, and he ascends into heaven.

Synopsis courtesy of Philip Biedenbender

Thank you to Concert Sponsors:

• William G. Fivecoat, Rebecca  & Art Miller
• Ronald Jernigan

This project is supported in part by an Elevate Grant of Austin Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment.

To sponsor this event, please donate here! Sponsorships support Conspirare’s mission to transform lives through music; once production costs are met, all gifts support Conspirare’s mission in the area of greatest need.

Orchestral Personnel, under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson:

Violin I

Nick Montopoli, Concert Master

Luis Cuevas

Yi Ching Fong

Caleb Polashek

Megan Zapfe

Violin II

Johyun Min, Principal

Haley Dietz

Thomas Gougeon

Mei Liu

Zachariah Matteson

Viola

Bruce Williams, Principal

Martha Carapetyan

Lana Harris

Emma Martin

Cello

Margaret Coltman

Aidan Bolding

Barbara George

Kelsey Sexton

Double Bass

Jonathan Rouse, Principal

Andrea Beyer

Flute

Rebecca Powell Garfield

Oboe

Andrew Parker

Clarinet

Jonathan Gunn

Bassoon

Kristin Wolfe Jensen

Horn

Patrick Hughes

Trumpet

Michael Hawes

Trombone

Benjamin Osborne

Percussion

Thomas Burritt