He Restores My Soul

Description

He Restores My Soul: Moravian Sacred Vocal Duets

Eighteen of the duets (by Gehra, Gregor, Herbst, Jaeschke, Latrobe, JF Peter and JAP Schultz) on this recording were found in the American Moravian music collections in Bethlehem and Winston-Salem, with the exception of the duets by Gambold and Geisler, which were edited from manuscripts found in Herrnhut, Germany.

About the Performers

Soprano Julia Foster Rottmayer is active and acclaimed in the stage, concert, and teaching arenas. Her concert engagements have included Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, Poulenc’s Gloria, and Bach’s Mass in B minor. On the operatic stage, Julia has recently portrayed Thérèse in Poulenc’s Les Mamelles de Tirésias, Everly Shrills (Madame Herz) in Mozart’s Impresario, Beth in Adamo’s Little Women, Vitige in Handel’s Flavio, and Pamina in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Other favorites performances include Blanche in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Rose Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, and Adele in Die Fledermaus. She has sung with a variety of orchestras and companies, including the Orlando Philharmonic, Opera Orlando, Amadeus Opernensemble Salzburg, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Ars Lyrica Houston, Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Stoughton Opera, and Madison Savoyards.  In service to the singing community, Julia serves as President of the Central Florida Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.  She has served as the head of the voice area at Rollins College, as a member of the voice faculties at Kingwood College, Berkshire Choral International, and Madison Early Music Festival, and as Graduate Instructor of voice at the Eastman School of Music (MM) and the University of Houston (DMA). Julia also maintains a thriving private voice studio in Orlando, FL and is highly sought after as a master class clinician and adjudicator for competitions, both regionally and nationally. http://www.juliarottmayer.com/

Praised for her “focused golden toned voice,” mezzo-soprano Amanda Crider is recognized for her extraordinary musicality and assured dramatic presence. Ms. Crider has sung with numerous opera companies across the US including the Dallas Opera, New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Boston, Des Moines Metro Opera, Anchorage Opera, Gotham Chamber Opera, and Eugene Opera. An impeccable interpreter of song and oratorio, Ms. Crider has participated in Marilyn Horne’s The Song Continues…at Carnegie Hall and has appeared as a soloist with the Joy in Singing Foundation in New York.  Ms. Crider made her Carnegie Hall debut singing as mezzo soloist in The Messiah with the New England Symphonic Ensemble. She has also appeared as a soloist with ensembles including Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Eugene Symphony, New World Symphony, Apollo’s Fire, Bach Festival Society of Florida, Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, Savannah Symphony, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and the International Contemporary Ensemble.  Ms. Crider has been a prize winner and finalist in many competitions, including the José Iturbi International Voice Competition, Jensen Foundation Voice Competition, Joy in Singing Debut Artist Competition, Connecticut Opera Guild Competition, Shreveport Opera Singer of the Year Competition, Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition, Oratorio Society of New York Vocal Competition, Center for Contemporary Opera Competition, and is a recipient of a Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation. Ms. Crider received her Master’s degree in vocal performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance from Syracuse University.

Conductor Dr. John V. Sinclair has been the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park since 1990. Under his leadership, the Winter Park Bach Festival has earned high critical praise and was recently recognized by The New York Times as “one of the outstanding choral events in the country.” One of Central Florida’s most visible musicians, Dr. Sinclair conducts the Walt Disney World Candlelight Processional at EPCOT, directs the Moravian Music Festivals, Messiah Choral Society, and participates in recording projects for Warner Brothers and the Walt Disney Corporation. He conducts over 100 performances each year and in the past 12 years, Dr. Sinclair has made more than 500 appearances as guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, or lecturer throughout the United States and overseas, including conducting a principal mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City.  Dr. Sinclair is the Director of Music for Rollins College and holds the John M. Tiedtke Chair of Music.  A master teacher, he has received many awards, including the Hugh F. McKean Teaching Award and the Arthur Vining Davis Fellowship, and he was twice named United Arts of Central Florida’s “Outstanding Music Educator of the Year” in consecutive years.

Recorded September 8-10, in the John M. Tiedtke Concert Hall, Department of Music, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida.

This project is made possible through the John M. Tiedtke Endowed Chair Fund. Further funding was provided in memory of Wilson and Shirley Edwards by their children Patsy Saunders, Carol King, and Wilson Edwards, Jr., through the Duke Willard Fund for Recording of the Moravian Music Foundation.