Light/Shadow

Ars Nova Singers’ luminous solstice concerts — a beloved Colorado holiday tradition!

Download the DIGITAL CONCERT PROGRAM here.

Darkness gives way to light and renewal. Join us for Light/Shadow, a joyous celebration of the winter solstice with extraordinary, rarely-heard music of the season, from the flowing sounds of the high Renaissance to modern masterpieces and carols. Our eclectic program embraces novelty and tradition, mystery and brilliance, balancing familiar melodies with innovative new sounds and blending voices with flute and viola. The halls are decked, our voices warmed; all that’s missing are guests to welcome in wonder and cheer. Special Guests Matthew Dane, viola and Christina Jennings, flute.

Program
Phillipe Verdelot, Beata es Virgo Maria
Anton Bruckner, Virga Jesse floruit
Joan Szymko, Illumina le tenebrae
B. E. Boykin, O magnum mysterium
Arvo Pärt, Magnificat
Emil Tabakov, Vocalise (for solo voila and choir) – US Premiere
Abbie Betinis, Be Like the Bird
John Rutter, Musica Dei donum
Mykola Leontovych, Shchedrik (Carol of the Bells)
Italian Carol, arr. Guy Turner, Dormi, dormi
Israeli song, arr. Shira Cion, Ma navu
arr. Paulus/Morgan, The Angels and the Shepherds
Sara Bareilles/Ingrid Michaelson (arr. Morgan), Winter Song
Traditional (arr. Morgan), The Holly and the Ivy 

Flutist Christina Jennings relishes an artistic life comprised of sharing music with audiences and students. Her search for beauty and meaning leads her to explore diverse music and approaches with a wide range of artistic partners and young musicians. The Houston Press declared, “Jennings has got what it takes: a distinctive voice, charisma and a pyrotechnic style that works magic on the ears.” Highlights from upcoming and recent seasons include the premiere of “Glimmerglass,” a new concerto for flute and wind ensemble by Kevin Day; collaborations with the pianist Simone Dinnerstein performing music of J.S. Bach; and creative teaching with Tonebase, an online music teaching platform.

Jennings is an artist teacher who strives to bring creativity, play and stellar music making into each part of her musical life.

A passionate teacher, Jennings is professor of flute at the University of Colorado Boulder, where her flute studio is one of the most prominent and respected flute studios in the United States. Dedicated to training the whole flutist, her students have gone on to meaningful work in orchestras, schools, nonprofit arts organizations, and careers in medicine, law and climate reform. She joyfully teaches each summer at Greenwood Music Camp, a five-week chamber music festival for high school students in Western Massachusetts. Jennings credits her success and devotion to teaching to her own teachers—Jeanne Baxtresser, Carol Wincenc, George Pope and Leone Buyse.

As a performing flutist, Jennings enjoys varied musical settings. The winner of several major competitions – including the Concert Artists Guild and National Flute Association competitions—she has appeared as concerto soloists with over 50 orchestras and premiered new concertos composed for her by Carter Pann, Marcus Maroney, Laura Elise Schwendinger and others. The Washington Post described her performance of Jonathan Leshnoff’s concerto with the Fairfax Symphony as a “spirited, quicksilver performance.” For decades, she also served as the principal flute with the Arizona Music Fest and ROCO (Houston). Notable chamber music partners have included the Takács Quartet, Sō Percussion and Brasil Guitar Duo as well as frequent performances with Simone Dinnerstein.

Jennings’ recent Naxos disc of flute music by American composer George Rochberg features her transcriptions of his “Caprice Variations” published by Galaxy Music. With Italian guitarist Nicolò Spera, she recently released an Albany disc of new music by Christopher Theofanidis.

Jennings is a spirited leader and enjoys bringing people together. With violist Matthew Dane, she founded Brightmusic Chamber Series, an organization still making meaningful chamber music in Oklahoma City. She is also the founder of the Panoramic Flutist Seminar, Rise Up Flutist courses and the Once a Flutist Festival. An advocate of equity and diversity, Jennings champions the careers and compositions of women and underrepresented groups while encouraging her students to do the same.

Jennings is devoted to her community and grateful for belonging in yoga, dance, book and spiritual circles. She lives in Boulder with her husband, violist Matthew Dane, and their twin teenagers.

Matthew Dane earned tenure as Associate Professor of Viola at the University of Oklahoma (2000-2007), and was previously a teaching assistant at both Rice University’s Shepherd School and Amherst College. He has taught at the University of Colorado and is currently Director of Chamber Music for the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra and on the faculty of the University of Northern Colorado.

In summers Matt teaches at Greenwood Music Camp in Cummington, Massachusetts and his own intensive “Boulder Violist Session” in June. Matt has served on the faculties of many summer festivals, including Apple Hill, Texas Music Festival, Heifetz Institute, Green Mountain Festival, Musicorda, Sierra Festival, Rocky Ridge Music Center, and the Lamont Academy, among others. Masterclasses have been given at the 2010 National Suzuki Conference, 33rd International Viola Congress (Iceland), University of Houston, University of Arkansas, OK Mozart Festival, Brigham Young University, Arizona State University, University of Wisconsin, Florida State University, and the University of Colorado among others.

Dane has served as an adjudicator for national competitions including the Primrose International Viola Competition, and has judged many regional solo and chamber competitions as well.

As an orchestral soloist, Matthew Dane’s varied repertoire has included Feldman Rothko Chapel, Shulman Theme and Variations, Vaughan Williams Suite for Viola and Orchestra and Flos Campi, Vanhal Concerto, Mozart Sinfonia Concertante, Telemann Concerto, Rolla Rondo, Stamitz Concerto in D, Bach Brandenburg Concerto #6, Strauss Don Quixote, and John Ferguson Christus Cycle with choir. As a chamber collaborator Matt has performed with many ensembles, including the Takács Quartet, the Dorian Wind Quintet, Houston-based CONTEXT, Athelas Ensemble (Denmark), the Fischer Duo, the Portland String Quartet, Orchestra 2001 (performing Boulez Le Marteau Sans Maitre), the Miami Quartet, members of the Brentano Quartet, and Tom Hagerman of Devotchka, among others. Chamber music festival appearances include OK Mozart, Portland (Maine), Chamber Music Quad Cities (Iowa), Ruby Mountains (Nevada), Snake River (CO), and Tanglewood. He and his wife Christina Jennings founded Brightmusic, a chamber music series in Oklahoma City that continues today. With the Boulder Piano Quartet and Jon Manasse he has recorded quintets of Lowell Liebermann.