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Handel’s Messiah

Handel's Messiah in Wait Chapel

Handel’s Messiah

Tuesday
Dec 10, 2024
7:30 PM

Winston-Salem Symphony
Winston-Salem Symphony Chorus
Estelí Gomez
Soprano
Sylvia Leith Mezzo Soprano
Lunga Eric Hallam Tenor
Enrico Lagasca Bass
Michelle Merrill Conductor
Chris Gilliam Chorus Director

George Frideric Handel
Messiah

Program Notes

Handel’s Messiah is one of the most celebrated oratorios of all time. The glorious “Hallelujah” chorus, tenderly expressive arias, and the majestic choruses have been drawing crowds since the composition was premiered in 1742. Let Handel’s melodies lift your spirit and fill your heart this Christmas season as Music Director Michelle Merrill invites you to rediscover the magic of this enduring work.

Chris & Mike Morykwas
Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County: 75 Years
NC Arts Council

Single tickets to this event go on sale August 1, but you can save your seat with a subscription!

Tuesday
Dec 10
7:30 PM

Estelí Gomez

Estelí Gomez, soprano

Praised for her “clear, bright voice” (The New York Times) and “artistry that belies her young years” (Kansas City Metropolis), soprano Estelí Gomez is quickly gaining recognition as a stylish interpreter of early and contemporary repertoires. 

Sylvia Leith

Sylvia Leith, mezzo-soprano

Sylvia Leith, mezzo-soprano, is a soloist and consort singer based in New York City. She has appeared as a soloist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, and the Oregon Bach Festival.  

Lunga Eric Hallam, tenor

In the 2024/25 season, tenor Lunga Eric Hallam will make major orchestral debuts, firstly singing Mozart’s Mass in C Major with Nathalie Stutzmann and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, later performing Handel’s Messiah with Masaaki Suzuki and the National Symphony Orchestra and also singing a baroque program with Emmanuelle Haïm and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Erico Lagasca

Enrico Lagasca, bass

Filipino-American bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca has traveled long musical distances in the short time since he began his career—comprising 16 oratorios, 17 new-music works, seven opera roles plus 13 song cycles and collections.

Michelle Merrill

Michelle Merrill, conductor

WSS Music Director Michelle Merrill served four years as the Assistant and then Associate Conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and also serves as the Music Director of the Coastal Symphony of Georgia, where she has ignited the growth and expansion of the orchestra’s offerings both on and off the stage.  Ms. Merrill is a proud recipient of a 2016 Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award as well as the prestigious 2013 Ansbacher Conducting Fellowship as awarded by members of the Vienna Philharmonic and the American Austrian Foundation, which enabled her to be in residence at the world-renowned Salzburg Festival.

Venue

Wait Chapel
Wake Forest University
2625 Wake Forest Rd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27106

Map showing Reynolds Auditorium won Hawthorne Road and adjacent parking lots.

Rideshare and Dining

What will my view be like?

While Reynolds Auditorium’s sightlines and sound are best enjoyed in the Mezzanine, Orchestra-level seating also offers superb viewing and sound, especially in rows F through O. Please bear in mind that Reynolds Auditorium is a historic venue; there is no elevator, thus the Mezzanine and Balcony levels are only accessed via stairs. Accessible seating is available on the Orchestra level at the rear of the house and along the outside left and right.

Music Lovers’ Luncheon

Friday, Nov 15 at Noon
Forsyth Country Club
3101 Country Club Rd., Winston-Salem

Enjoy lunch with a side of interesting conversation! Michelle Merrill discusses the work of Dvorak and Nielsen with guest cellist Sterling Elliott.

Symphony by the Glass

Thursday, May 2 at 5pm
The Caviste
1100 Reynolda Rd

Stop by for an afterwork glass from a selection of wines specifically paired to this week’s program! Enjoy music by WSS musicians and casual conversation with other Symphony goers. The event is free to attend; wines are available for purchase.

Drinks at The Remedy

Saturday evening, after the concert
The Remedy Cafe & Bar
492 West End Blvd.

After the Saturday concert, join us at The Remedy for a glass of wine and chat with Symphony musicians and fellow concertgoers in a hip, cozy atmosphere.

$29 – $96

Tuesday, Dec 10, 2024 // 7:30 pm 10:00 pm

2625 Wake Forest Rd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
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