Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra to Mark 60 Years with the Majestic Verdi Requiem

Berkeley, CA—The Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra (BCCO)—renowned for the ambition and quality of its musical offerings as a non-audition community choir—will celebrateits 60th anniversary with a performance of the beloved Verdi Requiem.BCCO will continue its anniversary performances in the late spring of 2026, with a new commissioned work by composer Michael Schachter, whose ancestor,  Rafael Schächter,organized performances of the Verdi while he was interned at Terezin.

Friday Jan 2 at 7:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday Jan 3 and 4 at 3:00 pm
Hertz Hall on the UC Berkeley Campus
Free tickets can be reserved starting Dec 1 at BCCO.org

With:
● Conductor, Ming Luke(known for his “vibrant,” “mind-blowing,” and“spectacular” conducting)
● Erin Ridge, soprano
●Mariya Kaganskaya, mezzo soprano
● Kevin Gino, tenor
● Andrew Pardini, bass

Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem is a powerful choral work composed in memory of Italian writer and humanist Alessandro Manzoni. It was first performed in 1874 and initially criticized for being too operatic in style for religious work. Feelings about the piece have undoubtedly changed, with the Requiem now beloved as “one of the most profound statements on life and death ever set to music, blending the drama of his operas with the solemnity of the Latin mass.” (Nick Dobreff, Colorado Symphony)

Conductor Marin Alsop wrote that the work “is a conductor’s dream come true. Few pieces in the repertoire offer the drama of opera and the thrill of wonderful symphonic writing combined with stellar, virtuosic solo moments. But Verdi’s Requiem does all that and more.”In a nod to the current turbulence we are facing in the US and abroad, BCCO is presenting the Requiem, along with Schachter’s commissioned Terezin Requiem , in the spirit of art triumphingover hard times.

“There are certain pieces that have a greatness that extends beyond the page, those that have taken a cultural importance in general society,” says BCCO Conductor Luke Ming. “One thinks of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony played when the Berlin Wall fell, or the Funeral March from Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony, which was played just after the announcement of the assassination of JFK. Verdi’s Requiem has a similar history, being performed at the famous Terezin concentration camp in World War II. We open our 60th anniversary season with the Verdi Requiem and finish it with the Terezin Requiem, a BCCO commission by Michael Schachter, to echo the artistry of the musicians, artists, poets and intellectuals who came together during difficult times.” 

As for BCCO’s tradition of non-auditioned choir members, Luke says, “We believe that every single one of us has a valid artistic voice and deserves to take part in music-making.”

As is usual for BCCO, admission is free, donations are accepted. For more information visit BCCO