Featuring the Cantus Trio
A Sacred Place
MARCH 8, 2026 I 3:00PM
TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, Opalka Family Artistic Director
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALBANY PRO MUSICA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dear Friends,
It is with profound gratitude and pride that I welcome you to this 45th anniversary celebration season of Albany Pro Musica, a milestone that honors not only our longevity, but our enduring impact on the Capital Region and beyond. For nearly half a century, Albany Pro Musica has been a beacon of artistic excellence, civic engagement, and cultural vitality.
Through the transformative power of choral music, we have brought to light the deepest dimensions of societal well-being and the human spirit. Our performances have served as more than artistic expressions – they have been acts of community spirit and of hope.
This season we gather not only to reflect on our past, but to illuminate the path forward, as Maestro José Daniel Flores-Caraballo continues in his second decade as the visionary leader of APM. Under his leadership, Albany Pro Musica stands at a unique intersection of artistry and civic purpose. The musicians of the APM organization are not merely performers, they are storytellers, mentors, and stewards of a cultural legacy that uplifts and unites. Whether through our collaborations with regional institutions, our commitment to youth mentorship, or our role as a cultural anchor, APM continues to shape the narrative of what music can mean in our time.
Music, at its core, is a mirror of our shared humanity. It transcends boundaries, speaks across generations, and offers solace in times of uncertainty. In a world that often feels fragmented, Albany Pro Musica reminds us that harmony, be it literally or metaphorically, is possible.
As we celebrate the next chapter with our active engagement and presence during this 45th anniversary season, we do so with renewed purpose, ensuring that our impact continues to resonate across communities and generations. To our singers, supporters, collaborators, and audience members: thank you. Your belief in our mission sustains us. Your presence today and all season long affirms that music matters, and not just in concert halls, but in the heart of our culture.
With admiration and hope,
Marion Terenzio, PhD President, Board of Directors Albany Pro Musica
About Albany Pro Musica
Albany Pro Musica (APM) is the preeminent choral ensemble in New York’s vibrant Capital Region and is renowned for its distinctive artistic style and mastery of a wide range of musical genres. Critically acclaimed for its performances of intimate a cappella pieces and large-scale choral works alike, APM is led by Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. José Daniel FloresCaraballo and is Chorus-in-Residence at the historic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Maestro Flores-Caraballo has led APM since 2014 and has elevated the ensemble through ambitious programming, prestigious national and international collaborations, a renewed commitment to civic and educational engagement, and a bold vision for the future.
Locally and Internationally Celebrated
Albany Pro Musica’s reputation as a world-class chorus attracts large, diverse audiences who encourage newer, bolder projects to satisfy their growing desire for exposure to a rich choral repertoire. It’s also a draw for distinguished guest conductors, soloists, and composers, including composers-in-residence Bradley Ellingboe (2020-2023 seasons) and Ola Gjeilo (2017-2020 seasons) who partner with APM for concerts, premieres, and commissioned works. In addition to long-standing hometown collaborations with the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the Musicians of Ma’alwyck, the Capital District Youth Chorale, and others, APM has developed exciting new relationships with numerous internationally renowned musicians and ensembles, including Canadian Brass, the American String Quartet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, New York City Ballet, Vienna Boys Choir, ACRONYM, the Escher String Quartet, The King’s Singers, the Mostly Modern Orchestra, and the Alturas Duo.
Voices Capturing the Human Spirit at the Intersection of Creativity and Excellence
Albany Pro Musica has been a driving musical force in the Capital Region, the Northeast, and beyond for forty-five years. At the heart of Albany Pro Musica is the vital realization that choral music at its best is not merely entertainment but rather a transformational and emotional experience
for performers and audiences alike. This perspective is reflected in Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. Flores-Caraballo’s vision for APM, which balances exceptional technical competency, exquisite artistry, and purposeful programming that is relevant and meaningful in today’s society.
Under the leadership of Dr. Flores-Caraballo, APM is continuing to push the boundaries of choral performance in the area, embracing challenging musical programming and innovative new partnerships that elevate the ensemble to new heights. Dr. Flores-Caraballo has laid out a bold plan for APM’s future that includes the premieres of commissioned works; concerts across the northeast; new civic events and partnerships; and expanded educational programming.
Our Season
Albany Pro Musica is composed of 64 to 100 auditioned volunteer singers from several counties and states. Albany Pro Musica offers four series concerts each season, including “Artist Series” concerts which bring worldrenowned artists and ensembles to share the stage with APM; “Masterworks Series” performances of oratorios and other large-scale choral works with orchestra; and an annual Christmas program, which has become a wonderful holiday tradition in the region. Each season is deliberately curated to include classical masterpieces from the choral canon, new compositions from modern and contemporary composers, and popular selections from the worlds of Broadway, traditional and folk music, and more.
Our Commitment to Education
Music education is one of APM’s pillars, and the organization’s educational programs have made a mark on the lives of more than 3,500 young students in the Capital Region and beyond. APM’s annual High School Choral Festival typically brings together hundreds of gifted musicians from regional high schools for an intensive day of rehearsal and performance with Maestro Flores-Caraballo and the festival’s guest conductor.
APM launched the biennial Pro Musica International Choral Festival in 2023, in partnership with the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University, and the 2025 Festival was held at the University at Albany. The festival is APM’s flagship educational program and provides an opportunity for students from across the United States and Canada to study and perform with world-class musicians and ensembles, and distinguished faculty, including the Festival’s conductor and composer in residence,
Dr. Rollo Dilworth. Generous grant, corporate, and individual support provides full fellowships to all participating students, allowing the Pro Musica International Choral Festival to waive the tuition and room & board fees for every attending student.
Our History
Albany Pro Musica was founded in 1981 by University at Albany Distinguished Professor Dr. David Griggs-Janower, who created a community chorus capable of performing at a professional level. He remained the group’s Artistic Director until his death in August 2013. After an extensive national search, Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo succeeded Griggs-Janower in August 2014. Dr. Flores-Caraballo came to Albany Pro Musica with an ambitious vision to build upon the group’s impressive and cherished legacy and elevate APM to be among the best choirs in the nation.
APM has made numerous recordings and was one of only 16 choruses selected for inclusion on the 2005 National Public Radio (NPR) CD Christmas Around the Country. In 2004 APM collaborated with the Albany Symphony Orchestra and composer Michael Torke to record the opera Strawberry Fields for mass distribution. The group has toured nationally and internationally, including to France in honor of the 60th anniversary of D-Day at Omaha Beach, and to the Czech Republic, Spain, and Ireland. In 2023, APM created a professional recording of StarSong by Bradley Ellingboe, with the Mostly Modern Ensemble and tenor Dann Coakwell.
Albany Pro Musica has commissioned numerous works from American composers and performed local and regional premieres of masterpieces such as Bristow’s Oratorio of Daniel and Handel’s Oratorio of Esther. Under the composer-in-residence program launched by Dr. Flores-Caraballo, APM has expanded the group’s library of commissioned works, sponsoring new compositions by celebrated local, national, and international composers including Steven Murray, Donald McCullough, Ola Gjeilo, and Bradley Ellingboe. APM is frequently invited to sing at high-profile events such as gubernatorial inaugurations, civic celebrations, and on stage with visiting artists, including Judy Collins, Kenny Rogers, and Andrea Bocelli. APM continues to introduce local audiences to challenging and bold choral repertoire, including Frank Martin’s a cappella Mass for Double Choir, the New York State premiere of Requiem by Raymond Torres, entire concerts devoted to musical theater, innovative programs including art forms such as visual arts and dance, and powerful multimedia presentations of Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace and Sam Guarnaccia’s Emergent Universe Oratorio.
ALBANY PRO MUSICA
OUR MISSION, VISION, AND CORE VALUES
MISSION I To perform a broad spectrum of quality choral music at the highest levels of artistic excellence that inspires and transforms our audiences and to provide exceptional educational experiences that advance the choral art among new generations of singers.
VISION I Albany Pro Musica will be a leader in the choral arts in New York’s Capital Region, the Northeast and beyond ― bridging cultures, ethnicities, and generations.
CORE VALUES I Perform with excellence — Inspire new generations of singers — Engage expanded and broadly diverse audiences — Operate with integrity — Respect each other and our community
Albany Pro Musica’s mission inspires all that we do. It is at the heart of every rehearsal and concert experience, each selection of musical compositions performed, and every collaboration and partnership. It also provides a foundation for us to build upon as we strive to serve as a leader in choral excellence and choral music appreciation in New York State’s Capital Region, the Northeast, and beyond.
Our vision of excellence and leadership, bridging cultures, ethnicities, and generations, depends on our core values, which we cultivate purposefully:
• Albany Pro Musica aspires to excellence in performance and repertoire, with a demanding rehearsal schedule for singers and a rigorous, uncompromising approach to choral technique that Opalka Family Artistic Director Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo has continued and expanded upon from his predecessor, founding director David Griggs-Janower.
• The ensemble is dedicated to inspiring new generations of singers through numerous educational programs and our continuous recruitment of new, talented singers.
• APM is committed to engaging expanded and broadly diverse audiences through innovative programming, challenging repertoire, an emphasis on inclusivity, and a wide range of musical selections.
• Finally, we actively partner with civic, cultural, and educational organizations and institutions to leverage the talents, passions, and resources of our collaborators and amplify our joined voices for greater impact. APM’s partnerships with the University at Albany (SUNY), where rehearsals and master classes typically take place, and with the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, where the ensemble sits as Chorus-in-Residence, represent two of our most essential relationships.
LETTER FROM THE OPALKA FAMILY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
To see a world in a grain of sand And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand And eternity in an hour.
These evocative lines by English poet and painter William Blake were chosen by composer Sam Guarnaccia to close his Emergent Universe Oratorio, a monumental work for chorus, soloists, orator, and orchestra, which opened our summer concert series. Blake’s poem offers spiritual insight into the interconnectedness of the universe, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the vastness of the universe and the divine, and suggesting that these concepts can be found in the smallest, most humble details of life. Throughout his Oratorio, Guarnaccia challenges us to see how “ecological integrity, multi-level justice, and the yearning for peace are not only embodied in the phenomenal patterns and structures of music but empowered by its beauty, and its capacity to slip beneath the analytical mind.”
Music gives us a voice to raise awareness about important issues that affect us all. Choral music in particular is a powerful art form that helps us reflect, and, hopefully, take action to address our communal concerns. As Albany Pro Musica celebrates its 45th season, we’ve chosen this milestone moment to reflect deeply on our relationship with the natural world—a relationship that, like our organization itself, requires careful nurturing, sustained commitment, and a vision that extends far beyond ourselves. Throughout the 2025-2026 season, our programs will explore the urgency of protecting our planet while celebrating the beauty of the natural world around us.
OUR 2025-2026 CONCERT SERIES
Our opening concert, Hear My Heart Sing, illuminates both the beauty of the human voice and the delicate, essential relationship we share with our Earth. With music by Rutter, Paulus, Whitacre, Fauré, Hagenberg, and others, the concert ends with the United States premiere of a work by English composer Bernard Hughes, which gives the concert its name.
Our March concert, A Sacred Place, explores the intersection of love and nature through works by Esenvalds, Boykin, Paulus, Rutter, and others. The Cantus Piano Trio will join the singers of Albany Pro Musica for the New York premiere of Alex Berko’s “Sacred Place,” an ecological service that connects the old with the new, the sacred with the secular, and the individual with their community.
This Luminous Earth, in May, features Albany Pro Musica and Orchestra Pro Musica in a program of introspection, grief, hope, and redemption. The performance will include Jake Runestad’s EMMY®-Award winning Earth Symphony, a ground-breaking choral symphony that imagines Earth’s hope for humanity, her discovery of its power, her ruination at its hands, her lament at its loss, and her recovery. APM will also present Lux Aeterna, Morten Lauridsen’s sublime, light-filled requiem, as we close this momentous season.
In the middle of this environmental arc is The Many Moods of Christmas, Albany Pro Musica’s beloved holiday concert with chorus and full symphony orchestra, bringing the light of the Christmas season to the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
BEYOND THE CONCERT HALL
Education and mentorship—as vital to APM’s future as environmental stewardship is to our planet’s—have always been central to who we are. This commitment came alive during the second Pro Musica International Choral Festival, held at the University at Albany on July 13-19. At this festival we convened more than 250 students, faculty, and artists from 22 states and provinces across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. This year, the theme of our Festival connected directly to the theme of our new season: environmental stewardship, urging us to listen more carefully to the planet that sustains us. Additionally, this season APM will hold its 26th annual High School Choral Festival on February 14 at the University at Albany.
During this 45th anniversary season, we also celebrate our collaborations with regional and internationally renowned artistic partners: APM performed Holst’s The Planets and Verdi’s Requiem with The Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC this summer, and—as if the planets were aligned! — repeated Holst’s marvelous work in November, with the Albany Symphony Orchestra.
This ambitious season is only possible with the exceptional artistry of my colleagues of APM’s chorus and orchestra, and the extraordinary support of our Board of Directors, Council of Advisors, and our generous patrons and donors. I am most grateful.
Dr. José Daniel Flores-Caraballo Opalka Family Artistic Director
ALBANY PRO MUSICA PRESENTS A SACRED PLACE
March 8, 2026 at 3:00pm
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
ALBANY PRO MUSICA & CANTUS TRIO
JOSÉ DANIEL FLORES-CARABALLO, Opalka Family Artistic Director
NOAH PALMER
Assistant Director & Accompanist
CANTUS TRIO
Noah Palmer, piano | Jamecyn Morey, violin | David Bebe, cello
Support for our 2025-2026 season comes from our marquee season underwriters
Christine and George R. Hearst III Ellen Jabbur Chet and Karen Opalka
Wayne A. Senitta, Jr. and Daniel Washington
William Tuthill and Gregory Anderson
Michael and Linda Wolff
Additional season support provided by James and Joanne Darcy Crum
The Kiwi Foundation, a division of Opalka Philanthropies Anonymous, in memory of Robert A. Chase Michael and Margery Whiteman Hannelore Wilfert and Karl Moschner
Support for this concert provided by Dr. Jeanette Altarriba
Tom McGuire and Barbara Bradley
David Tieman, for Su
MASSRY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
This event is being professionally recorded, photographed, and filmed for archival and promotional purposes. Please silence all electronic devices.
Ēriks Ešenvalds Stars (2011) (b. 1977)
PROGRAM
Ross Brennan, Emma Commisso, Eamon Daley, Elizabeth Helmer, Howie Lien, Jordan McCann, John Xia, glasses and Tibetan singing bowl
B.E. Boykin
Silver Rain (2022) (b. 1989)
David Bebe, cello
Stephen Paulus Little Elegy (2010) (1949-2014)
John Rutter A Flower Remembered (2014) (b. 1945)
Elaine Hagenberg By Night (2023) (b. 1979)
Jamecyn Morey, violin
David Bebe, cello
Michael Barren, Emily Peterson, Lincoln Walton, percussion
Cantus Trio
Arlene Sierra Butterflies Remember a Mountain (2013) (b. 1977)
1. Butterflies
2. Remember
3. A Mountain
Edward Elgar Salut d’Amour (1888) (1857-1934)
Ástor Piazzolla “Primavera Porteña” from Cuatros Estaciones Porteños (1969) (1921-1992) “Buenos Aires Spring” from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
~ INTERMISSION ~
Arvo Pärt Spiegel im Spiegel (1978) (b. 1935) Noah Palmer, piano
David Bebe, cello
Alex Berko Sacred Place (2023) (b. 1995) Cantus Trio
I. Opening Prayer
Daniel Washington, soloist
II. Amidah
III. Shema
Rachel Balbi and Jacob James, soloists
IV. Mi Shebeirach
V. Kaddish
Heather Lessard, Abigail Cowan-Kuzia, Eli Thomas, and Evan DeFilippo, soloists
VI. Closing Prayer
Daniel Washington, soloist
Stars
Text by
Sara Teasdale
Alone in the night
On a dark hill
With pines around me
Spicy and still,
And a heaven full of stars
Over my head
White and topaz And misty red;
Myriads with beating Hearts of fire
The eons Cannot vex or tire;
The dome of heaven Like a great hill
And I know that I Am honored to be Witness Of so much majesty.
Silver Rain
Text by Langston Hughes
In time of silver rain
The earth puts forth new life again, Green grasses grow And flowers lift their heads, And over all the plain
The wonder spreads
Of life!
In time of silver rain
The butterflies lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry, And trees put forth new leaves to sing In joy beneath the sky.
Little Elegy
Text by Elinor Wylie
Withouten you
No rose can grow; No leaf be green
If never seen
Your sweetest face; No bird have grace Or power to sing; Or anything Be kind, or fair, And you nowhere.
A Flower Remembered
Translation by Takako Helbig
A flower remembered can never wither; Forever blooming as bright as day Its fragrance lingering like music softly playing
A gentle voice that’s saying, “I’ll never fade away.”
I hear the echoes of many voices; Sometimes they’re distant, sometimes so clear;
Through all the sounds of life they seem to whisper
‘Will you remember, will you remember, will you remеmber?’
The birds fly homeward across my valley Toward the mountains all white with snow;
The birds are gone now, the mountain snows have melted
But still I see their beauty, these scenes of long ago
The birds still fly in other valleys; The mountain snows have turned to streams;
All things must pass, but memories are lasting:
We will remember, we will remember, we will remember
By Night
Text by Harriet Prescott Spofford
Deep in the tarn the mountain
A mighty phantom gleamed,
She leaned out into the midnight, And the summer wind went by, The scent of the rose on its silken wing And a song its sigh.
And, in depths below, the waters Answered some mystic height, As a star stooped out of the depths above With its lance of light.
And she thought, in the dark and the fragrance, How vast was the wonder wrought If the sweet world were but the beauty born In its Maker’s thought.
Sacred Place
I. Opening Prayer
In the dusk of the river, the wind gone, the leaves grow still— The beautiful poise of lightness, The heavy world pushing toward it.
— Wendell Berry
II. Amidah
“How softly these mountain rocks are adorned, and how fine and reassuring the company they keep – their brows in the sky, their feet set in groves and gay emerald meadows, a thousand flowers leaning confidingly against their adamantine bosses, while birds bees butterflies help the river and waterfalls to stir all the air into music – things frail and fleeting and types of permanence meeting here and blending as if into this glorious mountain temple Nature had gathered her choicest treasures, whether great or small to draw her lovers into close confiding communion with her.”
— John Muir to Teddy Roosevelt (on preserving Yosemite National Park)
III. Shema
The earth says have a place, be what that place requires; hear the sound the birds imply and see as deep as ridges go behind each other.
The earth says every summer have a ranch that’s minimum: one tree, one well, a landscape
that proclaims a universe – sermon of the hills, hallelujah mountain, highway guided by the way the world is tilted, reduplication of mirage, flat evening: a kind of ritual for the wavering.
The earth says where you live wear the kind of color that your life is and by listening with the same bowed head that sings draw all things into one song, join the sparrow on the lawn, and row that easy way, the rage without met by the wings within that guide you anywhere the wind blows.
Listening, I think that’s what the earth says.
— William Stafford
IV. Mi Shebeirach
May the source of strength
Who blessed the ones before us
Help us find the courage to make our lives a blessing
And let us say Amen
Bless those in need of healing with r’fuah sh’leimah
The renewal of body, the renewal of spirit
And let us say Amen
— Old Testament
V. Kaddish
“Let my thoughts come to you, when I am gone, like the afterglow of sunset at the margin of starry silence.”
— Rabindranath Tagore
VI. Closing Prayer
In the dusk of the river, the wind gone, the leaves grow still— The beautiful poise of lightness, The heavy world pushing toward it.
— Wendell Berry
PROGRAM NOTES
Overview: From our earliest study of poetry, we encounter verse that touches on our relationship with the natural world. Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” and Dickinson’s “A Bird Came Down the Walk” come quickly to mind, and then Millay’s “Renascence” and James Wright’s “Lying in a Hammock on William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island Minnesota,” among many other poems.
The first five of this afternoon’s selections add music to words, intensifying the feelings we have about our place in the natural order: wonder, gratitude, joy, and love. There follow four instrumental pieces, whose titles help us create our own internal narratives. Finally, Alex Berko’s six-movement ecological service, A Sacred Place, brings us even closer to the sense of the divine that the natural world implies.
“Stars”: Ēriks Ešenvalds’ setting of a poem by Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) stuns with its inventive accompaniment: tuned glasses, like the music of the spheres, as Teasdale stands, awestruck, in a piney grove and looks up into the hill of heaven at the stars. She is alone, barely breathing. The music swells. Then—the quiet of, perhaps, existential loneliness.
“Silver Rain”: The pulse of life, renewed again through rain, is captured in this rhythmic treatment of a poem by Langston Hughes (1902-1967). In fact, the score specifically calls for the cello/piano introduction to be played “sprinkling like rain.” The women’s voices blossom into sweet harmonies, and the ending is word painting at its cleverest.
“Little Elegy”: Elinor Wylie (1885-1928) penned these tender, if slightly antiquated, lines that Stephen Paulus (1949-2014) set in an a cappella arrangement. But this brief elegy to someone who has died is hardly little: nature itself is as undone as the grieving Wylie. The pain emerges on the words “sweetest” and “you.”
“A Flower Remembered”: John Rutter’s melodious song, full of sensory imagery, is dedicated to the victims of the 2011 nuclear disaster at Fukushima, Japan. The key line is “All things must pass, but memories are lasting,” which is true for all human experience. The setting is strophic, with a significant modulation after verse two, intensifying the emotion.
“By Night”: The poem, slightly amended by composer Elaine Hagenberg, is by Harriet Prescott Spofford (1835-1921), and it gets a passionate workout. The song is a perfect bookend to this part of the program because it, like “Stars,” features a woman out in the night, contemplating “how vast was the wonder wrought,” but here there is a sense of liberated and thrilling engagement with the natural world.
“Butterflies Remember a Mountain”: Composer Arlene Sierra wrote this work for piano trio in 2013, inspired by a scientific nature article suggesting that Monarch butterflies still follow a migratory path established long ago wherein they were diverted around Lake Superior by a mountain—though the mountain is no longer there! We hear the delicate fluttering (and the repeated two-note motif) in the first movement called “Butterflies”; the reflective, lower-range second, “Remember”; and then the butterflies encounter with the obstacle and ultimate circumnavigation: “A Mountain.” Sierra refers to the influence of haiku and Ravel on her choices, both of which we readily hear.
“Salut d’Amour”: This is a brief concert piece from 1888 by Edward Elgar for his fiancée, Caroline Alice Rogers. Appropriately, it is a duet, with equal weight given to the violin (his instrument) and piano (her instrument). The arrangement is ABA, followed by a coda, and the sweetness of the A section is complemented by a poignant B.
“Spring”: Taken from Ástor Piazzolla’s (1921-1992) suite called Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, this opening movement, in a rough ABA structure, depicts the appearance of new life, followed by a hymn of praise, and finally the exuberance that color and form create in us, nature’s appreciative witnesses.
“Spiegel im Spiegel”: This 1978 minimalist composition by Arvo Pärt is both simple and challenging: steady repetition here must become intriguing and calming, not tedious. “Mirror in the mirror” aptly describing the structure of the solo line: rising, then falling. A YouTube recording with Leonhard Roczek and Herbert Schuch features comments from people who heard this music during a time of grief and found it to be a sacred place. One commenter said, “The cello breathes, while the piano’s heart beats peacefully.”
— Program notes by Paul Lamar
A Note from the Composer
While discussing this new work for Conspirare, Craig [Hella Johnson] and I spoke about many ideas surrounding themes of community, nature, compassion, and healing. He expressed interest in creating a sonic space that united the singers and audience in collective feelings of compassion and grief. This idea resonated with me and these communal aspects brought to mind the concept of a liturgical service.
Many composers throughout history have written liturgical works such as masses, requiems, and cantatas. Many of these settings come from Christian liturgy with text in Latin. There are also many secular masses that are
Sacred Place by Alex Berko
not written specifically for a liturgical purpose nor have text exclusively in Latin. In very recent years, composers such as Sarah Kirkland Snider (Mass the Endangered) and Carlos Simon (Requiem for the Enslaved) have further expanded these forms by weaving in elements of social justice.
I was inspired by my contemporaries to combine the old with the new and bring a piece of my identity and tradition into this work. As a result, rather than using the Christian liturgy, Sacred Place is based on the Jewish service. Additionally, while each movement is titled after a different pillar of a Jewish service, none of the text is in Hebrew. Instead, I stitched together the writings of several American environmentalists and poets who have spoken about their relationship with the earth.
Sacred Place is broken into 6 movements: “Opening Prayer,” “Amidah,” “Shema,” “Mi Shebeirach,” “Kaddish,” and “Closing Prayer.”
“Opening Prayer” and “Closing Prayer” use the same serene Wendall Berry passage from the poem “The Porch Over the River.” “Amidah” (to stand) uses snippets of a letter written by John Muir to Theodore Roosevelt asking him to meet at Yosemite National Park. Muir pleads Roosevelt to “stand” with him in preserving this land. “Shema” (to listen) uses a poem by William Stafford who urges us to listen to what the earth is saying. “Mi Shebeirach” (a prayer for the sick) is the only English translation of the Hebrew prayer in the work. In the Jewish service, the Mi Shebeirach is often the emotional peak as it asks for the congregation to pray “for those in need of healing.” (There is a beautiful Debbie Friedman version of the song that is often sung.) I view this movement as a call to action for us as inhabitants of the earth to do our part to heal it. Finally, “Kaddish” (a prayer for the dead) uses a very short line from the Bengali writer Rabindranath Tagore speaking about the sunset as a metaphor for remembering those who are no longer with us.
The title “Sacred Place” holds many meanings. Each writer that I have chosen views the earth as sacred. They speak of us as inhabitants, as visitors. Without the earth, there is no us. Another dimension is the experience that the listener has while hearing the piece live. It is not a coincidence that a piece framed in a Jewish service was premiered in a Lutheran church. I [found] it beautiful that the audience [entered] one sacred space with its own history and religious traditions and experience[ed] elements of another culture’s service. There is a deep unifying power in collective listening that transcends a single person or a single group’s traditions. I am thinking about the concept of the “service” in the broadest sense: coming together to sit, listen, breathe, and understand. The audience is entering a sacred space within themselves, silently resonating with those around them.
— Alex Berko, Composer
ALBANY PRO MUSICA CHORUS
SOPRANO
Rachel Balbi
Martha J. Bond
Emma Commisso
Marie Cox
Valerie Donovan
Paige Griggs-Janower
Heather Lessard
Mialisa Lindholm Herron
Jordan McCann
Rebecca Monaghan*
Sujata Murty
Xinyi Nam
Emily Peterson
Stephanie Saint Germain
Sandra Schujman
Teresa Maria Sole
Caroline Stuto
Anna Ustin†
Andrea Wanner
ALTO
Maria Bedo-Calhoun
Francesca Caccamo
Abigail Cowan-Kuzia*
Kathryn Farris
Elizabeth Helmer
Lexi Hoff
Sarah Ploof
Allyson Romero
Ashanti Samuels†
Dharma Sanchez-Flores
Emily Sturman
Irina Tikhonenko
Julie Weston
Lisa J. Wloch
TENOR
Eamon Daley
John Favreau
Jonathan Hansen
Caleb Hood
Jacob James*
Brett Murphy
Xavier Ortiz-Reyes
Joel Pattison
Jonathan Quarant
Wayne Senitta
Eli Thoma
Greg Van Orden
Lincoln Walton
John Xia
BASS
Michael A. Barren
Ross Brennan*
Peter Christian
Matthew Clemens
William Crankshaw
Evan DeFilippo
Joseph Han
Colin Helie
Jared Hunt
Dan Leinung
Howie Lien
John Rodier
Chris Shields
Eugene Sit
Rex Smith
Daniel Washington
Michael Wolff
* Section Leader † Music Intern
Alex Berko
Dan Czernecki
Liz Eschen Cacciola
Kelly and Paul Fahey
Gary Gold
Hannah Hansen
Ken Kozak
Matt LaRocca
Paul Lamar
Steve Murray
John Nolan
Noah Palmer
Michele Susko Marion Terenzio Cantus Trio
CFO+ Lane Press Primeau Fahey Studios
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall University at Albany
ALBANY PRO MUSICA STAFF
OPALKA FAMILY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo
ARTISTIC STAFF
Noah Palmer, Assistant Music Director and Accompanist
Tonya Burandt Hansen, Rebecca Monaghan, Abigail Cowan, Jacob James, Ross Brennan, Section Leaders
Steve Murray, Honorary Composer in Residence
Liz Eschen Cacciola, Visiting Teaching Artist
ADMINISTRATION
Emily Sturman, Executive Director
Jared Shortmeier, Director of Operations
Katie Peterson, Development Manager
Rebecca Monaghan, Audition Coordinator
Dharma Sanchez-Flores, Member Connections Liaison
Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, Orchestra Contractor
Michele Susko, Roya Consulting, LLC, Development Counsel
Primeau-Fahey & Associates, Marketing and Public Relations
Capital CFO+, Accounting and Business Management
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Box Office Services
ALBANY PRO MUSICA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marion Terenzio, President
Jonathan E. Hansen, Vice President
Tom McGuire, Treasurer
Eric Arndt, Secretary
Jeanette Altarriba (emerita)
M. Tracey Brooks
Al De Salvo
James M. Gaughan
William Gibbons
Robert T. Hennes
Christine Hoek
Ellen Jabbur
David Griggs Janower (honorary, in memoriam)
Gwen Krause
Steven E. Lobel (emeritus)
DIRECTORS
Darcy Crum Meadows
Douglas Petersen
Raona Roy
Wayne Senitta
Matthew Shaftel
Rex W. Smith (emeritus)
Margery Whiteman (honorary, in memoriam)
Michael Whiteman (emeritus)
Michael Wolff
Edelgard Wulfert (emerita)
ALBANY PRO MUSICA COUNCIL OF ADVISORS
George R. Hearst III and Chet Opalka, Co-Chairs
Alan Goldberg
E. Stewart Jones, Jr.
Kimberly Sanger Jones
Richard Miller
John Nigro
Karen Opalka
Marcia White
BIOGRAPHIES
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo
Opalka Family Artistic Director
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo is a widely acclaimed conductor and musical director recognized for his artistry and integrity in stylistic performance of choral literature, his methodical and uncompromising approach to music learning, and his gifts as a patient and inspiring teacher. Dr. Flores-Caraballo brings that unique combination—along with an ambitious and energizing vision—to Albany Pro Musica (APM) as the Opalka Family Artistic Director, a role he has held since 2014.
As a trained organist as well as a celebrated orchestral and choral conductor, Dr. Flores-Caraballo places strong emphasis on technical precision as the fundamental seed from which musical artistry can grow. Dr. FloresCaraballo joined Albany Pro Musica with the goal of building upon the group’s impressive and cherished legacy and elevating APM to be among the best choirs in the nation. Through Dr. Flores-Caraballo’s leadership, APM is pushing the boundaries of choral performance in the area, embracing challenging musical programming, innovative national and international partnerships, and a renewed commitment to civic and educational initiatives.
Dr. Flores-Caraballo also serves as Conductor-In-Residence at the University at Albany (SUNY) and Chorus Director for the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Chorus. He has prepared his choirs for prominent orchestral conductors, including Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Bramwell Tovey, Stéphane Dèneve, Kensho Watanabe, Fabio Luisi, and Marin Alsop of The Philadelphia Orchestra, Andrews Sill of the New York City Ballet, David Alan Miller of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, and Anthony Princiotti and Andrew Crust of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Flores-Caraballo came to the Capital Region from Vero Beach, Florida, where he was a musical force for more than a decade. There, he founded and directed three auditioned, community choral groups that transformed the musical landscape in the Treasure Coast: the Atlantic Symphonic Chorus, the Atlantic Schola Cantorum, and the Atlantic Children’s Chorale. A native of Puerto Rico, Dr. Flores-Caraballo served as Dean of Academic Affairs at the Conservatory of Music in San Juan and has led prize-winning school- and church-based choral programs in Puerto Rico and across the mainland United States. He holds a Doctorate in Sacred Music with an emphasis on Choral and Instrumental Conducting from the Graduate Theological Foundation, a Master’s in Choral Conducting and Organ from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor’s in Music Education and Instrumental Conducting from the Conservatory of Music in San Juan.
BIOGRAPHIES
Cantus Trio
Cantus Trio is a vibrant, newly formed Piano Trio devoted to innovative programming and adventurous artistic collaboration. Their 2025 debut program highlighted little-known gems of 20th-century French repertoire and was presented on a variety of concert series throughout the Northeast. Based in upstate New York, the members of Cantus Trio sustain active, multifaceted careers that integrate performance, education, and deep engagement with Capital Region communities.
The founding members of Cantus Trio are Noah Palmer, piano, Jamecyn Morey, violin, and David Bebe, cello.
Noah Palmer
Assistant Music Director & Accompanist
Noah Palmer stands at the forefront of the Capital Region’s musical life as a conductor, pianist, and visionary collaborator. Known for his eloquent musicianship and bold artistic imagination, he has become a driving force behind some of the area’s most vibrant ensembles. In 2023, he was named Artistic Director of Saratoga Voices, leading its 85-voice chorus into a new era of innovation and excellence. He also serves as Assistant Music Director of Albany Pro Musica, Founding Artistic Director of Music at Trinity Lenox, and Associate Conductor of the Hudson Festival Orchestra.
A passionate chamber musician, Noah is a founding member of the newly formed Cantus Trio, an ensemble dedicated to world-class performances of creatively programmed repertoire. This season, he makes his ballet conducting debut in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Nacre Dance Company in Saratoga Springs, NY, and also appears in a series of recitals with the acclaimed baritone Philip Lima.
A graduate of the Merola Opera Program, Noah brings a rare blend of operatic sensitivity and virtuosic command to his work. He has collaborated with leading artists including Elizabeth Pitcairn, Philip Lima, Sylvia Stoner, Vedrana Kalas, Irina Petrik, Andrew Boisvert, and the late Kevin Kees, and has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and China.
BIOGRAPHIES
Jamecyn Morey is an active solo, chamber and orchestral violinist residing in Albany, New York. She is a Faculty Fellow at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and has been a member of the first violin section of the Albany Symphony since 2012, serving as Concertmaster and Assistant Concertmaster from 2020-2024. She and her husband, David Bebe, are thrilled to join Noah Palmer as members of the newly formed Cantus Trio. She and David are also members of the Copernicus Duo, an ensemble that has performed in festivals and concert series throughout the United States, Canada and in France.
As a soloist, Jamecyn has appeared with orchestra at Lincoln Center as part of their Distinguished Concerts International New York series. She has also performed as a soloist with the Young Musicians and Artists Festival Orchestra in Oregon, the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra, and the Saint Rose Symphony Orchestra. An avid performer of new music, she recently released recordings of contemporary works through Naxos Records (Michael Daugherty’s “This Land Sings”) and ReverbNation (Mary Simoni’s “Piano Quartet”).
David Bebe has enjoyed a diverse career as a cellist, conductor, and educator. He’s performed chamber music with the Saint Rose Camerata, Spira Quartet, Copernicus Duo, and is thrilled to be a founding member of the newly formed Cantus Trio. David gave the Florida premiere of Steve Reich’s Cello Counterpoint (composer present) and has premiered and recorded new works such as Michael White’s Sonata in One Movement for Violoncello and Piano, Max Lifchitz’s Beethoven’s Moods, and Mary Simoni’s Piano Quartet.
David served as a Professor of Music at the College of Saint Rose (2009 to 2021), a Music Fellow at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Associate Music Director for the Empire State Youth Orchestra, and is now teaching music for the North Colonie Central School District. He received his D.M.A. from the University of Miami and his B.M. and M.M. from Indiana University.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2024-2025
SEASON DONORS!
Listing reflects gifts made between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025
CIRCLE OF FRIENDS
GOLD MAESTRO CIRCLE
($50,000 and above)
Christine and George R. Hearst III
Kiwi Foundation, a division of Opalka Philanthropies
SILVER MAESTRO CIRCLE
($25,000 - $49,999)
Ellen Jabbur
Wayne A. Senitta, Jr. and
Daniel Washington
William Tuthill and Gregory Anderson
MAESTRO CIRCLE
($10,000 - $14,999)
Michael and Margery* Whiteman
Michael and Linda Wolff
PATRON
($5,000 - $9,999)
Dr. Jeanette Altarriba
Albert De Salvo
Dr. Edelgard Wulfert and Mr. Richard Naylor
BENEFACTOR
($2,500 - $4,999)
John and Joyce Carver
Anonymous
Hon. James M. Gaughan and Mr. Keith C. Lee
E. Stewart Jones, Jr. and Kimberly Sanger Jones
* Denotes individuals who are now deceased
Gwen Krause and Ross Bennett
Thomas McGuire and Barbara Bradley
Rex Smith and Marion Roach Smith
Dr. Marion Terenzio and Dr. Patricia O’Connor
Dr. David G. Tieman
Dr. David and Mrs. Nancy Wagner
SPONSOR
($1,000 - $2,499)
Eric and Julia Arndt
Wendy Blair
M. Tracey Brooks
Rob and Marlene Bryan
Carol Christiana
Joseph and Linda Farrell
José Daniel Flores-Caraballo and Dharma Sanchez-Flores
Meg Gallien and William Hammond
Jonathan Hansen
Katharine Harris
Robert T. Hennes and Jane Trinidad-Hennes
Christine and Jon Hoek
Paul Hohenberg
Steven and Vivian Lobel
Darcy and Ryan Meadows
Dr. Ronald Musto
Vaughn Nevin
Dr. Havidan Rodriguez and Ms. Rosy Lopez
Raona Roy
Sharon Roy
Edward Swyer
Norman and Nancy* Tellier
Marcia A. White
Paul Wing
AFFILIATE
($500 - $999)
Jennifer Amstutz
Jeff and Mary Bijur
Charlotte Buchanan
Judith Ciccio
Richard and Dawn Dana
Ben and Linda English
Alan Goldberg
Kenneth Larsen
Chuck and Barbara Manning
David and Martha Musser
George M. Nisbet and Jennifer Dorsey
Elizabeth Osthimer and Robert Konigsberg
G. William and Norah Pattison
Daniel and Mary Rutnik
Joanne Scheibly
Sandra Schujman
Hon. Kathy Sheehan and Mr. Robert
Sheehan
Colin Helie and Julie Weston
Russ and Carolyn Wilks
Peter and Lynn Young
FRIEND
($100-$499)
Wallace Altes
Gayle Anderson and Sidney Fleisher
Suzanne C. Anderson
Judith Arnold
Timothy and Anne Barker
John Bassler
Marlene and Georges Belfort
Heather Benno
John and Phyllis Borel
Dr. Carol Bullard and Mr. Worth Gretter
Crescentia and Bruce Brynolfson
Carol Bullard and Worth Gretter
Gayle Burgess
Holly Cameron
Judith A. Carlson
Sara Carlson
Sarah Clinton
Mitch and Susan Cohen
Anne Marie Couser and William A. Kuchinski
Mary Crangle
Jim Crum and Joanne Darcy Crum
David and Holly Wolff
John DeFilippo and Christine Laberge
Dr. Joyce Diwan
Kevin and Valerie Donovan
Heather W. Drinkwater
Marcia Dudden
Dr. Fredrick and Mrs. Barbara Eames
Seth Edelman
Nancy Fairbanks
RoseAnne Fogarty and Perry Smith
Lynn and William Fox
Linda Fruscione
Jason R Gettinger
Ronald Geuther
Gary and Sandy Gnirrep
Alan Golberg and Karen Lipson
Michael Halloran*
Henry J Hamelin
Leif and Claudie Hartmark
Colin Helie and Julia Weston
Eric and Priscilla Johnson
Hugh Johnson and Tara Shannon
Thomas Johnson
Thomas Johnston and Keith McCauley
P. Susan Jordan
* Denotes individuals who are now deceased
Donna and David Jurczynski
Al and Milly Karoly
Randy Kaufman
Margaret Lamar King
Mark Eamer and Paul Lamar
Dr. Melinda Larsen
Bryan F. LaVigne and Kevin R. Tyle
Maureen Frances Leary
Marvin and Cynthia LeRoy
Francis and Judy Lyman
Kathleen Lyman
Sarah Lyman
Stephen and Ann Lyman
Susan Moyle Lynch and Michael Lynch
William and Gail Madigan
Robert and Carleen Marino
Rev. Ralph and Mrs. Jacqueline Marino
Dr. Janet Marler
Susan Linda Martin
Bonnie McCullough
Suzanne M. Merrill
Diane Mineau
Dr. Judith Mysliborski
Carolyn and Nick Nicolay
John Nigro
Dr. Douglas North and Dr. Ellen Cole
Anne and Thomas* Older
Edwin and Carol Osterhout
MaryKate Owens and Jeff Hall
Richard and Judith Palmer
Bob and Loretta Parsons
Anonymous
Douglas and Diane Petersen
Chris and Carol Pfister
Nancy Pierson and Gary Gold
Pollitzer Giving Fund
* Denotes individuals who are now deceased
David and Kendra Pratt
Cassie M. Prugh
Margaret Randall
Cheryl Reeves and Martha Schultz
C. Michael Reger
Hon. Paul Tonko
George and Gail Richardson
Anne Rosenfeld
Robert and Gail Schwartz
Peggy and Jack Seppi
Ronnye B Shamam
Julie Shapiro
Gary and Kathie Smith
Miss Jennifer Snyder
Donald Stauffer
Hildegard Steinmann
Lawrence and Audrie Sturman
Emily and David Sturman
Sheila Sullivan
Michele L. Susko and Fardin Sanai
Roger Tippy
Lyle Van Vranken
Jeff Vandeberg
Dr. Lisa Vollendorf
Ann Volpel
Brian Wagner
Lincoln Walton
Lisa J. Wloch
Barbara M. and Michael P. Zavisky
We apologize for any errors or omissions and would be grateful to have them brought to our attention. Please contact giving@albanypromusica.org with any corrections.
THANK YOU TO OUR 2024-2025 CORPORATE CIRCLE, GALA SPONSORS, AND INSTITUTIONAL DONORS!
$25,000+
New York State Council on the Arts, A State Agency
The University at Albany Foundation Bader Philanthropies, Inc.**
$10,000 - $24,999
Eddy Senior Living
$5,000 - $9,999
Amidon & Petersen Financials LLC CDPHP
Community Bank
Howard & Bush Foundation**
J.M. McDonald Foundation, Inc.**
Massry Charitable Foundation Review Foundation**
Upstate Theatre Coalition for a Fairgame**
$2,500 - $4,999 Architecture+ Pioneer
$1,000 - $2,499 Fenimore Asset Management
Monaco Cooper Lamme & Carr, PLLC Stewart’s Shops*
WITH SUPPORT FROM: Capital Bank
* Sponsors of the Pro Musica on Broadway Gala
** Sponsors of the Pro Musica International Choral Festival
Albany Pro Musica is grateful for the support of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
As we celebrate our 45th season, we pause to remember and honor Dr. David Griggs-Janower, Albany Pro Musica’s Founding Artistic Director and Conductor Emeritus. His artistry, vision, and devotion to choral music continue to shape who we are today, and we celebrate his enduring legacy and the gift of music he shared with our community.
BRONZE
There is still time to join Albany Pro Musica’s Corporate Circle and contribute to our shared success! To learn more about how a sponsorship can build brand exposure for your company while supporting high-quality choral music and educational programming, contact giving@albanypromusica.org.
WAYS TO SUPPORT ALBANY PRO MUSICA
Did you know? Similar to most arts organizations, APM’s ticket revenue covers only a fraction of the costs to produce our full season. Your support sustains APM’s high level of professional artistry and educational programming, and ensures the continuation of Maestro Flores-Caraballo’s exciting and innovative vision.
Learn about the many ways you can help keep APM singing, this season and for years to come:
ONE-TIME GIFTS
Support APM’s mission with a gift via check or credit card. Contributions can also be made via wire transfer or through Donor Advised Funds.
RECURRING DONATIONS
Setting up a recurring gift is an easy and automatic way to support APM that works for your budget and schedule. You decide how much you would like to give and how often, and the contributions are charged to your credit card on a monthly or quarterly basis.
CORPORATE MATCHING
Double your donation by checking if your employer (or former employer for retirees) will match your contribution! Many companies offer matching gift programs which match charitable contributions made by their employees, retirees, and even spouses.
GIFTS OF STOCK
Contribute appreciated securities, such as stocks and bonds, for potential tax benefits. Please visit our website for detailed instructions for your broker.
RETIREMENT DISTRIBUTION
Make a gift (qualified charitable distribution) directly from your individual retirement account to APM. Talk with your financial advisor to learn more about how to support APM with a qualified charitable distribution, while also deriving a tax benefit.
PLANNED GIVING
Turn your passion for music into a lasting legacy by including APM in your estate plans.
To make a gift to Albany Pro Musica, please scan with your smartphone or visit our website to donate safely online: albanypromusica.org/donate.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please reach out to us!
Emily Sturman / emily@albanypromusica.org / 518-438-6548 ext. 117
Katie Peterson / katie@albanypromusica.org / 518-438-6548 ext. 128
Thank you for your support.
Sing with Albany Pro Musica!
IIf you love performing, enjoy being part of a vibrant musical community, and want to sing exceptional choral repertoire, this is your moment. APM is looking for talented and committed singers of all voice parts to join us for an exciting slate of programs this spring, summer, and beyond.
AUDITIONS WILL TAKE PLACE ON APRIL 15 AND 16, and we encourage singers who are passionate, motivated, and eager to grow to consider taking the stage with us. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow musicians, challenge yourself artistically, and share unforgettable performances with audiences across our region.
Learn more and schedule your audition online at: albanypromusica.org/about/auditions
We can’t wait to hear your voice.
LUX AETERNA SOCIETY
Albany Pro Musica has a legacy in the Capital Region and beyond, as a choral group whose music truly captures the human spirit. Our Lux Aeterna Society allows donors to keep the “eternal light” of your own legacy alive through Albany Pro Musica, by including APM in your estate plans.
The Lux Aeterna Society recognizes individuals and their families who have remembered APM in their estate plans through a planned gift. A planned gift to Albany Pro Musica can offer tax advantages, and allows you to designate a contribution – large or small – that will support the music you love, for years to come.
To learn more about how to include Albany Pro Musica in your estate plans, please visit our website or contact us at giving@albanypromusica.org for a confidential consultation.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO ALBANY PRO MUSICA!
The 2025-2026 season marks Albany Pro Musica’s 45th anniversary.
We celebrate the singers, board members, volunteers, sponsors, and audience members — past, present, and departed — who have been part of APM’s 45-year history of music-making in our community.
Thank you!
The Vista @ Van Patten Golf Club Saturday, October 25 | 4:30 pm
St Edward the Confessor Church Sunday, December 7 | 3:00 pm
UPH | Proctors
Saturday, April 18 | 7:00 pm
Sunday, April 19 | 3:00 pm
Skidmore College
Arthur Zankel Music Center
Saturday, May 9 | 7:00 pm
WE HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US FOR THE REST OF OUR 45TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON!
This LUMINOUS Earth
MAY 30, 2026 I 5:00-10:00PM I REVOLUTION HALL MAY 3, 2026 I 3:00PM
TROY SAVINGS BANK MUSIC HALL
Don’t miss Albany Pro Musica’s signature spring gala, an unforgettable evening of fine food and drinks, dynamic conversation, and inspiring choral music. Join us as we celebrate APM’s 45th anniversary and honor Rex Smith, former board president and long-time singer. Support the music you love, now and into the future! Tickets on sale now: albanypromusica.org/gala HONORING
Savings Bank Music Hall | albanypromusica.org