The Joan Chambers Concert Series at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg presents the Pittsburgh Camerata in concert on Tuesday, June 6, in the Mary Lou Campana Chapel and Lecture Center. The 7:30 p.m. concert is free and open to the public. This will be an inspiring program for music lovers from all walks of life, with the texts centering on the wisdom of nature
The Pittsburgh Camerata is a professional vocal ensemble dedicated to and inspiring through choral excellence. Founded in 1974, the Camerata specializes in the entire choral repertory with a unique focus on Renaissance/Baroque and 20th/21st century works. Under the direction of Mark Anderson, the ensemble presents a subscription concert series each season in Pittsburgh and its surrounding suburbs.
Anderson, a native of Montana, is director of Music at Shadyside Presbyterian Church, artistic director of the Pittsburgh Camerata, and executive director of the Music in A Great Space and Music for Midsummer Nights concert series. He also serves as the American Choral Directors Association PA Repertoire & Resources Chair for Music in Worship. Anderson studied at Westminster Choir College, Indiana University, The Graduate Theological Foundation, and The Eastman School of Music. He has presented recitals and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe, and Japan. Performances, both live and recorded, have been broadcast on the BBC and NPR. An active composer, he has won awards for his choral compositions and hymns.
Anderson noted that the June program will be a quintessentially American musical journey through nature, featuring a well-known suite of pieces by Randall Thompson as well as a world-premier of a piece dedicated to the Camerata by New York composer Michael Markowski. Marimba player Eliseo Rael will join the group in a work by Jocelyn Hagen.
“The program centers around a new composition by Michael Markowski, which incorporates unusual vocal techniques depicting traffic noises in New York and wind in the trees,” said Anderson. “The outstanding pianist Ellen Fast will be featured in all of the works.”
The Joan Chambers Concert Series is possible through the generous support of George F. Chambers, president emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg. It brings local, national, and international artists to the campus for performances of the highest professional caliber. The series is named in honor of Joan Chambers, the late wife of President Chambers, who was an ardent supporter and representative of Pitt‐Greensburg in the community for many years. While her interests were widespread, she especially enjoyed participating in book discussion groups and attending cultural events. The Children’s Literature Collection in Millstein Library, another of her passions, was developed and named in her honor.