Saturday, October 19, 2024 at 7:30 PM
Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College

Gregory M. Hayes and Heather Reichgott, pianists

February 16, 2025, 4:00 PM
Grace Church, 14 Boltwood Ave, Amherst

.

lush, haunting and sensitive contemporary reflections on nature:
Morten Lauridsen, Colin Britt, Kathleen Allan, Reena Esmail, Alex Berko & Jake Runestad

April 5, 2025, 7:30 PM
Abbey Chapel, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley

with the Amherst Concert Choir and Audivi

About Illumine

Illumine Vocal Arts Ensemble was founded in the fall of 2013 by Dr. Tony Thornton, then the director of choirs at UMass Amherst. It was originally named Illuminati, and its mission was and is to present choral performances of outstanding quality, range, and inspiration to our larger community. We perform revered masterworks and new compositions, alone and in collaboration with other area groups, in ticketed concerts and as benefits or sing-alongs.

In spring of 2022, Dr. Thornton joined the faculty of Oklahoma State University. Now in our twelfth season we are delighted to work under the baton of Artistic Director Dr. Arianne Abela. A superbly trained, expressive and dynamic conductor, she brings a fresh perspective to our project.

We are very proud of the reputation Illumine has built among area music-lovers, and with your help we will continue to brighten the air.

“Performances at the level of Illuminati's give the listener a clear window into the composer's soul.” - Clifton Noble Jr, The Republican, Oct. 15, 2016

2024-5 Board of Directors
William Albritton,
President
Lawrence Winship,
Treasurer
Anisa Schardl,
Clerk
Dr. Arianne Abela,
Artistic Director (ex officio)
Members at Large
Virginia BaileyGregory HayesEleanor LincolnSarah Metcalf
American Prize for Choral Excellence

Third Place Winner, 2019-20 American Prize for Choral Excellence
a national juried choral competition

About Arianne Abela

Arianne Abela is Director of Choral Activities at Amherst College and is founder and artistic director of Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble, a renowned professional ensemble focused on early and new music with dedication to the intersection of racial, ethnic and gender diversity, and the intersection of arts and social justice. Kaleidoscope has performed as a headliner at ACDA, Podium in Canada, and other renowned festivals and conferences.

Abela has served on conducting faculty at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, and is founder and of the Detroit Women's Chorus and Detroit Justice Choir, ensembles dedicated to social justice and community empowerment. Focusing her efforts on community building through song, Abela founded The House of Clouds and has worked closely with Musicians Take a Stand to organize over a dozen benefit concerts for charities and various causes across the country.

In the realm of opera, Abela has guest conducted opera productions with various Michigan-based opera companies including Detroit's OperaMODO, and serves as music director for Vancouver-based opera company, re:Naissance. Prior to her time in Detroit, Abela lived in Connecticut where she served on faculty at Wesleyan University, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, The Westover School and Notre Dame High School in West Haven.

In 2012, Abela was featured conducting on NBC's Today Show and was a semi-finalist in Season 8 of America's Got Talent director of Connecticut-based 3 Penny Chorus and Orchestra. The ensemble later recorded for the soundtrack of the film Walk of Shame starring Elizabeth Banks.

Abela received her doctorate in conducting from the University of Michigan with Jerry Blackstone and Eugene Rogers, holds a master’s degree in choral conducting from Yale University with Marguerite Brooks, Jeffrey Douma, and Simon Carrington, and a bachelor of arts from Smith College. Abela sings professionally in ensembles across the United States and Canada such as Yale Choral Artists, sounding light, Etherea Vocal Ensemble, Arkora, and Audivi. Originally from the San Francisco bay area, she sang with the San Francisco Girls Chorus for many years.

October 19, 2023, 7:30 PM

Buckley Recital Hall, Amherst College

“Warum ist das Licht gegeben dem Mühseligen?,” Johannes Brahms
“Drei gemischte Chöre,” Clara Schumann
“An die sterne,” Robert Schumann
“Schaffe in mir Gott,” Brahms
“Heilig ist Gott,” Herzogenberg
Vier Quartette, Op. 92, Brahms
“Abendlich schon rauscht der Wald,”
Fanny Hensel
Allegro in A minor, Op. 144, Franz Schubert


February 16, 2025, 4:00 PM

Grace Church, 14 Boltwood Ave
Amherst

Midwinter Songs, Morten Lauridsen
selection from Poems of the air, Colin Britt
The Frost, Kathleen Allan
A Winter Breviary, Reena Esmail
Sacred Place, Alex Berko
Come to the Woods, Jake Runestad


April 5, 2025, 7:30 PM

Abbey Chapel, Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley

Path of Miracles, Joby Talbot
with Amherst Concert Choir
and Audivi


Audition

Entrance into the ensemble is by audition only (see audition process below). Dr. Abela seeks singers with considerable choral experience. While perfect sight reading is not required, all singers must fully prepare repertoire before the first rehearsal. Illuminati makes music from the beginning.

If you are interested, please complete the form here and we will email you an audition confirmation with possible times when auditions reopen.


Audition Process:
The audition takes approximately ten minutes. Singers will be asked to prepare a simple one-minute piece of their choosing, and perform scales using a variety of articulations (legato, staccato, and marcato) and dynamics to demonstrate color, range, quality, and flexibility. A segment of the audition will emphasize sight-reading and tonal memory (with accompaniment).

If you have any questions, please email illumineChoir@gmail.com.

Founding Donors

CANDLELIGHT ($25-$99)

Sarah Boy
Greg Brown & Mary Hubbell
Bruce & Wendy Durfee
Chris Krueger & Jane Bryden
Annie Philips
Ellen Story

FIRELIGHT ($100-$249)

Anonymous
Stephen & Suzanna Adams
Joanne Bollinger
K.C. Conlan
Benjiman Durfee
Martha & Newton Frohlich
Paul Knaplund
Bruce & Alexandra Lyman
Rebecca Markarian
Moshe Wurgaft

STARLIGHT ($250-$499)

Robert & Silvia Brinkerhoff
Ronna & Neal Erickson
Sarah Metcalf
Edwin Wilfert

MOONLIGHT ($500-$999)

Philip Stoddard

AURORA BOREALIS ( $1000-$2499)

Manuel & Susan Andrade
Shirley Griffin
Rachel Peterson & Roger Bird

Contact



For inquiries, please email
IlluminatiEnsemble@gmail.com