Carrie Hennessey in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On November 9, the Camellia Symphony Orchestra will present Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms. Below is an interview with our soprano soloist, Carrie Hennessey:

Christian Baldini: Carrie, it is a pleasure to welcome you back to the Camellia Symphony Orchestra for this beautiful music. You and I have worked together with different orchestras in various cities, and it is wonderful for me to showcase your gorgeous voice with our orchestra here in Sacramento. Please tell me, how does the Brahms' Requiem fit within the usual (operatic) repertoire that you sing more frequently? 

Carrie Hennessey: The vocal line for this particular aria is quiet, extremely long, expansive, fluid and exposed. Often in the operatic repertoire that I sing, someone in the orchestra is doubling the vocal line which gives more ease to the singer, because if something goes a bit off the rails technically, there is backup in the orchestra. This opening passage really takes so much technique, but once it felt comfortable to me, it is the one line that I completely relish in ALL the repertoire that I sing! It’s quite special. This vocal line in the Brahms is beautifully accompanied by the orchestra with a counter melody that lingers in the air which allows for the opening phrase to also linger and spin. The soprano line then joins the orchestra at the end of the first few phrases and then brings in the chorus’ first lines. Just stunning!

CB: Besides the obvious soprano solo movement "Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit", what are some of your favorite moments in this piece?

CH: Movement IV, Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen is one of my favorite movements! This was one of my mother’s favorite bible verses. She was my accompanist growing up and my musical inspiration, so to hear this text set with such joy right before I sing my aria is perfection for me. My mother passed several years ago, and never heard me sing this piece. The aria was added later after Brahms’ mother had passed, so this is quite a moment of comfort and joy for me .


CB: This is for sure an unusual Requiem, not only in the choice of language, as most others are in Latin, but also in the fact that the composer himself carefully chose the texts that represented the message he wanted to communicate. What are your feelings about this, and about the general feeling of the piece?

CH:I have to say I feel deeply connected to this work. The texts chosen were truly for humankind and were all inclusive. We all feel grief. We all need comfort. The opening lines make me weep every time with their ethereal and shimmering beauty "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” This truly is a work of hope, a work looking to find and give comfort in the chosen texts instead of focusing on the fire and brimstone contained in the more traditional Requiem texts.


CB: Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful gifts with us, we very much look forward to the performance!

CH: Christian, thank you so much! I look forward to our time together with Brahms!

Known for her soaring voice and richly nuanced characters, soprano Carrie Hennessey is consistently thrilling audiences and critics in opera and concert appearances around the world. Ms. Hennessey’s much awaited debut in Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire “gave us a Blanche that let us burrow into her character’s soul, even into the darkest crevices…Hennessey, using a one-two punch of music and drama, made it resonate in a way that equaled the finest stage performances of the part I’ve seen.” (Fresno Bee) Ms. Hennessey’s embodiment of the title role in the West Coast Premiere of Tobias Picker’s opera Emmeline earned her a Bay Area Broadway World Awards for “Best Leading Actress in a Musical” nomination. Praised for bringing her signature “exquisite vocal purity and range to the title role”and was “nothing short of sensational” (San Francisco Classical Voice). As Mimì in La Bohème, Ms. Hennessey “..possessed of a full, powerful lyric soprano, which delivers Puccini’s arias and duets richly. Her “Mi chiamano Mimì” (Yes, they call me Mimì) in Act 1 is gorgeous”. (San Francisco Classical Voice) On only one day’s notice, Ms. Hennessey made her debut with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, as soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, to great acclaim.

2020/2021 season includes a title role debut in Kát’á Kabanová by Leoš Janáček, Rose in At the Statue of Venus by Jake Heggie. Ms. Hennessey will also perform in Blitzstein’s Triple Sec and a world premiere of the opera Bones of Girls by librettist, Cristina Fríes and composer, Ryan Suleiman, both aforementioned productions with The Rogue Music Project, a collective of performers that cultivates adventurous musical and theatrical experiences. Other performances include collaborating in the development and performance of a world premiere ballet with choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie and the Sacramento Ballet, Carmina Burana, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Gounod’s Messe solennelle en l’honneur de Sainte Cécile, Brahms’ Requiem, as well as numerous recitals, chamber music and orchestral concerts, cabarets and continuous music education projects.

Recent engagements include Ms. Hennessey’s orchestral debut of the Strauss’ Vier Letzte Lieder with conductor Daniel Stewart, a celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s music with concert “Bernstein 100” with the Colorado Symphony and Sinfonia Chamber Brass, a role debut in a sold out run as Estelle in the opera The Stronger, a recital in several East Coast venues “Crisis of Faith” with bass Paul An of arias, duets and scenes from new operas including several World Premieres, Song of Sacramento a recital benefitting the Sacraemtno Children’s Chorus, featuring local composers and 8 world premiere songs, Carmina Burana with Sacramento Ballet, Mozart’s Exsultate, Jubilate! and Requiem, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, chamber works including Respighi’s Il Tramonto, Ravel’s Trois Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé and William Walton’s Façade, as well as several appearances in recital.

Previous performances include Britten’s War Requiem, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 as well as debuts at the Concertgebouw in Bruges, in Ypres, Belgium and at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart, Germany singing the soprano solo in the Verdi Requiem. Alongside the world-renowned composer Ricky Ian Gordon in the fall of 2016, Ms. Hennessey gave Master Classes and performed a recital of his original art songs.

Notable recent opera highlights include Blanche Du Bois in André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Sarah Miles in the Bay Area premiere of Jake Heggie’s The End of the Affair with West Edge Opera, Mimì in La Bohème, Elle in La Voix Humaine in NYC, Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Magda and Floria Tosca in Puccini: A Man and His Muses for Sacramento Opera. Notable concert appearances include Other highlights include her debut with the Houston Symphony at Jones’ Hall, Mozart’s Mass in C minor at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, Hungary and Reduta Hall in Bratislava, Dvorak’s Requiem in Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen at the International Mahler Festival in the Czech Republic, the Verdi’s Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Villa Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Lobgesang. the Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem.Handel’s Messiah with the renowned Pacific Symphony, Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinella, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, a World Premiere song cycle written for Ms. Hennessey and the Rootstock Percussion Trio, Orff’s Carmina Burana with Grand Rapids Symphony, and Fauré’s Requiem and Brahms’ Requiem with Oakland Symphony where Hennessey brought “bright tone and elegant legato”.

Ms. Hennessey directed the Sacramento Children’s Chorus their joint production in Brundibar Sacramento Opera, is currently an artistic advisor to the board and mentor to the artistic staff. Ms. Hennessey continues to actively support music education through lectures. workshops and Master Classes in the communities in which she works, as well as nurturing a thriving private vocal studio in Northern CA.

Malcolm MacKenzie in Conversation with Christian Baldini

On November 9, the Camellia Symphony Orchestra will present Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem) by Johannes Brahms. Below is an interview with our baritone soloist, Malcolm MacKenzie:

Christian Baldini: Malcolm, welcome back! It was some years ago that you and I first worked together, and though our schedules not always line up, I am so excited to welcome you back to the Camellia Symphony Orchestra for this beautiful work of music. Please tell me, how does a piece like the Brahms' Requiem fit within the operatic repertoire that you typically sing more frequently?

Malcolm MacKenzie: I'm so excited to work with you again!  Actually, this will be my first time singing this piece, and as your question implies, a rare opportunity for me musically. Interestingly, I've had a love of Brahms' since I sang a duet of his while still in college.  I'm delighted to be able to return to him.  

CB: Besides the beautiful baritone solo movements, what are some of your favorite moments in this piece?

MM: This is a difficult question, but I suppose I would have to say the 5th movement.  It's message of comfort for the living, I find especially moving. 

CB: One could say that Brahms' is an unusual Requiem, not only in the choice of language, but also because of the fact that the composer himself carefully chose the texts that represented the message he wanted to communicate. What are your feelings about this message, and about the general atmosphere and feeling of this piece?

MM: Yes... being a Catholic school educated, Secular Humanist myself, I have a great affinity for Brahms' point of view when composing this piece.  As a religious work, it is very unusual, with its focus on the comforting of those left behind after a death.  The piece really does have a unique, some might say radical, point of view for the time.   Choosing to abandon the liturgical elements of the traditional requiem, and picking only verses that spoke to him, personally, was very unusual.  Interestingly, I see this specificity, this concentration on an individual's personal relationship with God, as a way to broaden the reach of the message of consolation within the work to those outside of the Christian faith.  I wonder if that might have been his aim all along.  

CB: You've recently started teaching voice lessons at UC Davis, and I hope that many of your students in the music department will come to listen to you sing this marvelous piece. What are some of the things you enjoy the most about teaching?

MM: Yes!  One of the neat things about teaching at UC Davis is the wide variation of students I see.  I have everything from first time singers, to those with advanced degrees in vocal performance.  One lesson, I'm teaching a student ear training, the next we're working on polishing a Mozart aria.  That variation keeps me thinking!  

CB: Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful gifts with us, we very much look forward to the performance!

MM: My pleasure!  I'm so looking forward to working with you and the other wonderful musicians who'll be performing!  

With a voice described as having a “rich vocal range full of inviting nuance,” Malcolm MacKenzie continues to attract attention in the dramatic baritone repertoire. Opera News recently praised him as a “confident, commanding Count di Luna…of robust tone, ardent address, arching phrases and genuine baritonal squillo.” Of his recent role debut as Baron Scarpia they wrote: "His rich, warm, and dark tone was bolstered by a relentless legato line which amplified the sensuous sleaziness of his Scarpia."

Mr. MacKenzie has been heard at leading opera houses throughout the U.S. and Europe, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Paris Opera (Bastille), Finland’s Savonlinna Festival, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera, in roles including Simon Boccanegra, Iago, Tonio, Baron Scarpia, Don Giovanni, Count di Luna, Renato, Jack Rance, Marcello, Germont, and Count Almaviva.   

Recent engagements for Mr. MacKenzie have included returns to North Carolina Opera as Baron Scarpia in Tosca, Colorado Opera as Germont in La traviata, and to Pittsburgh Opera as Stubb in Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick; as well as role debuts in North Carolina Opera's Rigoletto in the title role, Baron Scarpia in Opera Omaha's Tosca, and with Opera San Jose as Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte; returning to Dayton Opera as Tonio in I pagliacci; creating the role of Roger Chillingworth in Colorado Opera's world premiere of The Scarlet Letter by Lori Laitman; returning to LA Opera as Stubb in Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick; Enrico in Lucia die Lammermoor with Eugene Opera; Giorgio Germont in La traviata with Virginia Opera; and Schaunard in La bohème  with San Diego Opera; a return to the Metropolitan Opera as Dancaïre in Carmen; the title role in Simon Boccanegra with Kentucky Opera; Belcore in L’Elisir d’amore with San Diego Opera; Iago in Otello with Nashville Opera; Count di Luna in Il trovatore with Arizona Opera; Alfio/Tonio in Cavalleria rusticana/I pagliacci with Arizona Opera; and Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West with Nashville Opera.

Other performances have included La traviata with Glimmerglass Opera, where Opera News described him as “a stentorian Germont, singing with a steely beauty that matched the character’s resolve;” Schaunard in La bohème for San Diego Opera; Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro with Sacramento Opera; Sharpless in Madama Butterfly for San Diego Opera; the baritone soloist for Horatio Parker’s  rarely performed Hora Novissima with the Pacific Master Chorale; and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Reno Philharmonic.

On the concert stage, Mr. MacKenzie has performed frequently as the baritone soloist for Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, most recently with the Alabama Symphony, Los Angeles’ New West Symphony, the Symphony Orchestra of the University of California, Davis and the Savannah Symphony.  The UC Davis performance is available on YouTube and has received over 19 million views.  He has also appeared with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the Pacific Chorale, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra, and the Madison Symphony.

Soloist Profile: Boxianzi Vivian Ling in Conversation with Christian Baldini

Boxianzi (Vivian) Ling is joining us with the Camellia Symphony Orchestra to kick off our Season 57, performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto on a program that also includes Borodin's Symphony No. 2, and Nicole Lizée's Zeiss After Dark. 

Christian Baldini: Hello Boxianzi, it is a real pleasure to have you with us as our featured soloist for this concert in Sacramento. Please tell us about the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and why it is an important piece to you personally. What is so special about it that captivates you?

Boxianzi Vivian Ling: The Tchaikovsky violin concerto to me has always been my favorite violin concerto. I can remember the first time l heard this concerto, as soon as the opening violin theme comes in, I was instantly drawn into the music. The first recording that I listened to was actually played by one of my older studio mates while I was still in the second grade. The piece seemed so difficult that I thought it would be impossible to play. The concerto then became a major goal for me in my development as a musician. When I started to learn the piece, I felt like it was so familiar as if I already knew how to play it. Out of all the major violin concertos (Brahms, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn), the Tchaikovsky to me has the most beautiful melodies. I also really love the orchestration because it interacts with solo violin throughout the whole piece, especially at the end of the finale when the dialogue reaches a climax. As an artist, this piece offers me amazing amounts of freedom to express multiple emotions and feelings. I feel like this is one of those pieces that allow for a wide array of interpretations. 

CB: Please tell us about your background and your childhood. When did you become interested in music, and where did you grow up? Did you ever play another instrument besides the violin? Was there someone who was particularly important in your upbringing, who was an inspiration to you and helped you become a musician?

BVL: I was born in Changsha, which is the capital of Hu' nan province in China. My dad was a big fan of classical music and my mom would bring home lots of DVD recordings of the Berlin philharmonic, Vienna Phil concerts. So from an early age, I was constantly listening to symphonies. Before my fifth birthday, my dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I asked him for a little violin and he got it for me. I started taking group lessons on the very next day. Both my parents would come with me to lessons and my dad basically learned violin for the first year. I remember he would be the metronome and tuner at the same time while he practiced with me. My dad has great ears and would always tell me when something didn't sound right. My parents were very strict. If I didn't practice for my lesson my dad would not come with me to the lessons and it would only be my mom driving me on her motorcycle. Soon after changing a couple of teachers, I then decided to move to Shanghai to continue studying at the primary school affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory. My parents were left behind in Changsha because they needed to work, so it was my Grandma that came with and lived with me in Shanghai. I spent the next seven years there learning, studying and practicing. I met my teacher Wei He who was a professor at SFCM and he offered to teach me in the US while I finished high school in Marin county. While growing up I also taught myself how to play the piano, which comes in handy when I study accompaniment parts. My favorite violinist when I was a little girl was Hilary Hahn.  

CB: What are some of your favorite past times or hobbies? What do you do outside music?

BVL: Ping Pong. I was really good when I was a little girl. I was an absolute machine. It was either violin or ping pong. I haven't played since I quit years ago. Now I enjoy spending time with my two cats, eating amazing food all around SF and photography and yoga. 

CB: What are those pieces that you would take to a desert island? And perhaps more generally, who are your favorite composers?

BVL: The big concertos that I love are Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Beethoven and Mendelssohn. If I had to pick one composer's works to bring to a desert island it would be Mozart's.

CB: You have obviously accomplished a lot already, playing chamber music, as a soloist, as concertmaster of the SF Youth Orchestra, and developing your own voice. And where would you like to be in 5 or 10 years? What would you like to be doing, or where?

BVL: I would love to be playing in a major orchestra. I currently sub for the SF symphony. I recently played Mahler 6 with MTT and it was a very special experience in my career. I also learn a lot and enjoy teaching. So I can also see myself having a violin studio wherever I am based. If I am lucky enough I would love to continue playing solo concertos with orchestras. 

CB: What would you recommend to a young musician starting out? What is some good advice for someone who would like to become a professional musician?

BVL: I would tell a young musician to push yourself and work hard but not any harder than it needs to be to achieve your goals. And never lose your own voice when playing music. because the beauty of music exists within your own interpretation. 

CB: It's been really wonderful to have the chance to know more about you and your upbringing. Thank you for sharing your wonderful talent and dedication with our audience, and I very much look forward to our performance together!

BVL: Thank you so much! It is such an honor and pleasure to work and perform this concerto with you and the Camellia symphony Orchestra.

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Boxianzi (Vivian) Ling,  Violin

Boxianzi was born in Hunan, China. She started playing violin at age 5, and was accepted into the prestigious Elementary School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music at age 9. She was featured on China National TV broadcasting playing Mendelssohn violin concerto when she was 12. She has also soloed with Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Entering the professional spotlight,  Boxianzi made her debut with the San Francisco Ballet, with Maestro Martin West, on April 2017, performing the Prokofiev violin concerto. She currently subs with the San Francisco Symphony, performing alongside MMT and other sf symphony members.

Other notable accomplishments of Boxianzi’s career has been winning the Young Artists Concerto Competition with Oakland East Bay Symphony Orchestra in 2012,  winning the Parnassus Conservatory Youth Competition in 2016, and claiming first prize in the 2018 San Francisco Conservatory of Music violin concerto competition.

She was the concertmaster of San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra from 2014-2016 and participated in the SFSYO European tour where she played in the Berlin Philharmonie and the The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. She is currently a Junior student studying with Professor  Ian Swensen and Chen Zhao at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She previously studied with Professor Wei He at San Francisco Conservatory.