José Pablo Moncayo: Tierra de Temporal Gustavo Leone: Mundo with Cynthia Stiehl, mezzo soprano Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Titan
We close this season on Cinco de Mayo and feature two works by Hispanic composers designed to celebrate and evoke images of Mexico and South America. The grand finale, Gustav Mahler’s’ Symphony No. 1, is named the Titan for its overwhelming sonic power. Scored for a huge orchestra, the “titanic” outer movements are contrasted with a gorgeous slow movement that fully exploits the orchestral color palette.
Wisconsin native Cynthia Stiehl, mezzo-soprano, is a graduate of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. She has performed to benefit the Peninsula Music Festival, the American Folklore Theatre, the Hardy Gallery, Björklunden, Birch Creek Music Performance Center and the YMCA in Door County, WI as well as the Wisconsin Historical Society. A specialist in American Music, Ms. Stiehl performed a full recital of songs by Samuel Barber with Grammy-winning concert pianist, John Browning. Cynthia has also performed Aaron Copland's American Songs as well as full recitals of songs by American composers. Recently, she premiered works by acclaimed composer Richard Cumming that he wrote especially for her.
Ms. Stiehl can be heard on the CD "The Peninsula Music Festival Presents" singing Moravian Songs with the Ad Hoc String Quartet and has produced two of her own CDs with John Browning at the piano. Cynthia collaborates frequently with coach accompanist Judith Jackson. She premiered Gustavo Leone’s Mundo at Birch Creek and is delighted to sing it again with the FVSO and Brian Groner conducting.
