Marin Oratorio Brings Elijah to the College of Marin Stage

December 2nd, 2016 - 4:46pm

News Contact:
Nicole Cruz
Office of the Superintendent/President
(415) 485-9508

KENTFIELD, CA—December 2, 2016—Internationally acclaimed baritone Hadleigh Adams will join several other celebrated regional soloists and the 110-voice Marin Oratorio chorus this season in a dramatic portrayal of Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

The concerts, December 17 and 18, are expected to sell out.

“Hadleigh Adams is not only a great singer but a great actor and a thoughtful artist as well,” said Boyd Jarrell, director of Marin Oratorio since 2004. “He’s the best in his generation.”

As Elijah, an operatic oratorio in which soloists perform together on stage and interact with the chorus, Adams will portray the difficult journey of the prophet as he grapples with fundamental questions of right and wrong in a country pulled apart by political and religious discord.

“In the light of the political rancor we’ve just had in our country, it is a timely subject,” Jarrell says. “People will be glad they get to experience the depth of the drama and the beauty of the music.”

“I am thrilled to be singing with Marin Oratorio,” says Adams, a San Francisco-based artist who has performed in the last year with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Pittsburgh Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and the Oakland Symphony. Adams is a former Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera, and performed in 78 main stage performances during his time with the company. 

“It’s an incredible joy to perform such an immense work as Elijah with a 100-piece chorus and full orchestra,” Adams says. “It's an incredibly inspiring piece and full of such passion, rage, and nuance. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend.”

“There’s no greater privilege for an artist than being with a 100-piece chorus and 40-piece orchestra and get to share the music with an audience, to share music with people who truly want to inspire an audience,” Adams says. “There is a place where everything kind of stops. There’s not a stage or an audience, but a group of people experiencing the music.”

Other celebrated soloists include Heidi L. Waterman, a mezzo-soprano who has performed as a soloist with nearly every major Bay Area ensemble, including the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Artists’ Vocal Ensemble, North Bay Opera, and Berkeley Opera; soprano Claire Kelm, a soloist who has performed with San Francisco Symphony Chorus, San Francisco Bach Choir, Baroque Choral Guild/Cantabile, Coro Hispano de San Francisco, Schola Cantorum, Magnificat, and the Latin American Chamber Music Society, among others; and Andrew Metzger, a baritone/tenor and graduate of the Opera San Jose Summer Program and the OperaWorks Advanced Artist Program has performed throughout the Bay Area.

Jarrell—an accomplished bass-baritone soloist, conductor, and College of Marin instructor—was cantor and associate choirmaster at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco for more than 25 years. He has made opera appearances with the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, Santa Cruz Symphony, Oakland Symphony, Santa Rosa Symphony, and Pocket Opera.

Marin Oratorio is a thriving choral community that has been presenting high-quality performances of musical masterworks for over 50 years.


Saturday, December 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 18 at 3 p.m.

James Dunn Theatre, COM Kentfield Campus
For tickets, visit brownpapertickets.com  or call (415) 485-9385
General admission is $20; or $15 for employees, retirees, alumni, students, and seniors.
All proceeds support Marin Oratorio programs.
For more information, visit www.marinoratorio.org.
Social media: 
www.facebook.com/marinoratorio/