EXTENSITY’s opening night concert, featuring baritone Adam Richardson and pianist John Arida, explores vocal music of 20th and 21st century Black composers. This genre-bending program features re-interpretations of traditional spirituals, bold new works, and folk adaptations, showcasing the breadth and diversity of this repertoire.
This concert will be followed by an artist talkback with Adam Richardson and John Arida, and a reception.
Address: Uncommonly Studio at The Box Factory, 1519 Decatur St. #104, Ridgewood, NY 11385
PROGRAM
For You There is No Song
Sence You Went Away
-H. Leslie Adams
I Believe
-David Ragland
A Diligent and Grateful Heart
-arr. Timothy Amukele
Stand The Storm
-arr. Timothy Amukele
Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel
-arr. Courtney Carey
-Intermission-
OG Say, from We Shall Not Be Moved
-Daniel Bernard Roumain
Birmingham Sunday
-Richard Fariña
Two Black Churches
Movement 1. Ballad of Birmingham
Movement 2. The Rain
-Shawn Okpebholo
Lift Every Voice and Sing
-James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson
arr. Timothy Amukele
*Program subject to change
Baritone Adam Richardson is rapidly gaining acclaim as a multitalented baritone for his powerful operatic, concert, and theatre performances. Mr. Richardson began his 2018/2019 season with a debut at Opera in the Heights in their production of Cosi Fan Tutte as Guglielmo, where D.L. Groover of the Houston Press said, "Richardson has attack and dusky sheen."
In the 2017/2018 season, Mr. Richardson made his house debut with Opera Philadelphia in Daniel Bernard Roumain's world premiere opera. We Shall Not Be Moved, directed by Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones. This opera was reprised at The Apollo in New York and the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam. He made his debut with Amarillo Opera in the title role of the opera Joshua's Boots and workshopped Fire Shut Up in My Bones; the new Terence Blanchard opera which premiered in 2019 at Opera Theatre of St. Louis. His 2016/2017 began with covering and performing the role of Jake in the international tour of Porgy and Bess at the Alte Oper Frankfurt and the Hamburgische Staatsoper. He made a successful European debut in Amsterdam, in the same role, during the 2014/2015 season. Highlights from previous seasons include his time at Central City Opera where he was seen as Sciarrone in Tosca and Horace Tabor (Family Performance) in The Ballad of Baby Doe, concerts with the Caramoor Festival in 2015, and a successful international concert debut as a soloist in 2014 with the American Spiritual Ensemble.
He spent all of 2019 into 2020 on a Broadway National Tour, which was unfortunately cut short due to COVID-19. Some highlights of his during the pandemic include the 2021 virtual 'Night of Black Excellence' gala with Fort Worth Opera, The MOVE Project with the University of Utah, and various speaking engagements.
Pianist and coach John Arida has been praised as “an ardent accompanist… catching fire in the accompaniments and in the solo piece” by The Washington Post. The Philadelphia Inquirer heralded his interpretative prowess, proclaiming that “Arida was the great source illuminating text” and that his “…touch was just right.” His relationships with some of classical music’s most esteemed performers, including Paul Appleby, Julia Bullock, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Isabel Leonard, Megan Marino, Nicholas Phan, Ailyn Perez, and Sir James Galway, have led to international recital engagements across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Notable venues include Carnegie Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Kennedy Center, Herbst Theater, and Spivey Hall.
John begins his 2021 summer season with in-person concert engagements alongside Isabel Leonard, Julia Bullock, Miles Mykannen and Adam Richardson. Beyond the concert hall, John joins the music staff at Lakes Area Music Festival and is as a member of the inaugural artistic team at Emberlight Festival, spear headed by tenor, Miles Mykannen.
During the 2020-2021 season, John remained active while engaged in both virtual and live work. He performed with mezzo soprano, Isabel Leonard for Carnegie Hall's Virtual Opening Night Gala and previously virtually collaborated with Ms. Leonard earlier that summer on "MTT25 : An Online Tribute to Michael Tilson Thomas.” Recorded in 2019, his debut album, “the Travelled Road,” featuring the music of Evan Mack, was released on Ravello Records with mezzo soprano Megan Marino, featuring cellist Jameson Platte. Along with his work as a virtual collaborator, John sang, mixed and produced hymns for the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral Choir in Boston, while the parish continued to hold regular services over Zoom.
Arida has assisted notable conductors John DeMain, Evan Rogister, Speranza Scappucci, Emmanuel Villaume, Julian Wachner, and Gary Thor Wedow amongst others. He has been a member of the music staff of several U.S. companies and festivals including the Juilliard School, Washington National Opera, Central City Opera, the Castleton Festival, Virginia Opera, the Prototype Festival, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and RISE at Crested Butte.
Arida has held fellowships at the Aspen Music Festival and the Music Academy of the West. He holds a master’s degree in collaborative piano from The Juilliard School and a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from SUNY Purchase.