The USA International Harp Competition presents

Fall Concert
Thursday, November 10, 2022, 7 p.m.

Featuring Emily Levin (harp) with guest artists Catherine Compton (soprano) and Charles Prestinari (organ)

First United Methodist Church
219 E. 4th Street
Bloomington, IN 47408

Emily Levin, 2013 USA International Harp Competition Bronze Medalist and Principal Harpist of the Dallas Symphony, returns to Bloomington to present an exquisite program celebrating the versatility of the harp and its full dynamic and expressive range. Emily was joined by guest artists Catherine Compton (soprano) and Charles Prestinari (organ).

Program:

G. Tailleferre: Sonata for Harp
J. Brahms: Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118, No. 2
M. Ippolito: Mythos
G.F. Handel: Bel piacere (soprano and harp)
G.F. Handel: Lascia ch’io pianga (soprano and harp)
M. Grandjany: Aria in Classic Style for Harp and Organ
C. Debussy: Selections from Ariettes Oubliées (soprano and harp)
- C'est l'extase langoureuse
- Il pleure dans mon cœur
- Chevaux de bois
M. Tournier: Sonatine, Op. 30

About the Artists

Emily Levin (harp) is the Principal Harpist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Bronze Medal Winner of the 9th USA International Harp Competition. Her playing has been praised for its “communicative, emotionally intense expression” (Jerusalem Post) and the Herald Times commended her “technical wizardry and artistic intuition.” As a soloist, orchestral musician, and chamber collaborator, Levin brings the harp to the forefront of a diverse musical spectrum, using her instrument to connect with all audiences. Emily has performed as Guest Principal Harp with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Houston Symphony, and regularly appears with the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, she has performed throughout North America and Europe, in venues including Carnegie Hall (New York), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia) and Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Rugen, Germany). At the request of conductors Jaap van Zweden and John Adams, she appeared as soloist with the DSO in 2018 and 2019; other concerto performances include the Jerusalem, Colorado and West Virginia Symphony Orchestras, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Lakes Area Music Festival, and the Indiana University Festival Orchestra, among others. Her debut album, Something Borrowed, explores the art of musical borrowing with works inspired by language, literature, and culture. For the album, the Classical Recording Foundation named her their 2017 Young Artist of the Year.

Catherine Compton (soprano) is visiting lecturer in music in voice and opera theater at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Previously, she served on the voice faculty of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), where she taught applied voice, diction, and music entrepreneurship. As a Fulbright fellow in Leipzig, Germany, Compton developed a performance project centering on the songs and correspondence of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. She has completed coursework for the Doctor of Music in Voice degree at the IU Jacobs School of Music and holds a certificate in vocology from IU and an M.M. in voice performance and pedagogy from the University of Colorado (CU) Boulder.

Dr. Charles Prestinari (organ) is currently a member of the faculty of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, teaching collaborative piano (vocal) and serving as an opera coach with the Indiana University Opera Theater. He was chorus master of the San Diego Opera from 2011-2016. From 2004-2011, he was associated with New York City Opera, first as assistant chorus master and from 2007, as chorus master, working on over fifty different productions, including an Emmy-winning Live from Lincoln Center telecast of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Dr. Prestinari has also prepared choruses for The Aspen Music Festival, The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, The New York City Ballet, and The Manhattan School of Music. Dr. Prestinari is currently a music minister at First United Methodist Church, Bloomington.