The Verdi Chorus will kick off its 42nd season with "Faust – Berlioz, Gounod and Boito," featuring operatic sequences from three renowned composers' interpretations of Goethe's legendary tale.
The performances will take place Nov. 15-16, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica under the direction of Anne Marie Ketchum, who is celebrating 42 consecutive years as the organization's artistic director.
The program will showcase excerpts from Berlioz's "La Damnation de Faust," Gounod's "Faust" and Boito's "Mefistofele," performed by the only choral group in Southern California that focuses primarily on dramatic opera chorus music.
Three guest soloists will join the chorus: soprano Jessica Tivens-Schneiderman, praised by the San Francisco Chronicle as "a singer of considerable gifts"; tenor Alex Boyer, called "a firm lyric tenor" by The New York Times; and multiple Grammy Award-winning baritone Gabriel Manro, whom San Francisco Classical Voice describes as "a knock-down baritone."
Ketchum said the inspiration came during a European trip when she visited Goethe's birthplace in Frankfurt. "Goethe's Faust, one of the all-time greatest pieces of literature, should be my next Verdi Chorus project," she explained.
The legendary Faust was based on a real 16th-century figure believed to possess evil magical powers who became part of German folklore. Goethe transformed the story by having Faust redeemed at the end, departing from earlier versions.
The Verdi Chorus comprises more than 50 singers aged 20 to 87 from various professions who rehearse every Monday night. The organization also employs 16 section leaders called Fox Singers, named after longtime member Walter Fox, who assist in rehearsals and perform as featured artists.
The group continues its Sahm Foundation Apprentice Singers program, established in 2015, which provides scholarships to college-level vocal students.
Performances are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 1220 2nd Street, Santa Monica. Tickets are available at www.verdichorus.org. Priority seating costs $50, general admission $40, seniors $30, and students 25 and under with valid ID $10.
The performances are supported by the Sahm Family Foundation, Colburn Foundation, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, and Santa Monica Arts Commission.
Edited by SMDP Staff