5th Annual Summer Festival Chorus: Carmina Burana | Three Portraits, world premiere

the vibe

Join the San Francisco Choral Society's 5th Annual Summer Festival Chorus for an unforgettable evening of powerful storytelling and theatrical spectacle. Under the direction of Artistic Director, Robert Geary, the program opens with the world premiere of Three Portraits: Voices of Chinese American Women from Early California , a new work by Eric Tuan commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Society. Based on three firsthand testimonies of Chinese American women living in 19th-century California, the piece brings these remarkable individuals to life through their own words and voices. Through evocative music and vivid storytelling, Three Portraits illuminates lives of resilience, courage, and hope that helped shape California's history. The concert culminates in a bold semi-staged production of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana , one of the most thrilling works in the choral repertoire. Designed and directed by Rotimi Agbabiaka, this imaginative staging transforms Orff's iconic masterpiece into a dynamic theatrical experience. Fortune's wheel turns relentlessly as lovers yearn, revelers celebrate, and destinies collide in a whirlwind of joy, desire, triumph, and loss. The San Francisco Choral Society, California Chamber Symphony and soloists will be led by San Francisco Choral’s Artistic Director, Robert Geary, winner of the 2023 Chorus America Michael Korn Award. Robert Geary, Artistic Director Chelsea Hollow*, Soprano Sam Faustine*, Tenor Eugene Brancoveanu, Baritone *SF Choral debut with California Chamber Symphony