CARMEL, N.Y.—The Putnam Chorale will present With Strings Attached: A Putnam Chorale Holiday Concert at venues in Carmel, Brewster, and Beacon on Dec. 13-15. The concerts will feature the voices of the 75-member chorale and professional soloists, all accompanied by a talented string and woodwind ensemble. The chorale will perform timeless classics and contemporary pieces, including Saint-Saëns’ Christmas Oratorio, works by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo, and Vivaldi’s Gloria.
Dr. Jason Tramm, music director of the Putnam Chorale, selected the program to take advantage of the growing size and strength of the ensemble.
“The Putnam Chorale will be performing a program that explores centuries of great choral music accompanied by string instruments. This timeless sonic pairing will delight and inspire!” Tramm said.
Professional soloists Bryan McClary, Pedro Barrera, Emily Geller, Tiernan Chase, and Helen Fanelli are featured performers in the concert series.
McClary is recognized for his warm and rich baritone voice. He has performed several operatic roles including Diego Rivera in Frida, Sam in Trouble in Tahiti, Father in Hansel and Gretel, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, and Masetto in Don Giovanni.
Colombian-American tenor Barrera, born in Barranquilla, moved to the United States in 2017 after receiving a full-ride scholarship for his master’s degree at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. In New York City, Barrera has performed the roles of Vitellozzo in Lucrezia Borgia with New Amsterdam Opera, and Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with Teatro Grattacielo - Camerata Bardi. Recent engagements include his debut as Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore with Teatro Grattacielo in Heraklion, Greece, as well as at The Flea Theater in New York City.
Lauded for her “lower extension that has to be heard to be believed,” Geller is a contralto based in New York City. Since 2022, Geller has appeared as the alto soloist in numerous concerts, including Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody and Elgar’s The Music Makers with Cappella Cantorum, Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody with the Mendelssohn Glee Club of New York City, Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem with Taconic Opera, and a concert at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses House with the Rose Parade.
Fanelli returns to the Putnam Chorale having performed in 2017 as alto soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria, the Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas in 2007, and as alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah in 2021. From 2002-2007, Fanelli sang with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in productions of Les Troyens, Benvenuto Cellini, Fidelio and Die Meistersingervon Nurnberg under Artistic Director and Conductor James Levine.
Chase earned a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music in 2020. Her opera credits include Martha in Flotow’s Martha, Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Musetta in Puccini’s La Boheme, Despina in Mozart’s Così fan Tutte and Micaela in Bizet’s Carmen. Since 2024 Tiernan has worked with Teatro Grattacielo as a featured soloist for both their 30th Anniversary Gala Concert and the 10 Faces of Maria Callas Gala Concert. In November, she performed as Adina in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore with Teatro Grattacielo-Camerata Bardi.
“Providing local audiences with music and musicianship of a caliber found in New York City has been a goal of the Putnam Chorale since its founding 40 years ago," said Nick Simonelli, the ensemble's president. “And the fact that we do this work with community members that elect to sing without an audition is a testament to the quality of performers that we draw based on our repertoire and musical leadership.”
The concerts will be held:
Tickets, priced at $25 for adults and $20 for seniors, can be purchased either on site on the day of the event, or now online at: putnamchorale.ticketleap.com/with-strings-attached-a-putnam-chorale-holiday-concert.
The Putnam Chorale, a 501c3 non-profit, is an adult musical group that performs at venues in Putnam and Southern Dutchess counties. Its performances can be viewed on local community cable channels on Sunday evenings. Visit the website at putnamchorale.org to learn more about the group, sponsorship, and to join for future semesters.
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