Cantus
This performance by the American vocal ensemble Cantus has been sold out. Some tickets may be available at the door prior to the Sunday evening performance and a wait list will be kept in the event of any ticket returns. Anyone wishing to attend, but not carrying a ticket, is advised to arrive at the lobby at 6:15 to be added to the list.
Cantus, named the “premier men’s vocal ensemble in the United States” by Fanfare Magazine, will include a performance and residency at Gustavus Adolphus College February 27 at 7:00 p.m. as part of a tour of Greater Minnesota funded through Classical MPR’s Artists-In-Residence program. The tour includes concerts in Ely, St. Peter, Grand Rapids and Crookston, Minn.
Widely recognized as America’s finest male vocal ensemble, Cantus returns to Gustavus funded with a Minnesota State Arts Board grant. The ensemble’s performances are met with overwhelming praise for their unique blend of youthful vitality and polished nuance. The repertoire spans across periods and genres, including Gregorian chant, Renaissance motets, contemporary sacred works, art songs, world music, spirituals, and pop. In summer 2002, Cantus sang to great acclaim at the Oregon Bach Festival and at the Sixth World Symposium on Choral Music in Minneapolis. For the last three years Cantus has also appeared in concert with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Having worked with thousands of young people across the country, including St. Peter High School’s senior choir, Cantus is committed to educational endeavors and encouraging singing with their motto “Live. Play. Sing.”
The Washington Post called the singers’ sound “beaming and elastic” and referred to their music as “spontaneous grace.” The Houston Chronicle wrote that a “weekend visit by Minnesota-based Cantus was a forceful reminder that professional male vocal ensembles are thriving,” and that Cantus produces “a robust sound inviting for its warmth, vigor and flexibility with an obvious love for the music and their work.
With underwriting from Minnesota Public Radio, general admission tickets are $15, MPR members are $12 and students $5. The Cantus concert begins at 7:00 p.m.