Berliner Capella Chorus performing in Panama

Another fillip for Panama’s cultural scene comes in April with a series of performances at different locations by the visiting Berliner Capella Chorus.

Their presentations will include a collaboration with local artists.

The German Embassy, in coordination with the National Association of Concerts, presents “German Requiem” by Johannes Brahms on April 4, in the National Theater.  Kerstin Behnke from Berlin directs this masterful work from the Romantic era.

Acclaimed Panamian soloists Elisa Troetsch (soprano) and Ricardo Velasquez (baritone) will perform with the visiting Berliner Capella chorus, and two choruses from Panama: Coro Polifonico and Musica Viva.   The Panamanian National Symphony Orchestra will accompany the vocalists. The performance starts at 8 pm.

The Berliner Capella is a 50-person chorus that has been a cornerstone of the cultural life of Germany for more than four decades.  Their mission is to present new and unknown compositions, and establish them in Berlin’s musical life.  They focus on the great choral-symphonic works, with a complement of a capella pieces.

Founded in 1966, Coro Polifonico de Panama has performed over 40 concerts annually throughout Panama, and participated in festivals in Israel and Colombia.  They have twice performed for the Pope in the United Nations auditorium in Rome, where they were awarded the yearly International Medal of Peace.

Coro Musica Viva toured Europe and Latin America with its selection of works by Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Mozart, to name a few, as well as Panamanian composers.

These three renowned choruses will collaborate on Brahms’s “German Requiem” in celebration of Semana Santa.  In addition, the Berliner Capella chorus will offer two concerts of selections from their repertoire:  April 2, 7:30pm, at Iglesia San Francisco de la Caleta, and April 8, 11am, at  Iglesia San Jose, el Valle del Anton.  These concerts are free, with a suggested donation.

The goal of this project is to create ties between German and Panamanian musicians, with the hope of future continuing collaborations and exchanges.

Tickets for the “German Requiem” can be purchased at Libreria Argoso and Galeria Alegro, for $5, $10, and $20.