Visiting Friar from Assisi to Perform as Guest Soloist
To help mark the 225th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Concert Artists of Baltimore, led by Maestro Edward Polochick, will perform an all-Mozart concert at the Baltimore Basilica on Friday, October 17 at 8 p.m. The program will include performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Exsultate Jubilate, and the Grand Mass in C Minor “The Great” and feature soprano soloist, Ah Young Hong.
At the invitation of Archbishop William E. Lori, Alessandro Brustenghi, the shy Franciscan friar who was catapulted to international fame as the “Voice from Assisi,” will perform Panis Angelicus and Sancta Maria during the concert. Friar Alessandro is in the United States to help spread joy and peace to inner city children through opera. He will perform for 800 Catholic school students from Baltimore City earlier Friday at the Basilica.
Friar Alessandro, a natural talent and radiant tenor, is the first friar to sign a recording contract with a major record label (Decca Records). His debut album, Voice from Assisi, released in 2012, reached the top of the classical charts in England and was nominated for Album of the Year. His second album, Voice of Joy, was released in 2013. The friar’s YouTube videos have been viewed more than a million times. He has performed throughout Europe and has sung for Pope Francis.
November 6th marks the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Baltimore, the first Catholic diocese in the United States, and the naming of John Carroll as its first bishop.
A complete list of events marking the Archdiocese’s anniversary can be found at www.archbalt.org. Tickets to the concert can be purchased for $20 at www.cabmusic.org, or by calling 410-625-3525.