The Joan Chambers Concert Series
Skip Napier, baritone & Tim Heavner, piano
Recital
Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 PM EST (and that's no joke!)
Concert Program
Music of Brahms, Wolf, Schubert, Rossini, Buleigh, Gershwin, Mendelssohn, and Gounod, with a tour of styles from art song, to opera and oratorio, to Negro spirituals.
Skip Napier (baritone): Praised by critics for having a “strong, colorful, yet clear tone,” baritone Skip Napier is passionate about drawing audiences deeply into the “message of the music.” His work as a soloist and chorister has taken him to six countries throughout Europe and the Americas. You can hear Skip as a member of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh opera chorus, and Resonance Works. Committed to expanding the role of what it means to be a 21st century musician, Skip’s work often takes him beyond the concert stage and into the community. He has appeared as a guest artist at Community Life in Homstead and at Locust Grove retirement community in Munhall. He has collaborated with the Pitt-Greensburg Chorale on multiple concerts, including the Joan Chambers Concert Series presentation of the Saint-Saëns Oratorio de Noël in 2019. He has appeared as baritone soloist for the PA Consort's annual Messiah production. He also is a substitute music teacher. A graduate of St. Olaf College, he has also studied at the Festivalensemble Stuttgart under the world renowned conductor Helmuth Rilling.
Timothy Heavner moved to Pittsburgh in the fall of 2012 to accept a teaching position as the Choral Teacher and the Music Director for the Senior School Musical at Sewickley Academy, and he has since expanded his duties to include teaching Band and Orchestra. Since moving to Pittsburgh, Mr. Heavner has worked extensively with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh as a singer in the professional core, accompanist, and rehearsal assistant; he currently serves as the Music Director for the Junior Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. Mr. Heavner has appeared on stage with the Butler County Symphony Orchestra playing piano, harpsichord, and celesta, and he was recently featured as a jazz piano soloist with Dee Daniels. He currently serves as the Music Director and Organist at the Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon.
Mr. Heavner moved to Pittsburgh from New York City, where he maintained a busy career performing and teaching. He taught as a choral director at Friends Seminary, the Allen-Stevenson school, and the Manhattan School of Music; additionally, he served as the Accompanist and Assistant Conductor of the Hudson Chorale and has appeared with the West Village Chorale as a guest conductor, singer, accompanist, and percussionist. As well, Mr. Heavner was active as an accompanist and vocal coach for auditions, recitals, and masterclasses.
Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Mr. Heavner has worked as an accompanist and assistant conductor for the Anchorage Concert Chorus, the Alaska Chamber Singers, the Alaska Festival Chorus, and the University of Alaska’s Jazz Singers and University Singers. For over ten seasons, Mr. Heavner was the Chorus Master, Assistant Conductor, and Man-of-Many-Hats for Anchorage Opera. Mr. Heavner has helped prepare choruses for Fiora Contino, Manfred Honeck, Karen Keltner, Mstislav Rostropovich, Gerald Steichen, and Stephen Sulich, and he has performed in masterclasses with Stephanie Blythe, David Daniels, Peter Eldridge, Lauren Flanigan, Jerome Hines, Warren Jones, Martin Katz, Catherine Malfitano, Richard Miller, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dave Samuels, Janis Siegel, Carol Wincenc, and Brian Zeger.
Mr. Heavner holds a degree in Piano Performance from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Peter Takács and David Breitman; as a student, he served as Choral Assistant for both the Oberlin College Choir and the Musical Union under Hugh Ferguson Floyd. Mr. Heavner has pursued graduate studies in Vocal Accompanying at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Ken Merrill.
Heinz Chapel Choir
Spring Concert
Friday, April 21 at 8:00 PM EST (special start time)
The Heinz Chapel Choir was founded in 1938 to coincide with the dedication of the Heinz Memorial Chapel, a gift to the University of Pittsburgh from Henry John Heinz, founder of the H.J. Heinz Company, and his children. Intended as a memorial to family matriarch Anna Margaretta Heinz, who instilled in her children the value of education and religion, the Heinz Memorial Chapel is interdenominational and welcoming to all. For more than 80 years, the Heinz Chapel Choir has presented music from a variety of time periods and cultural traditions and in a wealth of languages. During the first decades of its existence, the Choir’s primary responsibility was to sing the programs and services of the Chapel. While remaining an auditioned student ensemble inextricably intertwined with the Heinz Memorial Chapel, the Choir’s identity has transitioned to that of a concert ensemble, rooted in the a cappella idiom that resonates from its origin. Throughout its history, the Heinz Chapel Choir has always been a home for students at the University of Pittsburgh who study a wide range of academics but share a love for choral music, a dedication to excellence, and a passion for reaching the hearts and souls of their audience.
Pittsburgh Camerata
Welcome, Summer
Tuesday, June 6 at 7:30 PM EST
Featuring solo and choral music from around the world.
The Pittsburgh Camerata is a professional vocal ensemble committed to presenting imaginative and inspiring choral programs. Led by Artistic Director Mark A. Anderson, the selectively chosen singers present an annual public subscription series throughout the Pittsburgh area, feature over 30 videos on their YouTube channel and enjoy interacting with their active social media fan base. The ensemble collaborates regularly with Chatham Baroque, Music in a Great Space, the Pittsburgh Girls Choir and the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh. In addition, the Pittsburgh Camerata is an affiliate partner with the Pittsburgh Girls Choir. Contact us at info@pittsburghcamerata.org
A native of Montana, Mark Andrew Anderson is Director of Music at Shadyside Presbyterian Church, Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Camerata and Executive Director of the Music in A Great Space and Music for Midsummer Nights concert series. He also serves as the American Choral Directors Association PA Repertoire & Resources Chair for Music in Worship. Previously, he served as Organist/Choirmaster at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill (Philadelphia) for fifteen years, in addition to holding prior positions in New York, Kentucky, Texas, and California.
Dr. Anderson studied at Westminster Choir College, Indiana University, The Graduate Theological Foundation, and The Eastman School of Music. He has taught at Westminster Choir College, Centre College of Kentucky, and Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Dr. Anderson has presented recitals and workshops throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe and Japan. Performances, both live and recorded, have been broadcast on the BBC and NPR. His reviews in the Reykjavik Morgunblaðið referred to his playing at the monumental Hallgrímskirkja as “precise ... subtle, insightful, elegant.” An active composer, he has won awards for both his choral compositions and hymns, including the AGO/Concordia University Composition Award.
The first music director of the Pennsylvania Girlchoir of Philadelphia, Dr. Anderson led the choir on tours to twelve countries and prepared the choir for performances with the Yaroslavl (Russia) Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Philadelphia Opera Company. He is the founder and past director of the San Marino National Organ Competition, the San Marino Music and Arts program, and the Westminster Choir College Middle School Vocal Camp, and the Music for Midsummer Nights concert series. For several years, he was the director of the Westminster Choir College Summer Organ Week for High School Students, and he is a past-Dean of the Philadelphia Chapter of The American Guild of Organists
About the Series
The Joan Chambers Concert Series is possible through the generous support of President Emeritus George F. Chambers. It brings local, national, and international artists to our campus for performances of the highest professional caliber. It has featured international opera star Andrew Zimmerman, cello/piano duo Antonio Lysy and Patricia Hoy, soprano Julie Wyma, pianist Pablo Amorós, the Swara Sonora Trio, Shana Mashego, North Sea Gas, the Tucson Girls Chorus, thingNY, tenor Chris Carr, contralto Emily Marvosh, and it has proudly presented some of Pennsylvania's finest ensembles and artists, including Voces Solis, Kassia Ensemble, Heinz Chapel Choir, Pittsburgh Trombone Project, Elizabeth Lins Shonfelt, Blue Mile Jazz, PM Woodwind Project, Zach Rohlwing, and the Penn State Chamber Singers.
The series is named in honor of Joan Chambers, late wife of President Chambers, who was an ardent supporter and representative of Pitt‐Greensburg in the community for many years. While her interests were widespread, she especially enjoyed participating in book‐discussion groups, attending cultural events, hosting themed luncheons at her home, and spending winters in southwest Florida. The Children’s Literature Collection in Millstein Library, another of her passions, was developed and named in her honor.
Contact Chris Bartley to join our email list.
Recent Performance
Voces Solis
Make Peace
Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 PM EST
Re-watch the Livestream here
The Joan Chambers Concert Series returns! Come join us in Campana Chapel for Voces Solis (Voices of the Sun), Pittsburgh's premiere chamber ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Ryan Keeling.
Make Peace is a musical reflection on inner and outer peace, peace for ourselves and peace for others, and the places in which we should be making peace: "if you can make peace, make peace." - David Lang
Program Highlights
- Adolphus Hailstork, "Motherless Child"
- David Lang, "Make Peace"
- Ysaye Barnwell, "Nearly Insane"
- J.S. Bach, BWV 230, "Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden"
- Caroline Shaw, "And the Swallow"
Voces Solis performs a diverse repertoire of challenging and innovative choral works. Composed of professional musicians, music educators, and experienced choristers, we are committed to providing an educational experience for our members and our audiences alike. In addition to public performances, private events, recordings, and symposiums, Voces Solis also collaborates with other arts organizations to bring the highest quality choral chamber music to the Pittsburgh area.