Bel Canto Company: Myth & Mystics

Bel Canto Company’s 43rd season opens with a concert inspired by fables, legends, and tales told to help make sense of the world around us. Stories passed down to us across the generations, born of the innate human desire to explain the inexplicable, are ingrained in our cultures and psyches. Mythical lore and mystical writings from disparate times, places, and cultures have always been a source of inspiration for composers. And that is to say nothing of the abiding influence the yearning for the divine has had upon music. Drawing on sources as varied as a German Romantic poet, a Persian mystic, Homer’s Sirens, Spanish poet Antonio Machado, the Prometheus myth, the Book of Revelation, and Walt Whitman, the concert weaves together stories and philosophies that transcend time and culture.

Bel Canto Company is delighted to welcome acclaimed cellist Brooks Whitehouse as guest artist for Myth & Mystics on Andrea Casarubbios’s “Caminante” and Dan Forrest’s “The Sun Never Says.” A distinguished faculty member at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Whitehouse has performed internationally as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator, with appearances ranging from the Boston Pops to National Public Radio’s Performance Today. A founding member of The Guild Trio, he has toured extensively across North America, Europe, and beyond, and has collaborated with renowned ensembles including the American Chamber Players, the New Zealand String Quartet, and his duo Low and Lower. His artistry and versatility have earned him recognition on stages and broadcasts worldwide, and we are honored to share his exceptional musicianship with our audience.