St. John Concert Series
2023-2024
concerts for the upcoming season: 2023-2024
We are thrilled to announce the return of the Concert Series for the 2023-2024 season! The Concert Series Committee has been hard at work to present another diverse selection of stirring music in a sacred space. We hope that you will be able to join us.
All events are free and open to the public. Concerts are often followed by a gracious reception hosted by St. John’s “Encore” hospitality committee. Free-will donations offset a portion of our costs, however if you are interested in providing additional support or would like to receive email notification of upcoming concerts, please contact Rodney Barnett.
We offer heartfelt thanks to the artists, concert series patrons, and you, our audience members. Our former rector David Lovelace’s vision of providing a space for the community to gather and hear wonderful music continues to grow and thrive. We look forward to seeing you at this year’s concerts.
The St. John’s Concert Series Committee
Rodney Barnett, Gretchen Dekker, Brian Moul, and Brian Wood
Maria Thompson Corley & Sara Male
Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 4pm
Sara Male and Maria Thompson Corley will perform works for cello and piano including selections by Haydn, Ellen Taffe Zwilich, Frank Bridge and Chopin. In addition, they will perform Pax Aeternum , a piece written by Maria in memory of Barbara York, Canadian-American composer and lyricist whose work will also be represented on the program.
Sara Male earned Bachelor of Music with high honors from Rutgers University, and Master of Music from the Mannes College of Music in New York City. Ms. Male is sought after as a chamber-music recitalist and soloist, having performed in major venues in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Ms. She is principal cellist of the York Symphony Orchestra, assistant principal cellist of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and Chair of the LSO Board of Directors.
Maria Thompson Corley (BM, University of Alberta; MM, DMA, The Juilliard School) has appeared as a solo and collaborative pianist in Canada, the United States, Central America, the Caribbean, Bermuda and Europe. Her engagements as a soloist with orchestra include the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gunther Schuller.
Daniel Adam Maltz
Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 4pm
Enjoy Haydn and Mozart’s piano works performed as they intended them to be heard — on a Viennese fortepiano. During the Classical era in Vienna, composers expected their keyboard music to entertain relatively small audiences in more intimate spaces than today’s 1500-seat concert halls. And, the era’s pianos — known as Viennese fortepianos — are very different from modern Steinways.
Fortepianist Daniel Adam Maltz is based in Vienna and studied Historical Performance at the Royal Academy of Music in London and at Vienna’s University for Music and Performing Arts. He performs on historic Viennese fortepianos, utilizing the vast range of tones, colors, and techniques familiar to Classical-era composers.
Yukiko Ishida
Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 4pm
Born in Japan, this coloratura soprano has performed in concerts all over the world. Ishida has won numerous awards, including the Combs College Centennial Award, the Liberace Competition, the Cascarino Memorial Competition , the Mario Lanza Competition, and the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe's Vocal Solo Performance. She has also appeared as soloist for major orchestras around the world including the Czech National Orchestra in Prague and the National Philharmonic in Washington D.C.
Hershey Handbell Ensemble
Saturday, December 2, 2023 AT 7:00 pM
Hershey Handbell Ensemble was formed in 2004 and is based in south-central Pennsylvania. It was formed to fulfill the need for an auditioned community ensemble comprised of persons able to play advanced literature, interested in advancing the art of handbell ringing through education and performance while uniting people through the musical arts. The fifteen member group under the direction of Dr. Shawn Gingrich performs on seven and a half octaves of Malmark Handbells, four octaves of Petit and Fritsen Handbells, Handchimes, silver melody bells, and other assorted instruments.
PC Peter Ringenberg, Fischoff 2022
Trio Ondata
Sunday, November 5, 2023 AT 4:00 pM
Trio Ondata is a New Haven-based classical music ensemble composed of violinist Michael Ferri, cellist Miriam Liske-Doorandish, and pianist Anthony Ratinov.
Formed in 2021 during their graduate studies at the Yale School of Music, Trio Ondata has swiftly drawn attention and accodales on the national stage. A bold and exploratory young ensemble, Trio Ondata has always been drawn to the fringes of the classical repertoire by the belief that music is an ever-evolving, vital means of connection across time and place. The trio is dedicated to presenting music of the highest caliber from many eras, whether this means contemporary music by historically marginalized artists, obscure Haydn trios performed with Baroque bows, or underperformed works from composers who loom large in the canon.
Mr. Rodney Barnett
Organ Concert
WITH Rodney Barnett
Sunday, October 8, 2023 AT 4:00 pM
Experience the sounds of the Casavant organ of St. John Episcopal Church. The instrument, installed in the 1960s, consists of 3 manuals and over 1,000 pipes. Rodney Barnett, organist of choir director of St. John Episcopal, will perform on this magnificent instrument.
Born in Washington, DC, Rodney became the pianist of his church at a young age. Eventually, he studied organ with June Miller at Penn State, the late Dr. Gene Paul Strayer in York, and Dr. Shelly Moorman-Stahlman at Lebanon Valley College. He received his Engineering, Computer Science and Music degrees from Penn State, Loyola College and LVC. He is a former Dean of the York chapter American Guild of Organists and serves on the committee of Liturgy and Music for the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
“One of the most intimately acoustic venues in the region.”
“The St John’s Concert Series is a community gem that gives both regional and world-renowned artists a venue in a very intimate setting.”
“As a member of the Hershey Handbell Ensemble, I have had the privilege of participating in this wonderful concert series. The acoustics of the venue are great. The audiences have been large and very appreciative. The ensemble looks forward to participating in this concert series.”
“The York Community is very fortunate to have a concert series that features outstanding local and regional artists in a vibrant and beautiful setting. The organizers at St. John have done an outstanding job bringing a wide variety of quality live music to York area residents, helping to make our city a real destination for the arts. First Capital Brass is happy to bring patriotic music to the 4th of July service each year and look forward to being back again next year!”
“The Concert Series at St John’s Episcopal Church has become our way to wind down one week and refresh for next. Most months, on a late Sunday afternoon, we go to the church to enjoy and appreciate a variety of musical performances. This experience is greatly enhanced by the surrounding beauty of St. John’s, which, by the way, has the best acoustics any performer could hope for! Try it!”