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About Our Founding Director — Kenneth Seitz
On May 3, 2009, with "Touches of Sweet Harmony," Kenneth Seitz concluded over 31 years as director of Cantilena. A wonderfully large and appreciative audience turned out to experience Seitz’ farewell performance — a celebration of music, poetry, and springtime, with texts by Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Maya Angelou, Lord Byron, Tennyson and others.
Under Ken's direction, Cantilena performed Norman Dello Joio’s choral classic, “A Jubilant Song,” as well as three of the “Greek Pastoral Scenes” by Horatio Parker, short gems by Lee Hoiby, Peter Mennin, and Albert Stoessel, three poetic works by California composer Brian Holmes, and two by Seitz, including a premiere of his haunting, evocative “The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls.”
The concert featured Holmes in person as guest French horn soloist, Mies Boet-Whitaker on flute, and accompanist Paul Carlson on the piano.
The performance culminated with a unique gift to Ken Seitz — the official naming of a minor planet in his honor. Renowned British astronomer, Brian Marsden, the longtime director of the Minor Planet Center (MPC) at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, presented Ken with an official plaque detailing his planet, (17156) Kennethseitz. Ken Seitz' tenure with Cantilena may have ended, but his legacy will live on among the stars!
On behalf of all of the members of Cantilena, present and past, we thank Ken for his many years of dedicated leadership, creative musical expression, tireless research, and unfailing devotion to creating enriching musical experiences for both singers and audience. We have shared a marvelous musical journey through the years as he has guided our development and explored the repertoire of women's music by both reviving neglected compositions and by introducing and creating new compositions.
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Kenneth Seitz served as Music Director
of Cantilena from 1978 to 2009. Mr. Seitz is a graduate of Oberlin
Conservatory of Music with a degree in piano performance.
While in the United States Air Force, Mr. Seitz served as
assistant director, arranger and accompanist of the 17th
Air Force Men's Chorus in Germany, where his talents in
these roles were regularly recognized by the German press.
In 1970, Mr. Seitz was selected to be the official accompanist
for the premiere season of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.
From 1980 to 1983, Mr. Seitz conducted the Mystic Valley Chamber
Orchestra (later known as the New England Philharmonic Orchestra)
together with Allen Olsen. From 1984 to 2002, Mr. Seitz served
as Music Director of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church
of Arlington, MA. He has also held positions as Director of the
MIT Summer Music Ensemble and conductor of several musical theatre
productions at Boston University. In addition, Mr. Seitz has performed
as a pianist and accompanist throughout the Boston area. Upon
occasion, he takes a respite from his directorial duties to be
featured at the piano during our concerts.
During his tenure, Kenneth Seitz has been instrumental in Cantilena's advancement
as a leading performer of women's music in the local choral community.
Mr. Seitz is an outstanding composer of both choral and instrumental
works. In 1996, he wrote Voices of Remembrance, commissioned
in celebration of the 350th anniversary of the founding of the
town of Andover, MA. His setting of Immortal Love was the
winning entry in the 1999 Unitarian Universalist Musician's Network's
General Assembly Hymn Competition.
Mr. Seitz's has written a large number works specifically for
Cantilena. Most recently, in May 2002, Cantilena commissioned
and premiered Three Heartfelt Songs, a setting of text
by three women poets. We have also performed his Velvet Shoes,
Vocalise, Alleluia, Some Keep the Sabbath, Sing We Noel, The Coventry
Carol, The Golden Carol, The Grass, There is No Rose, and Brightest and Best. Mr. Seitz's talents as a composer and
arranger have provided Cantilena with some of the most popular
music in our repertoire. |
