Winter 2025

72 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 5 In November, I Cantori di Carmel held a sing-along of Handel’s “Messiah” at Asilomar. They will perform formal concerts of the piece at Carmel Mission in December. F resh off a “wunderbar” Oktoberfest fundraiser in Carmel Valley, I Cantori di Carmel is ready to begin their winter season. Conductor and Music Director Daniel Henriks hails from Germany where Handel’s “Messiah” is reserved for Easter, but here in the U.S., there is a tradition of performing it at Christmas. Henriks is happy to embrace this tradition, bringing the masterpiece to the Carmel Mission Basilica for concerts on December 13 and 14. In addition to I Cantori di Carmel’s fabulous chorus and orchestra, the performances will feature an array of talented soloists who bring experience from some of the world’s most renowned symphonies and operas, including soprano Morgan Balfour, praised for her “thrill- ing clarity” ( Sydney Morning Herald ); mezzo-so- prano Gabriela Estephanie Solís, known for her “moving expressiveness” (San Francisco Classical Voice ); grammy-nominated tenor David Kurtenbach Rivera; and baritone Ben Kazez, who is back in the U.S. after working with many of Europe’s leading early music groups. And there is a lot more to come from I Cantori di Carmel in 2026, with spring per- formances of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” at Carmel’s Forest Theater, and keep an eye out for the return of I Cantori’s Vocal Arts Academy held at Hidden Valley Music Seminars. For more information, to purchase tickets or to support I Cantori di Carmel, visit www.icantori.org or call 831/644-8012. Traditional Chr istmas Spir it With I Cantor i di Carmel B Y AME L I A WARD SHORT CUTS EVENT Photo: Randy Tunnell