By Tessa Retterath, Theori

On January 10, the Theoroi group attended its fifth event of the season. Theoroi is a group of young individuals who attend local cultural performances together and spread the word about their experience using interactive media. This event was a Schubert Club International Artist Series recital featuring mezzo soprano Susan Graham and pianist Malcolm Martineau at the Ordway Center. There was something wonderful about seeing such a large number of young audience members amongst the almost sold out concert hall.

The concert itself was remarkable. To quote Andrew Csavoy, one of the Theoroi participants, “There’s something deeply moving about live acoustic music & Susan Graham’s performance Tuesday night was exactly the kind of experience that left me in awe. One powerful voice can make the Ordway Auditorium literally sing. Susan’s beautiful mezzo-soprano voice bathed my ears with a pleasing warm maple syrup and her charm sparkled more than her “bad girl” one-sleeve asymmetric gown. It’s no wonder that she’s such a rock star in the world of opera!”

Following the performance, the members of Theoroi met with a Twin Cities composer, David Evan Thomas, who helped the group dissect and understand the repertoire they just heard.

Learn more about Theoroi at www.theoroi.com.