The Sebastians and Seraphic Fire perform “Vivaldi: Gloria” at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. Photo courtesy Seraphic Fire. 

 Rhett Del Campo is managing director of Seraphic Fire, which Knight Foundation supports.

During the first week of December, a time that marks the start of endless Nutcrackers and Messiahs (rinse, repeat), I had the privilege of learning from both Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Albert Ibargüen, president of Knight Foundation.  Although their appearances took place at different events, their messages – which emphasized collaboration – seemed purposely coordinated, and later, I found myself reflecting on a period of collaboration with my sister.

Christmas collaborations

Fifteen years ago my sister, a gifted cellist, and I were preparing for another one of our Christmas Eve marathons. For 10 years, we played arrangements of Christmas music for cello and piano at all four of our church’s services on Christmas Eve. We jokingly referred to this as “Collaboration” followed by the current year and a catchy title (e.g., “Collaboration 2001: Also Bach”). 

I realize now that we learned a lot from each other throughout the course of our collaborations. My sister was the talent, learning to deal with and respond to me, the management with his all-too-many demands (I wanted it to be just right). I, the management, was learning how to effectively communicate with the artist to get the best result. Over the years, we got better and better at working together, and I can proudly say only one rehearsal in 10 years was ever canceled due to “familial differences.”

Purposeful partnerships

It may have been unintentional, but we were experiencing the power that is created when you work with and learn from other entities with different knowledge and skill sets. Knight Foundation empowers us to seek out partnerships that strengthen our art form, and our upcoming performances of Handel’s “Messiah” – made possible by Knight Foundation – are doing just that:

• The addition of the New York-based period ensemble, the Sebastians, provides an incredibly organic element, and one that is rare in the age of endless and sometimes overly bombastic performances of the “Hallelujah Chorus.”
• And the administrative staff at Seraphic Fire is working closely with our partners at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, figuring out how to most effectively market to our respective constituents and sharing knowledge on an ongoing basis.

Similar to the Nutcracker, Messiah performances can become stale and too popularized. But with these partnerships, old is becoming new again with the use of authentic period instruments and a smaller chorus. Despite the enormous forces normally used on the famous Hallelujah Chorus, the instrumental and choral artists are fewer than 40, which is much more in keeping with the sort of ensemble Handel expected.

At Seraphic Fire, aside from our ongoing relationships with the Sebastians and the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, this collaborative mindset is permeating our organization and teaching us to continue thinking outside of the box:

• Our Miami Choral Academy, a program that provides choral instruction to underserved communities in Miami, is ripe with opportunity. Recently, we met with our new friends at the Barton G. Kids Hear Now Foundation, an organization that helps hearing-challenged children transition from a silent world to one filled with sound with the use of cochlear implant technology. Our initial thinking is that vocal music could have a profound effect on the children’s development, while providing the participants of our Miami Choral Academy with the chance to serve not only as students, but as mentors.
• Another opportunity is the possibility of partnering with U-Doodle, an organization that mentors groups of students from all backgrounds to become community artists and educators. Creating spontaneous art in conjunction with a live choral performance could add a fantastic creative element to Seraphic Fire’s after-school education program.

All of these ideas can gain instant momentum because of innovators such as Knight Foundation. They are making art general and collaborations possible, which naturally leads to growth. As Jane Chu pointed out in our discussion, it’s not just any collaboration, but the right one that will enhance your identity and create new life and energy where it is lacking.

Seraphic Fire performs this weekend at Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Trinity Cathedral and the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center. Visit the group’s website for performance details and tickets.