#john brancy

Danny Boy performed by John Brancy (Baritone) and Peter Dugan (Piano)

Baritone John Brancy and pianist Mario Antonio Marra have an extra-special treat in store for tonight's audience at Hahn Hall. In addition to Schumann's Dichterliebe, works by Dvořák, and a trio of American standards, the pair  — winners of last year's Music Academy of the West Marilyn Horne Song Competition — will perform the world premiere of Force by up-and-coming composer Chris Kapica.

It turns out, John and Chris have something of a shared musical history. John recently gave arts journalist Joe Woodard the lowdown:

"Kapica and I were actually roommates at Juilliard for almost four years. It was a formative time for me in my musical development, so having a composer for a roommate was kind of awesome. He helped me with a lot of my theory and ear training work — he was already teaching ear training at Juilliard at the time — and also introduced me to so much incredible music. Music became a game for us. We sat for hours together exploring different genres and dreaming up how some day we would collaborate and create something together.

"I saw these recitals as the opportunity for us to really showcase our musical connection, and I am confident we will deliver. Force is a piece that is neither song nor song cycle, but more of a monodrama, a soliloquy of the times to come and how we need to focus more as a culture on becoming closer to nature and being more in the moment every single day."

You can read the entire interview, which was published in the Santa Barbara News-Press' Scene Magazine, here.

Tonight's recital will take place at 7:30 pm, followed by performances this Friday at Santa Monica’s Broad Stage, and on March 16 at the National Opera Center in New York City.