About the Wichita Symphony Chorus
The Wichita Symphony Chorus was formed in 1978, and is a volunteer chorus that performs with the Wichita on selected concerts each season. The WSO Chorus is led by Dr. Ryan Beeken.
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Masterworks
Verdi Requiem
Apr 11
Saturday
7:30 PM
Century II Concert Hall
featuring the Wichita Symphony Chorus
Experience with the awe-inspiring power of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da requiem — a work of profound drama, spiritual depth, and musical grandeur. Composed in memory of the Italian poet Alessandro Manzoni, Verdi’s Requiem transcends the traditional liturgical form to deliver a deeply human meditation on life, death, and the hope for eternal peace.
With its operatic intensity, sweeping orchestration, and heart-stirring solos, the Requiem stands as one of the most compelling choral-orchestral masterpieces ever written. From the thunderous terror of the “Dies irae” to the serene beauty of the “Lacrimosa,” Verdi channels the full emotional spectrum in a work as theatrical as it is sacred.
GIUSEPPE VERDI Messa da requiem
Featuring Shannon Jennings, soprano
Christine Goerke, soprano
Victor Starsky, tenor
Alan Held, bass
and the Wichita Symphony Chorus
Sponsored in part by
SHOKO KATO SEVART AND THE LATE DANIEL J. SEVART
2025-2026 Season Sponsors
THE SAM & RIE BLOOMFIELD FOUNDATION
CITY OF WICHITA ARTS & CULTURAL SERVICES
THE STATE OF KANSAS THROUGH THE KANSAS ARTS COMMISSION AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
This concert is also supported in part by donors to the Wichita Symphony's Lux Aeterna campaign. Lux Aeterna donors generously give financial support to the Wichita Symphony in memory of someone meaningful to them, and their honorees will be remembered in a candlelight moment at the Verdi Requiem performance on April 11. Thank you to our Lux Aeterna donors for ensuring that this music will be experienced as a moment of shared meaning and beauty.
Read our Lux Aeterna Donors' Tributes here.
About Shannonn Jennings
Shannon Jennings is a Cuban-American soprano praised for her dramatic intensity and commanding vocal presence, with standout performances in leading roles such as Rusalka, Turandot, and La bohème across companies including Opera Orlando, Gulfshore Opera, and Opera Las Vegas. In the 2025–26 season, she appears as Maria in West Side Story, Turandot with Pacific Opera Project, Minnie in La fanciulla del West, and joins the Wichita Symphony as soprano soloist for Verdi’s Requiem. A 2025 Olga Forrai Foundation grantee, Jennings has also collaborated with Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, debuting with both the National Symphony Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra. With a career spanning opera, symphonic work, and recital programming rooted in her Cuban heritage, she continues to build a reputation as a versatile and compelling voice on today’s stage.
For more info, visit https://shannonjenningsarts.com
About Alan Held
Recognized internationally as one of the leading singing actors today, American bass-baritone, Alan Held, has appeared in major roles in the world’s finest opera houses, including The Metropolitan Opera, The Vienna State Opera, The Royal Opera House Covent Garden, The Paris Opera, The Bavarian State Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Teatre del Liceu, Hamburg State Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Netherlands Opera, Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, The Canadian Opera Company, and Teatro de la Maestranza. Equally at home on the concert stage, he has performed with the world’s leading orchestras including The Berlin Philharmonic, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Cleveland Orchestra, The Pittsburgh Symphony, and more.
For more info, visit alanheld.com.
About Victor Starsky
Victor Starsky, a New York–born tenor, is earning wide acclaim for his emotionally charged performances and nuanced vocal power, recently highlighted by his portrayal of Stiffelio with Sarasota Opera and leading roles such as Cavaradossi (Tosca), Don José (Carmen), and Maurizio (Adriana Lecouvreur). Critics have praised his ability to unravel complex characters with striking vulnerability and intensity. His recent and upcoming seasons include appearances with Maryland Opera, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, and Pittsburgh Festival Opera, alongside notable debuts as Radamés (Aïda) and Roméo (Roméo et Juliette). A former Adler Fellow with San Francisco Opera and recipient of the Shoshana Foundation’s Richard F. Gold Career Grant, Starsky continues to establish himself as a compelling presence on both operatic and concert stages.
For more info, visit https://www.randsman.com/victorstarsky
About Christine Goerke
Sopano Christine Goerke is a globally acclaimed soprano and recipient of the Richard Tucker Award, Musical America’s Vocalist of the Year, and the Opera News Award, celebrated for her commanding interpretations of Strauss and Wagner heroines. In the 2025–26 season, she returns to major stages including Bayerische Staatsoper (Elektra) and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Die Walküre), alongside concert appearances with leading orchestras such as the St. Louis Symphony and Wichita Symphony for Verdi’s Requiem. A fixture at the world’s premier opera houses—from The Metropolitan Opera to La Scala—Goerke has built a career defined by powerful, emotionally charged performances. Her work extends to an extensive symphonic and recording presence, including GRAMMY Award–winning and nominated projects, cementing her reputation as one of the foremost dramatic sopranos of her generation.
For more info, visit https://www.christinegoerke.com
