Mozart Requiem
Mozart Requiem
Saturday, November 15, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 3:00 PM
The Granada Theatre
Concert Duration: Approximately 110 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission
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Program Notes and Digital Program
The genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart revealed itself early, developed swiftly, and vanished all too soon. Nir Kabaretti leads the Santa Barbara Symphony, the Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus and soloists in the deeply affecting Requiem, the final testament that Mozart would never live to complete. Plus, the radiant Musica Celestis of Aaron Jay Kernis, and a newly commissioned work from the brilliant, colorful composer Andrea Tarrodi, her Double Trombone Concerto featuring The Symphony’s own Dillon MacIntyre and Swedish brass virtuoso Christian Lindberg.
The Artists
Nir Kabaretti, Conductor
Christian Lindberg, Trombone
Dillon MacIntyre, Trombone
Anastasia Malliaras, Soprano
Christina Pezzarossi, Mezzo-Soprano
Andrew Gilstrap, Bass-Baritone
Brad Bickhardt, Tenor
Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus
Repertoire
AARON JAY KERNIS | Musica Celestis
ANDREA TARRODI | Double Trombone Concerto (co-commissioned by The Symphony)
MOZART | Requiem
Christian Lindberg, Trombone
Christian Lindberg’s achievements for the trombone can only be compared with those of Paganini for the violin or Liszt for the piano. In September 2015, Christian Lindberg was voted “THE GREATEST BRASS PLAYER IN HISTORY” by the world’s biggest classical radio station, CLASSIC-FM, and in 2016 he received the “INTERNATIONAL CLASSICAL MUSIC AWARD ARTIST OF THE YEAR” previously given to Esa-Pekka Salonen, Krzysztof Penderecki and Charles Dutoit.
Read more about Christian Lindberg
Having premièred over 300 works for the trombone (over 135 major concertos) recorded over 150 solo albums, had an international solo competition created in his name, and been voted brass player of the 20th century side by side with Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, Christian Lindberg is today nothing less than a living legend.
On top of his unrivalled career as a trombonist Lindberg has now also embarked on a highly successful conducting career, and his career includes major conducting engagements in Musikverein, Suntory Hall, at Beethovenfest, in Salzburg Festspielhaus, Tonhalle Düsseldorf, Meistersingerhalle, Nürnberg and National Centre for the Performing Arts (The Giant Egg) in Beijing with orchestras such as Nippon Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Flemish Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, New Zealand Symphony, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Irish National Philharmonic and Ulster Orchestra to name a few.
Since 2004, Lindberg has been music director for four different orchestras: the Nordic Chamber Orchestra (2004-2011), the Swedish Wind Ensemble (2005-2012), the Norwegian Arctic Philharmonic (2009-2019), and the Israel NK Orchestra (2016-2021). Activities with these orchestras have included major recording projects on BIS (Tchaikovsky Symphonies no 4-6 among other things), major tours throughout Japan, and performances at Beethovenfest, Musikverein,and Salzburg Festspielhaus. Alongside his activities as principal conductor Lindberg has major conducting collaborations with Norrköping Symphony Orchestra (performing and recording all the symphonies by Allan Pettersson), Royal Flemish Philharmonic(a major project performing and recording music by Stenhammar), The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (a second major conducting residency in 2016), Nürnberger Symphoniker (various projects including music by Lindberg himself, Allan Pettersson, Grieg, Högberg, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven), The Swedish Chamber Orchestra (music by Lindberg, Schubert, Ginastera, Bizet and Andrea Tarrodi), Ulster Orchestra (music by Lindberg, Dvorak, Nielsen, Grieg and Sibelius), RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland (music by Tchaikovsky, Lindberg, Sibelius, and Sandström) and Taipei Symphony Orchestra (Bernstein, Lindberg, Tchaikovsky and Pettersson).
In 2019, Lindberg founded his own recording company, European Gramophone, and has so far released more than 150 albums, signing orchestras such as the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, ADDA Simfonica, Oviedo Filarmonia, Royal Seville Symphony Orchestra, Wermland Opera Orchestr,a Liceo Opera Orchestra, Barcelona, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, and Nürndberger Symphoniker.
Lindberg also conducts orchestras such as the Nippon Yomiuri Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Verdi Orchestra Milano, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie, Extremadura Orchestra, Umeå Symphony Orchestra, Tiroler Symphonieorchester, Het Noord Nederland Orkest, Het Gelders Orkest, Stuttgart Radio Orchestra, Poznan Symphony Orchestra, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Jenaer Philharmonie, Jyväskyllä Symphony Orchestra, Oulu Symphony Orchestra, Euscadi Orchestra, Maggio Fiorentino, Haydn Orchestra Bolzano, Northern Sinfonia, Helsinki Philharmonics, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Cape Philharmonic, Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Opera Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Brazil, Württembergische Philharmonie, and Tenerife Symphony Orchestra to name a few.
As a composer, Lindberg has constantly been busy with commissions since he wrote his first composition, Arabenne for Trombone and Strings in 1997-98 as a pure experiment. Orchestras around the world have been queuing up, and he has composed over 50 works on commission from, among others, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Hessische Rundfunk, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, Verdi Orchestra Milano, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Trondheim Soloists, Sion Musik Festival, Nordland Musikfestuke, Vertavo Quartet, Vib’bone Duo, Sergio Carolino and the Wild Gang, Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Bones Apart, Anders Wall Foundation, Hardanger International Music Festival and Share Music Sweden. Future commissions include a trombone concerto for the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, a 30-minute-long orchestral piece commissioned by Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, a trumpet concerto commissioned by the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Västerås Sinfonietta, and a concerto for Evelyn Glennie, Christian Lindberg and orchestra commissioned by the Cheltenham Festival. Christian Lindberg’s philosophy regarding his work as a composer is simple: “I do not write in any style whatsoever! I just listen to what my brain and my soul tell me, and what I hear I simply put down on paper. To say anything more about my work would be pretentious nonsense.”
Dillon Macintyre, Trombone
Santa Barbara Symphony’s principal trombonist, Dillon MacIntyre, is a sought-after musician throughout Southern California. He has worked with prestigious ensembles around the world from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony to Denmark’s Prinsens Musikkorps and has toured throughout Europe and Asia. His skill and expertise have helped him rise to positions at CSULA and CSUN as well as to work in studios on major motion pictures like Despicable Me 4 and Twisters.
Read more about Dillon Macintyre
MacIntyre studied at the University of Texas at Austin, Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, and Northwestern University. He is a first prize winner in several international competitions including events at the American Trombone Workshop and International Trombone Festival. An in demand performer and educator, MacIntyre served as guest artist and clinician for the SBCC’s 10th anniversary event: “Slide Show”, where he led a thoughtful and creative masterclass and performed as a soloist with the SBCC Trombone Choir.
In his spare time, he enjoys wine, hiking in the So Cal wilderness, playing video games, and watching movies with his two cats.
Anastasia Malliaras, Soprano
Anastasia Malliaras is a multifaceted soprano and recording artist known for her alluring performances in both traditional opera and innovative modern projects. A true vocal storyteller, her empathetic, imaginative, and expressive nature captivates audiences no matter the performance setting or musical style. Her vocal quality is marked by a pureness in clarity as well a rich and dynamic vocal timbre that seamlessly blends an array of tone colors across her extensive vocal range.
Read more about Anastasia Malliaras
Deeply valuing collaboration amongst fellow artists and unapologetically tapping into different parts of her being have shaped Anastasia’s artistic life in an unconventional yet beautiful manner. Most recently is her collaboration with renowned pianist Eva Schaumkell. The pair teamed up with the acclaimed Norton Simon Museum for their exclusive Goya prints exhibit where they performed a program of Enrique Granados as his work is heavily influenced by the work of Goya. They have since created a program of art song that is influenced by visual art and perform concerts at art museums across the country. The second is a long term project in partnership with classical guitarist Aaron Haas, called Duo Apollon. They are a soprano and guitar duo that performs works in the standard repertoire for voice and guitar, works that are transcribed from piano, pieces by lesser known composers, and new works. In August of 2023, the duo released their first album with the classical music label Parma/Navona Records. The third continuing collaboration was born out of Anastasia’s strong connection to her Greek roots. In the summer of 2024, Anastasia was invited to be the lead singer of the acclaimed Greek Rebetiko Trio alongside guitarist Taso Comanescu and bouzouki player and co-founder of the group Dimitris Mann. The trio performs authentic Greek folk music in the Rebetiko and Laiko styles in settings ranging from cultural festivals to lecture recitals and private parties to traditional concerts.
As for her operatic career, Anastasia has played the roles of Gilda, Nannetta, Susanna, Olympia, Zerbinetta, Marie and Frasquita, to name a few. Previously, Anastasia was an apprentice at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis where she covered the role of Despina in Mozart’s iconic Cosí fan tutte and made her OTSL professional debut as Mrs. Hayes in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Anastasia has been a Studio Artist at Central City opera where she played Ruth Baldwin in Musto’s Later That Same Evening and has previously participated in the Young Artist Vocal Academy at Houston Grand Opera and the iSing! International Young Artist Festival. Besides roles in the standard repertoire, Anastasia has performed in world premieres and revivals including the female lead role of Marie in Tesla: A Multidisciplinary Opera, Vervaine in Le Dornier Sorcier with Sing for Hope. Accolades include placement in prestigious competitions including the Loren L. Zachary Competition, the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition at Opera San Jose and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Los Angeles District and Western Regionals. She has been featured as the soprano soloist in Messiah with the Dream Orchestra of Los Angeles and Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Saint-Saëns’ Requiem with the Ventura College Orchestra. Anastasia is a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance and the University of Southern California where she earned her Master’s of Music in Vocal Arts.
Christina Pezzarosi, Mezzo-Soprano
Hailing from Miles City, Montana, Christina Pezzarossi mesmerizes audiences with her “smoky mezzo,” establishing herself as a standout in the opera world on national stages. Born with a remarkable range and emotional depth, her journey began in Montana, nurtured by a supportive community that fueled her dreams. Pezzarossi’s path led to prestigious stages, where she portrayed diverse roles such as El Gato in “El Gato con Botas,” Rossweisse in “Die Walkure,” Margaret in “The Light in the Piazza,” and Lucilla in “La scala di seta,” all with Opera Santa Barbara.
Read more about Christina Pezzarosi
Her versatility shines through roles like Ino in “Semele” and Wellgunde in “Das Rheingold,” showcasing her resilience in productions like “COVID fan tutte” (Pacific Opera Project, 2020) and as Kate Pinkerton in “Madama Butterfly” (Central City Opera, 2019).
Embracing a spectrum of characters, from Flora in “La traviata” to Dorabella in “Così fan tutte,” Pezzarossi continues to leave an indelible mark on the opera stage. She started 2024 with her debut with Opera in the Heights, reprising her role as Margaret in Guettel’s “The Light in the Piazza.” Also, in 2024, she debuted with Opera San Luis Obispo in the title role in Bizet’s Carmen and will sing Marcellina in Opera Santa Barbara’s upcoming production of Le nozze di Figaro.
She will also be completing her DMA in Voice from UCSB in 2025. When not singing, Christina enjoys teaching voice, hiking with her husband Colin, and playing with her dog Leilani.
Andrew Gilstrap, Bass-Baritone
With his “dark, powerful bass-baritone” (Traunsteiner Tagblatt) and “perfect [comedic] timing” (Washington Classical Review), Andrew Gilstrap has begun to establish himself as a versatile artist known for musical sophistication and acting ability. In the 2024-25 season, Mr. Gilstrap joined Wolf Trap Opera singing Horstmayer in Silent Night, made his Arizona Opera debut in the role of Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia and will return to cover the role of Colline and Benoit/Alcindoro in La boheme. He will also perform the role of Hans Olsa in Giants in the Earth with South Dakota Symphony Orchestra.
Read more about Andrew Gilstrap
In concert this season, he sang as the bass soloist in the Messiah with Chattanooga Symphony, performed a recital with Steve Blier entitled Te Amo, a recital of Spanish-language love songs, and sang as the bass soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the Carolina Philharmonic. Recent concert credits include his Chattanooga Symphony and Opera debut in Handel’s Messiah, and joining Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra to sing Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem.
In 2023-2024, Mr. Gilstrap made returns to Wolf Trap Opera to sing LeporeIlo in Don Giovanni, Minnesota Opera to cover roles in Edward Tulane, and Atlanta Opera to sing as a soloist in Frankenstein and the role of Horace Derwent in The Shining. Since his Atlanta Opera debut as the Official Registrar in Madama Butterfly in 2022, he has sung Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, participated in a world premiere of Marcus Norris and Adamma Ebo’s Forsyth County is Flooding, and made a role debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni.
During his time as a member of the Opernstudio at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich, Mr. Gilstrap sang Antonio in Le nozze di Figaro, two runs in the role of Il padre di Nencio in L’infedelta delusa, multiple roles in The Nose, Deuxieme Sentinelle in Les Troyens, and Customs Officer in La boheme.
Other engagements include Gregorio in Romeo et Juliette, Usciere in Rigoletto, and the Goldsmith in The Juniper Tree (Wolf Trap Opera). Sourin in Queen of Spades, cover of the title role in Sweeney Todd, and cover of Doktor in Wozzeck (Des Moines Metro Opera). Der Pfleger in Elektra, Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Immigration Officer in Flight (Minnesota Opera). Zuniga in Le Tragedie de Carmen (Opera in the Heights), a program of Mexican Baroque Christmas songs (Mercury Chamber Orchestra), The Beast in Beauty and the Beast (College Light Opera Company), and the Sergeant of Police in Pirates of Penzance (Ohio Light Opera).
Mr. Gilstrap was a Filene Artist with Wolf Trap Opera for two consecutive years, and was a Studio Artist in 2017 and 2018. He has been an Ensemble Artist and an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera, and participated in the resident artist program at Minnesota Opera. Mr. Gilstrap holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from the University of Houston.
Brad Bickhardt, Tenor
Praised for his “healthy and soaring tenor voice” (Herald Times), and “brilliant physical grace, timing, and precision” (Broadway World), Korean-American tenor Brad Bickhardt is vibrant and versatile in both opera and musical theatre. His 2024 season brought role debuts as Don Ottavio with Arizona Opera, as well as creating the role of Felix in the world premiere of Greg Kallor’s Frankenstein. He also appeared as Tybalt in a new production of Roméo et Juliette directed by Patricia Racette. Mr. Bickhardt made a company debut with Opera Theatre of St. Louis as A Priest in Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei, directed by James Robinson, a company he returns to in 2025.
Read more about Brad Bickhardt
In 2023, he starred as Tamino with Arizona Opera, and significant role debuts in 2022 included creating the role of Colin in the world premiere of We Wear the Sea Like a Coat, Tanzmeister & Scaramuccio in a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos with Arizona Opera, as well as Jumper in The Falling and the Rising. Mr. Bickhardt also reprised the role of Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore at Muddy River Opera. His 2021 season saw a company debut with Opera Naples as Gastone in La traviata and Big Deal/Diesel in West Side Story, as well as covering both Alfredo and Tony. He also returned to Opera Saratoga as a Festival Artist in productions of Man of La Mancha and Don Quichotte at Comacho’s Wedding, and remained in New York state with engagements at Tri-Cities Opera and Opera Ithaca. His 2020 season brought a role debut as Alfredo in La traviata with IU Opera Theater. Memorable performances from his 2019 season included Nemorino in L’elisir d’amore with IU Opera Theater, as well as Hanif in Gluck’s L’île de Merlin with Wolf Trap Opera.
In 2018, he appeared as Njegus in The Merry Widow with Opera Saratoga in addition to performances as Tony in West Side Story with IU Opera Theater. Mr. Bickhardt has appeared as a soloist in concert, having sung Schubert’s Mass in G, Mozart’s Missa Brevis in Bb, the Beethoven Choral Fantasy, and The Messiah with The Phoenix Symphony. Notable awards include being named a District Winner (Wisconsin) for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, an Encouragement Award from the Central Region of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Third Place for the “Men in Opera (College Division)” with The American Prize, as well as the Shirley-Rabb Winston Award from the Society of Arts and Letters.
Mr. Bickhardt is a proudly alumnus of the young artist programs of The Marion Roose Pullin Studio at Arizona Opera, The Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, The Glimmerglass Festival, Tri Cities Opera, Opera Naples, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Saratoga, and Charlottesville Opera in addition to receiving his Bachelor and Master degrees in Vocal Performance from Indiana University. With versatile proficiency in multiple areas of the performing arts, Mr. Bickhardt served as an Associate Instructor of Voice at Indiana University during his graduate studies in which his students were cast in principal roles with IU Theatre and IU Opera Theater. He has also received training in stage combat and is proficient in hand to hand combat, bo staff, dagger, and bullwhip.
The Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus
The Symphony Chorus is an ensemble that opens up opportunities for choral singers who may or may not currently be a member of a chorus, uniting the entire choral community in one large chorus under the direction of our very own Nir Kabaretti, Music & Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony.
This dynamic ensemble debuted during the Santa Barbara Symphony’s 2024/25 Season, on April 26 & 27, singing Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem at the Granada Theatre.
The Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus features approximately 120 voices culled from across the community.
Nir Kabaretti
is The Santa Barbara Symphony's World-Renowned Music & Artistic Director
Nir Kabaretti has worked with some of the world’s most sought-after musicians. Some of his most well-known collaborators include Lang Lang, Placido Domingo, Joyce Di Donato, Angel Joy Blue, Vadim Repin, Gilles Apap, Hélène Grimaud, and André Watts.
Nir Kabaretti
is The Santa Barbara Symphony's World-Renowned Music & Artistic Director
Nir Kabaretti has worked with some of the world’s most sought-after musicians. Some of his most well-known collaborators include Lang Lang, Placido Domingo, Joyce Di Donato, Angel Joy Blue, Vadim Repin, Gilles Apap, Hélène Grimaud, and André Watts.
A very warm and special thank you
to our 2025/26 season donors and the sponsors making
this event possible!
Sponsors
Principal Concert Sponsor
Sarah & Roger Chrisman
Choral Sponsors
TBA
Artist Sponsors (Trombone)
TBA
Selection Sponsors
Eve Bernstein
Davis & Bobsey Fansler
Chris Lancashire
Jean Rogers
Howard Jay Smith & Tricia Bivans Dixon
2025/26 Concert Season Sponsors
Sarah & Roger Chrisman
Corporate Season Sponsor
Grand Venue Sponsor
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*Program content and concert dates may be subject to change: check our website for regular updates.
