Music Director Urs Leonhardt Steiner conducts the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Audiences are invited to participate and sing in upcoming “Sing it Yourself Messiah” conducted by Steiner on Dec. 17 in Benicia. (Contributed Photo, Golden Gate Symphony)
For over 20 years, the Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra & Chorus has entrusted its annual performance of Handel’s Messiah to audience members, relying on the community’s voices to invigorate the classical score.
Returning Dec. 17 and 18, the beloved “Sing it Yourself Messiah” will feature soloists Michelle Cipollone, Crystal Philippi, Meté Tasin and Bradley Kynard, as well as the many local voices that fill the audience.
For GGSOC founder and music director Urs Leonhardt Steiner, the event represents more than a longstanding tradition. It encapsulates the mission of the symphony and his goal to make classical music accessible for all.
“The goal came from my family,” Steiner said, explaining the motivation behind the symphony. Before studying professionally with the likes of Andre Previn, Erich Leinsdorf and Leonhard Bernstein, the conductor grew up in Chur, Switzerland, with nine brothers and sisters whose passion for singing was not unlike that of the Von Trapps.
“We didn’t have TV,” remembers Steiner. “We sang. Our entertainment was after-dinner singing.”
The town where Steiner lived fostered a sense of close-knit community, modeled in turn by his parents who were always organizing an event and inviting people over.
“People were always in and out of the home,” Steiner recalled. “There was always a pot of soup on the stove.”
After coming to America and not seeing anything resembling his way of doing things, Steiner decided to start his own symphony, bringing together both professionals and amateurs.
“My professionals help the amateurs get better and help make a better product,” Steiner said, saying it’s important to provide professionals with job opportunities as they try to make a career.
As for the amateurs, they love what they’re doing, he said. “They bring the positive energy and the love of music,” Steiner commented, noting that amateurs always have to play at the top of their ability.
“Many of our members started out never having had any access to classical music. But if they stick around long enough, they learn it,” Steiner said. With many of the symphony’s international programs requiring singing in a different language — more recently, Mandarin — Steiner offered that these “obstacles are opportunities.”
Before Steiner took over the singalong event in 2004, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music had been hosting it since 1979. During that time, Steiner recalled participating in it at Davies Symphony Hall as a student of the conservatory. Not wanting it to die, the GGSOC took up the torch and moved it to Herbst Theatre to reduce costs and keep it alive.
A second performance was added in Benicia six years ago when Steiner’s friend, Larnie Fox, became the Director of Arts in Benicia. In an effort to bridge the distance and remain connected, they started the Benicia chapter of the symphony.
Steiner’s passion for networking across geographical space is even more evident on an international scale. A new program next spring called the “‘Ode to Joy’ Intercultural Exchange” project will feature bicontinental performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in celebration of its premiere 200 years ago. Performers from both countries will participate in the U.S. and Swiss performances, connecting the communities internationally.
Steiner also plans to incorporate a Mariachi singalong event next year, celebrating the close relationship the symphony has to the Mission District where they were founded. Ahead of performances like “Sing it Yourself Messiah,” Steiner gives away 300 tickets to the Latino community, honoring both the symphony’s origin and its goal to make music accessible.
The holiday event draws together those who maybe don’t have a family, Steiner said, adding that he loves the message of the music. “The world is a little bit scattered with the political situation which makes it particularly a good time to sing together and make yourself feel good.”
IF YOU GO:
WHAT: Handel’s Sing it Yourself Messiah
WHO: Golden Gate Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
WHEN: Dec. 17, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Benicia Clock Tower, 1189 Washington St., Benicia
TICKETS: Available online at: CityBoxOffice.com and at the door with discounts for seniors, children under 18, and groups of 10 or more.
