NWEAMO 2022

The NWEAMO festival is proud to announce the 2022 lineup will include two concerts. The first, at SDSU Smith Recital Hall, will feature the prize winning New York based Ensemble Composer’s Concordance. Led by virtuoso composer/electric guitarist Gene Pritsker, The Ensemble also features esteemed Vancouver-based violinist Petro Krysa and San Diego virtuoso alto sax player Todd Rewoldt.

The Friday, April 29 concert will feature works from the just released CD featuring works by Gene Pritsker and performed in collaboration with Todd Rewoldt.

Gene Pritsker & Todd Rewoldt "Duets For The End Of The World"

Also on the program will be works by Debra Kaye & Da Cooper as well as Southern California composers Texu Kim, Madelyn Byrne, Aaron Alter

The Sunday, May 1 program at Leonard Patton‘s hip new venue, The Jazz Lounge  will feature eclectic works by three Southern California based composers: Maile Pacumio, Jordan Kuspa & Nakul Tiruviluamala, as well as songs from NWEAMO’s Artistic Director Joseph Martin Waters border breaking fantasy-opera “The Magic Hummingbird - El Colibrí Mágico”. The concert is a warm-up for the full production of the fantasy-opera in New York City this summer at the prestigious midtown night club The Cutting Room.

The Magic Hummingbird at The Cutting Room, NYC

Bringing Waters’ songs to life, at Nweamo and New York City, are an eclectic group of singers including the amazing, versatile Leonard Patton, whose three octave range, from Baritone through Countertenor, is put to full use in Waters’ score. Breakout soprano Karen Garcia, who has been working with Waters over the last six years in the germination and development of the work. Ms. Garcia has a luminous upper range that blooms above the staff. She performs the role of Apollonia, a mystical creature, half human and half plant in the opera. At the Nweamo concert she will be performing “We“ based on the sacred poetry of Mexican curandera Maria Sabina.
Joining in duets with Patton will be Cat Rojo, performing the role of Clara, based on St. Clara from the Saint Francis mythology upon which the opera is loosely based. Patton plays Franklin, tortured and talented friend and sometimes frenemy of Saint Francis. The opera is about breaking borders, set equally in Tijuana and San Diego, and between a group of refugees and a white separatist cult, led by an insane, Trump-like sociopath The Preacher.