SACRED & SENSUOUS

Music of Devotion

MARCH 6, 2027 | 7:30 pm

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, San Francisco

The Music

  • Vox Humana SF

    Cristóbal de Morales’s Missa pro Defunctis (Requiem Mass), composed around 1544, is one of the earliest and most profoundly moving settings of the Catholic Mass for the Dead. A towering figure of the Spanish Renaissance, Morales combined the intricate polyphony of the Franco-Flemish school with a uniquely Iberian warmth and expressiveness.

    This Requiem is remarkable for its serenity and restraint. Rather than dramatizing grief, Morales offers consolation — a vision of death as peaceful release. The music unfolds in long, luminous lines that intertwine with quiet dignity, each phrase shaped by the natural rhythm of the Latin text. Its purity of sound and luminous counterpoint evoke timeless contemplation, inviting listeners into a space of spiritual stillness.

    In Morales’s hands, mourning becomes prayer, and prayer becomes beauty — a sacred testament to faith, compassion, and the eternal hope of rest and light.

  • Thibault Garcia, guitar

    Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez is one of the most beloved works of the twentieth century — a poetic evocation of Spain’s soul, composed in 1939 for guitar and orchestra. Though Rodrigo was blind from childhood, his music paints vivid landscapes of color, rhythm, and emotion. Inspired by the royal gardens of Aranjuez near Madrid, the concerto captures both the elegance of the Spanish Baroque and the warmth of Andalusian song.

    The first movement dances with courtly vitality, its rhythmic drive balanced by lyric charm. The famous Adagio — one of music’s most haunting slow movements — unfolds as a deeply personal elegy, written in the wake of tragedy, its dialogue between guitar and cor anglais expressing profound longing. The finale restores light and motion, closing in quiet joy. Rodrigo’s masterpiece endures as a timeless hymn to love, memory, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Thibault Garcia, guitar

First prize winner of the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America (USA) competition in 2015,  BBC New Generation Artist (2017-2019), « Révélation Instrumentale » of the Victoires de la  Musique Classique in 2019, and winner of Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival (2023), Thibaut  Garcia, has gradually established himself as one of the most gifted guitarists of his generation. 

The Franco-Spanish guitarist was born in 1994 in Toulouse where he obtained his guitar prize in  the class of Paul Ferret, before continuing his training at the CNSMD of Paris in the class of  Olivier Chassain, while benefiting from the advice of Judicaël Perroy. 

Thibaut Garcia now plays in the most important concert halls and festivals throughout the  world: Wigmore Hall in London, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Festival  Radio France Occitanie Montpellier, Salle Bourgie in Montreal, Théâtre des Champs-Elysées,  Grands Interprètes in Toulouse, Festival Musiq'3 in Brussels, Berlin Philharmonie, Teatros del  Canal, Alte Oper Frankfurt, Bachfest Leipzig Auditorium de Bordeaux, Seine Musicale, Grand  Théâtre de Provence...  

Since his concerto debuts with the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse in 2016, Thibaut  Garcia returned in 2023 for the creation of El Bihr by Benjamin Attahir. He has also collaborated  with the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, the BBC orchestras, the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Bordeaux,  the Orchestre de l'Opéra de Rouen, the Silesian Philharmonic, the Münchner Symphoniker, the  Orchestre National d’Ile de France, the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Saint Etienne, the Orchestre  National de Metz, the Orchestre National de Lyon... 

Highlights of the 2024-2025 season, are concertos with the Philharmonisches Orchester Kiel, the  Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, and returns to the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Festival  (as the « WEMAG Soloist » prizewinner), the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Palau de Musica  Barcelona, and also debuts at the Philharmonie Luxembourg. He is curating « Guitarmania » at  the Philharmonie de Paris in April, where he showcases his instrument and its ambassadors for  a week. 

In chamber music, Thibaut Garcia also performs with Edgar Moreau, Raphaël Sévère, Elsa  Dreisig, Marianne Crebassa, Lucienne Renaudin-Vary, Anastasia Kobekina, the Quatuor Arod…  He also forms duets with Philippe Jaroussky (A sa guitare), Félicien Brut (Vol de Nuit), and  Antoine Morinière (Goldberg Variations). 

Thibaut Garcia has been a Warner Classics/Erato artist since 2016. After Leyendas in 2016, Bach  Inspirations in 2018, Aranjuez in 2020 (Choc de Classica, Diapason d'Or, Gramphone Editor's  Choice), his album À sa guitare in duet with Philippe Jarrousky was released in autumn 2021. In  autumn 2023 is released his album El Bohemio¸ devoted to the composer Agustin Barrios  Mangoré.

VOX HUMANA SF

VOX HUMANA SF is a dynamic professional chorus dedicated to celebrating the beauty and power of the human voice within the vibrant and diverse cultural landscape of San Francisco. Our ensemble is known for its versatility and excellence, specializing in a wide range of choral music that spans centuries and genres. From the timeless masterpieces of the classical repertoire to the cutting-edge compositions of contemporary composers, we strive to offer performances that are both artistically enriching and emotionally compelling.

Our commitment to excellence is reflected in our meticulous preparation and the high standard of our performances. We are passionate about presenting the finest in traditional choral music, breathing new life into beloved works. At the same time, we are deeply invested in the future of choral music, actively commissioning and performing new works by living composers. This dedication to innovation and creativity ensures that our programs are always fresh, engaging, and relevant.

We believe that choral music has the power to inspire, uplift, and bring people together. As such, we are dedicated to making our performances accessible to a wide audience, fostering a deep connection with our community. Through our concerts and collaborative projects, we aim to enrich the cultural fabric of San Francisco and beyond.

In everything we do, we strive to create a transformative experience for our audiences, celebrating the profound emotional and expressive potential of the human voice. Our chorus is not just a performing ensemble; it is a vibrant community of artists committed to sharing the joy and beauty of choral music with the world.