THE WORK AT HAND
September 26, 2026, 7:30 PM
St. Mark’s Church, San Francisco
The Music
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Arvo Pärt’s Trisagion is a luminous meditation rooted in the ancient Orthodox hymn invoking the “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.” Composed in 1992, the work exemplifies Pärt’s signature tintinnabuli style—a radically pared-down musical language that pairs stepwise melodic motion with resonant triadic harmony. The result is music of profound stillness, in which every note carries spiritual weight.
Written for string orchestra, Trisagion unfolds slowly and deliberately, allowing silence, resonance, and harmonic gravity to shape the listener’s experience as much as melody itself. Rather than dramatic gesture, Pärt offers contemplation: sound becomes prayer, and repetition becomes ritual. The music seems to exist outside of time, drawing performers and listeners alike into a space of inward listening and reverence.
In Trisagion, Pärt bridges the ancient and the modern, reminding us that simplicity can be a vessel for immense emotional and spiritual depth.
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Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano
Nathan Chan, cello
Jake Heggie’s The Work at Hand is an intimate, deeply human meditation on courage and creation in the face of mortality. Composed in 2014 for mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and cellist Anne Martindale Williams, the work sets poetry by Laura Morefield, written during her final year of life as she confronted terminal illness. Rather than lament, Heggie finds light — transforming loss into purpose and fragility into grace.
Scored for mezzo-soprano, cello, and orchestra, the three movements trace a journey from inward reflection to transcendent calm. The cello’s voice becomes both companion and conscience, entwined with the singer’s lines in shared vulnerability. Heggie’s lyrical language, by turns tender and luminous, captures the poet’s message: that art itself is a form of endurance. The Work at Hand is not about dying, but about living fully — an act of courage rendered in sound.
This performance is the Bay Area premiere of the orchestral version.
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Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4, commonly known as the “Italian,” is a radiant celebration of light, motion, and youthful vitality. Inspired by the composer’s travels through Italy in the early 1830s, the symphony reflects Mendelssohn’s deep impression of the country’s landscapes, architecture, and cultural energy. From the exuberant opening movement, the music bursts forth with buoyant rhythms and sparkling orchestration, capturing a sense of sunlit joy.
The inner movements offer contrast and lyricism: a graceful second movement evokes a solemn procession, while the third unfolds with elegant charm and classical poise. The finale, a whirlwind saltarello, propels the symphony to an exhilarating close with relentless drive and rhythmic brilliance.
Balancing Classical clarity with Romantic expressiveness, the “Italian” Symphony stands as one of Mendelssohn’s most beloved works—effortlessly joyous, meticulously crafted, and endlessly invigorating.
Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano
Nathan Chan, cello
Photo: Stacey Bode
JAMIE BARTON
Critically acclaimed by virtually every major outlet covering classical music, American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton is increasingly recognized for how she uses her powerful instrument offstage – lifting up women, queer people, and other marginalized communities. Her lively social media presence on Instagram and X (@jbartonmezzo) serves as a hub for conversations about body positivity, social justice issues, and LGBTQ+ rights.
This season, Ms. Barton stars as Sister Helen Prejean in a highly anticipated 25th anniversary production of Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking at San Francisco Opera. She returns to Houston Grand Opera for a series of role debuts, including Frugola, Zia Principessa, and Zita in Puccini’s Il trittico, as well as the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and she brings her acclaimed Ježibaba to performances of Rusalka at Bayerische Staatsoper and Opéra National de Paris. Elsewhere, she appears in concert with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra, and in recital with Opera Memphis and Arizona Opera with Tucson Desert Song Festival. Following the fulfillment of a long-held dream to create a role in a new opera by Jake Heggie, her work as Elizabeth Van Lew in Heggie’s Intelligence at Houston Grand Opera will be released on a world premiere recording on the LSO Live label.
Photo: mtwo.media
NATHAN CHAN
Nathan Chan is Assistant Principal Cello of the Seattle Symphony and Acting Principal Cello of the Vancouver Symphony for the 2025–2026 season, known for his multifaceted career spanning solo, chamber, and orchestral performance. He is deeply committed to using music as a tool for connection, community, and positive change.
A Seattle Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Nathan has reached over 35 million viewers across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, using technology to broaden access to classical music. His “Chats for Change” series and a collaboration with AI artist Lia Coleman on an NFT reflect his innovative spirit and social engagement.
He has performed as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Albany Symphony, and more, and was selected for Gautier Capuçon’s Classe d’Excellence du Violoncelle at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. In the 2025–2026 season, he performs Gulda’s Cello Concerto with the California Symphony and Philip Glass’ Cello Concerto No. 2 with the Missoula Symphony.