PRESCOTT, AZ—March 12, 2024—Dr. Joshua Harper, former Director of Choral Activities with Yavapai College, has returned to Prescott to conduct the choir he founded, Quartz Ensemble, in a presentation with Arizona Philharmonic, Sunday, March 24, 3pm at the Ruth Street Theater. Harper is now Director of Choral Activities at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. “This is my first time back and it feels like a homecoming. I’m excited about working with my colleagues in Quartz Ensemble and AZ Phil.” Quartz Ensemble is made up of twelve singers, three on a part (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass). Playing with them are twelve AZ Phil musicians on violins, violas, cellos, plus an organist. “Come and enjoy the precision and elegance of the combined forces of these two esteemed ensembles,” commented Abby Coffey, AZ Phil Executive Director.

Harper described this concert as similar to the first collaboration of Quartz and AZ Phil. “I wanted to revisit lots of different composers and work with strings and choir, which blend so well. That was the germ of curating this program and there is a lot of repertoire for this combination. Henry Flurry, AZ Phil’s Artistic Director, proposed some pieces, and we whittled it all down to a program of seven works.” The concert includes Johann Sebastian Bach’s, Der Herr denket an uns, and Felix Mendelssohn’s composition, Wer nur den lieben Gott lässt walten, which fits right in with use of strings interacting with the singers both in contrapuntal fugal passages, as well as doubling in the opening Chorale movement. The Mendelssohn will feature soprano soloist and Prescott local, Emily Spencer.

More contemporary classical composer Eric Whitacre is on the program. “Whitacre is a rock star of classical choral music, if you haven’t heard of him, come to hear his Water Night composition, because he is among the most currently celebrated composers,” Harper added.  Also on the program is Peteris Vasks’s powerful piece, Dona Nobis Pacem, a timely prayer for peace, and works by Rheinberger, Buxtehue and Caroline Shaw. “Both Joshua and I are particularly excited about presenting Shaw’s To the Hands,” commented Flurry. “Caroline Shaw was a featured composer on the TV Series Mozart in the Jungle and is the youngest-ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for music.” Visit AZPhil.org for a full concert listing and tickets.

About Dr. Joshua Harper

Praised for his “inspired” conducting (The Daily Courier), Dr. Joshua Harper is the Director of Choral Activities at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barr, PA. At Wilkes, he conducts the Chamber Singers and University Chorale. He also teaches music theory, private voice, and serves as the musical director for all musical productions. He moved to Wilkes from Prescott, Arizona where he served as the Director of Choral Activities at Yavapai College from 2019-2023. He has conducted multiple Musicals, including Carousel, Fun Home, Hello, Dolly (starring Toni Tennille), and Jane Eyre. He has performed on some of the nation’s largest stages, including Carnegie Hall and Jazz At Lincoln Center. Harper is the founder of the Quartz Ensemble, a fully professional chamber choir drawing singers from across the country of international renown. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance and Music Composition from Lipscomb University (Nashville, TN), the Master of Music degree in choral conducting from UMass Amherst and the Doctor of Music degree from the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University with a minor in Music History and Literature.

About Arizona Philharmonic

Arizona Philharmonic (AZ Phil) is in its sixth season in 2023-2024 as Prescott’s regional professional orchestra, presenting large and small concerts that engage and inspire listeners. Based in Prescott, AZ Phil draws musicians from across Arizona and is committed to offering transformative music, while nurturing community participation and supporting the needs and growth of the Prescott area performing arts scene. Recognized in 2021 by the Prescott Chamber of Commerce for Excellence in Arts and Culture, Arizona Philharmonic is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization performing at Prescott High School’s Ruth Street Theater, as well as Higley Center for the Performing Arts in Gilbert and ASU Kerr Cultural Center in Scottsdale. Ticket information, sponsorship and volunteer opportunities can be found at AZPhil.org and on Facebook.