Verdi’s Requiem: A Monumental Evening of Music and Spirit

Sunday, May 18, 2025, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 18, 2025 | 7:30 PM
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
3400 Sawtelle Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

Free Admission | Donations Welcome

Join the Palisades Symphony and the Brentwood Palisades Chorale for a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Messa da Requiem, one of the most profound and majestic works in the choral-orchestral repertoire.

This extraordinary concert will be conducted by Dr. Maxim Kuzin, the new Music Director of the Palisades Symphony. A passionate and visionary leader, Dr. Kuzin has been the driving force behind this ambitious collaboration. His leadership has ushered in a new chapter for the Symphony, even as the ensemble faces unprecedented challenges.

The Brentwood Palisades Chorale joins the Symphony under the preparation and expert direction of Susan Rosenstein, whose decades-long leadership has fostered one of the most vibrant community choirs in Los Angeles.

This performance features a distinguished quartet of soloists:

• Diana Farrell, soprano – praised for her radiant voice and expressive artistry, she has performed as a soloist with the Santa Barbara Choral Society, Los Angeles Bach Festival, and Ojai Festival Singers. Acclaimed for her interpretations of sacred masterworks, Farrell brings both emotional depth and vocal brilliance to every performance.

• Alexis Wesley, mezzo-soprano – a Cuban-American artist equally at home in opera, oratorio, and musical theatre, she has performed principal roles with Pacific Opera Project, Mission Opera, and Independent Opera Company. Her oratorio credits include Verdi’s Requiem, Elijah, Messiah, and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.

• Wi Young Oh, tenor – an accomplished soloist and conductor, he has sung leading operatic roles such as Samson (Samson and Delilah) and Yoon Dong Joo (Yoon Dong Joo), with recent featured performances at Disney Concert Hall and Seoul Arts Center. He is also a sought-after educator and choral conductor.

• Ben Lowe, bass-baritone – hailed for his “stentorian voice” (Singerpreneur), he recently made his European debut as the bass soloist in Verdi’s Requiem in Siena and Florence. Winner of the Marilyn Horne Song Competition, Lowe has appeared with LA Opera, OperaDelaware, and made his New York debut in Matt Aucoin’s Crossing.

This performance takes place under exceptional circumstances. Earlier this year, devastating wildfires severely impacted the Palisades Symphony community—destroying the homes of sixteen orchestra and chorale members and displacing the ensemble from its primary venue at Palisades Lutheran Church. Even more tragically, another permanent concert space, the Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades, which traditionally hosted our large choral-orchestral productions, was completely destroyed by the fire.
In the face of these hardships, we are especially grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for opening its doors to us. We offer heartfelt thanks to the Church’s leadership, including its West Los Angeles Stake President, and especially to Mallory Mapp, whose outstanding support and generous coordination have made it possible for this concert to take place in their beautiful sanctuary.
Verdi’s Requiem, often described as “his greatest opera in disguise,” moves from whispered prayer to cataclysmic fury and soaring hope. Composed in memory of the poet Alessandro Manzoni, it fuses spiritual depth with theatrical intensity—an experience both intimate and monumental.

Admission is free, and all are welcome.

Donations are gratefully accepted and will help the Palisades Symphony organization transition through this challenging post-fire period and return even stronger to its permanent place in the cultural heart of the Pacific Palisades.

Come be part of this evening of remembrance, resilience, and renewal—through the universal power of music!