Mozart Requiem to Honor Youth Victims of AIDS

TUCSON (Observer Update) - Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra (SASO) and Catalina Foothills High School Chorus are presenting Mozart’s Requiem on December 3rd at Catalina United Methodist Church (2700 E. Speedway Boulevard) and December 8th at Catalina Foothills High School Auditorium (4300 E. Sunrise Dr) both starting at 7:30 p.m.

The primary intention of the event was to offer Tucson a preview of the Requiem before the chorus embarks on a trip to New York to do a performance of the work at Carnegie Hall on January 19th with additional choruses and another orchestra.

Because December 1st is World Aids Day, both groups decided to perform the first concert in honor of all the youth that died from HIV and donate half of the proceeds to Southern Arizona Aids Foundation (SAAF). In the past 5 years there has been a 25% increase of HIV contamination between the ages 18 and 25 in the United States. Dr. Linus Lerner, Music Director of SASO, hopes that this effort will help to alert and educate these kids, their parents, and the community and provide some funds to help the prevention and treatment of the disease. Wendell Hicks, director of SAAF, is also expected to give a short speech before the concert on December 3. Soloist for the Requiem will be Christi Amonson (Soprano), Robyn Rocklein (Mezzo Soprano), Adam Shelton (Tenor) and Nathan Krueger (Bass). Besides the Requiem, SASO will be performing Sibelius’s Finlandia and the Catalina Foothills Chorus will be performing a few a capella selections.

Tickets for December 3 at Catalina United Methodist Church will be $15 for adults, $10 for students and free for kids 17 and under and will be available at the door. For more information call: Linus Lerner at (520) 360-5400. Tickets for December 08th at Catalina Foothills High School Auditorium will be $10 for adults and $3 for Students and will be available at the door. For more information call Christopher Jackson at (520) 209-8323.