Handel Oratorio Society of Augustana College

Handel Oratorio Society of Augustana College Augustana's Handel Oratorio Society performs Handel's Messiah each Christmas - the oldest holiday performance tradition in our region.

After hearing a performance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah in London in 1879, Olof Olsson, professor of theology at Augustana, founded the Augustana Oratorio Society. The first performance combined choirs from Moline, Rock Island, and Andover, Illinois with the Augustana Symphony Orchestra (also founded in 1879). In 1898, after a successful effort to enlist wide community participation, the o

rganization was named the Handel Oratorio Society. Since the turn of the century the Society has performed Messiah each Christmas. The annual spring oratorio explores the riches of the choral-orchestral literature. Past performances have included such works as J.S. Bach’s Passion According to St. Matthew and Mass in B Minor, Francis Poulenc’s Gloria , Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah and the Requiems of Johannes Brahms, Mozart, Verdi, Fauré, and Maurice Duruflé. The Musicians of the Handel Oratorio Society include community members, the Augustana Choir, the Augustana Symphony Orchestra, and invited soloists. Jon Hurty (Professor of Music at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois) conducte the Handel Oratorio Society.

05/11/2017

"Mark Walters is being touted as one of the next great American Verdi baritones, Opera News describes Mark Walters as "a force to be reckoned with." He is lauded for his performances throughout the United States in the title role of Rigoletto, Germont in La traviata, and Renato in Un ballo in maschera. For his performance in La forza del destino, "The Chicago Sun Times" commended his "vocal fury."

Vocal fury, indeed, Walters sang our 2016 Messiah. Congratulations, Mark Walters Baritone (Bettendorf native) on all your success!

This season Walters sings the role of Peter in Hansel und Gretel with Seattle Opera, Scarpia in Tosca with Opera Tampa, the title role in a concert version of Don Giovanni with Kalamazoo Symphony, and in the 10th Anniversary Gala with Opera Louisiane

A Christmas Messiah - December 2016 CD's are available now at Augustana College's on-campus and online bookstore.
02/01/2017

A Christmas Messiah - December 2016 CD's are available now at Augustana College's on-campus and online bookstore.

12/24/2016

Tune in to WVIK, Quad Cities NPR tomorrow at 7 p.m. to listen to this year's performance of Handel's Messiah!

12/14/2016

Be sure to listen in to WVIK, Quad Cities NPR on Christmas Day when they will air this year's performance of Handel's Messiah at 7 p.m.

What a great weekend of music. Thank you Dann Coakwell, tenor!
12/11/2016

What a great weekend of music. Thank you Dann Coakwell, tenor!

Dann Coakwell, tenor, has performed as a soloist internationally and nationally under such acclaimed conductors as Helmuth Rilling, Masaaki Suzuki, William Christie, Nicholas McGegan, Matthew Halls, and Craig Hella Johnson.

You won't want to miss his return performance to Centennial Hall this weekend for this year's A Christmas Messiah.

See Mark Walters' hometown performance today at 2 p.m.
12/11/2016

See Mark Walters' hometown performance today at 2 p.m.

Mark Walters Baritone is a veteran in the demanding Verdi and Puccini repertoire. Opera News describes him as “a force to be reckoned with” and “Heroic.”

Mark will be a featured soloist in this year's A Christmas Messiah. Join us this weekend in a Quad-Cities Christmas tradition.

So excited to have our Messiah soloists here this weekend! Tickets still available for our 2 p.m. performance. Call the ...
12/11/2016

So excited to have our Messiah soloists here this weekend! Tickets still available for our 2 p.m. performance. Call the ticket office at 309-794-7306 or buy your tickets online at augustana.edu/arts/tickets.

The weather forecast is calling for snow in the Quad-Cities area this weekend. The performances will go on as planned. W...
12/10/2016

The weather forecast is calling for snow in the Quad-Cities area this weekend. The performances will go on as planned. With the potential for inclement weather though we will allow you to exchange your tickets between performances to best accommodate your travel plans. Please call us at the Ticket Office if you would like to make these exchanges — 309-794-7306. We will not be able to offer any refunds.

Your safety is important to us, so please exercise caution when traveling to campus. Augustana College Facilities Services will implement their snow removal plan to make getting around Centennial Hall as smooth as possible.

12/10/2016

Mary Wilson, soprano, is acknowledged as one of today's most exciting artists. Cultivating a wide-ranging career singing chamber music, oratorio and operatic repertoire, her “bright soprano seems to know no terrors, wrapping itself seductively around every phrase". (Dallas Morning News).

You won't want to miss her breathtaking performance this weekend at A Christmas Messiah.

Guest soloist for A Christmas Messiah featured in Quad-City Times!
12/08/2016

Guest soloist for A Christmas Messiah featured in Quad-City Times!

Acclaimed baritone Mark Walters already has a full schedule in 2017 that includes a performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Jan. 15.

12/07/2016

Our second featured performer is mezzo-soprano, Rebecca Ringle. Rebecca’s performances have brought her acclaim on both operatic and concert stages with featured roles in the New York City Opera's "Cavalleria Rusticana" and more recently in Brevard Symphony's performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Her New York City Opera debut was hailed as “sultry” and “sweetly sung” by The Wall Street Journal.

Augustana is proud to welcome her in this year's A Christmas Messiah this Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets available now.

Address

Rock Island, IL
61201

Telephone

(309) 794-7833

Website

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