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Peekskill Composer To Stage Oratorio in White Plains

PEEKSKILL, N.Y. – Peekskill resident and composer Dan Montez will soon premiere his latest oratorio thanks to the help of Kickstarter.

"Daniel" by Peekskill composer Dan Montez will be performed in Ossining and White Plains.

"Daniel" by Peekskill composer Dan Montez will be performed in Ossining and White Plains.

Photo Credit: Contributed.

Montez raised over $3,000 through the crowdfunding website and will use the money to hold two performances of “Daniel.”

“Daniel” is based on the character from the Bible, like many of Montez’s other works, including “Enoch” and “Jonah.”

Montez, the director of the Taconic Opera, will present “Daniel” in Ossining and White Plains.

In a press release, Montez described his composing style as “somewhat impressionistic, similar to Ravel, Poulenc, Debussy, Fauré, and yet with the harmonic elements of Puccini and stylistic elements of Copland and Vaughan Williams.”

“Truth be told, as much as I love impressionism, it is hard to get the opera out of me – the drama, the powerful way opera singers can tell a story. These biblical stories need to be told in English -- and not just Latin -- to a modern audience in a beautiful way.

“Too many liturgical oratorios are either only available in early music or in ultramodern forms. I’m not sure people are being moved by the stories this way ... so I don’t apologize for not composing with any sort of atonality. I want to reach people with the narrative.”

The first performance of “Daniel” will be 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at the Ossining United Methodist Church, 1 Emwilton Place, Ossining.

The second rendition of “Daniel” will be 3 p.m. Sunday, May 31, at White Plains Presbyterian Church, 39 N. Broadway, White Plains.

Regular ticket prices are $27, senior citizen admission is $20, and student ticket prices are $15.

Tickets may be purchased at the door, or in advance online or over the telephone.

For more information, visit the Taconic Opera website or call 855-886-7372.

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