CHICAGO, Dec. 5, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grammy Award winner, Mark S. Doss, returns to one of Chicago's favorite holiday traditions as the bass soloist for Handel's Do-It-Yourself Messiah. Celebrating its 38th annual performance, Messiah will take place on Thursday, December 19, 2013 and Friday, December 20, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park.
"I am honored to return to Chicago for the magnificent Do-It-Yourself Messiah," said Mark S. Doss. "I look forward to sharing the stage in front of a huge chorus/audience, with other world-class soloists and a very talented orchestra of local and amateur musicians. This holiday tradition for Chicago is extremely meaningful to me and has become the perfect way to celebrate the holidays, year-after-year."
Doss has spent more than a quarter century delighting Chicago audiences throughout his career. After studying at Indiana University with Walter Cassel and Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, he became an apprentice artist with the Santa Fe Opera, which led to him becoming a member of what was formerly known as Chicago's Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. He has also performed in 10 seasons at Lyric, most notably singing the roles of Hercules in Alceste, Cinque in Amistad, and Escamillo in Carmen. In addition to past performances of Messiah, Mr. Doss was also featured with the Chicago Symphony in the title role of Anthony Davis' opera X (The Life and Times of Malcolm X).
Following his performance in Chicago, Doss will kick-off the New Year as the bass-baritone soloist to celebrate the 100th Birthday of William H. Scheide, an incredible musician, philanthropist and humanitarian. The concert takes place in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey on January 25, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. It features works by Bach, Brahms, Scheide and Beethoven's 9th Symphony to benefit Westminster Choir College. This concert will be recorded and the Beethoven will be released by Naxos on the Westminster Choir label. Doss last sang the bass-baritone soloist in Beethoven's masterpiece with the Interlochen Academy in Interlochen, Michigan, and before that with Bobby MacFerrin conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
After his American stint, Doss will return to Europe to perform in Eine Florentinische Tragodie in Turin, Italy in March, as well as performing in the World Premiere of Shell Shock by Nicholas Lens in Brussels, Belgium in October and November of 2014.
Doss has received significant media attention in connection to his recent performances, making guest TV appearances on ABC, NBC, FOX, CBC's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and Toronto News at Six, Rogers TV, and OMNI.
Tickets for the Do-It-Yourself Messiah are available at www.harristheaterchicago.org or by calling 312-334-7777. For tickets to the 100th birthday celebration of William H. Scheide, please call 609-258-9220.
You can connect with Mark S. Doss through his Facebook fan page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Mark-S-Doss/78423203990), Google+ (https://plus.google.com/u/0/114847006736802038176), and/or follow him @marksdoss on Twitter (http://twitter.com/marksdoss).
ABOUT THE DO-IT-YOURSELF MESSIAH:
Originally intended as an Easter oratorio, Handel's Messiah tells the story of Jesus' birth and life. Over the years, however, it has become more popularly associated with Christmas. The "do-it-yourself" idea was born at a small church in rural England more than 30 years ago and was first staged in Chicago in 1976. Audience members are seated according to voice range (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) and sing with a full orchestra and four soloists.
ABOUT BEETHOVEN'S 9th SYMPHONY:
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (sometimes known simply as "the Choral"), is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best-known works of the repertoire of classical music. Among critics, it is almost universally considered to be among Beethoven's greatest works, and is considered by some to be the greatest piece of music ever written.
ABOUT MARK S. DOSS:
Mark S. Doss is a celebrated bass-baritone whose accomplishments include a Grammy Award for his work on the recording of Semele (Handel), and numerous engagements with the famous Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. Doss began his musical studies to aid in his ambitions to become a Catholic priest, but instead found opera to be his true calling. He has since emerged as one of the opera world's leading singers.