Johannes Somary

Conductor

Beginning his fiftieth year as music director of Amor Artis, Johannes Somary has conducted such ensembles as the English Chamber Orchestra, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, London's Royal Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic. He has participated in numerous international festivals including the Madeira Bach Festival and festivals in Switzerland, Israel, Greece and the former Yugoslavia. His discography includes over sixty recordings, four of which received Stereo Review "Record of the Year" awards and three of which were first‐ever recordings of Handel oratorios. As a composer, he saw his cantata "Is This LIfe?" have its premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington. His "Te Deum," commissioned by the Benedictine Monastery of San Anselmo in Rome has been recorded on Albany Records. His dramatic cantata "The Prodigal Son," commissioned by the Universal Sacred Music Foundation, was premiered to great acclaim in New York City in April 2008. Lyrichord recently released his recording of "The Seasons" by Haydn. Somary also serves as the conductor of Connecticut's Fairfield County Chorale and the Amor Artis period‐instrument orchestra.