Los Angeles-based new music group ensembleGREEN will begin its new season with the debut of A Hopeful Place. The song cycle, by composer Dan Redfeld, will feature local talent Kristi Holden (currently starring as 'Christine Daaé' in PHANTOM: The Las Vegas Spectacular) and an eighteen-piece orchestra.

ensembleGREEN is dedicated to the performance of the music of today, intertwining the musical world of seminal 20th Century composers with innovative works of living West Coast composers. Executive Director Paul Sherman notes: "This event marks ensembleGREEN's thirteenth season and their third collaboration with Dan Redfeld. We are excited to be joined by the inimitable Kristi Holden."

"When I proposed the idea of a song cycle for Ms. Kristi Holden to Paul, he was enthusiastic about the idea," adds composer Dan Redfeld. "We instantly contacted Kristi and I also contacted lyricist John Koladziej, with whom I had collaborated on a musical adaptation of Little Women years ago."

The composer (who will also conduct the performance) recalls: "The prospect of writing pure music, not driven by a plot and theatrical devices, is definitely an area I have wanted to explore for some time. I knew that the music would move from a contemporary classical sound, to Broadway, to jazz, and so on, embracing a wide variety of styles similar to the makeup of our country. We threw around ideas, eventually settling on a nine-movement structure detailing the life of woman from birth to death. The piece explores the affect she has on the world as well as her experiences with love, joy, slightly sinful feelings, etc. At the central core of the piece was the notion that, even though we ultimately will die, we leave a mark on the world by passing on our love through children/family and the people we come into contact with."

ensembleGREEN members are all active in the Los Angeles musical community. The ensemble offers them the chance to break out of their conventional molds and champion the music of the community; creating the music of tomorrow by listening, openly, intently, and actively, to the music of today.

The performance of A Hopeful Place will take place at the Pasadena Library Community Room, located at 1115 El Centro Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 2, 2010.

Advance tickets for the gala performance are $40 (suggested donation). Reserve your tickets here.

KRISTI HOLDEN
Special Guest Soloist Soprano

Kristi grew up in a small community in the middle of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. By the time she was just four years old it was unmistakable that she wanted to perform. Her grandfather nicknamed her "Grasshopper," amused by her endless singing and dancing around his feet. Kristi's local church and community embraced her vocal talents at an early age and put her to work on stage where she thrived into her late teens. She started taking dance lessons at age seven and by the time she reached sixteen she herself became an instructor teaching jazz and tap for all ages. Additionally, Kristi grew up studying piano and visual arts.

Kristi earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Cornish College for the Arts in Seattle, Washington. She studied Opera and Jazz vocal technique while becoming addicted to coffee in the hometown of Starbucks and the ubiquitous barista cart!

Upon graduating from Cornish, Kristi moved to Los Angeles with her husband, David, where they now call home. Kristi began her professional career in Los Angeles as a cast member in critically acclaimed productions at The Hollywood Bowl, Reprise! Broadwayís Best and local Civic Light Opera theatres. Some of her favorite roles include Julie in Carousel, Johanna in Sweeney Todd, Anne in A Little Night Music, and Lily in The Secret Garden. She has been recognized for her contribution to the Los Angeles theatre community with a Robbie Nomination, two Inland Theatre Awards and honored recipient of a Richard Carpenter Scholarship Award to assist in her artistic endeavors as a professional artist. She is a proud member of Actorís Equity Association, SAG, AFTRA and the prestigious Los Angeles Musical Theatre Guild.

Kristi is currently playing Christine Daaé in PHANTOM: The Las Vegas Spectacular at the Venetian Resort and Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

DAN REDFELD
Composer

Dan Redfeld attended Boston's New England Conservatory of Music before transferring to UCLA where he received his degree in composition/conducting. He was then chosen to attend the ASCAP/Fred Karlin Film Scoring Workshop in 1994. Since then, Dan has composed several scores for films including the award-winning AFI graduate picture, Clinic E, and Barbara Jean, starring Sara Rue. He recently composed and conducted the score for Flickerhouse Productions' psychological drama, Fly. Dan has also been commissioned by the city of Ventura to compose music for the silent classics The Phantom of the Opera, The Sheik, Hellís Hinges, The Black Pirate, Safety Last, The Adventures of Prince Achmed and Robin Hood as part of the annual Music Under the Stars festival. He recently premiered his score for the Mary Pickford classic, Sparrows, in July 2009 for the Library of Congress and the Alex Film Society. He has also composed scores for the American Cinematheque silents retrospectives. In December of 2007, he composed three scores for Variete, Asphalt, and The Covered Wagon, all of which were premiered at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

In the musical theatre world, Dan has written six shows. Little Women, an American Musical, was workshopped in New York in April 2001 with Elaine Stritch and Deborah Gibson. The Los Angeles workshops occurred in December 1999 and May 2000 with Teri Ralston, Brian Evers and Gordon Goodman. Dan is currently working on the musical thriller/comedy Canterville with lyrics by KoÌ Howard and book by Steven Ganci. Other musicals include Tales, an adaptation of Mother Goose rhymes, and UCSD's production of Dangerous Liaisons.

Dan has also written concert music, including the Fanfare and Theme for large orchestra, which will be recorded in 2009. His latest chambers works, Vineyards and Dance Sketches, were successfully premiered in 2008 and 2009, by members of Ensemble Green. In October of 2010, Ensemble Green will perform a new song cycle by Dan & librettist John Koladziej written for them and soprano Kristi Holden, currently starring as Christine Daaé in Andrew Lloyd Webber's PHANTOM: The Vegas Spectacular. He recently completed the Fantasy for Violin and Piano for violinist Elizabeth Hedman and pianist Robert Thies, who premiered the work in September 2009.

Other works include A Heart's Journey for Piano and Orchestra, Arioso for Oboe, Percussion and Strings, and Serenade for Violin, Cello and Piano. He recently recorded a new work for string quartet entitled Jubilation Fanfare. Dan has also written incidental music for various plays including the score for the Met Theatre's acclaimed production of USA directed by John Hickey. He arranged, orchestrated, and conducted (as well as composed 2 tunes), and produced all the material for the debut album of singer/songwriter James Below, entitled I Once Was Told, which was released in December of 2008. It can be purchased at Amazon, iTunes, or www.jamesbelow.com..

Dan has also musical directed and/or conducted several shows including Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song & Dance, Miss Saigon, Disney's Beauty & the Beeast, Singin' in the Rain, Sweet Charity, The Spitfire Grill, Triumph of Love, Blood Brothers, A Chorus Line, A Little Night Music, Evita, Chess, Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ Superstar, Crazy for You, Godspell, 70 Girls 70, Grease, The Secret Garden, West Side Story, etc. He musical directed and conducted the much anticipated, single-night performance of Chess at the Ford Amphitheatre in September 2007 with Susan Egan, Matt Morrison, Kevin Earley, and Ty Taylor and a cast of 40 singers and dancers. In 2008, Dan music directed and conducted Flickerhouse Productions' successful theatrical extravaganza, The Who's Tommy, which ran in Hollywood at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre to tremendous critical acclaim. He recently music directed and conducted the world premier of Lee Holdridgeís new opus, Tanis in America, for the Los Angeles Opera.

JOHN GABRIEL KOLADZIEJ
Lyricist

John is a New-York based lyricist/librettist who has recently written book and lyrics for Elephant © Pig (with Korean composer Sunhee Huh) and Speedy Date. John has also co-written the lyrics (with lyricist Christina Harding) to Little Women, an American Musical, also by composer Dan Redfeld . He is currently writing the libretto for Shoot the Moon. John trained at the Stella Adler Conservatory in New York City and holds a BFA in Drama and an MFA in Musical Theatre Writing, both from New York University. John is a member of ASCAP and the Dramatist Guild.

PAUL SHERMAN
Executive Director, ensembleGREEN

Paul Sherman is executive director of the contemporary music group ensembleGREEN which will be premiering nine commissions this season. He performs with The Jealous Nightingale and Harmonia Baroque Players on baroque oboe. Paul In the jazz idiom he has performed and recorded with the Dutz Quintet, GO organic orchestra, the Vinny Gollia Large Ensemble, and Yusef Lateef. On modern oboe, he performs with many orchestras on the west coast. He is teaching at USC, College of the Canyons, Glendale City College, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, Citrus Community College and the California Institute of the Arts. He is also conductor and associate music director of the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra.Barbara Syphony, the Master Choral Orchestra, Riverside Philharmonic and the Santa Clarita Symphony. He is faculty at College of the Canyons, Citrus College, CalArts and USC and is conductor of the Santa Clarita Valley Youth Orchestra. This summer he was soloist with the Corona del Mar Baroque Festival Orchestra and will appear later this year with Santa Fe Pro Musica.