Jarod Kopf in "We Phantom Figures" Part of the enjoyment of sitting through a session watching Jarod Kopf perform is trying to figure out if he’s more a gifted magician or a skilled storyteller. A master of both skills, the Dallas-based magician can spin a yarn with the best of them and, at the same time, mesmerize his audience with some dazzling legerdemain. Excellent at cards, the former attorney who shed his suit and tie persona, donned on an alternate personality that reflects his wizardry. Long haired, bushy bearded, his lithe image is now clothed in a sophisticated ensemble of dark jacket and matching trousers. Over his eye-catching shirt, you’ll find a mysterious gold talisman, dangling and tantalizing your curiosity. The soft-spoken magician enters the stage with a confident nonchalance and promptly invites two members of the audience to join him at a table that sits in the middle of the stage. Once seated, they segue into and out of the act, but remain there for th...
Daniel Singer conducting MCP, March 2024 - photo courtesy of Paul Vladuchick Dear David S. Zuchowski, While interviewing for the position of Executive Director of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh earlier this year, I had the opportunity to sit down with Daniel Singer over coffee to learn more about him and his vision for MCP. Though I’d already witnessed some of his work from the podium of several Mendelssohn performances, I was energized to hear him talk about the power of music to heal, comfort, and transform. I could tell right away that this was an artistic partner I was excited to work with. A few months later, I am very pleased to announce that Daniel Singer has signed a two-year extension to his contract as Music Director of the Mendelssohn Choir , running through the 2027-28 season. Along with thoughtful musicianship, Daniel brings a deep sensitivity to the emotional connection between music and people to this work. Now in his third year as Music Director, Dani...