The Tabernacle Choir Blog

Photo Credits: Christian Pursell, Tai Power Seeff; Tamara Mumford, Fay Fox; Andriana Chuchman, Chia Messina; Tyler Nelson, Lindsey Nelson

2020 Messiah Concert Soloists Announced!

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square are pleased to announce the soloists for their upcoming performances of Handel’s beloved oratorio Messiah scheduled on Friday and Saturday, April 10-11 in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. The four renowned soloists performing with the Choir and Orchestra are Andriana Chuchman, soprano; Tamara Mumford, mezzo-soprano; Tyler Nelson, tenor; and Christian Pursell, bass-baritone.

Andriana Chuchman is making her debut performance with the Choir. She received her bachelor's degree in voice performance from the School of Music at the University of Manitoba. She is also an alumna of the Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the San Francisco Opera’s Merola Program. Ms. Chuchman’s awards include the San Francisco Opera’s 2019 Emerging Star of the Year, Opera Theatre of St. Louis' 2017 Mabel Dorn Reeder Award, and prizewinner at the finals of the 2009 Neue Stimmen Competition in Germany.

Mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford has sung Messiah with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square more than any other soloist this century. She performed in the 2014 and 2018 Messiah concerts, the 2015 Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir concerts, and on The Tabernacle Choir’s 2016 recording of Messiah. A native of Sandy, Utah, Ms. Mumford is a graduate of the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program and has since appeared in more than 140 performances with the company, including the Metropolitan Opera’s Met: Live in HD series broadcasts. An active concert performer and recitalist, she has recorded with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, and Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Tyler Nelson is making his second Messiah appearance with The Tabernacle Choir and is one of America’s most promising young tenors. He has performed in a wide variety of concert repertoire, including engagements with Opera Saratoga, New Orleans Opera, Opera on the James, Dayton Opera, Utah Opera, Opera Naples, Opera Omaha, and Wide Open Opera in Ireland. Mr. Nelson has appeared as a soloist on the stages of the Kennedy Center and at Carnegie Hall. Local audiences will also remember his solo performance in Mozart’s Requiem with the Temple Square Chorale and Orchestra at Temple Square in 2017.

American bass-baritone Christian Pursell is quickly establishing himself as one of the rising stars of the next generation of singers. Currently, Mr. Pursell is in his final year as an Adler Fellow at San Francisco Opera. He is making a return engagement to the Tabernacle following his 2018 solo performance in Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Temple Square Chorale and Orchestra at Temple Square. Mr. Pursell is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and received his Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Christian is following in his grandfather’s footsteps, who performed with The Tabernacle Choir in 1941 in the title role in Felix Mendelssohn’s St. Paul.

Messiah Concert Dates
Plan now to join the Choir and Orchestra and these soloists on Good Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, 2020 in an unprecedented gathering bringing together Christians around the world as well as fans of Handel’s beloved oratorio in a celebration of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ.

The live concert will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in the Salt Lake Tabernacle with simulcast locations in the Joseph Smith Building Legacy Theater and in the Conference Center Theater. To enable as many people as possible to participate in this musical experience, on both Friday and Saturday, April 10-11, the concert will be live streamed to audiences throughout the world. After the live streaming, the concert will also be available on demand over the internet on the Choir’s website. Please see tabchoir.org/messiah for more information.

Plan Your Own Messiah Sing-Along Event!
Join us and plan your own Messiah experience wherever you are—either by watching in the comfort of your own home or by organizing your own Messiah event in your community. Access to the internet is all that’s required! In 2018 when the Choir last performed Messiah via digital live stream and on-demand viewing, over 200,000 people around the world participated in their homes, with family and friends, or with larger groups in churches, schools, and community centers.

See tabchoir.org/messiah for information on planning a Messiah event and links to additional downloadable resources and information.