South Bend, IN — The South Bend Symphony Orchestra’s Jack M. Champaigne Masterworks Series comes to a close with a thrilling choral display on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at the Morris Performing Arts Center. Led by Music Director Alastair Willis, the program culminates in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The performance brings together St. Mary’s College Belles Voix, the South Bend Chamber Singers (directed by Dr. Nancy Menk), and the Notre Dame Glee Club. Featured soloists include Jana McIntyre (soprano), Johnathan McCullough (baritone), and Marcus Shelton (tenor).
The evening opens with Richard Strauss’s Tod und Verklärung (Death and Transfiguration), a sweeping tone poem that explores life’s final moments and the promise of transcendence beyond death. Written when Strauss was just 25 years old, the work unfolds as a powerful musical narrative. Strauss’ orchestration and emotional depth set a profound tone for the concert.
Then the stage erupts with the energy of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, one of the most recognizable and exhilarating works in the choral-orchestral repertoire. Based on medieval poems celebrating fate, love, springtime, and earthly pleasures, the cantata is framed by the iconic “O Fortuna,” whose thunderous return at the work’s conclusion underscores the relentless turning of fortune’s wheel. Orff’s elemental rhythms, bold harmonies, and powerful use of percussion create an almost ritualistic intensity that has captivated audiences worldwide for decades.
The South Bend Symphony Orchestra is grateful to Jack M. Champaigne for supporting the Masterworks Series.
TICKETS range from $29–95.
Online – www.southbendsymphony.org
Phone – Morris Performing Arts Center Box Office 574-235-9190
(10 am – 4 pm, Wednesday & 10 – 5:30 p.m., Thursday & Friday)
In-person – Visit the Morris Box Office (211 N. Michigan St., South Bend) during the times listed above or two hours before any performance or stop by the Symphony Office (127 N. Michigan St., South Bend) between (10 am – 4 pm, Tuesday – Friday).
To VIEW the 2025-26 Season schedule, visit www.southbendsymphony.org
Dates, programs, and venues are subject to change.
For questions or media appearances, please contact Sarah Perschbacher, sperschbacher@southbendsymphony.org or 574-230-4875
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About the South Bend Symphony Orchestra
The South Bend Symphony inspires, entertains, and connects the community with the transformative power of orchestral music. Producing more than 20 mainstage programs each year and nearly 70 smaller ensemble concerts, the Symphony serves more than 30,000 attendees annually. As the region’s only professional orchestra, the Symphony is dedicated to cultivating a vibrant, interconnected arts community in support of South Bend and the broader Michiana region.
The South Bend Symphony Orchestra has earned recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as Indiana Arts Commission and local arts funding organizations. It is also the recipient of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence, which honors the best-run nonprofit organization in St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Learn more about the South Bend Symphony Orchestra at www.southbendsymphony.org.
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About St. Mary’s College Belles Voix
Belles Voix, a select ensemble, regularly commissions and performs new works for women’s voices. An outgrowth of this emphasis is the publication of the Saint Mary’s College Choral Series, a collection of new works for women’s voices, published by earthsongs of Corvallis, Oregon. Belles Voix has performed throughout the United States and has appeared before state, division, and national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Directors Association. Each November the Belles Voix hosts the annual Saint Mary’s College High School Treble Choir Festival, in which 20 choirs from neighboring states perform for each other and a panel of commentators. Belles Voix tours nationally every other year, and regularly performs with the University of Notre Dame Glee Club in joint performances of major works with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra. They have appeared in concert at Carnegie Hall in 1999, 2001, 2005, and at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in 2014. In March 2019 they returned to Carnegie Hall to perform a concert in honor of the 175th anniversary of Saint Mary’s College, along with an SMC Alumnae Choir of over 60 singers, and 6 other women’s choirs for a total of 250 singers.
Belles Voix has recorded five compact discs on the ProOrgano label: Ave, Ave!, recorded in 1997, Amazing Day!, recorded in 2002, Anima mea!, recorded in 2004, Across the Bar…, recorded in 2007, and O Lux!, recorded in 2017. In March 2011 they toured in Nanjing, Suzhou, and Shanghai, China, and in June 2012 they appeared before the American Choral Directors Association National Symposium on American Choral Music in Washington, D.C. In February 2016 they appeared by invitation for the Central Division Conference of the American Choral Directors Association in Chicago. They were named 2nd place winners of the 2012 American Prize in Choral Performance–the first women’s choir to place in the college/university division, and they were finalists in 2017 and 2019.
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About the South Bend Chamber Singers
The South Bend Chamber Singers, an ensemble-in-residence at Saint Mary’s College, is celebrating its 37th season this year. Over the past 37 years the Singers have presented major choral-orchestral works such as Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Magnificat, B Minor Mass, and St. John Passion, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Yet the ensemble concentrates primarily on works by living composers and regularly commissions new works and unusual and complex arrangements. The Singers have commissioned new choral works from composers Stephen Paulus, William Hawley, Steven Sametz, Libby Larsen, Gregg Smith, Frank Ferko, Dan Locklair, Carol Barnett, Bob Chilcott, Paul Mealor, John Muehleisen, Ivo Antognini, Daniel Knaggs, William Averitt, and many others, most of which have been published and continue to be performed by choirs throughout the world. Other concerts have featured music from America, Canada, South America, Europe, Africa, India, Korea, and even Mongolia. The choir has joined with numerous other chamber and instrumental ensembles including the South Bend Symphony, the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, and Germany’s Chamber Orchestra of the Rhine; the Chester, Cavani, Avalon and Euclid String Quartets; the Northern Illinois University Steel Band, Quintessence Brass, and Kennedy’s Kitchen.
The Chamber Singers were selected to perform for the Central Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in 1996 (Cincinnati) and 2002 (Chicago). In 2000, the Singers were one of five finalists for the prestigious Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence, given annually by Chorus America, and they won the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming in 2004. Since 1992 their efforts were rewarded by annual grants from the Indiana Arts Commission. In March 2012 they performed for the American Choral Directors Association Central Division Conference in Fort Wayne. They were semi-finalists for The American Prize in Choral Performance in 2012 and 2013.
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About Notre Dame Glee Club
Founded by student Samuel Ward Perrott, whose auditions turned out twice the available spots, The Notre Dame Glee Club’s 60-voice, all-male choral ensemble first took the stage in December 1915. So began their enduring legend as the oldest glee club at a Catholic university.
From their four annual campus concerts to domestic and international tours, their voices carry around the world. Mini performances with a year-round rotation of classic Glee Club selections ensure that their members have something to work toward nearly constantly. Their musical endeavors even allow them to experience the talents of and sing with other groups, building a bridge between distinct cultures!
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About Jana McIntyre
Jana McIntyre is a versatile soprano celebrated for her brilliant vocal agility, expressive precision, and commanding stage presence. Praised for her “dancer’s grace, mercurial wit, and vibrant soprano tone” (Opera Magazine), she has quickly emerged as one of today’s most compelling young artists.
Recent and upcoming highlights include debuts and returns with Detroit Opera (The Handmaid’s Tale), San Francisco Opera (Parsifal), Bard SummerScape (Die Ägyptische Helena), and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (Pirates of Penzance). On the symphonic stage, she appears with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Grant Park Music Festival, Kansas City Symphony, Tulsa Symphony, and New York Philharmonic, and joins the roster of The Metropolitan Opera covering the role of Elvira in I Puritani.
Ms. McIntyre has performed with leading orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, the San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, and New Jersey Symphony.
Operatic highlights include title roles in La fille du Régiment and Daphne (Carnegie Hall debut), Tytania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and appearances with Opera Santa Barbara, Tulsa Opera, and Detroit Opera.
A George London Foundation top prize winner and Metropolitan Opera National Council Grand Finalist, Ms. McIntyre trained with the Merola Opera Program, Santa Fe Opera, and Tulsa Opera. She holds degrees from UCLA and a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music.
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About Johnathan McCullough
GRAMMY® nominated baritone and director, Johnathan McCullough, originally premiered his production of David T. Little’s Soldier Songs produced by Opera Philadelphia which was nominated by the Recording Academy for Best Opera Recording, an International Opera Award nomination, and won the Artistic Creation Prize at the inaugural Opera America Awards for Digital Excellence. He went on to make his Canadian directing debut this season with the Atelier lyrique of Opéra de Montréal with a program entitled “Emily” centered around works written by Emily Dickinson which he co-created. Other recent appearances include appearances with Pittsburgh Opera as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Opera Philadelphia as Ophémon in The Anonymous Lover, and Lyric Opera Kansas City as Mercutio in Roméo et Juliette and Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore with New Orleans Opera and Dr. Falke in a new production of Die Fledermaus with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis. He also recently performed the baritone soloist in Britten’s “War Requiem” at Walt Disney Concert Hall and recital with pianist Carol Wong as part of the Carnegie Hall Citywide Series.
He has sung leading roles at Opera Philadelphia, Komische Oper Berlin, English National Opera, Opéra de Lausanne, Portland Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and many more. Johnathan was also selected by Renée Fleming to participate in the Weill Institute Song Studio at Carnegie Hall where he has performed in concert on multiple occasions.
He holds a B.M., M.M., and Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music and has been engaged as a guest speaker with institutions across the US and Canada including Yale, Curtis, Wolf Trap, UCLA, Young ARTS, Opéra de Montreal, and Pacific Opera Victoria. He currently serves as the Opera Program Director of the National Youth Opera Academy. As a director, McCullough’s work has been noted by The New York Times as “a pacesetter for cinematic opera”.
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About Marcus Shelton
Marcus Shelton made his professional operatic debut in 2000 as a chorus member in Seattle Opera’s production of Richard Wagner’s monumental Ring cycle. He remained with the Seattle Opera chorus for five years, performing in dozens of productions, before auditioning for and being accepted into the company’s prestigious Young Artist Program.
During his two years in the program, Shelton undertook intensive study of numerous leading and supporting roles, culminating in his international debut in 2008 with the Greek National Opera, where he performed the role of Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.
Since that time, Shelton has performed in operas and concerts around the world with organizations including Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Opera Idaho, Portland Opera, New Orleans Opera, Opéra Théâtre de Rimouski, Opera Oviedo, the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, and others.
In addition to his operatic career, Shelton has participated in several crossover performances. Notably, he appeared onstage accompanied by multiple Grammy Award–winner David Foster at the Seattle Museum of Flight’s 50th Anniversary Gala, where he also performed alongside artists such as Kenny G and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.
In addition to his operatic and concert career, Shelton has maintained a prominent presence in professional sports venues. He spent 15 years as a regular National Anthem singer for both the Seattle Mariners and the Seattle Seahawks, and made his Detroit Tigers debut in April 2018. He has also performed both the American and Canadian national anthems at Major League Baseball games, including a Canada Day performance when the Toronto Blue Jays were in Seattle—his rendition of O Canada was later featured in MLB.com highlights.