Morten Lauridsen - Lux aeterna (Joseph R. Olefirowicz)

Information

Composer: Morten Lauridsen

• Lux aeterna: I. Introitus
• Lux aeterna: II. In te, Domine, speravi
• Lux aeterna: III. O nata lux
• Lux aeterna: IV. Veni, Sancte Spiritus
• Lux aeterna: V. Agnus Dei - Lux aeterna

Bavarian Radio Chorus

Munich Radio Orchestra

Joseph R. Olefirowicz, conductor

Date: 2025

Label: BR-Klassik

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This production honors American composer Morten Lauridsen, best known for his widely celebrated choral work O magnum mysterium (1994). Born in 1943 in Portland, Oregon, to Danish immigrants, Lauridsen grew up surrounded by American popular music. Initially studying English and history, he later pursued music at the University of Southern California, where he became a professor of composition. Known for his vocal music, he received numerous honors, including the National Medal of Arts in 2007. His Lux aeterna, composed during his mother’s final illness, reflects on the theme of eternal light and was premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

Joseph R. Olefirowicz, born in 1972 in Massachusetts, is a versatile conductor celebrated for his work across opera, musical theatre, symphonic, and sacred music. After studying at Ithaca College, he built a prominent European career with productions like Starlight Express and Miss Saigon, later debuting in opera with Lodoïska and Aïda. He has conducted at leading venues including Vienna Volksoper, where his productions such as Sweeney Todd and Porgy and Bess gained acclaim. A concert conductor with international orchestras, he is also noted for televised premieres and recordings, including Runestad’s Earth Symphony. During the pandemic, he earned a Master’s in Pastoral Theology and continues his work as a concert organist and music director in Nashua.

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