VITA Academy’s Great Composers Chamber Music Series
Sunday, October 25, 2026, 2:00 p.m.
Scott-Skillman Recital Hall, Harris Center for the Arts, Folsom
Subscription renewals begin July 2
Individual tickets will go on sale September 2, 2026
Soprano Carrie Hennessey and pianist Jennifer Reason bring their artistry to the stage in collaboration with cellist Susan Lamb Cook in a program filled with warmth and passion, including works by American composers Rebecca Clark and Amy Beach, as well as Jules Massanet, and a world premiere by Stephanie Ann Boyd.
Program
Sonata for Cello and Piano by Rebecca Clarke
Cosmos (2025) (From Flower Catalog) by Stephanie Ann Boyd
Honey for cello and voice by Griffin Candey
Chanson D’amour by Amy Beach
Elegie and On dit by Jules Massanet
Carrie Hennessey is a wayfinder through the deep, spiritual and technical discoveries of the voice. She is known for her soaring voice and richly nuanced characters onstage. The 2026/27 season includes Vier Letzte Lieder of Strauss, Nedda in I Pagliacci, Mimí in La Bohème, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and several premieres. Ms. Hennessey has sung across the country and worldwide at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Budapest, Reduta Hall in Bratislava, Rudolfinum Hall in Prague, the International Mahler Festival, the Concertgebouw in Bruges, Ypres, Belgium and at the Liederhalle in Stuttgart. Carrie lights a fire in those around her teaching music education through lectures, workshops, Master Classes, and is joyfully dedicated to guiding all around her to find their true authentic voice in the world. To be a part of this creative adventure, or find out about upcoming performances, including her one woman show, subscribe to her email list and blog at www.carriehennessey.com and follow on social media @carriehennessey for updates!
Hailed as a “rising star” and a “powerhouse” “in the league of Carnegie Hall, ” Jennifer Reason is a versatile performer in consistent demand. She’s recorded at Berkeley’s Fantasy Studios and London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios. Performance credits cover seventeen countries and fifteen states and include venues like Carnegie Hall and the Vatican. She was honored to receive Sac Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Award as well as an Emmy nomination from PBS. Collaboratively she is the founding MD of Rogue Music Project, and also works in the pits of Broadway Sacramento and Broadway SF. Onstage collaborators include Josh Groban, Wayen Brady, Sarah Brightman, Maria Shriver, Dr. Cornell West and many more. Away from the piano you can hear her on CapRadio daily as the Midday Classical Host. She also works extensively with the Grammy Awards as a Voting Member of the Recording Academy, a Governor on the Academy’s Board of Directors SF Chapter, and a district advocate to the Assembly on behalf of musicians.
Susan Lamb Cook is currently Lecturer in Cello and Chamber Music at the University of California, Davis. She is a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera and the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra and is Artistic Director of the VITA Academy’s Great Composers Chamber Music Series. She is an active performer and educator both nationally and internationally and is sought after as soloist and chamber musician with performances throughout Europe, the Far East, and the United States. She has served on faculty for the Saarburg Festival, Germany, the Vianden Festival, Luxembourg, and on the artistic staff for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria. As a member of the Kismarton Trio, Susan has performed concerts in the Hungarian National Museum and the Petöfi Museum of Literature, Budapest, and performed the opening concert for the 2024 International Music Festival, Grosslobming, Austria. She completed a degree at the Academy of Music in Vienna, Austria under the guidance of Angelica May, then joined the teaching staff as assistant professor of cello, a position she held for two years before returning to her home of Sacramento.