Mercury Soul’s Ethereal Evening at Grace Cathedral

On April 25, attendees at Grace Cathedral listened to soaring strings and deep beats on a concert journey from classical masterpieces to club dance party music. Accompanying the music and Grace Cathedral’s inspiring architecture were vibrant, large scale projections of immersive visuals by Mark Johns.

The concert featured four DJs and more than 50 performers, including the Grace Cathedral Choir, Mercury Soul Brass All-Stars, SFCM Baroque, organist Christopher Keady, cellist Sophie Deng, and soprano Alliana Lili Yang from Mercury Soul’s Youth Ambassadors program.

Every Mercury Soul event spotlights extraordinary student performers from their Youth Ambassadors, giving them performing experience alongside professional musicians and in front of teeming crowds. The program gives these young musicians an inside look into one of the country’s most dynamic classical music organizations.

Youth Ambassadors also receive one-on-one artistic mentorship, social media features, professional photography for their portfolios, VIP introductions, and professional references and letters of recommendation.

➥ Details at https://mercurysoul.com/youth-ambassadors/.

This year, Mercury Soul has launched its Anne Akiko Meyers Youth Ambassador Program. Among the extraordinary student performers, Alliana Lili Yang was featured as a soloist at the Mercury Soul event under the baton of Benjamin Shwartz and accompanied by the Mercury Soul Chamber Orchestra. Yang sang “Ch’io vai ma possa” by Handel.

Hailed by Mason Bates as “the most amazing 14-year old soprano,” her performance received an extended ovation. Yang was the youngest college-curriculum student at the Juilliard School and the SFCM Vocal Academy.

She has garnered over 70 prizes in competitions worldwide and performed at Carnegie Hall, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Vatican. In her role as a Youth Ambassador, Yang attended this year’s Mercury Soul events at the Gray Area and Grace Cathedral.