Grammy winner Mark S. Doss returns to Chicago for 'Do-It-Yourself Messiah' and performs as soloist in Beethoven’s '9th Symphony' in Princeton, New Jersey

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Chicago, Illinois – December 5, 2013 – Grammy Award winner, Mark S. Doss, returns to one of Chicago’s favorite holiday traditions as the bass soloist for Handel’s Do-It-Yourself Messiah. Celebrating its 38th annual performance, Messiah will take place on Thursday, December 19, 2013 and Friday, December 20, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park.

“I am honored to return to Chicago for the magnificent Do-It-Yourself Messiah,” said Mark S. Doss. “I look forward to sharing the stage in front of a huge chorus/audience, with other world-class soloists and a very talented orchestra of local and amateur musicians. This holiday tradition for Chicago is extremely meaningful to me and has become the perfect way to celebrate the holidays, year-after-year.”

Doss has spent more than a quarter century delighting Chicago audiences throughout his career. After studying at Indiana University with Walter Cassel and Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, he became an apprentice artist with the Santa Fe Opera, which led to him becoming a member of what was formerly known as Chicago’s Lyric Opera Center for American Artists. He has also performed in 10 seasons at Lyric, most notably singing the roles of Hercules in Alceste, Cinque in Amistad, and Escamillo in Carmen. In addition to past performances of Messiah, Mr. Doss was also featured with the Chicago Symphony in the title role of Anthony Davis' opera X (The Life and Times of Malcolm X).

Following his performance in Chicago, Doss will kick-off the New Year as the bass-baritone soloist to celebrate the 100th Birthday of William H. Scheide, an incredible musician, philanthropist and humanitarian. The concert takes place in the Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey on January 25, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. It features works by Bach, Brahms, Scheide and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony to benefit Westminster Choir College. This concert will be recorded and the Beethoven will be released by Naxos on the Westminster Choir label. Doss last sang the bass-baritone soloist in Beethoven’s masterpiece with the Interlochen Academy in Interlochen, Michigan, and before that with Bobby MacFerrin conducting the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

After his American stint, Doss will return to Europe to perform in Eine Florentinische Tragodie in Turin, Italy in March, as well as performing in the World Premiere of Shell Shock by Nicholas Lens in Brussels, Belgium in October and November of 2014.