The Lily of Quito | Cantata on St. Mariana de Jesús de Paredes

Composer and soprano Dr. Stephanie Susberich (pictured below) presents The Lily of Quito, a cantata on St. Mariana de Jesús de Paredes, the 17th-century mystic and patroness of Ecuador. A member of the Third Order of St. Francis, Mariana is remembered for a life of devotion, sacrifice, and profound spiritual interiority, and is known as the “Lily of Quito,” a title linked to a miracle at her death.

Originally composed as Dr. Susberich’s doctoral dissertation, The Lily of Quito is a large-scale work for soprano and ensemble that seeks to render the saint’s inner world through a contemporary musical language shaped by lyricism, theology, and emotional precision. Drawing directly from Mariana’s own words, the work allows the saint to speak in her own voice, giving musical form to her lived spirituality rather than a retrospective portrayal.

The score is held in the Victoria and Joaquín Rodrigo Archive in Madrid, managed by the Victoria and Joaquín Rodrigo Foundation, alongside his own oratorio on the saint, establishing a rare historical and artistic dialogue between the two works.

The program situates the cantata within a broader sacred and historical context. It includes Joaquín Rodrigo’s La Despedida de Azucena from his oratorio on the same saint, offering a rare opportunity to encounter two distinct musical interpretations of Mariana de Jesús. The Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola will also perform Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla’s Missa Ego flos campi, along with Rodrigo’s Ave Maria, rounding out an evening that bridges centuries of sacred expression.

This performance continues Dr. Susberich’s ongoing work of bringing the lives of saints into contemporary musical form, uniting historical devotion with a distinctly present artistic voice.

Meet the Composer talk to precede concert. Reception to follow in Wallace Hall.

Hailed by The New York Times as a "finely polished, stylistically nimble ensemble" and Opera News as "a wondrous ensemble", the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola is comprised of some of New York's finest professional singers. The core group of 19 singers has command over a wide range of repertoire, from Gregorian chant to contemporary literature. The Choir expands as needed for the Concerts at St. Ignatius, Park Avenue series. Each singer is a soloist in his or her own right in a variety of genres including early music, opera, oratorio, contemporary, and pop repertoire. The Choir may be heard on recordings for the MSR Classics and AMDG labels.

Dr. Stephanie Susberich is a composer and soprano based in New York City. Her work centers on large-scale vocal compositions that explore spiritual, literary, and historical subjects through a contemporary lens.

Her recent performances include a sold-out presentation as part of Carnegie Hall’s United in Sound: America at 250 festival. Her song cycle Songs of Juana Borrero, released on Composers Concordance Records, was presented within the festival by the Cuban Cultural Center of New York at the cell theatre in Chelsea in March.

Dr. Susberich holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition and a master’s degree in voice, among other graduate degrees in music. Her work has been recognized for its structural clarity, expressive depth, and commitment to text-driven musical storytelling.

www.stephaniesusberich.com

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