Barbara Shirvis - soprano

Faust & Furious: October 16, 2010

 

Barbara Shirvis began her career at New York City Opera where she sang for a decade in such roles as Micaela, Pamina in Mozart's The Magic Flute, Sophie in Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier and Yum-Yum in Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado. Barbara's successful 2009-10 season included returns to Toledo Opera as Alice Ford in Verdi's Falstaff, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra as Fiordiligi in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte, and the Rochester Philharmonic in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. She also sang the title role in Tosca with the Minnesota Orchestra and in a recital, "Hearts Afire" with husband Stephen Powell in Dallas, Texas. Her 2008-09 season included Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Utah Opera, and Liu in Turandot in a fully staged production for the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, as soloist in Haydn's The Creation with the Rochester Philharmonic, in Mahler's Symphony No. 2 with the Syracuse Symphony, and in recital in a new program entitled "American Celebration", in her continuing collaboration with husband, baritone Stephen Powell. She made role debuts in 2009 as Mimi in Puccini's La boheme in a fully staged production with the West Virginia Symphony, and as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello with Opera Roanoke.

Recent highlights include performances of Liu in a return to Kentucky Opera and Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with North Carolina Symphony. On concert stages she performed as soloist in Verdi's Requiem for the West Virginia Symphony, Brahms' Requiem for the New Mexico Symphony, Orff's Carmina Burana for the Rochester Philharmonic, Beethoven's "Ah, perfido" with the Amarillo Symphony, and duo recitals with her husband. In the summer of 2007 she sang Cio-Cio San in Madama Butterfly at the Aspen Music Festival under the baton of David Zinman.

More at barbarshirvis.com

 

 

 

Dinyar Vania - tenor

Faust & Furious: October 16, 2010

 

Dinyar Vania has recently emerged as one of the country's most exciting young tenors. With a voice which combines both power and beauty, he has earned critical acclaim portraying several of the most beloved roles in opera. In the 2009-10 season Mr. Vania makes his debut with the Utica Symphony Orchestra as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. He also returns to Sacramento Opera to make his role debut as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, returns to Mercury Opera (Rochester, NY) to sing Alfredo in La traviata, a role which he immediately reprises in concert with Symphony of the Mountains, and to Knoxville Opera as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor.

In 2008-09 he made his role debut as Edgardo with Mobile Opera, followed by his Mercury Opera debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca, returned to Knoxville Opera for his role debut as the Duke in Rigoletto, performed in Cavalleria Rusticana in concert with the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra, and returned to the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra for concert performances of Tosca.

He has performed with New York City Opera as Rodolpho in La boheme, a role which he has also performed with Madison Opera, Opera Roanoke and Knoxville Opera. He has sung as Cavaradossi in Tosca with Dallas, Sacramento and Toledo operas; Alfredo in La traviata with Opera Cleveland; Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly with Knoxville Opera, and Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Syracuse Opera.

 

 

Jeffrey Tucker - bass

Faust & Furious: October 16, 2010

 

Jeffrey Tucker has performed to popular acclaim in many opera houses across the United States. This past season he made his New York City Opera debut as Judge III MARGARET GARNER and appeared as Lesbo AGRIPPINA. Mr. Tucker also returned to Sarasota Opera as apart of their Grand Re-Opening 2008 season as Sparafucile RIGOLETTO and as Loredano I DUE FOSCARI. He also added three new roles to his repertoire; the Sacristan TOSCA and the Grand Inquisitor DON CARLOS with Sarasota and the role of Rocco FIDELIO with Opera Roanoke.

This season he performs Sparafucile RIGOLETTO with the Opera Company of North Carolina, Pistola FALSTAFF with Toledo Opera and returns to New York City Opera to perform the role of Siroco L'ETOILE.

Mr. Tucker made his international debut to critical acclaim in Katowice, Poland singing the title role in Taneyev's AGAMEMNON with the Silesian Philharmonic. Also abroad he was featured last fall in a performance of CANDIDE at the Konzerthaus in Vienna, which was so popular that it was revived the following year in Bremen, Germany.

 

 

Yunah Lee - soprano

Madama Butterfly: March 18 & 20, 2011

 

Lyric Soprano Yunah Lee is thrilling audiences in the U.S., Europe and Asia with her "handsomely colored full lyric sound" (OPERA NEWS) and "picture perfect" acting (BERKSHIRE FINE ARTS). Recent performances in the title role of Madama Butterfly were hailed in Germany as "a revelationé [her] voice unites the girlish innocence and the wistful sensuality [of Cio Cio San]" (ONLINE MUSIK MAGAZIN). "...thoroughly captivating, above all thanks to Yunah Lee, who is utterly convincing in mood and presentationé a commanding and touching performance revealing the highs and lows of Butterfly's emotions." (DAS OPERNGLAS).

In the 2010-2011 season, Yunah Lee makes company debuts with Dallas Opera, Central City Opera, Kentucky Opera and Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland, all in the title role of Madama Butterfly. The 2009-2010 season saw her return to New York City Opera in the role of Cio Cio San, followed by a company debut with De Vlaamse Opera in Belgium in the same role.

Yunah Lee made her European Opera debut in 2005 in the title role in Madama Butterfly with Stadttheater Bern in Switzerland. She immediately returned to Europe to appear in concert with Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, Spain and then to New York City Opera as Mimi in La Boheme. She made her debut in the role of Cio Cio San with Boheme Opera and repeated the role with Opera Roanoke, Virginia Opera, Longview Opera, Lyric Opera of San Antonio, Grand Rapids Opera, Virginia Opera, Duluth Festival, New York City Opera, Lake George Opera, Westfield Symphony, New York Asian Symphony Orchestra, De Vlaamse Opera, Staattheater Braunschweig, and Opera Ireland.

More at yunahlee.com

 

 

Elizabeth Futral - soprano

Mother's Day Serenade: May 8, 2011

 

Elizabeth Futral has established herself as one of the major coloratura sopranos in the world today. She has embraced a diverse repertoire that includes Vivaldi, Händel, Mozart, Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini, Verdi, Glass, and Previn.

In the 2009-2010 season, Elizabeth Futral celebrated the art of the recital with a solo appearance at North Central College and in tandem with baritone Nathan Gunn at Dominican University. The soprano returned to Lyric Opera of Chicago for Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow, and makes a much-anticipated reappearance at Kentucky Opera for Violetta in La traviata, a role she essays later in the season with San Diego Opera. On the concert scene, Ms. Futral joined Jane Glover and Music of the Baroque for the title role in Hä'ndel's Acis and Galatea. She performed one of her favorite works, Strauss' Four Last Songs, with the Tucson Symphony, on a program also featuring the world premiere of Stephen Paulus' Three Poems of Dylan Thomas. The season was completed with a concert performance of Ricky Ian Gordon's The Grapes of Wrath with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall.

The soprano has appeared at the major opera houses of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera (the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor, Princess Eudoxie in La juive, Elvira in I Puritani, and most recently, Princess Yueyang in the world premiere of The First Emperor), Royal Opera House, Covent Garden (Musetta in La bohŽeme), San Francisco Opera (Stella in the world premiere of A Streetcar Named Desire, Violetta in La traviata), Bayerische Staatsoper (Nannetta in Falstaff), Gran Teatre del Liceu (Gilda in Rigoletto), and Berlin State Opera (Violetta in La traviata). Ms. Futral enjoys particularly close relationships with Lyric Opera of Chicago, where recent projects have included Violetta and the title role in Partenope, and Washington National Opera, where she has bowed as Adina in L'elisir d'amore, Violetta and Lucia.

More at elizabethfutral.com

 

 

Todd Palmer - clarinet

Mother's Day Serenade: May 8, 2011

 

Clarinetist Todd Palmer's virtuosity, art of phrasing and ebullient stage presence have brought him a stellar reputation as a solo clarinetist that is attained by few artists on this instrument. He was a winner of the Young Concert Artists International Auditions as well as winning the Concorso Intemazionale di Musica in Trieste, Italy. He also was the first wind player ever to receive the Grand Prize in the Ima Hogg Young Artists Competition in Houston, Texas. He has performed as concerto soloist, recitalist and clinician in 46 states, and has been consistently lauded for his engaging and inspirational outreach programs for young audiences. Mr. Palmer has also appeared abroad giving concerts in England, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the Caribbean. Mr. Palmer is in great demand as a chamber music performer and has appeared at many American and International music festivals as well as touring with Musicians from Marlboro and Spoleto Chamber Music USA. He has collaborated with the Brentano, Borromeo, Crion and St. Lawrence quartets as well as being the clarinetist of choice in Schubert's Shepherd on die Rock with sopranos Kathleen Battle, Renee Fleming, Roberta Peters and Dawn Upshaw. Mr. Palmer has also served as principal clarinetist of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Grand Teton Festival in Wyoming. His first CD Hennit Songs was released in 1995 by Koch International Classics and was praised by Fanfare and the American Record Guide for "remarkable music making" and as "extraordinary in its range and emotional depth."

 

 

Wallace Easter - horn

Mother's Day Serenade: May 8, 2011

 

Wallace Easter, a western New York native, began study of the horn at age nine and received early instruction from Lowell Shaw, hornist with the Buffalo Philharmonic and noted composer of horn literature. While attending the Oberlin Conservatory of Music he studied under Robert Fries who came to Oberlin from the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Easter's graduate work at the Catholic University of America included horn study with Joseph Singer of the New York Philharmonic. Mr. Easter began his professional performing career with the United States Marine Band , "The President's Own" in Washington, D. C. As a member of the Marine Band, he toured the United States and performed frequently at the White House.

In 1981, Mr. Easter joined the faculty of the Department of Music at Virginia Tech and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra as principal horn. His academic duties at Tech include teaching the horn studio, the University Brass Ensemble, the Horn Ensemble and a course in music theory. Mr. Easter has been a featured soloist with many orchestras in the mid Atlantic region and has also performed in recital and at professional conferences and music festivals in the United States and in Europe. He was host for two regional horn workshops at Virginia Tech. Other professional activities include residencies as artist/faculty for the Virginia Governor's School for the Arts, Skyline Brass Music Festival, Roanoke Youth Symphony Summer Music Institute and the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. He frequently gives master class presentations, the most recent at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. He has been principal horn of the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival for the past four years and has written and been interviewed for articles in the Horn Call, the official publication of the International Horn Society. Mr. Easter is featured on the most recent CD release of the Hornists' Nest, an album titled The Fripperies.

 

 

Melvin Chen - piano

Mother's Day Serenade: May 8, 2011

 

A native of Tennessee, pianist Melvin Chen is recognized as an important young artist, having received acclaim for performances throughout the United States and abroad. As a soloist and chamber musician Mr. Chen has performed at major venues in the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the Frick Collection, Kennedy Center, and Boston's Jordan Hall, in addition to other appearances throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia. In recent seasons Mr. Chen's concerts have included two solo recitals at Weill Recital Hall, concerto performances with the American Symphony Orchestra, Marin Symphony, Springfield Symphony, and the Paducah Symphony, along with numerous solo and chamber music appearances internationally and in the United States. He was the pianist in Ricky Ian Gordon's Orpheus and Euridice, which was presented by Lincoln Center in 2005 and which received a special citation from the Obie awards.

An enthusiastic chamber musician, Mr. Chen has collaborated with such artists as Ida Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, David Shifrin, Steven Isserlis, Pamela Frank, and Peter Wiley; with the Shanghai, Tokyo, Miami, Penderecki, Borromeo, and Miro quartets; and in contemporary music collaborations with the Da Capo Chamber Players and The St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble. Mr. Chen is an alumnus of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Chamber Music Society Two, where he appeared with members of the Chamber Music Society in performance and educational programs for two seasons. A performer in numerous music festivals, he has performed at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, Music Mountain, Chautauqua, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Northwest, Bard Music Festival, and Music from Angel Fire, among others.

Mr. Chen completed a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard University, and also holds a double master's degree from The Juilliard School in piano and violin. Previously, he attended Yale University, receiving a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and physics. Mr. Chen is on the piano faculty of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, where he is associate director, and has previously served on the piano faculty at the Yale School of Music. He is also the artistic director of the chamber music program at the Hotchkiss Summer Portals.

More at melvinchen.com