Home
The Program
The Instruction
The Schedule
The Performers
Contact Us
|
The Performers
Applause to our distinguished singers:
JOSÉ ANDRADE
José Andrade completed a Masters degree in Opera Journalism at the University of Memphis in Spring, 2002. Recent performances include Donner and Wotan in Das Rheingold with Mannes Wagner Theater Opera Program. Mid-South operatic engagements include Don Alfonso in Cosi Fan Tutte, Leporello in Don Giovanni, and Lindorf in Les Contes d'Hoffmann with the University of Memphis and covering Amonasro in Aida and Germont in La Traviata with Opera Memphis.
Past performances include the title role in Falstaff with the New Operafestival of Rome, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Tonio in I Pagliacci and Aeneas in Dido & Aeneas with Operafest! of New Hampshire. An avid recitalist, Jose performs extensively throughout the Northeast.
Back to Top
ALISON BOLSHOI
"On stage, there were the master craftsmen like soprano Alison Bolshoi, whose 'Pace, pace mio Dio,' from Verdi's La Forza del Destino, showed off a magnificent, large and complex voice and a stately grasp of emotional delivery." - Star Ledger, June 2006
American Dramatic Soprano Alison Bolshoi made her debut in 2004 at La Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, in a concert featuring excerpts from Strauss' Guntram, Reyer's Sigurd, and Schillings' Mona Lisa. The American dramatic soprano also recently joined the roster of San Francisco Opera where she covered Senta in Der fliegende Holländer.
In June 2006, Ms. Bolshoi was invited to be the soprano soloist at the Alfredo Silipigni Memorial Concert at NJPAC, with the NJ State Opera orchestra and chorus. Her "Pace, pace mio Dio" elicited the comment above from Star Ledger critic Willa J. Conrad. Ms. Bolshoi also sang the "Regina coeli" with the chorus and orchestra, conducted by Maestro Joseph Colaneri.
In June 2005, Alison Bolshoi sang the role of Leonore in Fidelio, with the One World Symphony Orchestra, in New York. She sang the role of Sieglinde in a July 2002 production of Wagner's Die Walküre, and Brünnhilde in a concert version of Siegfried in June 2001, both conducted by David Gilbert with the Wagner Program at Mannes. In April 2002, she sang Senta in a concert version of Der fliegende Holländer with West Side Opera in New York, conducted by Roger Malouf.
Ms. Bolshoi was a Winner of the Wagner section of the Liederkranz International Vocal Competition 2006 and is now sponsored by the American Wagner Association. She was awarded grants from the Gerda Lissner Foundation in 2004, and the Wagner Society Of New York in 2004 and 2002.
Ms. Bolshoi's has a degree in Theatre/Film, several years experience as both a Shakespearean actress and musical theatre performer and is a former student of H.B. Studios and Uta Hagen. She coaches with Patricia Sage, and is currently a student of dramatic mezzo Barbara Conrad. Ms. Bolshoi resides with her family in Montclair, New Jersey. She is represented by Kathryn Takach of Dispeker Management.
Back to Top
TRACEY ADELE COOPER
Tracey Adele Cooper, dramatic soprano, is a native of Ellington, Connecticut. Ms. Cooper has appeared in productions with Ithaca Opera, Virginia Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, New Jersey Verismo Opera, The Manhattan School of Music, The Natchez Opera Festival, Harlem Opera, Danbury Opera, Norwalk Opera, and the Bregenzer Festspiel in Bregenz, Austria, among others. Ms. Cooper, whose voice has been described by renowned accompanist and coach Dalton Baldwin as "a diamond" has sung the title roles of Aida, Adriana Lecouvreur, Alcina and Tosca, as well as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Leonora in Il Trovatore, Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera, Ortrud in Lohengrin, Maddalena in Andrea Chenier, Venus in Tannhauser, Sieglinde in Die Walkure and Baba in The Medium. Ms. Cooper was hailed in her performance of Donna Anna with the Cartersville Opera's Don Giovanni, in which performance a Cartersville reviewer described her as a singer with "...a voice of power and beauty... a true young dramatic" and praised her singing as possessing "marvelous flexibility."
Ms. Cooper earned her Bachelor's of Music degree in Vocal Performance from The Manhattan School of Music in the studio of Mignon Dunn. She currently studies with renowned mezzo-soprano Barbara Conrad and coaches with Richard Gordon of Washington Opera; Patricia Sage.
Back to Top
RUTH ANN CUNNINGHAM
Soprano Ruth Ann Cunningham began her Wagner journey as Ortlinde in Die Walküre, under the direction of Deborah Karner and conducted by David Gilbert, in 2002. Subsequently, she has performed Helmwige in Die Walküre, Freia in scenes from Das Rheingold, and the Third Norn in GÖtterdämmerung, all with the Wagner Theater Program at Mannes.
Ms. Cunningham recently made her New York City Opera debut as a Carmelite Sister in Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites. Other operatic performances include Violetta in La Traviata, with the Opera Theater of Philadelphia, and Elvira in Verdi’s Ernani, with Manhattan Opera Repertory Ensemble (MORE Opera). She frequently concertizes in New York and other locales in the USA and in Bern, Switzerland, in repertoire including Bach’s B Minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Semele and Messiah, Mozart’s Litany (K. 195) and C Minor Mass. Ms. Cunningham has won prizes from the Stewart Awards, Aspen Music Festival, Opera in the Ozarks, the American Traditions Competition, and Akron Symphony.
A Cleveland native, Ms. Cunningham completed undergraduate studies at Bowling Green State University and received the Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from The Juilliard School. She currently studies voice with Barbara Conrad and coaches with Patricia Sage.
Back to Top
STEVEN FREDERICKS
Steven Fredericks has performed a wide scope of operatic repertoire to critical acclaim. He has appeared with The Dallas Opera as Antonio in Lee Hoiby’s The Tempest, The Chuvash State Theatre (Cheboksare, Russia) as Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and The Baltimore Opera as Reinmar in Tannhäuser. In past seasons, he sang The King in Aida with Mobile Opera, Simone in Gianni Schicchi with Sarasota Opera, and Filippo in Pala Opera’s Don Carlo at the 1997 Opera America Convention in Philadelphia. Locally he sang Lodovico in Otello and The King in Aida with the New York Grand Opera in New York City’s Central Park, and created the role of Signorelli in the world premier of Louis Gioia’s Un Racconto Fiorentino at Alice Tully Hall. Equally at home with Germanic repertory, he has performed Wotan in both Das Rheingold and Die Walküre with the Wagner Theater Program of New York, the Herald in Lohengrin (Paris/Saone-et-Loire, France), Don Pizzaro in Fidelio with The Long Island Symphony, the Dutchman in Der fliegende Holländer with the Opera Music Theater Institute and Orest in Elektra as well as Peneios in Daphne with Deutsche Opera NY.
This past season included performances of Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor with Boheme Opera of New Jersey and Hagan in selections from Götterdämmerung with the Hunter College Symphony. Recent performances include his Carnegie Hall debut as the King in Aida with the New York Grand Opera and Strommenger in La Wally with Teatro Grattacielo at Alice Tully Hall in New York City.
Back to Top
ANNETTE HOLLÆNDER
Annette Hollænder has a considerable repertoire of operatic roles. Her Wagnerian roles include Flosshilde in Das Rheingold, Siegrüne in Die Walküre, and Ortrud in Lohengrin. Recent roles include Azucena in Verdi's Il Trovatore, The First Prioress in Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites, Amneris in Verdi's Aida, Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera, and Prince Orlofsky in Strauss' Die Fliedermaus. Earlier roles include Santuzza, Lola and Mamma Lucia in Cavelleria Rusticana, the Sorceress in Dido & Aeneas, Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Adalgisa in Norma, and Baba in The Medium.
Back to Top
TANYA KAMENS
Tanya Kamens, Mezzo Soprano, was heard most recently as Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana, which she performed with the Pan American Symphony Orchestra. Her roles include Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos, Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier, Dorabella in Così fan Tutte, L’Enfant in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, Siebel in Faust, Hänsel in Hänsel and Gretel, Prince Orlovsky in Die Fledermaus, Second Lady in The Magic Flute, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Charlotte in Werther, and Grimgerde in Die Walküre. Ms. Kamens has performed Grimgerde in a full production of Die Walküre with the Wagner Program at Mannes in 2002, as well as reprising the role several times in concert productions of Wagner scenes, also with the Wagner Program at Mannes. Prince Orlovsky is a highlighted role in Ms. Kamens’ career, having performed the role numerous times with Bel Canto Lyric Opera, Kennett Square Symphony, and the New Jersey Pops Orchestra at Ocean City.
Back to Top
DAVID KELSO
David Kelso is rapidly gaining attention as a true heldentenor and is premiering his Siegfrieds in the Mexico City Opera Ring Cycle. He sang his premier Siegfried in April 2005, after Siegmund in 2004, and will return in 2006 for the Götterdämmerung Siegfried.
Mr. Kelso began singing as a dramatic tenor in 1999, as Hüon in Oberon with a young contemporary company, Opera Nova. He has since made many appearances in Wagnerian excerpt concerts with the Mannes Wagner Program, which included his first Siegmund in Die Walküre and a complete concert Siegfried. He was also featured in a concert at the German Embassy sponsored by the Washington, D.C. Wagner Society as part of the Emerging Singers Program, at the request of its founders, Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart. His commitment to new works has brought him several commissions, premiers, and workshop readings.
Mr. Kelso received his education at the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and Florida State University, earning degrees in Music Education and Music Therapy. After graduate school, Mr. Kelso began a theatrical career which has included all forms of stage work. His roles have ranged from Lennie in the stage play version Of Mice and Men to the multiple comic characters in Greater Tuna, as well as diverse music theatre including Cats, Evita, and Sweeney Todd. His reviews universally praise the beauty of his voice, dramatic abilities, and comic timing. He has survived both summer stock and touring.
Proudly displaying characteristics of both his New England family ties and his collegiate years in America’s Deep South, Mr. Kelso revels in breaking every possible stereotype. A native of the state of Delaware, he enjoys the seashore at every available opportunity. Visit his site online at www.davidkelsosings.com.
Back to Top
ROCHELLE SMALL CLIFFORD
Rochelle Small Clifford's New York appearances have been many and varied, ranging from a stirring performance for the first commemoration of September 11th in the Manhattan Remembers 9/11 ecumenical Sunrise Service at Battery Park in New York City, to an open air concert with the Harlem Philharmonic Orchestra at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial. Her solo experiences have ranged from guest appearances with the Philharmonia Oltenia of Bucharest, Romania, in an evening of opera arias, to a moving rendition of Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Unity in Diversity Orchestra in New York City.
Rochelle appeared as an effervescent Woglinde in Wagner's Das Rheingold with the Mannes Wagner Theater, and was invited back to perform Waldvogel in their production of Siegfried.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, Rochelle enjoys singing in English, French, German, Italian, Latin and Spanish, and is equally at home in operatic and recital repertoire. She is a rostered concert artist with the Horizon Concert Series, Clive Lythgoe, Executive Music Director. Her greatest passion is sharing classical music with those who might not otherwise be exposed to it. Therefore, she regularly performs in nursing homes, homeless shelters, hospitals and schools. Rochelle is the two-time recipient of the highly prestigious Kansas Cultural Trust's Promising Young Artist Award.
Back to Top
|
