Puget Sound Concert Opera: 'Cabildo', A One Act Opera & Chamber Music by Amy Beach
$25 in advance, $30 at the door
- Derek Sellers, tenor (Tom/Dominique)
- Janene Nelson, mezzo-soprano (Mary)
- Katie H. Stevenson, mezzo-soprano (The Barker/Tour Guide)
- William Schlott, baritone (The Jailor)
- Darrell Jordan, baritone (Pierre LaFitte)
- Dora Barnes, soprano (Lady Valerie)
- Laura Loge, soprano & art song interpreter
- Steven Luksan, piano
- John Burkhardt, piano & director
- Jenna Calixto, flute
- Kumiko Chiba, cello
- Brian Jankanish, violin
Amy Beach — Night Sea, Op. 10, No. 2
Amy Beach — Ecstasy, Op. 19, No. 2
Amy Beach — By the Still Waters, Op. 114
Amy Beach — The Rainy Day
Amy Beach — Nacht ("Night"), Op. 35, No. 1
Amy Beach — Je demande à l'oiseau, Op. 51, No. 4
Amy Beach — Wouldn't that be Queer, Op. 26, No. 4
Amy Beach — Pastorale and Caprice for flute, cello and piano, Op. 90
Amy Beach — Invocation for violin, cello, and piano, Op. 55
Amy Beach — Romance for violin and piano, Op. 23 (performed on flute & piano)
Amy Beach — La Captive, Op. 40, No. 1
Amy Beach — Berceuse, Op. 40, No. 2
Amy Beach — Mazurka, Op. 40, No. 3
Amy Beach shattered barriers with her exceptional contributions to art song, chamber music, and orchestral pieces. Her only opera, Cabildo, delves into the tale of Pierre LaFitte's enigmatic escape from a jail cell in The Cabildo, an iconic building in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her charming one act will be presented as the composer wrote it: for solo voices, violin, cello and piano. Cabildo will be coupled with a selection of Beach's finest compositions for solo voice, violin, cello, and flute.
This program will receive 2 performances:
- Saturday, December 2, 7pm at Tagney Jones Hall, Seattle Opera Center
- Sunday, December 3, 5pm at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church
About Puget Sound Concert Opera
Puget Sound Concert Opera's mission is to bring a wide variety of opera to life through passionate performances in intimate settings, fostering a vibrant artistic community. We make these extraordinary works accessible and affordable, ensuring that the joy of great opera is within reach of all.
http://www.pugetsoundconcertopera.org/About Derek Sellers, tenor (Tom/Dominique)
Derek Sellers is a relatively new face in the Seattle area performing scene. Since earning his Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance at Seattle Pacific University in 2010, Derek's passion for the craft of singing has led him through a multitude of musical experiences. He has performed with the choruses at Tacoma Opera (Daughter of the Regiment) and Seattle Opera (Don Quixote, Carmen), and has held leading and supporting roles at several local musical theater companies, including Northwest Savoyards, Seattle Musical Theatre, and Tacoma Musical Playhouse. His most recent major credit was in the role of Dick Dauntless in the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society's summer production of Ruddigore, where he was lauded as possessing not only a fine vocal ability, but a promising amount of theatrical skill.
When not occupied with performing in a theatrical production, he can often be seen singing with the Seattle Symphony Chorale, Opera on Tap, and The Inverse Opera. Derek currently studies with Janeanne Houston and is in the process of selecting a Grad program in Opera/Voice. His next theatrical engagement will be in Lyric Light Opera's upcoming production of South Pacific.
http://www.pugetsoundconcertopera.org/artists.html#dereksellersAbout Janene Nelson, mezzo-soprano (Mary)
Praised for her mellow voice and gorgeously sung performances, mezzo-soprano Janene Nelson is an affecting interpreter of opera, oratorio, and art song. Ms. Nelson’s notable opera roles include Third Lady in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Nicklaus in Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann, Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte, Beggar Woman in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, and both Rosalinde and Prince Orlofsky in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus. Her concert work includes performances with the Oregon Mozart Players, the Oregon Bach Collegium, and Northwest Baroque. Ms. Nelson holds a doctorate in vocal performance from the University of Oregon, and currently serves as Head of Vocal Studies at Seattle Pacific University.
https://www.facebook.com/mezzojan/About Katie H. Stevenson, mezzo-soprano (The Barker/Tour Guide)
Katie Stevenson made her European debut at the Ilmington Music Festival in England, and shortly after performed in concerts in Ireland and Germany. Before moving to Germany she performed the title role in Carmen, Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana and Biancofiore in Francesca da Rimini with the Amici Opera in Philadelphia. She first performed in Philadelphia with the Atlantic Coast Opera Festival in the role of Emilia in Verdi’s Otello.
While living in New York City, Ms. Stevenson performed the role of Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte at the Metropolitan Opera Guild Rose Venue, Romeo in I Capuleti e I Montecchi with Ido Dinner Opera, Mercedes in Carmen with the Amato Opera Company, and Enrichetta in I Puritani with Riverside Opera. She performed in concerts with Dicapo Opera, Amore Opera, Opera On Tap, and Opera Collective in NYC.
In Alaska she performed roles in Suor Angelica, Kalmanoff's The Audition, Carmen and Roméo et Juliette with the Anchorage Opera. As a young artist she traveled to Nova Scotia to perform the role of The Secretary in Menotti’s The Consul and to North Carolina to perform Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte.
Ms. Stevenson was born in Oregon and has recently moved to Seattle.
https://www.facebook.com/KatieStevensonMezzoSoprano/About William Schlott, baritone (The Jailor)
http://www.pugetsoundconcertopera.org/artists.html#williamschlott
About Darrell Jordan, baritone (Pierre LaFitte)
About Dora Barnes, soprano (Lady Valerie)
Dora Barnes was born and raised in Yakima Washington and now resides in Seattle. She is a classically trained vocalist, pianist, and saxophonist, and is currently studying with Davida Kagen. Dora attended Yakima Valley Community College and Central Washington University with a focus on vocal performance. Dora has performed with the Seattle Art Song Society, Ladies Musical Club, and the Puget Sound Concert Opera, among others. Notably, she has performed as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, placed 1st in the PAFE Opera division, placed 3rd in the Seattle Opera Guild's Singer Development Awards, and was an honorable mention in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards. When not singing opera, Dora is the lead singer and plays saxophone in two Motown/Oldies bands, and also composes her own music.
https://www.dorabarnes.com/About Laura Loge, soprano & art song interpreter
About Steven Luksan, piano
About John Burkhardt, piano & director
John Burkhardt (chorus master/piano) currently serves as chorus master and principal accompanist for Puget Sound Concert Opera. John has arranged and conducted numerous PSCO productions including Lucrezia Borgia, La Damoiselle Elue, Andrea Chenier, Don Giovanni, and I Capuletti ed I Montecchi. John has served as the principal accompanist and chorus master for Bellevue Opera as well. He works for University of Washington Tacoma, managing their communications. He is musically active in the Unitarian Universalist church and has been an opera and musical theater pianist for many years in Seattle and elsewhere.
About Jenna Calixto, flute
Jenna can be heard playing flute and piccolo in a number of ensembles in the Seattle area, including the Lake Washington Symphony Orchestra, Tacoma City Ballet Orchestra, Octava Chamber Orchestra, and the Seattle Gilbert & Sullivan Society Orchestra. She has enjoyed performing with Puget Sound Concert Opera since 2010. A native of Vancouver, Washington, she holds performance degrees from Southern Methodist University (B.M.) and the University of New Mexico (M.M.).
http://www.pugetsoundconcertopera.org/artists.html#jennacalixtoAbout Brian Jankanish, violin
Brian Jankanish, a Seattle native, began playing the violin at the age of 6 and was his primary focus until discovering his mom's old viola his freshman year of high school.
Brian earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Royal College of Music in London, studying with Susie Meszaros of the Chillingrian Quartet. After earning his degree, he was heralded back home by the call of the PNW.
Brian performs with Saratoga Orchestra, Yakima Symphony, Federal Way Symphony, Symphony Tacoma, and Everett Philharmonic Orchestra. In the summer, he can be found performing with The Lake Chelan Bachfest, McCaw Music Festival, Yakima Summer Music Concert Series, as well as many a wedding. He is a regular member of Quartette Con Brio and Abellio Strings, which are always ready to entertain with musical delights.
Outside of his private teaching studio, Brian is an active music educator working with the Seattle youth Symphony Orchestra's Endangered Instruments Program and running violin/viola sectionals in many of the Seattle, Edmonds, and Lake Washington area high schools. He also coaches at Cascade Youth Orchestra's Summer Sounds program.