LMC Opera: Scenes from 'Le Nozze di Figaro'

• Clarice Alfonso, soprano
• Dora Barnes, soprano
• Katie H. Stevenson, mezzo-soprano
• Colin Ward, tenor
• Luke Raffanti, tenor
• Emily Riesser, soprano
• Dhanushi Wijeyakulasuriya, soprano
• Joan Lundquist, piano
• Regina Thomas, director

The Ladies Musical Club Opera Group presents scenes and excerpts from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, directed by Regina Thomas.

About Ladies Musical Club of Seattle

http://www.lmcseattle.org/

About Clarice Alfonso, soprano

https://www.claricealfonso.com/

About Dora Barnes, soprano

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.

About Katie H. Stevenson, mezzo-soprano

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.

About Colin Ward, tenor

Colin Ward is a graduate of Western Washington University with a Major in Political Science and a Minor in Music. He has appeared in many concerts and operas including The Ballad of Baby Doe as Bushy, Le Nozze di Figaro as Count Almaviva, and I Pagliacci as Beppe. Colin Ward also occasionally performs with the Seattle Opera Chorus. Colin sings regularly with Puget Sound Concert Opera, notably as the Priest (Idomeneo) and Frederico (L'amico Fritz).

About Luke Raffanti, tenor

Luke Raffanti has been a frequent piano performer around Seattle since moving here in 2017. Before the pandemic, he performed frequently at house concerts, retirement homes, and for benefit concerts. In 2018, he earned the top prize in the Chopin Northwest solo piano competition and in 2019 he was featured as vocal accompanist and solo pianist on Classical KING FM. He has enjoyed collaborating with several professional opera companies: Seattle Opera, Seattle Modern Opera Company, and Northwest Opera in Schools, as well as numerous individual professional vocalists. Luke teaches roughly 40 students of all ages at Cascade Piano Studio in Ravenna, and is the collaborative pianist and organist at Richmond Beach Congregational United Church of Christ in Shoreline. Lately Luke has been taking voice lessons with Davida Kagen and singing with Seattle Pro Musica. He earned a BM in classical piano performance and a BA in environmental studies from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music.

About Emily Riesser, soprano

Emily Riesser's diverse experience encompasses opera, oratorio, theatre, and new works. She recently portrayed Elle in a staging of Poulenc’s one-voice opera, 'The Human Voice' (Ladies Musical Club), sang Frasquita in 'Carmen' (Kitsap Opera), and played a nun in 'Sister Act' (Tacoma Musical Playhouse). In concert, Emily is known for her interpretation of Bach cantatas, including the Wedding Cantata, which she sang recently in several venues. Favorite experiences include singing Iphigenie in Gluck’s 'Iphigenie en Tauride' (Seattle Opera Guild), Violetta in Verdi’s 'La traviata' (Kitsap Opera), Tamiri in Mozart’s 'Il re pastore' (Off-Center Opera), and soprano chorus at Seattle Opera. Emily is a graduate of Goshen College (Goshen, IN) and past participant in Bel Canto Northwest (Portland State University).

About Dhanushi Wijeyakulasuriya, soprano

Dhanushi Wijeyakulasuriya, originally from Sri Lanka, holds a Licentiate Diploma in Singing from Trinity College of Music, London. She began voice lessons in 2004, in Sri Lanka with Menaka Sahabandu and also studied with Asitha Tennekoon. At 17, she made her debut with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka. Dhanushi has performed extensively in Sri Lanka.

Highlights include soprano soloist in Vivaldi's Gloria, scenes from The Marriage of Figaro (Susanna) and The Barber of Seville (Rosina), and The Workshop Players' The Phantom of the Opera (Christine Daae). After moving to the U.S. in 2015 she studied voice with Timothi Williams and Dr. Rachel Copeland at Penn State. Dhanushi has since presented several solo recitals in the U.S. She currently continues her vocal studies with Rachel Anne Moore and Barbara Bonney. In addition to her musical pursuits, she holds a Ph.D. in Statistics from Penn State and works as a Senior Data Scientist at Microsoft.

About Joan Lundquist, piano

Joan Lundquist has served as a collaborative pianist for Seattle area musicians and organizations for 30 years. Since moving to the area from Humboldt State University in northern California, where she was staff accompanist, Joan has worked with the Northwest Boychoir, Seattle Choral Company, has taught at Seattle University and Northwest University, and has worked with several area private music teachers. Currently, Ms. Lundquist is the Director of Music at Immanuel Lutheran Church in downtown Seattle and rehearsal accompanist for the Seattle Choral Company.

About Regina Thomas, director

An outstanding member of the Northwest musical community for over 20 years, Regina Thomas has performed with a variety of companies including Kitsap Opera, Willamette Concert Opera, Bellevue Opera, Puget Sound Concert Opera, Seattle Opera, and the Seattle Opera Guild. Currently Artistic Director of Puget Sound Concert Opera, Regina has served as Seattle Opera Guild’s VP of Education and is a past President and trustee of concerts for LMC. Favorite operatic roles include Adriana Lecouvreur, Suor Angelica, Tosca, and Judith (Bluebeard's Castle). Concert work includes Schumann's Frauenleibe und-leben, Elgar’s Sea Pictures, and Wagner’s Wesendonck-Lieder; soprano solos in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Fauré Requiem, and Berio's Folk Songs for voice and chamber ensemble.