Randall Criswell Ball, tenor
Born in Texas, Randall Criswell Ball began his vocal career at Baylor University to study with master voice teacher Dr. John Van Cura. There he received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Vocal Performance. At Baylor, he performed the roles of Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro), Le Chevalier (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Nemorino (L’elisir d’amore), and Ferrando (Così fan tutte). He also successfully created the role of P.T. Barnum in the 2004 World Premier of Libby Larson’s Barnum’s Bird.
In the autumn of 2004, Mr. Ball joined the Boston University Opera Institute where he sang the roles of Bill (A Hand of Bridge) Male Chorus (The Rape of Lucretia), Il Podesta (La Finta Giardiniera), Joe/Charlie (Youkalli/Mahagonny) Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi), and Arkady (A Month in the Country). In 2006, he performed as a soloist at Boston Lyric Opera’s annual Opera Gala.
Mr. Ball has also joined several opera companies for their summer festival seasons. In the summers of 2005, 2006, and 2009 he sang with Utah Festival Opera in Logan, Utah. As a Festival Artist, he covered the roles of Rodolfo (La bohéme), Judge Danforth (The Crucible), Turiddu (Cavalleria rusticana), and Canio (Pagliacci). He was also chosen as the tenor soloist for Haydn’s The Creation in 2005. In the summer of 2003, Mr. Ball joined Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Program for Singers, where he covered the roles of Ványa Kudryás (Kátya Kabanová) and Achille (Le Belle Hélène). During the summer of 2002, Mr. Ball sang with Opera North’s Apprentice Program, where he sang the role of Nerone (L’incoronazione di Poppea).
Mr. Ball won first place in the 2002 TEXOMA NATS Graduate Men division, as well as the Baylor Opera’s Most Valuable Member in both 2003 and 2004. He was a finalist in the Palm Beach Opera Vocal Competition in 2006, and semi-finalist in the Michael Ballam Concorso Lirico International Opera Competition in 2009.
Mr. Ball was a member of the International Opera Studio at the Zürich Opernhaus from the autumn of 2006 untill the summer of 2008. In his time there he performed many leading and supporting roles such as Captain Macheath in The Beggar’s Opera, Tamino in the Die Zauberflöte and made his Zürich Opernhaus debut in Busoni’s Doktor Faust. During his time in Switzerland, Mr. Ball performed over 250 performances in opera, musical theatre, and concert repertoire.
In the autumn of 2009, Mr. Ball started his Doctorate of Musical Arts degree (DMA) at James Madison University where he portrayed the role of Don José in Bizet’s Carmen, and studies with Prof. Kevin McMillan. Other roles performed with JMU Opera include Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Alfred (Die Fledermaus). Mr. Ball sang the famous cycle Die schöne Müllerin by Schubert for his first Doctoral Recital in the spring of 2010.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Andrew Bawden, baritone
Originally from Springfield, Illinois, Andrew Bawden is a Bronze Tablet Scholar and graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where his opera performances included roles in Die Zauberflöte, La Traviata, the Impresario, Gianni Schicchi, Madame Butterfly, and Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti. Following his undergraduate vocal training, Bawden completed a three-year certification program under Joan and Alex Murray to teach the Alexander Technique. He has given master classes and informational presentations about the Alexander Technique at Shenandoah University, Black Hills State Institute of the Arts (with soprano Johanna Meier), Nazareth College, and the Eastman School of Music.
In his recent home in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, he was a professional chorister with Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center and a frequent solo oratorio performer. His solo oratorio engagements included multiple performances of the Duruflé Requiem and Händel’s Messiah, as well as the Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and Brahms’ A German Requiem. He also debuted with Opera Vivente of Baltimore as Ceprano in an innovative production of Rigoletto.
Bawden completed his graduate studies in voice performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where in December, 2006 he made his solo debut in the Eastman Theatre as the bass soloist for the Mozart Mass in c minor (version completed by Robert Levin) with the musicologist in attendance. At Eastman he performed the role of Le Roy in Lully’s Thesée under Grammy nominee lutenist, Paul O’Dette, and sang the role of Count Carl-Magnus in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Other engagements at Eastman included solos from Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn and Hans Sachs in a performance of excerpts of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
While attending Eastman, Bawden was the first-place award winner and audience favorite award winner of the Rochester Classical Idol Vocal Competition, and as a result performed as a guest soloist with the Rochester Oratorio Society. He has also been a semi-finalist in the national Orpheus Voice Competition held in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Other solo opera appearances include Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors and Top in The Tender Land with Mercury Opera (Rochester), as well as Morales in Carmen at the Ash Lawn Opera Festival. Bawden was recently a resident artist with Tri-Cities Opera of Binghamton, NY where he sang many roles: Marullo in Rigoletto, Melchior in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Bob in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, Valentin in Faust, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Cesare Angelotti in Tosca, Simone in Gianni Schicchi, and Belcore in L’elisir d’amore. Last summer he performed Malatesta in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale with Hubbard Hall Opera Theater (Cambridge, NY).
Currently he is attending James Madison University, and will be performing the role of Falke in Die Fledermaus this fall with the James Madison University Opera Theater.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Tom Besade, bass-baritone
Tom Besade, a native of southeastern Connecticut, is currently a first-year graduate student pursuing a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at James Madison University. He recently graduated summa cum laude from Campbell University, where he studied under soprano Dr. Sally Thomas.
Beginning with a strong background in musical theatre, Tom made his first serious leaps into the world of performance as a member of Fourth Row Theatre Company’s summer 2006 and 2007 productions of Footloose! and Godspell in Waterford, Connecticut. From there, he continued to pursue musical theater performances during his time at Campbell University. Through the school’s Department of Theatre, he performed both as Laurie in Little Women: The Broadway Musical and as the title role in Pippin. In the spring of 2009, he also sang the role of Billy in Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein at Harnett Regional Theater.
Tom’s initial love for musical theatre has since blossomed to include opera, oratorio, and recital. He has performed as a soloist in the Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio and Ed Lojeski’s Psalms of the Passover, both at Campbell University. Other concert performances include featured solos in the smaller ensembles of Mendelssohn’s Elijah and Orff’s Carmina Burana, as well as a recital performance of Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98.
In the summer of 2010, Tom began to add operatic roles to his repertoire, singing both Bartolo and Anotnio (Le Nozze di Figaro) with the American Singer’s Opera Project in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Since then, he has sung the roles of Ben (The Telephone) at Campbell University and Ramiro (L’heure espagnole) at the Mystic Arts Center as a member of Connecticut Lyric Opera’s Young Artist Institute. Most recently, Tom sang the role of Nothing at JMU in Eros and Psyche, a new work by Bridgewater College professor Dr. Larry Taylor. Currently, he is in rehearsals for JMU Opera Theater’s fall production of Die Fledermaus, where he’ll be stumbling around and yammering as the drunk jailor, Frosch.
Tom could not be more excited about his upcoming time at JMU, and looks forward to a wonderful two years!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Joel Coreas, baritone
Joel Coreas is starting his first year at James Madison University. He is a Baritone, vocal performance major. He recently graduated from The Specialty Center for the Performing Arts at Thomas Dale High School. While there he was part of the Chamber Ensemble and Jazz Show Choir. He attended District Chorus all four years and was in All-State choir both his Junior and Senior years. Joel took part in the Bland competition, where he advanced to Regionals, and the Classical Singer competition where he made it through to the 2nd round held in LA. Joel is a member of Chorale, Men’s Chorus, and Opera Chorus at James Madison. Joel looks forward to studying under Professor Kevin McMillan over the next four years as he completes his Undergraduate studies.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mattia D’Affuso, tenor
Mattia D’Affuso, tenor, has studied voice with Dr. Harry Dunstan and is currently studying with Grammy-award winning baritone, Kevin McMillan at James Madison University where he is pursuing a double major in Vocal Performance and Italian Language and Literature.
He has performed the roles of Spoletta (Tosca), Prunier (La Rondine) and Goro (Madama Butterfly), Trin (La Fanciulla del West) in partnership with the American Center for Puccini Studies. At James Madison University he has appeared as Toby (The Medium), Ke-Ki-Ka-Ko (Ba-Ta-Clan), Don Curzio (Le Nozze di Figaro), El Remendado (Carmen) and in the NYC Premiere of Jeremy Beck’s new chamber opera piece Review and is currently preparing the role of Gabriel von Eisenstein (Die Fledermaus).
In addition to opera, he has appeared in musicals including Sweeney Todd (Pirelli), Grease (Teen Angel), Beauty and the Beast (Lumiere), Merrily We Roll Along (Joe Josephson) and City of Angels (Jimmy Powers). He also appeared in the world premiere stage adaptation of the 2006 Academy Award Winner short film, West Bank Story as David.
He has been a member of the JMU Chorale and has performed a variety of choral repertoire including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Orff’s Carmina Burana and Handel’s Messiah.
He received a CAPPIE award as Featured Actor in a Musical for the role of Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast and at the 2009 NCA Cappies Gala, he led the cast of the show in the song “Be Our Guest” at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, for which the number received the award for Best Song. He was one of the recipients of the 2009 Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent’s All-County Performing Arts Award. He has performed as a guest singer in Franc D’Ambrosio’s (world’s longest running Phantom of The Opera) concert series Franc D’Ambrosio’s Broadway.
In addition to performing, Mattia enjoys working in the field of arts management and has held several positions with various organizations. At JMU, he is President of the JMU Opera Guild and Technical Assistant to the Director of Opera and serves on the Board of Directors and currently as Associate Producer for Wildwood Summer Theatre.
Mattia co-founded and is co-executive director of the non-profit organization Eyes Closed Hearts Open, Inc. (ECHO), a 501(c)(3) arts organization whose mission is to encourage the community to actively participate in the arts as a healthy means of self-expression.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lauren Dill, soprano
Lauren Dill, soprano, is in her first year in the School of Music at James Madison University. She is a vocal performance major. She is in two choirs at JMU, the all women’s Treble Chamber Choir (TCC) and the JMU Chorale.
Lauren began studying private voice lessons when she was about 11 years old. She sang in her church all throughout middle school and high school. She was in two choirs at her high school, Forest Park. Lauren was in Concert choir, an all male a female group, and Platinum Vocal Jazz Ensemble, which was an auditioned co-ed jazz choir.
Lauren participated in all county and all district choir all throughout her high school years. She was an alternate for the all state choir her junior and senior year. She also participated in Virginia Senior Honors Choir her senior year of high school.
Lauren is so excited to have started her freshman year at James Madison University. She looks forward to the many opportunities the School of Music at JMU will afford her to become a better musician.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
JP Gorski, lyric-baritone
A successful young vocalist, JP Gorski is currently attending James Madison University as a Vocal Performance Major.
While he still has many years to go before he’s done with school, he knows that wherever he may go he will have the love and support of his friends and family. He would like to thank the Stafford Regional Choral Society for their support and the opportunity to sing with them, and Professor McMillan for being so patient with him these past few years. JP would also like to thank the amazing choral directors of JMU for so many opportunities to work with them in their choral groups and in the many opera programs as well.
JP has been an active member of the University Men’s Chorus for many years and has been glad to be a part of it. He has performed in many musicals, including Beauty and the Beast (Ensemble, 2005), Oklahoma! (Fred, 2006), and South Pacific (Stew Pot, 2008). JP was also a member of All-State Virginia choir in 2007 and 2008 as well as the VMEA Honor’s Choir in 2007.
More recently, JP has been a part of three Operas with the JMU Opera Theatre program this past year. He was an ensemble member for L’enfant Prodigue in February 2011 and Bat-A-Clan in April 2011. He will also be taking part in the JMU Opera Theatre production of Die Fledermaus, by Johann Strauss.
JP has also become a very active member in the JMU Opera Guild, singing for the Sunnyside Community Center in December 2010, and enjoys singing for the community whenever he can.
JP spends most of his days practicing for his next audition, playing video games, catching up on old cartoons, studying Greek mythology, and catching up on all his homework for his classes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Martha Hensler, mezzo-soprano
Martha Hensler, mezzo-soprano, is a Senior Music Education major with a concentration in Voice at James Madison University. Previously, she graduated in the Inaugural class of the Visual and Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School in Virginia Beach. She has enjoyed becoming involved in opera and in 2011 played Hänsel in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel with Luray Opera Theatre, and the Moniter in JMU Opera Theatre’s production of Suor Angelica. In the fall she is looking forward to the role of Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with JMU Opera Theatre. She has also been honored to be the Manager of the Madison Singers, the Treasurer of CMENC, and an active member of the JMU chapter of the American Choral Directors’ Association. Following her Sophomore year at JMU, Martha received the Myra Doherty Memorial Scholarship, and the Joy Hollar Costello Music Education Award.
Martha began studying voice around the age of sixteen, and since then has studied under Ned Davis, In Dal Choi, and Kevin McMillan. In the summers, Martha has been a part of the Regent University Summer Theatre camps as both a camper, and an Intern. Then in 2010 she was a Counselor at JMU’s Vocal Arts Camp. She spent the summer of 2011 in Twin Lake Michigan on the Counseling Staff at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp where she sang with the Staff Choir, International Choir, Alumni Choir, and Festival Orchestra in Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. She hopes to continue taking on more opportunities to perform in the coming summer.
Martha is looking forward to working with the talented and professional faculty at JMU in her final year, and plans on pursuing a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance following graduation.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Wil Kellerman
Wil Kellerman is a sophomore Vocal Performance major at James Madison University.
Wil began his musical studies as a violinist at the age of seven at the Renaissance Music Academy of Virginia, where he studied with David Ehrlich for eleven years. Throughout those eleven years, he also studied and performed chamber music and performed in the RMA chamber orchestra. He studied violin and chamber music during the summers at Indiana University, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Ameropa Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. Before graduating high school, Wil won the Appalachian Classical Music Association Sonata Festival Concerto Competition and the Renaissance Music Academy Concerto Competition.
Wil began singing bass as a senior at Radford High School, at which time he was selected for Virginia District Choir and Virginia Honors Choir. He began formal voice lessons with Kevin McMillan as a freshman at JMU. As a sophomore, Wil is singing in the JMU Opera Choir. In addition to his passion for opera, Wil enjoys creating and telling really bad jokes and is an accomplished ping-pong player.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Laura Mackay, coloratura soprano
Coloratura soprano Laura Mackay is a native of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. Known for her fine musicianship and brilliant high range, she recently earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Western Ontario. This fall she began graduate studies with Kevin McMillan at James Madison University. An experienced performer, she has sung the roles of Yum-Yum, Mabel, and Josephine in productions of The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and H.M.S. Pinafore, respectively, in Medicine Hat and Edmonton. At UWO, she performed in UWOpera productions of Suor Angelica, and Smokey Joe’s Café. Most recently, she performed Barbarina in Le Nozze di Figaro in Sulmona, Italy. Laura is excited to return to this opera as Susanna this fall at JMU.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Joseph Mazzara, baritone
Joseph Mazzara, baritone, is a freshman Vocal Performance major currently studying at James Madison University. He is a recent graduate of Annandale High School located in Annandale, Virginia where he participated in the Advanced Men’s Chorus and Advanced Madrigal Chorus. Throughout high school Joseph has had the opportunity to perform at many different venues with his choirs including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Strathmore, The National Cathedral, and the National Shrine. Joseph also participated in the 2010 All-State Chorus as well as the 2010 VMEA Senior Honors Choir. Joseph also took part in participating in the Va. NAT’s competition where he won 1st place in the category of Beginning Fresh/Sophomore Classical his Sophomore year and the Advanced Junior/Senior Classical his Senior year. Joseph also placed 2nd in the Mid Atlantic Region NAT’s competition in the category of Adv. Junior/Senior Classical. Throughout his high school career Joseph took part in multiple musicals such as Grease, The Sound of Music, and The King and I. Currently, Joseph is a member of the JMU Chorale and the JMU Opera Chorus and is currently studying under the Grammy-award winning baritone, Professor Kevin McMillan. He looks forward in growing as a musician along with growing as an individual during his next four years at James Madison University.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ross Neal, baritone
Ross Neal is a freshman baritone studying Musical Theatre at JMU. He was recently seen in JMU’s production of Oklahoma!, and in the Staunton Performing Arts Center’s production of Beauty and the Beast. He can’t wait to work full-time with Kevin McMillan next year!
*
*
*
*
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ryan Olson, baritone
Ryan Olson, baritone, is a second year Vocal Performance Major with a Minor in Music Industry at James Madison University. He is a graduate of Downingtown East High School in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. While being an active member of Downingtown’s Drama and Music Program, earning leads in the school musicals, and performing as Choir Member and soloist to Downingtown East High School’s top choir, Vocal Ensemble, Ryan was also an active member of his community. In his final year of high school, playing the role of Don Lockwood, he took an active role in Downingtown’s production of Singin’ in the Rain. He also performed in Barley Sheaf Players, a local non-profit theatre group, every summer.
Ryan started studying voice at the age of 13. Before doing so, he mainly participated in choirs. While under the direction of the Pennsylvania Academy of Performing Arts (PAPA), Charles Moll, he found his voice teacher with whom he studied under for 4 years, Hester Young. Her teachings have then led his studies to JMU, under the guidance of Dr. In Dal Choi, and most recently Professor Kevin McMillan. He has seen great improvement under the assistance from both professors, and hopes to further his progress over the next two years with Professor McMillan.
Ryan is an active member in the JMU community, having been apart of JMU Men’s Chorus, JMU Chorale, and JMU Opera. He has had the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Farewell Performance of Dr. In Dal Choi, JMU’s Opera: Carmen, and to do selected scenes for JMU’s Opera Scenes course.
Ryan feels honored and privileged to be studying at James Madison University in an environment that is both supportive and nurturing to the learning experience. He also feels blessed to be surrounded by such a talented and assisting School of Music Faculty.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Elliott Paige, tenor
Elliott Paige, Tenor, Is a Junior Vocal Performance major at James Madison University, under the studio direction of Kevin McMillan. He is a graduate of Huguenot High School in Richmond, Virginia. While at Huguenot, he served as Tenor section leader of various choirs and served as Vice President of both honor choirs at Huguenot. He is also an alumnus of the Richmond Boys Choir, in which he served as the Tenor section leader. This experience afforded him the opportunity to perform at the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington, D.C. with renowned stepping troupe Step Afrika. He was also provided the opportunity to sing for former First Lady Laura Bush at the Smithsonian Art Museum in Washington, D.C. In his earlier years he performed with Nikki Giovanni and the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, Elliott was able to sing at the James Madison University Employee Donors breakfast, and also afforded the opportunity to have a private coaching with Metropolitan Opera tenor, Gerhard Siegel.
He has also been in various performances for the JMU Opera including: Ba-Ta-Clan, 2011; L’Enfant Prodigue, 2011; Le nozze di Figaro, 2010; and a variety of scenes from various opera’s, operetta’s, and musicals. Within the upcoming year, Elliott will be performing the Heine poems song set from Schubert’s Schwanengesang, covering the role of Dr. Blind from Die Fledermaus, and having his junior recital in the spring of 2012.
Elliott has been a singer since the age of 5. He joined the Richmond Boys Choir when he was 8, where he began to learn proper vocal technique. He was a member until the age of 10, when he moved out of the city; he joined the choir again in his junior year of high school, until the summer before college. Throughout his years so far, he has received multiple awards for his achievements such as: the VAHCDO scholarship award for his high school achievements, a scholarship from the Richmond Boys Choir, an award for his creative writing abilities, and has becoming a member of the James Madison University Centennial Scholarship Program, which is a full scholarship to the University.
Elliott is very appreciative of every opportunity he was able to have and is looking forward his continued studies under the tutelage of Professor Kevin McMillan.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Cecelia Pecka, soprano
Cecelia Pecka, soprano, is in her second year of Vocal Music Education in the School of Music at James Madison University of Harrisonburg Virginia. She is a 2008 graduate of Hanover High School in Richmond Virginia. Cecelia was active in her high school’s choirs and with them participated in regional, state and national competitions. She also was an active member of Tri-M Music Honor Society and was President her senior year of high school. While serving as Tri-M President, Cecelia coordinated and performed in student recitals and also created a program for her high school in which high school music students traveled to elementary schools and performed for the students and helped teach and observe those classes.
Cecelia studied piano under Patricia Cook for 4 years and at the age of 10 began to study voice. She joined her elementary and middle school choirs and assumed the role of section leader. In high school, Cecelia participated in All-District choir and in her senior year placed second in her district out of 400 sopranos. She then participated in All-Virginia Choir in 2008. At the culmination of studying under James Barrack, the Choral Director of Hanover High School, Cecelia received the Choral Excellence Award for her growth, dedication, and skills developed in the choirs she was a member of: Festival Singers, The Chamber Singers, Mixed Chamber Singers (co-ed), Girls Show Choir, and Mixed Show Choir. Cecelia studied voice with Megan Amerson for 4 years, which led her to her studies at James Madison University. Cecelia studied voice with Dr. In Dal Choi for one year at JMU and experienced tremendous growth. Upon Dr. Choi’s retirement, Cecelia began and is currently studying voice with Professor Kevin McMillan. Under the direction of Professor McMillan, Cecelia has advanced in her studies and has been a part of Treble Chamber Choir and Chorale.
Cecelia feels very honored to be studying Music Education & Voice at James Madison University’s School of Music because she is surrounded by many talented and distinguished professors, as well as talented and inspiring peers.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mark Thress, tenor
Mark Thress, Tenor, is beginning his second year as a Vocal Performance Major and Communications and Sciences minor at James Madison University, and is studying voice under the nationally recognized Baritone, Kevin McMillan.
Mark is routine performer of four years and counting, at the Abramson Center for Jewish Life, where he plays the piano and performs for the assisted living. He sang in the Central Bucks High School South’s nationally recognized choral program, and took part as piano accompanist and soloist for three years. He was recognized as the Best Soloist and Best Accompanist in the Virginia Beach Fiesti-val National Competition, along with having received honors recognition as First Chair Tenor in the Pennsylvania All-State choir. He has been in numerous stage productions starting at the age of 12, including but not limited to: The King and I (Louis), Jekyll and Hyde(Jekyll), Into the Woods (Harry), and I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Accepted into the Governor’s School of the Arts, held at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in Pittsburgh, Pa, Mark was also chosen as the first person to sing, perform, and record the upcoming musical of Yamaha’s Feature Recording Artist, Jarrod Radnich.
He has been a part of the JMU select Chorale for three semesters, and is a member of ACDA, NATS, and the Opera Guild on Campus. Additionally, he will be taking part in this year’s opera, Die Fledermaus, as a chorus member. Mark Thress has been awarded an academic scholarship, as well as a music scholarship through the School of Music, and continues his education with President’s List academic achievement.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kyle Yampiro, baritone
Kyle Yampiro is a second-year graduate student at James Madison University, pursuing a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance. He recently completed his Bachelor’s in Applied Voice at the University of Delaware, where he was very active in many musical areas. At JMU, he has performed the roles of Count Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro) and Siméon (Debussy’s L’enfant Prodigue) with JMU Opera Theater. He has also appeared as a featured soloist in the Chamber Orchestra and University Choirs’ performance of Weber’s Mass in G, Op. 78. This November, he will be performing the roles of Gabriel von Eisenstein and Frank in the mainstage production of Die Fledermaus. He is currently studying voice with Prof. Kevin McMillan.
At Delaware, Kyle was an active member of UD Opera Theatre, both as a performer and student production assistant. He performed the roles of Dick McGann (Street Scene), Major-General Stanley (The Pirates of Penzance), Antonio (The Marriage of Figaro), and Sid (Albert Herring) and served as Assistant Stage Manager for Cosí fan tutte, Assistant Director for The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Publicity Director for The Marriage of Figaro. He was a member of the award-winning UD Chorale under the direction of Dr. Paul Head, which included a tour of Chinese universities in Shanghai and Beijing as well as a performance of Mozart’s Requiem with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra. Kyle was an active member and musical director of Vocal Point, one of UD’s premier co-ed a cappella groups. He also performed in various instrumental ensembles, including Pep Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble II, and Delaware Steel, mostly on trombone. He studied voice and opera with Dr. Blake Smith.
Kyle began with a strong background in musical theatre, performing various roles in high school, including Sergeant of Police (The Pirates of Penzance), The Baker (Into the Woods), and Curly (Oklahoma!). He spent many summers performing with the Broadway Blockbusters theatre group and performed roles such as Doody (Grease), Sir Harry (Once Upon A Mattress), and Schlomo (Fame!). For the past two summers, he has been a member of the vocal company for College Light Opera Company in Falmouth, MA, a summer stock program where he performed numerous musical theatre and operetta roles, including Ko-Ko (The Mikado), Col. Pickering (My Fair Lady), Nathan Detroit (Guys and Dolls), The Usher (Trial By Jury), Judge Turpin (Sweeney Todd), Cosmo Constantine (Call Me Madam), and Padre (Man of La Mancha).
For information on Kyle’s upcoming events, resumé, and contact information, please visit www.kyleyampiro.com.
Collaborative Pianists
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Mark Ardrey-Graves, pianist
Mark Ardrey-Graves, a North Carolina native, received his early musical training on piano and violin, and by spending hours listening to recordings and radio broadcasts of classical music. He attended the University of Richmond, where he studied harpsichord, violin, voice, conducting, and organ. He earned an MA in Performance Practice/Musicology from Duke University, where he studied organ and harpsichord with Robert Parkins, voice with Penelope Jensen, fortepiano with Randall Love, and viola da gamba with Lex Silbiger. He has also received a Master of Divinity degree from Duke, with further musical mentoring from David Arcus, Rodney Wynkoop, Van Quinn, and Gail Ann Schroeder. Since 2005, Ardrey-Graves has worked as an organist and choral director in Episcopal churches, currently serving as the Director of Music at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Harrisonburg. He has recently begun work towards a DMA degree in Choral Conducting at James Madison University. His primary scholarly musical interests are in organology, plainchant, contextual liturgical practice of Renaissance and Baroque sacred music, and the intersection of aesthetics, theology, and liturgy in the spiritual life. He is also active as an accompanist and continuo player. Mark is married to Sara Ardrey-Graves, a priest in the Episcopal Church, and is an avid backpacker, brewer, and animal lover.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Evan Duffy, pianist
Evan Duffy (ASCAP) is a composer and pianist from Virginia Beach, VA. While his passion lies in writing music for video games and film, Evan also keeps an active career performing and composing general concert music. Evan is currently a Senior at James Madison University where he studies piano and composition with Dr. John Hilliard and Dr. Jason Haney, and piano performance with Dr. Gabriel Dobner.
*
*
*
**
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Stephanie A. Emberley, pianist
Stephanie A. Emberley, a native of New Hampshire, has received numerous scholarships and awards for her performances, including the Waldo and Alice Ayer Music Performance scholarship, the Doris Dodd Schuster Award in Music, and the Eubie Blake Performance Scholarship for most outstanding performance of a contemporary American composition. In both 2008 and 2009, Ms. Emberley won the New Hampshire MTNA Young Artists’ competition, and in 2009 she was selected as a finalist in the Philharmonic Society of Arlington’s Young Artist Concerto competition. As a result of these performances, Ms. Emberley was invited by the Harvard Faculty Club in 2009 to perform an all-Chopin concert as the highlight of their Christmas Banquet. In 2010, she presented a lecture/recital at Keene State College on Robert Schumann’s Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 11.
Ms. Emberley holds a Master’s degree in Piano Performance from Bob Jones University. She has worked with David Lehman, George Loring, Jr., and Eric Ruple and received collaborative coaching from Arlene Shrut and Gabriel Dobner. Ms. Emberley is currently pursuing a DMA degree in Piano Performance, Pedagogy, and Literature at James Madison University, where she studies with Canadian pianist Lori Piitz.
Beyond her musical activities, Ms. Emberley enjoys swimming, hiking, and snowboarding.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Claire Lo, piano
Claire Lo, piano, is a Senior Piano Performance major at James Madison University (JMU). Claire began her studies at the age of four at the Renaissance Music Academy of Virginia. During her time there, she studied with Yelena Balabanova and Teresa Ehrlich. In High School she won the 2007 Rebecca Orr Memorial Scholarship and the Cristofori Scholarship Competition in 2008. During the summers she attended the Southeastern Piano Festival (2005) and the MasterWorks Festival (2007, 2011). She has participated in masterclasses with teachers such as Ursula Oppens, Nancy O’Neill Breth, and Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz. Claire is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. In 2011, she won the Theodore Presser Scholarship at JMU.
Claire enjoys making music together with others through chamber music, musicals (Little Women, 2010; Cinderella, 2011), and as a collaborative artist.She currently studies with Dr. Eric Ruple, and she looks forward to continually expanding her knowledge and experience in the music world.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Meghan Rader, pianist
Meghan Rader is a junior Piano Performance major at James Madison University, where she studies with Lori Piitz. Meghan began her piano studies at the age of five. Recent accomplishments include attending the Brevard Music Center and Festival for the 2011 Summer Season, where she was a finalist in the BMC Concerto Competition. Meghan has also participated in numerous Virginia Music Teachers Association (VMTA) events, receiving prizes in both the Solo Piano Auditions and the State Concerto Competition. She has participated in masterclasses with celebrated artists such as John O’Connor, Menahem Pressler, Jovianney Emmanuel Cruz, and Marvin Blickenstaff.
Meghan loves collaborating and is so privileged to be a part of the Kevin McMillan studio. She has loved spending the past two years working alongside of Mattia D’Affuso, and is looking forward to expanding her knowledge of collaborative repertoire!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Keaton Springfield, pianist
Keaton Springfield is a pianist originally from the Northern Virginia area. He is currently a Junior piano performance major and studies under Dr. Lori Piitz. Keaton has accompanied a wide range of instrumental groups and productions including musicals, concert and show choirs, concert bands, chamber groups, as well as independent instrumentalists and vocalists. In addition to this, Keaton enjoys performing as a soloist. In his free time, Keaton takes pleasure in composing for various instruments.
