OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

FEATURED GUEST ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS

Photo by Billy Kass

LARA ST. JOHN
Canadian-born violinist Lara St. John has been described as "something of a phenomenon" by The Strad and a “high-powered soloist” by the New York Times.

She has performed as soloist with the orchestras of Cleveland, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Seattle, Brooklyn, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, the Boston Pops and many more in North America. In Europe, she has played with the NDR Symphony (Hanover), Zurich Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Orchestral de Paris, Bournemouth Symphony, and the Amsterdam Symphony, among others. In Asia, solo appearances have included the Hong Kong Symphony, Tokyo Symphony, China Philharmonic in Beijing, Guangzhou Symphony and the Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra.Lara has also performed with the Queensland Orchestra in Australia.

The Los Angeles Times has written, “St. John brings to the stage personal charisma, an unflagging musical imagination and genuine passion.” Recitals in major concert halls have included New York, Boston, San Francisco, Ravinia, Washington DC, Prague, Berlin, Toronto, Montreal, and in the Forbidden City.

Lara St. John’s latest recording with the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and conductor Eduardo Marturet VIVALDI– The Four Seasons and Piazzolla – The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires reached No. 2 on the iTunes charts on its first day and Maestro José Antonio Abreu, the founder of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and El Sistema writes: "This stunning recording features the extraordinary violinist Lara St. John. She and the musicians of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra give an inspired performance under the baton of Eduardo Marturet." The Cleveland Plain Dealer said “Lara St. John is as captivating in the seductive scenes of the Piazzolla as she is crisp, caressing and colorful in Vivaldi's atmospheric paeans to nature” and Audiophile Audition stated “Do we need another Four Seasons? With playing and sound like this, yes we do!”

Lara has been featured in People, US News and World Report, on CNN's Showbiz Today, NPR's All Things Considered, Fox News, CBC and a Bravo! Special: Live At the Rehearsal Hall.

Highlights of the 2008-2009 concert season include Lara’s London debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, her Wolf Trap recital debut with pianist Martin Kennedy, recitals in Montreal and New York, a performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra as well as concerts in Graz, the Czech Republic and a concert in Central Park with The Knights.

Maria Aleida, SOPRANO
Coloratura soprano Maria Aleida Rodriguez is currently a first year resident artist at the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia. She began her music studies at the Vicente Emilio Sojo Conservatory in Venezuela in 1999. While at this institution, Ms. Rodriguez sang in the conservatorys own productions of Verdis La Traviata and Venezuelan composer Federico Ruizs Los Martirios de Colon.

As a soloist Ms. Rodriguez sang with the Symphony Orchestra of Lara, the Falcon Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela at the Teresa Carre Theatre, under the baton of Tarcisio Barreto, Angelo Pagliuca and Bruno Aprea, current Artistic Director of Palm Beach Opera. Maria Aleida Rodriguez has participated in masterclasses with world renowned sopranos Mirella Freni and Montserrat Caballe. In 2008 she was a prize winner at the Montserrat Caballe international voice competition in Zaragoza, Spain and she was a New York Finalist for the Francesc Vinas International voice competition in Barcelona, Spain.

Future engagements include a Zarzuela Concert with Orchestra at the Dade County Auditorium, a Rosina in The Barber of Seville in Barquisimeto Venezuela, and she will be guest soloist in an Opera concert with The Symphony of the Americas in Broward.

ANGELA BROWN, SOPRANO
Angela Brown personifies the ideal American dramatic soprano:  sheer vocal power; luxurious finesse; shimmering, high pianissimos; and a charming personality larger than life.  Her highly successful Metropolitan Opera debut in 2004 sparked a media excitement with reviews from The New York Times:  “At last an Aida,” the Associated Press:  “she combines a potent, dusky lower register with a striking ability to spin out soft high notes of shimmering beauty. There's no doubt her voice is powerful enough for Verdi,”  CBS Evening News: “the future of opera has arrived,” and features on the front page of The New York Times and in Oprah Magazine, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Classical Singer, Reader’s Digest, and Psychology Today. 

In fall 2009, Angela will receive the Governor’s Arts Award from the Governor of Indiana, a Spirit of the Prairie Award from Conner Prairie in Indiana, and will be inducted into the Indianapolis Public Schools Hall of Fame.

Miss Brown is a trail blazer on a mission to bring operatic and classical vocal performance to a diverse audience.  Her witty and inspired recital program titled “Opera from a Sistah’s Point of View” dispels the myths of opera through lively commentary on opera plots and characters, show-stopping arias, poignant art songs and moving spirituals.   A noted interpreter of African-American spirituals, Miss Brown produced Mosaic, a collaborative recording featuring spirituals with guitar and piano, in October 2004.

This season, Miss Brown has sung Aida for Cape Town Opera in South Africa and Aida for the Latvian National Symphony in Riga and Tallinn, Estonia.  She performed a special program for Cincinnati Opera’s annual gala in November and celebrated Christmas with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Alabama and the Southwest Michigan Symphony.  In January 2009, she sang Aida at Deutsche Oper Berlin and in February she followed with performances of Leonora in Il Trovatore for The Atlanta Opera.  Spring held performances at Carnegie Hall for Jessye Norman’s HONOR! Festival and Un Ballo in Maschera for National Opera of Paris.  This summer she sings Elisabetta in Don Carlo for Cincinnati Opera and appears with the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras.  She returns to her hometown for the title role in Ariadne auf Naxos with Indianapolis Opera in October and joins the Pittsburgh Symphony to sing the world premier of the song cycle, “A Woman’s Life,” written especially for her by American composer Richard Danielpour and celebrated author Dr. Maya Angelou.  Angela makes her debut with Hamburg Opera and Vienna State Opera this fall.

Miss Brown’s previous solo appearances include: Metropolitan Opera; National Opera of Paris; Bilbao Opera, Spain; Teatro La Fenice; Opera Company of Philadelphia; Cincinnati Opera; Opera Pacific; Florentine Opera; Indianapolis Opera; Michigan Opera Theatre; Dayton Opera; Florida Grand Opera; The Philadelphia Orchestra; and the Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.  Angela has performed in recital throughout the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Africa. 

ROBERTO GIANOLA
Roberto Gianola is considered “one of the most promising orchestral conductors of the new generation.” Despite being only 34, he recently conducted at the Carnegie Hall and received a standing ovation. Maestro Gianola has conducted more than 50 notable orchestras including the NEW ENGLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, ORCHESTRA DI STATE of PARANA’ Brazil, ORCHESTRA DI STATE DE MEXICO, ORCHESTRA DI GUANAGUATO of Mexico, ORCHESTRA DI KRASNOYARSK of Russia, BALKAN SYMPHONI ORCHESTRA, ORCHESTRA SINFONICA of KARKOV, Ukraine, FILARMONICA ENESCU of Bucharest, and the  JEFFERSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA of New Orleans.
He has performed at the Teatro dal Verme of Milan, Sala Verdi del Conservatorio of Milan, Teatro Donizetti of Bergamo, Teatro Comunale of Bologna, Teatro S.Carlo of Naples, Sala of the Mozarteum of Salzburg, and the Doelen of Rotterdam, among others.  He has toured in France, Germany, Tunisia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

Highly skilled and specialized in operas, he has conducted such operas as: Le Nozze di Figaro ,Traviata Nabucco, Rigoletto, Trovatore ,Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci, Adriana Lecouvreur , Barbiere di Siviglia , Carmen ,  Don Pasquale , Madama Butterfly, Tosca and La Boheme. 

The combined talents of Maestro Gianolo and internationally acclaimed soprano Angela Brown make this performance one you will not want to miss!

ANTONIO DI CRISTOFANO
Antonio di Cristofano has performed as a piano soloist or in different musical ensembles with the Orchestra of the University of Milan, Strings Orchestra “Cantelli” of Milan, Chamber Orchestra of Florence, Symphony Orchestra of Lecce, Magna Grecia Orchestra, Sicily Symphony Orchestra, Solisti Aquilani, Milano Classica Orchestra, Radio Orchestra of Bucharest, Orquesta Sinfonica de l’Estado de Mexico, University Orchestra of Houston, Radiotelevision Albania Orchestra, Istanbul Chamber Orchestra, Praga Radio Symphony Orchestra, North Czech Philharmonic, Lamont Symphony Orchestra Denver, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Izmir Symphony Orchestra, Iasi State Philharmonic, Wiener Mozart Orchestra, Toronto Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonique de Montreal, Jerusalem Symphony, Kaerntner Sinfonieorchester, etc. with conductors like G. Taverna, F. A. Krager, O. Balan, M. Bosch, M. Ancillotti, M. Alsop, N. Arman, C. Schulz, M. Zanini, C. Olivieri-Munroe, A. Chernushenko, and many others.

He has played in the “Verdi Theatre” in Florence, the "Festival dei Due Mondi" in Spoleto, “Asolo Musica”, the Theatre of Alessandria, the “Bibbiena Theatre” in Mantova, the “Puccini Hall” at the Conservatory “and G.Verdi” in Milan, among others.

Recently he made his debut in Carnegie Hall – New York and in Konzerthaus and Golden Hall MusikVerein in Wien. His performances are always inspiring and we are honored to have him provide the finale to our 20th Anniversary Season.