Nicholas Hersh, Music Director

American conductor Nicholas Hersh has earned critical acclaim for his innovative programming and natural ability to connect with musicians and audiences alike.

In the 2023-24 season, Hersh returns to the National, Houston, Baltimore, Colorado, and New Jersey Symphonies, while making debuts with the Springfield Symphony and Wintergreen Festival. Recent include engagements with the Detroit, Grand Rapids, New World, North Carolina, Phoenix, Portland (ME), Richmond, Tucson, Utah, and Winston-Salem symphony orchestras, Louisiana and Rochester Philharmonics, and the Florida and Sarasota Orchestras.

Over a remarkable tenure as Associate Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Hersh created the BSO Pulse series, through which he brought together indie bands and orchestral musicians in unique collaborations; he led the BSO in several subscription weeks, and concerts in and around Baltimore; and he directed the BSO’s educational and family programming, including the celebrated Academy for adult amateur musicians. Hersh also maintains a close relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra, leading concerts throughout Washington, D.C. He stepped in to replace an indisposed Yan Pascal Tortelier, on subscription, to great acclaim.

Hersh is frequently in demand as an arranger and orchestrator, with commissions from orchestras around the globe for adaptations of everything from classical solo and chamber music to popular songs. His orchestration of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata Op. 69 was premiered by the Philharmonie Zuidnederland in January 2022, while his symphonic arrangement of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody continues to see worldwide success as a viral YouTube hit. He also serves as arranger and editor for the James P. Johnson Orchestra Edition.

Hersh grew up in Evanston, Illinois and started his musical training as a cellist. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Stanford University and a Master’s Degree in Conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Hersh is also a two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award. Nicholas lives in Philadelphia with his wife Caitlin and their two cats, and in his free time enjoys baking (and eating) sourdough bread.

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Website: http://www.nicholashersh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063225878694

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholashersh/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NicholasHersh

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Upcoming Performances

Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor

Ryan Murray

Principal Pops Conductor

American conductor Ryan Murray has found steady acclaim as a compelling, dynamic and unflappable presence on the podium. Ryan is currently Principal Pops Conductor for the Modesto Symphony, Music Director of the Auburn Symphony, and Artistic Director of Music in the Mountains. An award-winning opera conductor, Ryan spent his early career working as an assistant conductor and répétiteur, and is currently the Music Director of Opera Modesto. He has served as an assistant conductor at the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, is the past Music Director of Fresno Grand Opera, and previously worked as a staff conductor for the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI) and The Opera Academy of California in San Francisco. Effortlessly moving between genres, Ryan currently enjoys a wide range of performance genres & platforms, including traditional orchestral and operatic repertoire, pops performances, movies in concert, and a notable emphasis on contemporary American operatic works.

Ryan was the winner of the Vienna Philharmonic’s prestigious Ansbacher Fellowship for Young Conductors, and spent the summer in residence alongside the Vienna Philharmonic at the 2014 Salzburg Festival. Ryan was also awarded second place in the 2019 American Prize for Professional Orchestral Conducting for his work with the Modesto Symphony, and has garnered national recognition for his dynamic, compelling performances of contemporary opera as the winner of the 2017 American Prize in Opera Conducting for his highly lauded production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He was a 2016 semi-finalist for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music for his production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking.

A charismatic pops conductor, Ryan has worked with prominent artists such as Storm Large of Pink Martini, SuperDiamond and the phenomenal symphonic tribute to David Bowie. He was recently engaged to step-in at the last minute as assistant and cover conductor for Andrea Bocelli's Believe Tour with the Sacramento Philharmonic where he conducted rehearsals to acclaim. He has led some of the top vocalists from Broadway and beyond, including Ben Crawford (Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera), Ashley Brown (Broadway's Mary Poppins), and Alli Mauzey (Glinda from Wicked), as well as some of today's top young jazz vocalists including Tony DeSare and James Tormé. With an enthusiasm for film scores, Ryan enjoys the unique challenges of conducting movies in concert and was recently added the the Disney & ICM Approved Conductors list. Recent and upcoming performances include Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pixar Animation Studios' Pixar in Concert, Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Ryan holds degrees, summa cum laude, in Bassoon Performance and Voice Performance from California State University, Sacramento and also holds a master’s degree, with distinction, in Music Business from the Berklee College of Music where he studied with industry professionals to develop tools for success in the modern music industry, including new technology, policy, law and finance. Ryan has a strong commitment to education and currently serves as the Director of Symphony Orchestra & Opera at California State University, Sacramento, and as the conductor for the Sacramento Youth Symphony's premier orchestra. Driven by a lifelong passion for learning, Ryan has attended conducting masterclasses and seminars around the world. Ryan recently conducted the Romanian Chamber Orchestra in concert and was one of just eight conductors worldwide to be invited to the Musiikin aika Summer Festival Masterclass in Finland led by Susanna Mälkki. He has previously attended the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music's Conductors Workshop; the contemporary music symposium led by Alan Gilbert featuring the New York Philharmonic; the Aurora Chamber Festival in Sweden, where he studied under Maestro Kurt Masur; the Lucerne Festival Academy’s Conducting Masterclass in Switzerland; and the Eastman School of Music’s Summer Conducting Institute. Widely praised for his tireless work ethic, natural poise, and impassioned, inspired performances, Ryan continues to connect deeply with orchestras and audiences alike, and has proven to be a formidable presence on the podium.

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Upcoming Concerts

Nikki Renée Daniels, guest artist

Nikki Renée Daniels recently starred in Once Upon a Mattress (Lady Larken), and in the Tony Award winning revival of Company (Jenny) on Broadway. She played Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton, at the CIBC Center in Chicago. Other Broadway credits include The Book of Mormon (Nabulungi), the 2012 Tony Award winning revival of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (Clara), Les Miserablés (Fantine), Nine, Aida, Little Shop of Horrors, The Look of Love, Promises, Promises, Anything Goes, and Lestat.

She made her New York City Opera debut as Clara in Porgy and Bess. Other New York credits include Martha Jefferson in 1776 at City Center Encores! and Eve/Mama Noah in the New York premiere of Children of Eden at David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center.

Regionally, Nikki has been seen in Caroline, or Change (Emmie) at the Guthrie Theatre; Ray Charles Live! (Della B.) at Pasadena Playhouse; The Music Man (Marian) and Guys and Dolls (Sarah Brown) at Pittsburgh CLO; Anything Goes (Hope) at Williamstown Theatre Festival; Beauty and the Beast (Belle) at Sacramento Music Circus, and North Shore Music Theater; Ragtime (Sarah) at North Shore Music Theatre; Aida (Aida) and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator) at ArtPark.  Her film and television credits include The Other Woman, “Chappelle's Show,” “Madam Secretary,” and “The Sound of Music: Live.”

Nikki has performed as a soloist with many symphony orchestras worldwide, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, the North Czech Philharmonic, The Capetown Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, the Philly Pops, the New York Pops, Indianapolis Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Houston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.  She has also performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, and holds a BFA from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. Her debut CD, Home, is available on iTunes. Follow her on social media at @nikkireneesings.

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Website: https://nikkireneedaniels.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikkireneedaniels

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkireneesings/

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Upcoming Performances

Crystal Monee Hall, guest artist

Crystal Monee Hall’s varied career as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist and actress has included roles on Broadway (“RENT”), sold out tours with acclaimed musicians Mickey Hart (Grateful Dead) and Dave Schools (Widespread Panic), being a featured vocalist on Saturday Night Live and also a guest appearance on the HBO comedy-drama High Maintenance. She has released three albums (one solo as well as two with Hart) with work from her most recent EP "If You Breathe" called 'riveting' by Billboard Magazine . Her newest release seamlessly blends Hall’s love for world, blues, jazz, soul and contemporary R&B, showcasing her talent as a songwriter, while highlighting a voice that has captivated audiences worldwide. 

Currently, Crystal is a featured vocalist on Broadway Superstar Kristin Chenoweth’s “For The Girls” concerts at Broadway’s Nederlander Theater. In addition to being heavily featured, her songwriting comes front and center when Chenoweth performs her original tune “Reasons for Hope” co-written by the shows Musical Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell.

Crystal continues to be a key part of high-profile music moments, including a feature with country superstar Thomas Rhett on Saturday Night Live in March 2019. RollingStone took notice of her standout performance of “Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time,” noting it “put on display the superb, soulful talents of Crystal Monee Hall”. He invited her out to to his sold out show at Madison Square Garden in September 2019 for an encore performance of the tune.

Crystal will be featured in Emmy, Tony and Grammy winning Ben Platt’s Netflix concert special filmed at Radio City Music Hall in September 2019. She also performed with him The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Good Morning America and for the run of his sold-out “Sing to Me Instead” Tour.

Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award Winner Cynthia Erivo’s PBS special features Hall in the role of soprano during her knockout performance of “Ain’t No Way”. She also joined Kesha as part of her powerful 2018 Grammy Awards performance in support of the #TimesUp movement,  provided supporting vocals for Mariah Carey's Christmas residency at New York's Beacon Theater, performed alongside Kanye West and Chance The Rapper during their debut performance of "Ultralight Beam" on SNL. Crystal provided backing vocals for Craig David's "All We Needed," the official song of the BBC's 2016 Children In Need campaign. 

With her career continuing to flourish, Hall looks forward to reaching new listeners with her message, music and voice. 

Crystal Monee Hall is a singer/songwriter, composer/lyricist and vocal arranger based in NYC.  

Credits include: Sesame Street, Ayodele Casel (Chasing Magic), Walker (CW network), A Beautiful Noise (Gospel Arrangement, Biden/Harris Campaign), Kristen Chenoweth, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Brandon Victor Dixon, Ben Platt, PBS Kids (Donkey Hodie, Nature Cat, Alma’s Way), Fearless (Mandy Gonzalez), Black Ink Crew (VH1), Broadway Inspirational Voices, HBO’s High Maintenance, Broadway’s RENT, Craig David, Cynthia Erivo, After the Storm (Ahrens and Flaherty), Thomas Rhett, John Legend, Patti Austin, Oleta Adams, Mariah Carey, Elton John, Kesha, Roy Ayers, Jason Mraz, Ledisi, Kanye West, The Last Internationale. crystalmoneehall.com, @crystalmonee.

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Website: https://www.crystalmoneehall.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystalmoneehall/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalmonee

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgORMHUGo-XEikxXByz7hoA

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Upcoming Performances

Capathia Jenkins, guest artist

The Brooklyn-born and raised singer/actor, Capathia Jenkins, premiered her new show, She’s Got Soul, with the Houston Symphony in October 2022, with upcoming performances including Cleveland Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Utah Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Asheville Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, among others.

Ms. Jenkins starred as ‘Medda’ in the hit Disney production of Newsies on Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in The Civil War, where she created the role of Harriet Jackson. She then starred in the Off-Broadway 2000 revival of Godspell, where she wowed audiences with her stirring rendition of ‘Turn Back, O Man’ which can still be heard on the original cast recording. She returned to Broadway in The Look of Love and was critically acclaimed for her performances of the Bacharach/David hits. Ms. Jenkins then created the roles of ‘The Washing Machine’ in Caroline, Or Change and ‘Frieda May’ in Martin Short-Fame Becomes Me where she sang ‘Stop the Show’ and brought the house down every night. In 2007 she went back to Off-Broadway and starred in (mis) Understanding Mammy-The Hattie McDaniel Story for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. She was also seen in Nora Ephron’s Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

An active concert artist, Ms. Jenkins has appeared with numerous orchestras around the world including the Cleveland Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony (with Marvin Hamlisch), National Symphony, Cincinnati Pops (with John Morris Russell), Philly Pops, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Utah Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Toronto Symphony, San Diego Symphony, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, and many others. She was also a soloist with the Festival Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic multiple times. Capathia had the great honor of performing in the ‘Broadway Ambassadors to Cuba’ concert as part of the Festival De Teatro De La Habana. She will be returning to Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops for Get Happy: That Nelson Riddle Sound and also sang in a Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at the Library of Congress.

Her Television credits include 30 Rock, the Practice, Law & Order SVU, the Sopranos, Law & Order, as well as on her critically acclaimed CD Phenomenal Woman with Louis Rosen and her most recent single, ‘I am Strong’. She can be seen in the film ‘Musical Chairs’ directed by Susan Seidelman. Ms. Jenkins was also seen in The Wiz in a live performance on NBC. She can be heard on the following film soundtracks: Nine, Chicago, Legally Blonde 2.

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Website: www.capathiajenkins.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capathianyc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capathianyc/

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Upcoming Performances

Ryan Shaw, guest artist

Ryan Shaw is a three-time GRAMMY® nominated artist for his solo projects, Columbia Records’ This is Ryan Shaw, his In Between and Dynotone’s Real Love. He has shared the world stage with such artists as Van Halen, Bonnie Raitt, John Legend, B.B. King and Jill Scott. His music has been featured on FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance and ABC’s Dancing with The Stars, Grey’s Anatomy, and Lincoln Heights, and the films My Blueberry Nights and Bride Wars and the Sex and the City soundtrack. Ryan has been a featured guest on national TV talk shows and has starred as Judas in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Olivier Award-winning London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, as the original Stevie Wonder in Motown: The Musical on Broadway, and on London’s West End as the Soul of Michael Jackson in Thriller Live. Ryan’s new album, Imagining Marvin, showcases Marvin Gaye hits alongside Ryan’s original songs and features multi-GRAMMY Award-winning co-writers and special guests.

As a concert soloist, Ryan Shaw made his Radio City Music Hall debut at the Dream Concert benefit to build the Martin Luther King Jr National Monument in Washington DC. His Carnegie Hall appearances include an Elton John and Bernie Taupin Tribute, A Celebration of The African American Cultural Legacy, and a Nat King Cole 100th concert with the NY Pops. Ryan has also been honored to be the second artist in history to be asked to perform a return engagement at the Central Park Summer Stage Gala (second to Stevie Wonder). He has also been a featured artist with the Houston Symphony for their R&B Mixtape concert as well as the soloist for the Houston Symphony’s 4th of July Celebration. Ryan has also performed with The Cleveland Orchestra, Philly Pops, Utah Symphony, Colorado Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony, Helena Symphony, Anchorage Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Tucson Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Des Moines Symphony, Omaha Symphony, Wheeling Symphony, Wilmington Symphony, Mississippi Symphony, Springfield Symphony, and Gulf Coast Symphony. Upcoming concert engagements include Seattle Symphony, Houston Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, Arkansas Symphony, South Dakota Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, Allentown Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic.

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Website: https://www.ryanshaw.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsRyanShaw/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisryanshaw/

Youtube: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCwOpnhjwgNiZuQRPHdfWD1g

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Upcoming Performances

Terron Brooks, guest artist

TERRON BROOKS is a singer-songwriter, recording artist, actor, motivational speaker, author and producer who has credits from the Broadway stage, Simba in Disney’s The Lion King and Seaweed in Hairspray, to the television screen’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, American Idol, The Voice, and The Ellen DeGenerous Show. Based in Los Angeles, Terron has had the great opportunity to perform at The Ahmanson(The Secret Garden), The Pantages (The Lion King, Hairspray) and The Hollywood Bowl(Kinky Boots). Mr. Brooks has traveled the country with Disney in Concert Symphony Orchestra. He’s best remembered for his critically acclaimed portrayal of Eddie Kendricks in the Emmy Award winning NBC miniseries The Temptations. He is a two time NAACP image award nominee for best supporting actor and an Ovation nominee for best featured actor. Terron has sung with world class artists Stevie Wonder, David Foster, Phil Collins, One Republic, and Smokey Robinson. He is the co-creator and star of The Soul of Broadway, reimagining classic Broadway favorites, and has produced, written and recorded his own records available digitally everywhere. Terron’s first book Something GoOD on the Table is featured on Amazon.com

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Website: https://www.terronbrooksofficial.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terronbrooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terronbrooks/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/tempteddie

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Upcoming Performances

Chester Gregory, guest artist

Chester Gregory is an award winning singer and actor. He was last seen starring in Motown The Musical as the iconic Berry Gordy.  Broadway credits include Motown the Musical, Hairspray, Tarzan, Cry-Baby and Sister Act. Other credits include August Wilson's Fences and Two Trains Running. He has toured nationally with Dreamgirls, Sister Act, as well as his one-man show The Eve of Jackie Wilson. Chester has received many awards, including the Jeff Award and a NAACP Theatre Award, and has been presented the key to the city of his hometown of Gary, Indiana and in East Chicago. He has also been chosen as an Honorary State Representative of Indiana and has received a Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater Columbia College Chicago. He is currently producing several projects and recordings. Add him on social media @ChesterGregory and chestergregory.com

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Website: https://www.chestergregory.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100050689170301

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chestergregory

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OFFICIALCHESS

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Upcoming Performances

Audrey Wright, violin

Audrey Wright is a multifaceted artist across solo, chamber music, and orchestral realms. She joined the New York Philharmonic in 2022 and has been the concertmaster of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra since 2018. She previously served as associate concertmaster of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Wright has performed across the globe in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall, Saint Petersburg Philharmonia, and the Vatican, and has been a soloist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Cape Symphony Orchestra. With a passion for innovative programming and juxtaposing a wide range of musical styles, her repertoire spans the early 17th century to the modern day, and her performing experience includes the full spectrum of these musical styles, from period performance practice to the premiering of new and personally commissioned works. Her debut album, Things In Pairs, with pianist Yundu Wang, was released on Navona Records in 2022.

Originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Wright developed a love of ensemble and collaborative playing from a young age. During her high school years, she went on several international tours with youth orchestras in the Boston area, attended the prestigious Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts, and was on the national radio program From the Top. As a recurring participant in the Verbier Festival since 2012, she has performed with the Verbier Festival Orchestra and Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, and has been concertmaster under the direction of Gábor Takács-Nagy, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kent Nagano, Iván Fischer, and Charles Dutoit. Wright was a Violin Fellow in the New World Symphony from 2013–14, and a member of the Excelsa Quartet from 2014–16. As the Fellowship String Quartet at the University of Maryland, Excelsa Quartet performed and competed internationally, working closely with members of the Guarneri, Emerson, St. Lawrence, and Juilliard quartets.

Wright has performed on such chamber music series as Meeting House Chamber Music, Jackson Hole Chamber Music, Manchester Summer Chamber Music, Great Lakes Summer Chamber Music Festival, and in many concerts in the mid-Atlantic area, including Chiarina Chamber Players, Community Concerts at Second, Pro Musica Rara, Hood College Chamber Music, and the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society, where she has performed on a number of the exquisite instruments in the Smithsonian Instrument Collection. She has worked closely with musicians Mayron Tsong, Paul Watkins, Roberto González-Monjas, Russell Hartenberger, Roger Tapping, John Heiss, John Gibbons, and Yundu Wang, as well as chamber ensembles such as the Axelrod String Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, Boston Trio, and NuDeco Ensemble. Having worked extensively with artists across other disciplines, she also regularly collaborates with multidisciplinary artist and husband Geoff Robertson on innovative projects that often incorporate dazzling displays of light and sound.

In addition to performing, Wright is a passionate teacher and chamber music coach, and has developed a specialty in coaching and giving masterclasses on orchestral audition excerpts. In 2020 she released a YouTube series of excerpt tutorial videos that has become a widely used resource for musicians worldwide. She was the Director of the Homewood Chamber Music Seminar at Johns Hopkins University from 2017–18, has coached chamber music at the University of Maryland, and maintains a small studio of private students.

Wright holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and a doctoral degree from the University of Maryland. Her primary teachers have included David Salness, Lucy Chapman, Bayla Keyes, and Magdalena Richter. She plays on a 1753 J.B. Guadagnini violin generously on loan from the Alsop Trust.

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Website: https://audreywrightviolin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/audreywrightviolin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreywrightviolin

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Upcoming Performances

Branford Marsalis, saxophone

Branford Marsalis is an award-winning saxophonist, band leader, featured classical soloist, and a film and Broadway composer. Over the span of his decades long career, he has become a multi award-winning artist with three Grammys, EMMY and Tony nominations, a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master, and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence.  

Mr. Marsalis is frequently sought after as a featured soloist with such acclaimed orchestras as the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, and the Chicago, Detroit, North Carolina, and Düsseldorf Symphonies, with a repertoire that includes compositions by Debussy, Glazunov, Ibert, Mahler, Milhaud, Rorem, Vaughn Williams, and John Williams. He has toured with chamber orchestras such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong.

Emerging from the global pandemic in January 2022 Mr. Marsalis first returned to the New York Philharmonic to perform John Adam’s Saxophone Concerto, which highlighted his incredible agility and the instrument’s lyrical voice. Mr. Marsalis then launched a tour with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, in a program which explored the intersectionality of jazz and classical music with repertoire selections including Debussy’s jazz-inspired Rhapsody for alto saxophone and chamber orchestra. Later that year, he performed John Williams’ Escapades in Tanglewood’s celebration of Williams’ 90th birthday. In 2023 Mr. Marsalis performed with symphonies in Miami, Greensboro, Toledo and Corpus Christi, as well as with the Warsaw Philharmonic and Calgary Philharmonic. He also traveled to Tokyo and Kyoto to perform with the Makoto Ozone group in Japan. Mr. Marsalis recently composed a suite commissioned by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, which premiered in March 2024.

Even as he tours the world as a featured classical soloist, Mr. Marsalis continues to perform with The Branford Marsalis Quartet, which he formed in 1986. His work on Broadway has garnered a Drama Desk Award and Tony nominations for the acclaimed revivals of Children of a Lesser God, Fences, and A Raisin in the Sun. As a composer for film and television, his screen credits include original music composed for: Rustin starring Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks starring Oprah Winfrey, and the EMMY nominated Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre.

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Website: https://www.branfordmarsalis.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/branfordmarsalis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branfordmarsalis/

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Upcoming Performances

Alex Boyer, tenor

Tenor ALEX BOYER is steadily gaining recognition for his commanding voice and dramatic portrayals of the lyric and spinto tenor repertoire. Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle for Festival Opera’s production of Pagliacci, Boyer “mustered a large, potent sound that brought a welcome measure of anguish and dark menace to the role of Canio; his delivery of the famous showpiece ‘Vesti la giubba’ lacked nothing in the way of grit and vocal power.”

Most recently, he has been seen as Tichon in Janáček's Káťa Kabanová with West Edge Opera, Cassio in Otello and Cavaradossi in Tosca with Livermore Valley Opera, Cavaradossi with Hawaii Opera Theatre and as Captain Ahab in Jake Heggie's Moby Dick with Chicago Opera Theater. 

Other engagements include covering the roles of Ruggero in La Rondine with the Metropolitan Opera; Pollione in Norma, Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, and Ahab in Moby Dick with the Dallas Opera; performing the roles of the Abbot in Andrea Chénier and Remendado in Carmen with San Francisco Opera; Rodolfo in La bohème and the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto with Island City Opera; Marcello in Leoncavallo's La bohème and Alwa in Lulu in the acclaimed West Edge Opera production. 

He is an alumnus of the Merola Opera Program and the Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers.

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Website: https://www.alexboyertenor.com/

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Upcoming Performances

Kindra Scharich, mezzo-soprano

Mezzo-soprano Kindra Scharich has been praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for her “fearless technical precision,” “deep-rooted pathos” and “irrepressible musical splendor.” As a dedicated recitalist, she has performed more than 250 art songs in 15 languages, and enjoys the full complement of recital, concert and opera engagements alike.

Ms. Scharich has sung more than 40 roles from Monteverdi to Philip Glass, and has been engaged in a number of premières and new works, including: John Adam’s Antony & Cleopatra (San Francisco Opera), Bright Sheng’s Dream of the Red Chamber (San Francisco Opera), Laura Kaminsky’s Today it Rains (Opera Parallèle), and Missy Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves (West Edge Opera, west coast première). Scharich’s recordings include: In meinem Himmel: The Mahler Song Cycles, with the Alexander String Quarter (2018), Everyone SangL Vocal Music of David Conte (2018), To my Distant Beloved, with pianist Jeffrey LaDeur (2020), Nepomuceno Overseas, with pianist Ricardo Ballestero (2021) and To the Western Sea: Remembering Ursula K. Le Guin (2021).

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Website: https://www.kindrascharich.com/

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Upcoming Performances

Georgiana Adams, soprano

American soprano, Georgiana Adams is an artist committed to passionate and esteemed musical storytelling. This season she will debut as a featured vocal soloist with San Francisco Ballet in a program entitled Mere Mortals and will join the Modesto Symphony for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

A first-year Adler Fellow with the San Francisco Opera, she participated in the 2023 Merola Opera Program, singing Anna in scenes of Kevin Puts’ Silent Night in the Schwabacher Summer Concert, covering the role of Female Chorus in the Rape of Lucretia, and performing operatic scenes of Wagner and Mozart with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra on the Merola Grand Finale Concert.

 A recent graduate of the Juilliard School, Adams earned her master’s degree in music in the spring of 2023 and was awarded the Stephen Novick Grant for Career Advancement. During the 2022-2023 season, Adams made her Alice Tully Hall debut singing songs of Respighi, and made her role debut as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Chautauqua Opera Conservatory. With the Julliard Opera Theater, she performed the roles of Littler Sister in Missy Mazzoli’s Proving Up, Ciesca in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and covered the titular role in Suor Angelica. Other roles include Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Lady Billows in Britten’s Albert Herring, and the Dewfairy in Hansel and Gretel.

Adams is a proud winner of the San Francisco District of the 2024 Metropolitan Opera’s Laffont Competition and was the winner of the 2020 Casa Italia Vocal Competition in her hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georgiana_adams/

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Upcoming Performances

Matt Boehler, bass

Hailed as “a bass with an attitude and the goods to back it up,” by The New York Times and praised by the San Francisco Classical Voice for music that “harnesses considerable expressive power,” bass and composer Matt Boehler is known in the world of opera for his captivating, dynamic performances and his long-earned reputation as an inventive collaborative artist.

Matt’s calendar over the past several years has included engagements at some of classical music’s most prestigious venues. He has sung at The Metropolitan Opera in both Iolanta and The Nose, Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie in Daphne, Canadian Opera Company in The Magic Flute, and Santa Fe Opera in the world premiere of The Lord of Cries (Corigliano/Adamo).

During the 2023-2024 season, the bass will sing Frére Laurent in Toledo Opera’s production of Roméo et Juliette, as well as Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass in La Crosse, Wisconsin. 2022-2023 saw Boehler’s role debut as Figaro in Madison Opera’s Le nozze di Figaro and returns to Madison Symphony for Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra for Bernstein’s Mass and Des Moines Metro Opera for The Love for Three Oranges and The Falling and the Rising (Redler/Dye). He also reprised the role of Van Helsing for the studio recording of The Lord of Cries with the GRAMMY-winning Boston Modern Orchestra Project. During the 2021-2022 season, Matt made his Florida Grand Opera debut in Rigoletto, debuted with Austin Opera in Fidelio, and returned to Des Moines Metro Opera for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

A frequent collaborator in contemporary opera, Matt has premiered roles in Becoming Santa Claus (Adamo) with Dallas Opera and Chicago Opera Theater, Acquanetta (Gordon/Artman) with Prototype Festival, and Elizabeth Cree (Puts/Campbell) with Opera Philadelphia, among several others.
Recent seasons have displayed Matt’s versatility in a great array of repertoire, from Osmin in The Abduction from the Seraglio with Lyric Opera of Kansas City to Il Cieco in Iris with Bard Summerscape and Rocco in Fidelio with Madison Opera. He has been met with acclaim as Méphistophélès with Michigan Opera Theater (now Detroit Opera) and as Osmin with Des Moines Metro Opera, as well as the Hotel Manager in Powder Her Face with New York City Opera and Festival Opéra de Quèbec. He made his role debut as Baron Ochs in Der Rosenkavalier with Victory Hall Opera, where he is an ensemble member as both singer and composer. While an ensemble member at Theater St. Gallen in Switzerland, Matt excelled in staples of the bass repertoire like Leporello in Don Giovanni and Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, while embracing rarities such as Baldassare in Donizetti’s La favorita and Catalani’s La Wally. 

Equally at home on the concert stage, he has appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Portland Baroque Orchestra, and Oratorio Society of New York. In recital, he has been seen in several critically acclaimed performances with the New York Festival of Song and has concertized at the Spoleto Festival USA and with the Lotte Lehmann Foundation. His discography reflects his enthusiasm for new music and includes recordings of several world premieres by John Musto, William Bolcom and Michael Dellaira, as well as being featured on albums of song by Stefan Wolpe and David Conte.

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Matt now proudly claims the San Francisco Bay Area as his home. He trained as an actor at Viterbo College, an opera singer at the Juilliard School, and as a composer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

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Website: https://www.mattboehler.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattboehlerishere/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/in.sta.matt/

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Upcoming Performances

Robert Patterson, clarinet

Rob is Assistant Professor of Clarinet at Boston University's School of Music, founder of the online program The Clarinet Sessions, and Acting Principal Clarinet of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. A passionate educator, Rob is on the faculty for Aria International Summer Academy and is a frequent coach with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. Rob has been a guest instructor at the Curtis Institute of Music and at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.

Recent masterclass invitations have included the San Francisco Conservatory, Indiana University, University of California Los Angeles, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Peabody Institute, University of North Texas, University of Toronto, Grieg Academy (Norway), Sibelius Academy (Finland), and Royal College of Music (Sweden). Rob has served on the faculty at the University of Virginia, where he was featured in recital and as soloist with the Charlottesville Symphony.

Rob has served as Acting Principal Clarinet with the Baltimore and Louisville Orchestras as well as Principal Clarinet with the Charlottesville Symphony and Lyrique-en-Mer Festival Orchestra in France. Additionally, he has served as guest Principal Clarinet for the orchestras of Albany, Chautauqua, Cincinnati, Richmond, Huntsville, Modesto, Pasadena, Peoria, as well as the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Rob’s chamber music performances have taken him across North and South America, Europe and Asia. He has performed contemporary music as a member of the VERGE Ensemble in Washington, DC, with the San Francisco Contemporary Players, and was previously a member of the Philadelphia-based Ensemble 39, which was also invited to serve in residence at the Teatro del Lago in Frutillar, Chile.

Mr. Patterson has been the featured soloist in Copland’s Clarinet Concerto with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and the Charlottesville Symphony as well as the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Lyrique-En-Mer (Le Palais, France) Orchestra, Binghamton Philharmonic, Middletown Symphony Orchestra, and the Howard County (Maryland) Concert Players. As a former Strathmore Music Center Artist in Residence, Mr. Patterson presented a series of solo recitals, masterclasses, educational concerts, and a recital at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, including the World-Premiere of John B Hedges’ Three Pieces for Solo Clarinet.

Festival appearances include Moab, Mendocino, Festival Napa Valley, The Peninsula Music Festival, Bravo! Vail, Festival Lyrique-En-Mer, Garth Newel Music Center, Music from Angel Fire, and the Yellow Barn Music Festival.

Hailing from Cincinnati, OH, Mr. Patterson earned degrees from the Curtis Institute of Music and the University of Southern California. His principal teachers were Yehuda Gilad, Richard Hawley, and Donald Montanaro.

Mr. Patterson is proud to be a D'Addario and Buffet-Crampon performing artist.

Please visit www.robwpatterson.com for more information.

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Upcoming Performances

Tai Murray, violin

Described as “superb” by The New York Times, violinist Tai Murray has established herself a musical voice of a generation.“Technically flawless… vivacious and scintillating… It is without doubt that Murray’s style of playing is more mature than that of many seasoned players… “ (Muso Magazine)

Appreciated for her elegance and effortless ability, Murray creates a special bond with listeners through her personal phrasing and subtle sweetness. Her programming reveals musical intelligence. Her sound, sophisticated bowing and choice of vibrato, remind us of her musical background and influences, principally, Yuval Yaron (a student of Gingold & Heifetz) and Franco Gulli. Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2004, Tai Murray was named a BBC New Generation Artist (2008 through 2010). As a chamber musician, she was a member of Lincoln Center’s Chamber Music Society II (2004-2006).

She has performed as guest soloist on the main stages world-wide, performing with leading ensembles such as the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Symphony Orchestra, and all of the BBC Symphony Orchestras. She is also a dedicated advocate of contemporary works (written for the violin). Among others, she performed the world premiere of Malcolm Hayes’ violin concerto at the BBC PROMS, in the Royal Albert Hall.

As a recitalist Tai Murray has visited many of the world’s capitals having appeared in Berlin, Chicago, Hamburg, London, Madrid, New York’s Carnegie Hall, Paris and Washington D.C., among many others.

Tai Murray’s critically acclaimed debut recording for harmonia mundi of Ysaye’s six sonatas for solo violin was released in February 2012. Her second recording with works by American Composers of the 20th Century was released by the Berlin-based label eaSonus and her third disc with the Bernstein Serenade on the French label mirare.
Tai Murray plays a violin by Tomaso Balestrieri fecit Mantua ca. 1765, on generous loan from a private collection.

Murray is an Assistant Professor, Adjunct, of violin at the Yale School of Music, where she teaches applied violin and coaches chamber music. She earned artist diplomas from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and the Juilliard School.

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/violinsinstyle/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taimurrayviolin/

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Upcoming Performances

Ashley Brown, vocalist

Ashley Brown originated the title role in “Mary Poppins” on Broadway for which she received Outer Critics, Drama League and Drama Desk nominations for Best Actress.  Ms. Brown also starred as Mary Poppins in the national tour of Mary Poppins where she garnered a 2010 Garland award for “Best Performance in a Musical”. Ms. Brown’s other Broadway credits include Belle in "The Beauty and The Beast", and she has starred in the national tour of Disney's "On The Record". Ashley recently returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago to star in the role of Laurey in “Oklahoma”.   She previously played Magnolia opposite Nathan Gunn in Francesca Zembello’s “Showboat” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Ashley has performed with virtually all of the top orchestras in North America including the Boston Pops, the New York Philharmonic, The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra at Disney Hall, The Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall (three times), Fort Worth Symphony, the Cincinnati Pops, Philadelphia Orchestra (two times), the Milwaukee Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony (three times), Seattle Symphony, the Houston Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, and the Philly Pops. She has also performed with the BBC orchestra opposite Josh Groban.

Ashley made her solo concert debut at The Kennedy Center as part of Barbara Cook’s Spotlight Series, and has appeared in New York City at prestigious venues including Feinstein’s at the Regency and Birdland.  Other projects include a star turn at the La Jolla Playhouse in a production of “Limelight”,  “Sound of Music” at the St. Louis MUNY which garnered her a Kevin Kline award, and her own PBS special called “Ashley Brown: Call Me Irresponsible” which received a PBS Telly Award. Ms. Brown’s long awaited album of Broadway and American Songbook standards is available on Ghostlight/Sony. Ashley is a graduate of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.

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Website: https://www.ashleybrownonline.com/home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AshleyBrownonline/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleybrownyall/?hl=en

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Upcoming Performances

Alessio Bax, piano

Combining exceptional lyricism and insight with consummate technique, Alessio Bax is without a doubt “among the most remarkable young pianists now before the public” (Gramophone). He catapulted to prominence with First Prize wins at both the Leeds and Hamamatsu International Piano Competitions, and is now a familiar face on five continents, not only as a recitalist and chamber musician, but also as a concerto soloist who has appeared with more than 150 orchestras, including the London, Royal, and St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestras, the New York, Boston, Dallas, Cincinnati, Seattle, Sydney, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras, and the NHK Symphony in Japan, collaborating with such eminent conductors as Marin Alsop, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Sir Andrew Davis, Fabio Luisi, Sir Simon Rattle, Yuri Temirkanov, and Jaap van Zweden.

Bax constantly explores many facets of his career. He released his eleventh Signum Classics album, Italian Inspirations, whose program was also the vehicle for his solo recital debut at New York’s 92nd Street Y as well as on tour. He recently debuted with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, playing Schumann Concerto and the Seattle Symphony with Saint-Saëns’ Second Piano Concerto and embarked on a trio tour of Spain with violinist Joshua Bell and cellist Steven Isserlis. Bax and his regular piano duo partner, Lucille Chung, gave recitals at New York’s Lincoln Center and were featured with the St. Louis Symphony and Stéphane Denève. He has also toured extensively with Joshua Bell and presented the complete works of Beethoven for cello and piano with cellist Paul Watkins in New York City.

Bax revisited Mozart’s K. 491 and K. 595 concertos, as heard on Alessio Bax Plays Mozart, for his recent debuts with the Boston and Melbourne Symphonies, both with Sir Andrew Davis, and with the Sydney Symphony, which he led himself from the keyboard. In addition, Bax made his solo recital debut at London’s Wigmore Hall, and give concerts at L.A.’s Disney Hall, Washington’s Kennedy Center, and New York’s Carnegie Hall. As a renowned chamber musician, he recently collaborated with Joshua Bell, Ian Bostridge, Lucille Chung, Steven Isserlis, Daishin Kashimoto, Sergei Nakariakov, Emmanuel Pahud, Lawrence Power, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Paul Watkins and Tabea Zimmermann. Since 2017 he has been the Artistic Director of the Incontri in Terra di Siena Festival, a Summer Music Festival in the Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany. He appears regularly in festivals such as Seattle, Bravo Vail, Salon-de-Provence, Le Pont in Japan, Great Lakes, Verbier, Ravinia and Music@Menlo. In 2009, he was awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and four years later he received both the Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award and the Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists.

Bax’s celebrated Signum Classics discography includes Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” and “Moonlight” Sonatas (a Gramophone “Editor’s Choice”); Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto; Bax & Chung, a duo disc with Lucille Chung; Alessio Bax plays Mozart, recorded with London’s Southbank Sinfonia; Alessio Bax: Scriabin & Mussorgsky (named “Recording of the Month … and quite possibly … of the year” by MusicWeb International); Alessio Bax plays Brahms (a Gramophone “Critics’ Choice”); Bach Transcribed; and Rachmaninov: Preludes & Melodies (an American Record Guide “Critics’ Choice 2011”). Recorded for Warner Classics, his Baroque Reflections album was also a Gramophone “Editor’s Choice.” He performed Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata for Daniel Barenboim in the PBS-TV documentary Barenboim on Beethoven: Masterclass, available on DVD from EMI.

At the record age of 14, Bax graduated with top honors from the conservatory of Bari, his hometown in Italy, and after further studies in Europe, he moved to the United States in 1994. A Steinway artist, he lives in New York City with pianist Lucille Chung and their daughter, Mila. He was invited to join the piano faculty of Boston’s New England Conservatory in the fall of 2019.

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Website:http://www.alessiobax.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/alessiobax

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alessiobax/?ref=badge

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Upcoming Performances

Darryl Williams, guest vocalist

Darryl Jovan Williams is the Gold Medalist of the Americans Traditions Savannah Onstage International Soloist Competition. It was this competition that earned Williams a Gold Medal, a Ten Thousand Dollar Grand Prize, and an offer to sing for the Yachting Event for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

Darryl is a celebrated artist around the world. Darryl was invited to tour Eastern Europe as the Choir Director and guest soloist by the late Mr. Michael Brenner, one of Germany’s elite promoters, in the European Tour of Queen Esther Marrow and The Harlem Gospel Singers. His vocal prowess gained him rave reviews and won him the opportunity to perform for Pope (now Saint) John Paul II in Bologna, Italy.

Mr. Williams has toured extensively in the Broadway hit Smokey Joe’s Cafe with the legendary Gladys Knight and was a fixture at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Darryl has also created background vocals and sung background for artists such as Gladys Knight, Leslie Gore, Ann Nesby, Louis St. Louis, and Emmy Award winner Dave Pierce and most recently Michael Bublé. His performance and background vocals with Leslie Gore at Fienstein’s was lauded as one of the Top Ten Cabaret Shows in 2009.

A frequent soloist with symphony orchestras, Darryl’s recent and upcoming engagements include performances with Houston Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Utah Symphony, Chicago Philharmonic, Louisville Orchestra, Allentown Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony, among others.

Darryl has recently been the co-music arranger and vocal arranger for Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. He was also the vocal arranger for the much-anticipated hit Jesus Christ Superstar Gospel, which won him rave reviews for his portrayal as Judas. Williams was recently a semi-finalist at the world-famous Apollo Theatre. He was most recently seen as the lead in Passing Strange and in a one man show written for him by Broadway legend Mr. Timothy Graphenreed. He is presently touring the world in his own show, The Mind of a Tenor, which has toured on Cruise ships and most recently South Africa.

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Website: https://www.darryljwilliams.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarrylJSings/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/DarrylJWilliams/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClPjfCf-q_hf366EMbreKyQ

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Upcoming Performances

Jennifer Lindsay, soprano

Lyric soprano Jennifer Lindsay has been widely praised for her gorgeous tone and musical intelligence.

As Mimì in La Bohème with Opera Connecticut, she was lauded for her “plummy voice” by the Connecticut Town Times, and VOICE Magazine called her a “standout singer” for her portrayal of the pivotal character Mary Warren in Robert Ward’s The Crucible with Opera Santa Barbara.  Ms Lindsay joined the Metropolitan Opera as a member of the ensemble in a new and wildly popular production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, which received a GRAMMY Award for Best Opera Recording. Equally at home in the contemporary music scene, Ms Lindsay has appeared with the LA Philharmonic in conjunction with Beth Morrison Projects to perform excerpts from John Adams’ I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky, conducted by the composer. She debuted the role of Lucha in the world premiere of HOPSCOTCH with The Industry, directed by Pulitzer Prize-nominee Yuval Sharon, and performed the role of Tasha in excerpts from Dylan Mattingly’s modern opera Stranger Love at the biannual FIRST TAKE contemporary music festival co-hosted by The Industry and wildUp, Christopher Roundtree’s acclaimed new music ensemble. Ms Lindsay has also been a featured soloist with the San Diego Symphony, the Pacific Symphony, and the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. She currently resides in Orange County.

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Website: http://jenniferlindsaymusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLindsayMusic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/JenniferLindsayMusic

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Upcoming Performances