| John Glover, composer Described as "an unabashedly expressive composer," (New Yorker) John has created music for theater, opera, dance, and the concert hall. His chamber opera New Arrivals for Houston Grand Opera was hailed by Broadway World as an "intricate and intriguing score that is easy to lose yourself in emotionally." Commissions from organizations and musicians including the New York Youth Symphony, Houston Grand Opera, American Conservatory Theater, the Five Boroughs Music Festival, choreographer Amber Sloan, and violist Liuh-wen Ting have distinguished him as an emerging voice in contemporary music.John has received numerous awards, fellowships and grants for his music from organizations including Meet The Composer, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, and Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Current projects include the one-act opera Lucy being developed by American Opera Projects and Nautilus Music Theater Snow created with choreographer/director Jordan Morley for toy pianist Phyllis Chen. His recent song cycle for the New York Youth Symphony, Natural Systems for baritone and orchestra premiered at Carnegie Hall this spring and was described as a "vivid score ranging from energetic swirls to a gentle, enigmatic conclusion." (New York Times). Visit John online at: www.johnmakesnoise.com |
| Kelley Rourke, librettist/dramaturg Kelley Rourke writes for and about music. In summer 2013, her adaptation of Verdi's Il giorno di regno for The Glimmerglass Festival earned high praise: "Ms. Rourke’s clever, quirky libretto, easy to follow and hard to resist, tidies up some of the original opera’s messy bits" (The New York Times). The 2013-14 season will see the debut of two very different takes on The Magic Flute (Boston Lyric Opera and Washington National Opera), as well as a new English version of Ariadne auf Naxos for Glimmerglass. She is the librettist for John Glover's Natural Systems (New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall, 2013) and Our Basic Nature (now Lucy)(Nautilus Music-Theatre and American Opera Projects, 2010). Kelley’s adaptation of The Elixir of Love for Sir Jonathan Miller’s 2010 production at English National Opera (revived September 2011) was praised for a “crackingly witty translation” (The Independent) that “communicates vividly without mashing the music”(Financial Times). Other adaptations include Orpheus in the Underworld (2007) for Glimmerglass Opera; and Pagliacci (2010), The Magic Flute (2005) and The Abduction from the Seraglio (2004) for the In Series (Washington, DC). She has created supertitles for more than 65 operas, which have appeared at such companies as the Metropolitan Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera and Washington National Opera, among others. Kelley is the staff dramaturg at The Glimmerglass Festival (Cooperstown, NY) and Washington National Opera. For seven years she served as founding editor of Opera America magazine, and she is a contributor to the New Grove Dictionary of American Music. www.kelleyrourke.com
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| Andrew Wilkowske, baritone Andrew Wilkowske—whether singing a “virile, sturdy Marcello” or a “garrulous yet endearing” Papageno—displays an engaging combination of musical talent and masterful stage presence. Wilkowske, whose voice has been described as “nimble,” with an “impressively open top,” is one of the most versatile performers on the stage today. A gifted actor as well as singer, Wilkowske’s Papageno in The Magic Flute “stole the show” according to the Washington Post, and was a “lusty-voiced fellow,” according to Opera News. Engagements this season include Carl Linden in Bitter Sweet with Skylark Opera, Bummerli in The Chocolate Soldieri at Bard Summerscape, Kaiser Overall in Der Kaiser von Atlantis with Boston Lyric Opera, and Carmina Burana with the Minnesota Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Osma Vänska.
Widely known for his expertise in modern repertoire, Wilkowske recently reprised the role of Noah in The Grapes of Wrath with the Collegiate Chorale at Carnegie Hall. As a member of the Minnesota Opera premiere cast, he was featured on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” radio show and is included on a complete recording of the opera, available on P.S. Classics. In addition, he recently covered the role of Casanova in Minnesota Opera’s 25th Anniversary production of Dominick Argento’s Casanova’s Homecoming; sang the role of Geppetto in Jonathan Dove’s The Adventures of Pinocchio and Henry Kissinger in Nixon in China with The Minnesota Opera; and sang in performances of the North American premiere of Howard Shore’s The Fly at Los Angeles Opera, conducted by Placido Domingo.
Other recent engagements include a series of Figaros, making his debut as Rossini’s Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Skylight Opera. He returned to Skylight in the title role of Le Nozze di Figaro to complete Skylight’s Figaro Cycle. In addition, Wilkowske reprised Mozart’s Figaro with the Green Mountain Opera Festival (under the baton of Maestro Jacques Lacombe), Ashlawn Opera, and the Acadiana Symphony. Wilkowske’s experiences are documented in his award-winning ‘a year of figaro’ blog, which you can read here.
Also active on the musical theatre stage, Wilkowske’s performance in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris was called “chilling” and “deeply moving” by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and his performance in Sleeping Beauty with the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati earned him a nomination for a Cincinnati Entertainment Award.
Wilkowske has participated in the Merola Opera Program, Glimmerglass Opera’s Young American Artist Program and the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and the University of Minnesota Duluth. Visit Andrew online at: www.andrewwilkowske.com |
| Jocelyn Dueck, music director Pianist Jocelyn Dueck is known for her new music interpretations on the New York City circuit, premiering operas and other works by composers Eve Beglarian, Lisa Bielawa, Tom Cipullo, Corey Dargel, John Glover, Judd Greenstein, Daron Hagen, Stephen Hartke, Gabriel Kahane and Gilda Lyons, to name a few. Jocelyn was a collaborator on the Billboard Chart-topper Five Borough Songbook, a seminal collection of songs by New York City’s most innovative composers. The New York Times called her performance of the works “solid and colorful.” Jocelyn was a collaborator on 21C Liederabend at Galapagos, one of Time Out New York’s “Best of 2009.” A devotee of language study through music, Jocelyn is a professor of German Diction at the Manhattan School of Music and teaches Italian Diction at Bard’s noteworthy Vocal Arts Program. She was a professor and coach at NYU for five years where she taught all sections of Diction for Singers, and on the faculty at Mannes College, teaching German Lieder to singers and pianists. Dr. Dueck recently founded The Center for Language in Song, a NYC-based institute that teaches song enthusiasts the art of score preparation. As a coach, Jocelyn has served on the music staffs at Glimmerglass Opera and Seattle Opera. Jocelyn received a DMA in Accompanying and Coaching under the tutelage of Margo Garrett and Karl Paulnack at the University of Minnesota in 2004. Her dissertation focused on the unpublished song cycles of Les Six composer Louis Durey. Jocelyn has written articles for Opera America’s Perspectives book series as well as their magazine, and is a contributor to the ezine Sparks and Wiry Cries. www.jocelyndueck.com |
| Erik Pearson, projection designer and director Erik Pearson is a Brooklyn based director and projection designer. Recent projects include Spike Lee’s Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth on Broadway/HBO, Bill Irwin’s Mr. Business, Streb’s Kiss The Air at the Park Avenue Armory directed by Robert Woodruff, Greg Moss’s Billy Witch for Studio 42/APAC, and Jen Silverman’s Tanner’s Last Stand. Other New York credits include Playwrights Realm, SoHo Playhouse, Intar, HERE, TerraNOVA, New Dramatists, Lark and Studio NYC. International and regional credits include The Holland International Dance Festival, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Woolly Mammoth, Two River Theater, Carolina Ballet, El Paso Opera, Ballet Met, The Magic, Shakespeare Santa Cruz, BRAVA!, and Marin Theater Company. He has served on faculty at the University of California at Santa Cruz and as a guest lecturer at Yale School of Drama. Erik holds an M.F.A. in directing from Yale School of Drama. www.elpearson.com
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| REDSHIFT, ensemble REDSHIFT is an ensemble of young, dynamic musicians with a commitment to performing contemporary music in distinctive venues. The ensemble’s core members draw on vast experience performing all types of classical music--from the traditional to wildly experimental. Their recent performances have been described as “a knockout” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
REDSHIFT’s mission is to promote the experience of live conemporary classical music through virtuosic performances in interesting venues, to foster appreciation for the music’s artistic value, and to present and commission music that represents composers from a range of styles and career stages.
Performances by REDSHIFT defy many of the urban myths associated with classical music, and especially contemporary music: that it is difficult to understand, that it is not cool or fun, and that it can only be appreciated by concert hall connoisseurs. REDSHIFT presents its innovative programs with a casual style and artistic intensity that invites audiences into a visceral and intellectual experience. Visit REDSHIFT online at: www.redshiftensemble.com |
| Jenny Kampmeier, graphic and web designer Jenny Kampmeier is a freelancer based in New York City, specializing in print and web design for non-profit organizations, orchestra production, orchestra librarianship, and jack-of-all-trades freelancing. Her clients include American Symphony Orchestra, American Composers Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, YouTube Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, NYsoundCircuit, Carlson and Carlson Artist Management, SigVision Photography, Two Sides Sounding, Theater THE and the Manhattan Wind Ensemble.
Eh, the truth is, Jenny hates writing bios, almost as much as she hates writing cover letters. This is better: Jenny has a renaissance soul. She is in love with a great number of things, not the least of which is her varied work and the people she has in her life. She loves express trains, craft beer, local produce, Morningside Heights, great coffee, libraries, her beagle, and her husband, Matt Muszynski. Her goal in life is to never stop learning and exploring, wherever that may lead. You can reach Jenny at jennykampmeier AT gmail DOT com, and view a small sample of her work at www.jennykampmeier.com |