When you hear the words “contemporary music,” what sorts of sounds do you imagine? In the classical world, “contemporary music” is often (unfairly) associated with atonal, highly academic music that is inaccessible and/or unappealing to anyone outside of a small, elite musical circle. It also happens that, due to the classical music industry’s overemphasis and overprogramming of music written centuries ago (almost exclusively by white Western European men), many musical works that are considered “contemporary” or “modern” were in fact written as long as a century ago. This concert is meant to show just how broad the term “contemporary music” really is, showcasing a wide (but by no means definitive) range of musical styles, sounds, and techniques all of which have been written and/or arranged by living musicians. You will hear art songs in multiple languages, newly arranged Quechua folk songs, opera excerpts, an acoustic version of an electronic dance song, and more. Our goal is to celebrate the incredible contributions that living artists are making in the musical world today, and to expand audiences’ perceptions of what they can expect from a concert of “contemporary music.”
Vocalis Consort strives to feature musical works that have been traditionally overlooked, helping performers and audiences find and broaden the scope of the art song recital beyond the “traditional” Western European canon. You can learn more about Vocalis Consort at www.vocalisconsort.com
Thank you for being part of this special musical sharing we hope you enjoy!
Larazóndemicanto
Music by Philip Rice Text by Pablo Neruda Christopher Sierra & Martin Néron
Music by Emily Lau Poetry by Emily Dickinson
A Small Handful
Music by Gilda Lyons (b. 1975) Text Anne Sexton (1928 1974) 1. WhereItWasatBackThen
EliseBrancheau
TahwaInka’jTak’y nam
by Martin Néron
LIBRE Music and lyrics by Bridgette Gan Bridgette Gan
ROJOTANGO Music by Pablo Ziegler Text by Oscar Balducci
Scott Johnson & Martin Néron
HALCYONDAYS
Music by Melissa Dunphy Poetry by Jacqueline Goldfinger
Bridgette Gan, Elise Brancheau, Christopher Sierra, Scott Johnson
La razón de mi canto
Composer: Philip Rice
Text: Pablo Neruda
“The reason for my song” was commissioned by Christopher Sierra for his graduate recital at the Manhattan School of Music. It is a setting of the 89th sonnet from Pablo Neruda’s “Cien Sonetos de Amor” (100 Love Sonnets). The text reads as a last will of sorts, beginning with the words “when I die,” and describing with colorful language the wishes of the speaker to commune with his or her lover in many different capacities. The text is expressively varied, and when composing, it was difficult to choose a single effect to govern the entire composition. Using a line from the third stanza, “flourish again, my flower” as inspiration, I decided to try to paint a flower garden with many different colors, to reflect the intense variegation of the text. What resulted was a large binary form with high contrast between dark, brooding chorale like textures, and bright “flourishing” contrapuntal writing. The vocal and piano writing are equally demanding, requiring an accomplished tenor to float a pianissimo high B in the center section, “I want what I love to go on living,” while the piano explores polyrhythms and rapid, florid figurations.
Soneto LXXXIX
Cuando yo muera quiero tus manos en mis ojos: quiero la luz y el trigo de tus manos amadas pasar una vez más sobre mí su frescura: sentir la suavidad que cambió mi destino.
Quiero que vivas mientras yo, dormido, te espero, quiero que tus oídos sigan oyendo el viento, que huelas el aroma del mar que amamos juntos y que sigas pisando la arena que pisamos.
Quiero que lo que amo siga vivo y a ti te amé y canté sobre todas las cosas, por eso sigue tú floreciendo, florida,
para que alcances todo lo que mi amor te ordena, para que se pasee mi sombra por tu pelo, para que así conozcan la razón de mi canto.
Sonnet 89
When I die, I want your hands on my eyes: I want the light and the wheat of the hands I adore to spread their freshness across me once again: I want to feel the softness that has shaped my life.
I want for you to live while I wait for you, asleep, for your ears to keep on listening to the wind,
for you to smell the sea that we both loved together, to walk across the sand that we feel beneath our feet.
I want what I love to go on without me, and you whom I love and sang about above all else to continue to bloom, to be always in full flower
so you can complete what my love has set in motion so my shadow can wander the long length of your hair, so everything can understand the reason for my song
Translation:PaulWeinfield,©2016
The Dickinson Songs were originally inspired and premiered by Sonja Tengbled and her colleagues at GRAMMYs winning ensemble, Conspirare, as part of their Modern Dickinson project. The original version, with five songs, were mostly a cappella. In my mind, Emily Dickinson was a lonely girl, sitting in a lonely house, imagining a world full of possibilities. Her poetry was not meant to be shared, but rather, for her own amusement (or maybe for a few of her closest relations). Hence the bare and innocent setting of the a cappella pieces. Later, mezzo soprano Maren Brehm further commissioned me to write harp and violin accompaniments to these movements, along with “His Feet are shod with Gauze” for a commercial album. In the process of developing this extended version, a magical sound world started to emerge. Over the next year or so, I added “I Can Wade Grief” as commissioned by Gloria Bangiola, and completed the cycle.
I have used melodies, harmonies and ideas that reflect the historical backdrop in which these poems were conceived, and try to honor Dickinson's poems by preserving all of her poetic meters in the music. If Dickinson was to roll out of her grave right now and hear this music, I sure hope she'd approve!
Emily LauI never saw a moor, I never saw the sea; Yet know I how the heather looks, And what a wave must be.
I never spoke with God, Nor visited in heaven; Yet certain am I of the spot As if the chart were given.
II. The Moon Is Distant from the Sea
The Moon is distant from the Sea And yet, with Amber Hands She leads Him docile as a Boy Along appointed Sands
He never misses a Degree Obedient to Her eye He comes just so far toward the Town Just so far goes away
Oh, Signore, Thine, the Amber Hand And mine the distant Sea Obedient to the least command Thine eye impose on me
III. His Feet are shod with G auze
His Feet are shod with Gauze His Helmet, is of Gold, His Breast, a Single Onyx With Chrysophrase, inlaid.
His Labor is a Chant His Idleness a Tune Oh, for a Bee's experience Of Clovers, and of Noon!
IV. The grave my little cottage is
The grave my little cottage is, Where “Keeping house” for thee I make my parlor orderly And lay the marble tea.
For two divided, briefly, A cycle, it may be, Till everlasting life unite In strong society.
V. I Can Wade Grief
I can wade Grief Whole Pools of it I'm used to that But the least push of Joy Breaks up my feet
Let no Pebble smile 'Twas the New Liquor That was all!
Power is only Pain Stranded, thro' Discipline, Till Weights will hang Give balm to Giants And they'll wilt, like Men Give Himmaleh They'll Carry Him!
That is will never come again Is what makes life so sweet. Believing what we don't believe Does not exhilarate. That if it be, it be at best An ablative estate This instigates an appetite Precisely opposite.
I shall keep singing! Birds will pass me On their way to Yellower Climes Each with a Robin's expectation I with my Redbreast And my Rhymes
Late when I take my place in summer But I shall bring a fuller tune Vespers are sweeter than Matins Signor Morning only the seed of Noon
Selections from For a Look or a Touch Music by Jake Heggie Libretto by Gene Scheer
ForALookOrATouchis a story about the persecution of gay men during the Holocaust. Librettist Gene Scheer based his text on true stories told in the documentary film Paragraph175and the journal of Manfred Lewin, from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC.
A void consumes me.
My spirit and body are suddenly lame.
Terror fills the time that follows. Will each new day be the same?
Often I feel utterly abandoned.
See myself on the edge of an abyss.
And I become dizzy as I look down. With blood drained cheeks that you would kiss.
Suddenly from the darkest depths, A loving voice echoes and seeks me out. I look down and ask: “Who is calling?”
And I hear a voice that ends all doubt.
It is the voice of a sanctified power, The sacred place where fears dissolve. The unyielding blessing, the generous heart The voice of souls in perfect resolve.
One by one. One by one.
A hundred thousand stars, love, Have fallen from the sky.
A hundred thousand dreams gone A hundred thousand sighs A hundred thousand whispers Promises and lies
The constellations change Our stories rearranged And darkness fills the sky
A hundred thousand stars, love Have vanished from the sky.
A hundred thousand candle flames Flicker out and die.
Our laughter in the night, love, When you would hold me tight, love, Like shadows on a wall Nobody will recall…
Who will remember when starlight filled the skies?
As I will always remember how it filled your eyes.
Every star had a name.
Every one was a light. What is that I hear, love?
A train is passing by.
Another star has vanished, Stolen from the sky.
Hush my love! Hush, my love! You must not be afraid now This will not be the end.
A hundred million stars will be born
To fill the sky again. You never are alone, love, I swear I'm by your side There's very little light. Auf Wiedersehen, adieu, Good night, my love. Good night.
BabyBookis truly a woman's work. The cycle illustrates miscarriage, pregnancy, and motherhood. We hope that this work will bring women's voices and experiences to prominence and foster dialogue about miscarriage.
For this performance, the final two songs of the cycle, “Looking Out” and “Searching” will be performed. These songs center around the joy of motherhood, while reflecting on the journey of pregnancy and miscarriage that came before.
I.
“Looking Out” is the most lighthearted, hopeful, and joyful song in the cycle. The world shrinks around an innocent, pleasant day between the mother and new baby. The vocal line is largely pentatonic, and the piano and voice breathe together, alternating and interlacing, bouncy, sweet and warm.
Strips of early day
Across the floor. Blinds half open Like your eyes as you extend swaddled arms break free. We face each other As I carry you for our walk. We stop under the hilltop tree, Sky peaks through the green layers. In a few years, we'll sit at those picnic tables, I tell you, and eat mozzarella sandwiches. You close your eyes, lean towards me. Our hearts face the other.
“Searching” at once contains the past, present, and future. The final song opens with the earliest music of the cycle the piano meditation. This music and the text recall the miscarriage. A shift returns us to the present, where the mother marvels at the child in her arms. Even in these movements, we find the miscarriage motive, refashioned and made more beautiful in the lullaby she sings to the baby, in her exaltation of “here you are,” and underlying the last words of the cycle. She has been broken and healed. Part of her will carry the memory of her lost child, but she anticipates a bright future with this child.
For years, I looked For you around corners, between small hours of morning. And now, here you are in my arms, limbs heavy and sodden with sleep. You weigh less awake, Head bobbing, as you push your legs Against my lap, hands against my chest, to look behind me, out the window towards the sunshine.
LIGHT IN THE HALLWAY Music and Text by Pentatonix Audra Mae, Mitch Grassi, and Scott Hoying Arranged by Dan Satter
Close your eyes, lay your head down Now it's time to sleep May you find great adventure As you lie and dream
If you're scared of the darkness, I will calm your fear There's a light in the hallway So you know I'm here
So count your blessings every day It makes the monsters go away And everything will be okay
You are not alone You are right at home Good night, good night
You won't need me forever, But I'll still be here For we all have our nightmares Even me, my dear
From now on if you need me, You can sing this song There's a light in the hallway Burning all night long
So count your blessings every day It makes the monsters go away And everything will be okay
You are not alone
You are right at home Good night, good night
A Small Handful Composer: Gilda Lyons (b. 1975) Text: Anne Sexton (1928 1974)
While Anne Sexton’s troubled existence was littered with depression and suicide attempts, she remained committed to turning the detritus of her life into poetry. Maxine Kumin, a close friend and trusted colleague of Sexton’s, wrote “I am convinced that poetry kept Anne alive for the eighteen years of her creative endeavors. When everything else soured...the making of poems remained her one constant.”
The three poems that I have chosen to set for unaccompanied voice span the length of these creative endeavors: from “Music Swims Back to Me” found in her first publication ToBedlamandPartWayBack(1960), to SevenTimesfrom the cycle “The Death Baby” found in her 1974 publication TheDeathNotebooksand finally to “Where It Was at Back Then” from 45MercyStreet(1976), Sexton’s first posthumous publication.
Gilda Lyons1. Where It Was at Back Then
Husband, last night I dreamt they cut off your hands and feet. Husband, you whispered to me, Now we are both incomplete.
Husband, I held all four in my arms like sons and daughters. Husband, I bent slowly down and washed them in magical waters.
Husband, I placed each one where it belonged on you. "A miracle," you said and we laughed the laugh of the well to do.
2. Music Swims Back to Me
Wait Mister. Which way is home? They turned the light out
and the dark is moving in the corner. There are no signposts in this room, four ladies, over eighty, in diapers every one of them.
La la la, Oh music swims back to me and I can feel the tune they played the night they left me in this private institution on a hill.
Imagine it. A radio playing and everyone here was crazy. I liked it and danced in a circle. Music pours over the sense and in a funny way music sees more than I. I mean it remembers better; remembers the first night here. It was the strangled cold of November; even the stars were strapped in the sky and that moon too bright forking through the bars to stick me with a singing in the head. I have forgotten all the rest.
They lock me in this chair at eight a.m. and there are no signs to tell the way, just the radio beating to itself and the song that remembers more than I. Oh, la la la, this music swims back to me. The night I came I danced a circle and was not afraid. Mister?
I died seven times in seven ways letting death give me a sign, letting death place his mark on my forehead, crossedover,crossedover .
And death took root in that sleep. In that sleep I held an ice baby and I rocked it and was rocked by it. Oh Madonna, hold me. I am a small handful.
TahwaInka'jTak'y nam were written between January and November 2018 for Christopher Sierra, and premiered at the Church of the Redeemer in Astoria. The original Quechua texts and melodies were taken from a collection published in 1923 by Marguerite Béclard d'Harcourt. Although the original melodies were freely developed and adapted, and the accompaniment entirely reworked, I aimed to preserve their traditional quality. “Yaravi” is a slow and sad love song that predates colonialism. It was originally scored for voice, flute, oboe, and piano, and adapted for two sopranos, tenor, and piano for tonight's performance. “Rueday koson” is a Ronde, a peasant dance, that was collected in Ayacucho in Southern Central Peru. “Huk Urpičatam” is a widespread melody in southern Peru, and one will recognize the famed opening line, which inspired “El condor pasa.” In truth, urpiis the word for a dove in Quechua and a metaphor for a loved one, which is often found in slow songs. “Verde l'akiča ” displays rhythmic juxtapositions typical of the music of Central Peru. Martín Néron
I.Yaravi
Wasi wasinta mas ka musiayki, Manatariniču kanta hinaka, Katača!
Ama nal'a l'akičiwaycu Ama l'atak wakačiwayču Katača!
FromdoortodoorIlookedforyou, Therearenowomenlikeyou, Kataka!
Donotmakemecry Donotexacerbatemypain Kataka!
Rueday koson, rueday koson Verde romero
Kay ay sumak pampa l'api. Yana ñawi zamba Anda, Bambinita Malva de oro wayta Anda Pausinita!
Let'sswirl
Prettyrosemaryinthebloomingfields LittlegirlofBamba
Withyourdarkeyes
Andyou,flowerofPausa, Thedanceisawaitingyou
Huk urpičatam uywakarkani L'apa sonkkowan kuyakuyaspa Čaymi kananxa sakkeril'awan, Mana imapi pina čiapti Tuta ppunčaumi maskamu l'ani
L'aki sonkkoyti sin či lakisxa Tuta ppunčaumi maskamu l'ani Ičas yanayča rikuni nispa? L'apa rumita tapurikustin Ičas yanayča rikuni nispa?
Ihadadovebymyside Ilovedherwithallmyheart Tosavemylove,sheleftme Ihadneverhurtherbefore Tosavemylove,sheleftme
Ilookedeverywhereforher allthroughthenight Sadnessfilledmyheart Iaskedthepebblesontheroad “Isthiswheremyloveescaped?”
IV. Verde l'aki ča Tumbiscăy
Verde l'akiča Tumbiscăy Amaya wakači wayčo Kaynawatapas kananwatapas, Kuya l'askaysikanki Rasuwilkata riposak Rittipi čul'unkamosak Honray rimak runakuna Yakuta tomayawanka!
Donotmakemecry,littlegirl, ThemostbeautifulflowerofTumbos
Onedayends,anotherbegins Youarealwaysloved
ToclimbMountRasuwilka Iwillbecoveredinsnow Thosewhotalkbehindmyback Theywillpayfortheirwords
Music and lyrics by Bridgette Gan
“Libre” is an up tempo, electronic dance song about the desire to reconnect with an artistic community and feel free in body and spirit. Featuring original poetry and melodies created by Bridgette, it was released in collaboration with dancer and recording artist RAF MC in November of 2021. RAF MC's original choreography for “Libre” has been taught to thousands of people worldwide in Zumba classes and masterclasses. Today Bridgette presents her solo acoustic version, focusing on the desire to create and connect in a post pandemic world.
Crea y comparte amor
Createandsharelove
Haz arte, canta y baila Makeart,singanddance Create and share what you feel. Loveandmusiccanheal. Quiero ser libre Iwanttobefree
Oh libre. Siempre libre. Free.AlwaysFree. We can rest We can play We can forge our own way. Dance, dance with me.
El cielo y el infierno de tu voz me están rompiendo la cabeza. Me dicen que se ha muerto todo amor en aquel rojo atardecer. Y queda sólo un tango y la vereda, testigos de su amor y su querer. En vano uno pretende no cantar el compás rojo de su herida, En vano uno pretende no bailar el compás rojo de sus penas.
El tango siempre llega en despedida al odio de tu ausencia sin adioses, Y canta nuestra pena chiquitita, nuestros sueños sin adioses en la esquina de los dioses. Es rojo como el fiel de la traición, Es rojo como el filo del puñal, Humilde como el alma del carbón.
Music by Pablo Ziegler Text by Oscar BalducciLo que nos queda cuando ya es tarde, Cuando ya es tarde cuando diste el corazón, Y quedan aquel rojo atardecer El cielo y el infierno de su voz, Tu voz.
Tu voz, la roja sombra que perdí, Su voz, el corazón que siempre di, El viejo corazón, el rojo corazón, El mismo corazón que siempre rojo Tango rojo, rojotango.
Theheavenandhellofyourvoice arebreakingmyhead. Theytellmethatalllove hasdiedinthatredsunset. Andthereisonlyatangoandthepath, witnessesofyourloveanddesire.
Invainonepretendsnottosing theredrhythmoftheirwound. Invainonepretendsnottodance theredrhythmoftheirsorrows. Thetangoalwayscomesattheend tohateofyourabsencewithoutgoodbyes, andsingourlittlesorrow, ourdreamswithoutgoodbyes, inthecornerofthegods.
It'sredasthepointofbetrayal, It'sredastheedgeofthedagger, Humbleasthesoulofcoal. Whatwehaveleftwhenit'stoolate, Whenit'stoolatewhenyougaveyourheart, Andthatredsunsetremains Theheavenandhellofyourvoice Yourvoice.
Yourvoice,theredshadowthatIlost, Yourvoice,theheartthatIalwaysgave, Theoldheart,theredheart, Thesameheartthatisalwaysred, Tangorojo,rojotango.
We all have good years and bad years, but few years have been as stormy for so many people as 2020. It's hard to think of the upcoming winter holidays without acknowledging the effects of current events, as millions of people sacrifice precious time with their loved ones for the safety of their communities. Along with poet Jacqueline Goldfinger, my hope for this December is that we each can create our own
Halcyon Days a period of calm during winter storms where we can reflect on what we have lost but rise up to face the new year with joy and grace.
Sacred days draw near, traditions hallowed and wan, Well worn prayers embrace their heirs when Love returns as embers. Dreams delayed, hopes frayed in the blue nights of winter. Daybreak dreams of reunions lost. Rise Up, Tattered and Torn! Rise Up, Barren and Reborn! Go forth in Peace. Bring joy to the dawn. And Grace, turn your face upon us.
Elise Brancheau is a vocalist with an eclectic performance career singing opera, art song, oratorio, choral repertoire, and more. A firm believer that classical music is a living, breathing art form, she is committed to collaborating and supporting living composers and has premiered works by Melissa Dunphy, Jasper Sussman, Lauren Spavelko, Hannah Gruendemann, Martha Sullivan, Dennis Tobenski, Adam Cuthbért, Jan Albert, and more. She has also lent her voice to the soundtracks of multiple short films, participated in devised musical theater, performed in a new musical that had been conceived, written, and rehearsed in just 48 hours, and is currently working on a series of improvised opera arias with texts from famous horror movie monologues.
Some of Elise’s favorite opera roles include Micaëla (Carmen), Pamina (TheMagic Flute), Mimì (Labohème), and Blanche (DialoguesdesCarmélites). Equally at home in the realm of concert work and early music, she has enjoyed singing repertoire such as Barber’s Knoxville:Summerof1915 , Mozart’s CoronationMassand Vesperae solennesdeconfessore , Buxtehude’s Cantata 49, the music of Hildegard von Bingen, and more. She has premiered two new “ExplOratorios” - secular oratorios featuring works by multiple composers with the N.E.O. Voice Festival. She performs regularly as a chorister in the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet Séguin, and is a section leader for the choir of St. Joseph’s Church, Yorkville in New York City and at Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston, New Jersey. She has won awards from multiple competitions, including the Metropolitan Opera Guild, the Giulio Gari Foundation Competition, the Fritz & Lavinia Jensen Competition, and more.
A lover of art song, Elise has programmed, produced, and performed in multiple recitals, both independently and with organizations such as the Vocalis Consort, the Patchwork Project, the Hugo Kauder Society, Vertical Player Repertory, and The Secret Opera, the boutique opera/art song company she cofounded in 2014. Favorite art song repertoire includes Britten's LesIlluminations , Lori Laitman’s INeverSaw AnotherButterfly , Gilda Lyons’s a cappella ASmallHandful , Berg’s SiebenfrüheLieder , Libby Larsen’s TryMe,GoodKing , and Melissa Dunphy’s arrangement of Bob Dylan’s “Farewell, Angelina” for voice and viola, a piece which she commissioned and premiered in 2019.
Elise is a graduate of Mannes College The New School for Music (MM) and Westminster Choir College of Rider University (BM). She has the distinct honor of having lived in New Jersey her entire life.
BRIDGETTE GAN
Praised by the WashingtonPostfor her “gorgeous singing,” Bridgette Gan is quickly establishing herself as a vibrant interpreter of opera, concert and crossover works. Recently, Ms. Gan had the honor of performing as the guest soloist for Wheeling Symphony’s Music Under the Stars concert, the nation’s first live concert with orchestra following the general shutdown of performances due to the COVID 19 pandemic. In the 2021/2022 season, Bridgette looks forward to making her role and house debut as Valencienne in TheMerryWidowwith Opera Idaho, returning to the Wheeling Symphony for their February Soundbites concert, and presenting recitals with the Federation of the Art Song and Vocalis Consort (of which she is a founding member). As a contemporary crossover artist, Bridgette will also be featured on the latest single, "Libre" (which she cowrote and produced) with Zumba choreographer and performer RAF MC.
Other recent highlights include her company debut with Utah Festival Opera as the soprano soloist for OratoriofromtheBookofMormon , Sharon in Terrence McNally’s MasterClass , and the Countess in LenozzediFigaro , for which DeseretNewslabeled her “the one to listen to.” She made her role debut as Norina in DonPasqualewith Opera Orlando, where she has also appeared as Musetta in Labohème , a guest soloist for their 2018 Gala, and the “vocally and comically sparkling” (OrlandoSentinel) Bethany Squills in their modernized production of Mozart’s TheImpresario , and debuted her Adina in L’elisird’amorewith St. Petersburg Opera.
Ms. Gan made her mainstage debut with Santa Fe Opera as Lila in the world premiere of Jennifer Higdon’s ColdMountain , a recording of which is available on Pentatone Records and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording. A former resident artist with Palm Beach Opera, she has been seen there as Stella in Les contesd’Hoffmann , Zerbinetta in AriadneaufNaxos , and Marie in Lafilledurégiment , with Edge Media Network calling her performance “a tour de force…vocally beautiful and consistent with a rich tone and sparkling high notes…a great star turn for a young singer who has a world of potential in front of her.” She has also appeared with the Pacific Symphony as Papagena in TheMagicFlute , the Center for Contemporary Opera as Jackie Kennedy in a reading of Chandler Carter’s opera Bobby , and Central City Opera as Frasquita in Carmen , Venus and Eurydice in OrpheusintheUnderworld , Madeline/Isabel in TheFaceontheBarroomFloor , and Celie in SignorDeluso .
In concert she has recently appeared with the U.S. Marine Chamber Orchestra for Barber’s Knoxville:Summerof1915 , the South Florida Symphony for their ”And the Tony Goes to…” concert tour, Toledo Symphony for their Rodgers and Hammerstein Celebration concert tour, and was featured at the Newport Music Festival.
Bridgette has won prizes from the Gerda Lissner Foundation, Central City Opera, the Licia Albanese Puccini Competition, the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, Opera Index Vocal Competition, the Violetta DuPont Vocal Competition, the Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Competition, the National Opera Association Voice Competition, the National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts,
and was a Grant Nominee for the Sara Tucker Award. She has been an apprentice with Santa Fe Opera, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Central City Opera, and Ash Lawn Opera.
Having made her start in musical theater, Ms. Gan has been seen crossing genres to perform Luisa in TheFantasticks(Mount Gretna Playhouse), Rosa Bud in TheMystery ofEdwinDrood , Rapunzel in IntotheWoodsand Lily in TheSecretGarden(The Whitaker Center), and Julie Jordan in Carousel(Ash Lawn/Charlottesville Opera), among many others.
As a voice educator, Bridgette is humbled and honored to work with artists of all ages and levels of experience across the world. She studied voice performance and pedagogy at Westminster Choir College (BM) and the University of Maryland (MM) and has continued her vocal training at the Westminster Vocal Pedagogy Institute in 2017, 2019 and 2021. In addition to maintaining her thriving private voice studio in Ewing, NJ, Bridgette is proud to be a music fellow and international voice instructor with Broadway Arts Education, where she teaches virtual private and group lessons to students from Shanti Bhavan Project in Bangalore, India. A passionate advocate for youth music education, Bridgette was recently a guest voice coach and director for the Broadway Bound Jr. camp at the Utah Festival Conservatory of the Performing Arts. She was also a guest voice teacher for the Palm Beach Opera high school residency program and acted as an Education Outreach Ambassador with the same company, teaching in elementary schools throughout the tristate area of South Florida. More locally, Bridgette ran the voice program at The Pennington Studio in Pennington, New Jersey, where she taught private voice technique, acting, audition prep and two group singing classes: “Sing Your Heart Out” and “Singing Actors Studio.”
Praised for his “handsome baritone” and “the clarity and nobility of both his sound and his interpretive choices,” Scott Johnson, baritone, is an active performer in the stage, concert, and sacred arenas. A recipient of the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshanna Foundation, he holds voice performance degrees from the University of Southern California (BM) and the University of Wisconsin Madison (MM).
Recent highlights include appearances with Opera Philadelphia in their production of ColdMountain , Florentine Opera for both Labohèmeand L’italianainAlgeri , and Nashville Opera for LafanciulladelWest . In 2012 he was the recipient of two scholarships from The Opera Foundation to perform with the Deutsche Oper Berlin and Teatro Regio di Torino, where he performed multiple roles, including an appearance with the Staatsballett Berlin as the baritone soloist in PeerGynt . He was a resident artist with the Florentine Opera from 2009 2011, and has been a frequent performer with Central City Opera, appearing as Mr. Lindquist in ALittleNightMusic , Diesel in WestSideStory , Jupiter in OrpheusintheUnderworld , and Prince Yamadori in MadamaButterfly . In concert, he has appeared with the Milwaukee Symphony for Handel’s Messiahand in a solo recital for Florentine Opera.
He is a third prize winner for the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, and was a District Winner and Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, as well as a finalist in the Fort Worth McCammon Competition. Recently he appeared with his wife Bridgette Johnson and pianists Mun Tzung Wong (May) and Martin Néron (December) in both of their signature Let’s Duet concerts at the 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing, NJ. He is regularly featured as a baritone soloist and has served as
section leader at the Church of the Redeemer in Bryn Mawr, PA and Newtown Presbyterian Church in Newtown, PA.
As a master’s student at the University of Wisconsin, Mr. Johnson maintained a private voice studio, and also had the opportunity to serve as an educational ambassador in Viterbo, Italy, bringing abridged versions of opera to middle and high school aged students. While a resident artist with Florentine Opera in Milwaukee, WI, Mr. Johnson was very active in the local community, teaching and performing in elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the region.
Peruvian American tenor Christopher Sierra is recognized for his artistic sensitivity and versatility in repertoire ranging from classical, musical theatre, to contemporary commercial music. They have performed with opera companies and orchestras throughout the United States, some of which include Opera Philadelphia, Santa Fe Opera, Opera New Jersey, Spoleto Festival USA, New York Lyric Opera Theatre, Princeton Festival Opera, Long Island Opera, and the United Nations Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Sierra has also made solo debuts in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, and India.
On the concert stage, Dr. Sierra has performed works such as Bernstein’s Songfest , Schumann’s SpanischesLiederspiel , Britten’s LesIlluminations , Bach’s Weihnachts Oratorium , Haydn’s LordNelsonMass , Brahms’s LiebesliederWalzer , Vaughan Williams’s SerenadetoMusic , and Schubert’s Mass in G. Most recently, they were invited to sing the tenor solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9 with the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and was a featured soloist in Peter Bjerring’s SongoftheSalish Chiefat Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center.
An avid recitalist, Dr. Sierra is a founding member of the Vocalis Consort, an ensemble dedicated to exposing audiences to song recitals that extend beyond the traditional Western European canon. In 2019,they were invited to perform a residency recital that celebrates the contributions of Latinx and Hispanic composers at Lewis Clark State College, and they presented mélodies by Henri Duparc at the 2018 College Music Society Pacific Northwest Regional Conference.
As a recording artist, Dr. Sierra can be heard on TheFlowerofBeauty(2009) with the Westminster Choir, Landscape:ChoralMusicofGeraldCuster(2008) with Anam Cara, and TeachingMusicThroughPerformanceinChoir,Volume2(2007) with the Grammy nominated Westminster Williamson Voices. They have sung under the baton of Pierre Boulez, Leon Botstein, Christoph Eschenbach, Ton Koopman, Lorin Maazel, Kurt Masur, David Robertson, John Rutter, Emmanuel Villaume, John Adams, and Franz Welser- Möst during his tenure with the Westminster Symphonic Choir, MidAmerica Productions, and the New York City MasterVoices.
Sought after for his research in crossing genres, Dr. Sierra has been invited to present lectures at College Conservatories and Universities throughout the United States, including The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, University of Connecticut, Troy University, Belmont University, Florida International University, etc. His notable research and presentations also address vocal health, phonotrauma and rehabilitation, performance anxiety, and vocal pedagogy for gender expansive singers. Dr. Sierra has led vocal master classes domestically and internationally at institutions
like Stanford University, Indiana University at South Bend, University of The Bahamas, Iceland University of the Arts, and Fundación Cultural Armonía in Quito, Ecuador. They currently oversee the music program at the Shanti Bhavan Children’s Project in Tamil Nadu, India and has taught developing musicians at the Tomas de Berlanga School on the island of Santa Cruz, Galapagos, as a member of Broadway for Arts Education, an organization committed to providing quality arts education to communities in need around the world.
Dr. Sierra teaches voice at Harvard University, Tufts University, The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam and Longy School of Music of Bard College, where they also teach graduate courses in music education. Dr. Sierra holds a doctorate of musical arts degree in voice performance from Rutgers University, a master of education degree in music education from Columbia University, a master of music degree in classical voice performance from Manhattan School of Music, and bachelor of music degrees in music education and voice performance from Westminster Choir College.
Martin Néron is on the faculty at WCC. He is the artistic director of the Vocalis Consort, an ensemble which strives to showcase overlooked vocal works. He designed and managed CantoLatinoCyberChallengein 2021, an international competition which features and promotes vocal repertoire from Latin America. Martin has held residencies at WSU Pullman, SUNY Potsdam, UK Lexington,Tennessee TU, and Fundación Armonía (Ecuador), and gave masterclasses and lectures at Butler University, OSU Columbus, TCNJ, Hunter College, NATS, Arte Lirico, and Universidad Central del Ecuador. He was on the faculty at the Taos Opera Institute (2019 2021), and Vice President of the Joy in Singing Foundation (2017 2019). He is co founder, co artistic director, and Vice President of the newly incorporated Federation of the Art Song. Praised as “an attentive partner” (Opera News), Martin has collaborated on several recordings of art songs. His scholarly work is featured in the Journal of Singing and Leyerle Publications. He holds degrees from MSM (DMA), WCC (MM), and U de M (BM).
