PERFORMING artists
-
Ana Baida, a displaced Texan, resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where she enjoys simultaneous careers as a professional singer, an intermittent career consultant to vocal artists, and as a Talent Intelligence Consultant with Visa. In her role at Visa, she convenes various Visa teams to learn about and help to solve talent strategy problems. When not fulfilling her full-time responsibilities, Ana is delighted to sing with Conspirare and the Kinnara Ensemble, and most recently as part of the American Soloists Ensemble, who last summer completed a tour performing through South Korea. She has served for the past 13 years as staff soloist and section leader at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, and sings intermittently with various other groups in the region. Ana holds a Bachelors from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, a Masters from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and a Doctorate from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts.
-
Brandon Baker is Choral Director at Hendrickson High School outside Austin, Texas, where he leads a program of four choirs and teaches AP Music Theory. Previously he led the choral program at Discovery High School outside Atlanta, Georgia and Horn Lake Middle School in suburban Memphis, Tennessee. Brandon serves as a staff singer and rehearsal assistant at University Presbyterian Church in Austin. As a professional level choral singer, Brandon has been a member of the rosters of Orpheus Chamber Singers, Kinnara Ensemble, Unheard, and the Atlanta Master Chorale. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master's degree in Music Education from Florida State University. While at Southern Miss, Brandon earned the rare conferral of membership in the USM Student Hall of Fame.
-
Julie Bosworth is increasingly recognized as a versatile collaborator across a wide range of musical genres. Ever a chameleon, she seamlessly transitions from “ethereal” to “the richest, most buttery tone” (Washington Classical Review).
On the operatic stage, Julie has performed with the IN Series, American Opera Theater, Raylynmor Opera, Early Music Access Project, Opera AACC, and Peabody Opera Theater, singing such roles as Phaino (Here be Sirens), Queen of the Night (The Magic Flute), Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare), Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), Blanche de la Force (Dialogues of the Carmelites), Cupid (Venus and Adonis), and the title role in L’incoronazione di Poppea.
Equally at home on the concert stage, Julie has sung extensively with American Bach Soloists, Tempesta di Mare, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, The Bach Choir of Bethlehem, Mountainside Baroque, the Handel Choir of Baltimore, True Concord Voices and Orchestra, Washington Bach Consort, Apollo’s Fire, The Broken Consort, The Thirteen, The Peabody Consort, Hesperus, Kinnara, Baltimore Choral Arts, Istanpitta, Musica Spira, Les Canards Chantants, The New Consort, Vivi Cantando, and Zenith Ensemble.
Julie can be heard on “Isle of Majesty”, an album of original works by Emily Lau, and two recordings with The Thirteen, “The Outer Edge of Youth” and “Truth and Fable”, both produced by Acis. She resides in Baltimore with husband Corbin Phillips and their two dogs.
-
Clare Brussel, soprano, holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee and an Master’s degree in Vocal Performance and Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College, and also studied in Italy at the Centro Studi Italiani. She regularly performs with ensembles across the country, Kinnara, Skylark, Ensemble Altera, and Sound of Ages. Ms Brussel has performed at the White House during the Christmas Season, at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the UN, and a private concert in the Sistine Chapel. In 2019 she was awarded 2nd place in the NATS National Vocal Competition in Las Vegas, and can be heard on recordings by various ensembles such as Skylark, Kinnara, and Brevitas. She is currently based in Rhode Island with her husband and two dogs.
-
George Case is currently a freelance musician living in Santa Fe, NM. George was formerly Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at Boston Conservatory at Berklee where he directed the choral ensembles and the graduate choral conducting program. George has also been the music director for The Boston Cecilia, a 143-year old semi-professional chorus in Boston and the Newburyport Choral Society, an 84-year old choral society on the north shore. Previously, George has also been the Director of Choral Activities ad interim at Boston University and the Director of Choral and Vocal Programs at The Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School in Atlanta, GA. George holds Doctoral and Masters degrees in conducting from the University of Michigan and a Bachelors degree in vocal performance from Boston University. George is an award-winning educator of young musicians who frequently leads clinics and workshops for high school and collegiate singers, as well as professional development sessions for teachers around the country. As a soloist and professional chorister, George has performed with major ensembles across North America and Europe, including the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Handel & Haydn Society, Kinnara, Spire Chamber Ensemble, and Skylark Vocal Ensemble. In addition to his work as a soloist, conductor, and educator, George spends his time raising his goats and chickens on his farm in northern New Mexico and volunteering throughout Santa Fe.
-
With a voice described as “beautiful, ringing, and agile” (Boston Classical Review), countertenor Doug Dodson is known throughout the country as a sought-after soloist and ensemble singer. Doug’s solo appearances include performances with Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society, the Aspen Music Festival, Boston Baroque, the Oregon Bach Festival, Seattle’s Pacific MusicWorks, Chicago Opera Theater, Boston’s Guerilla Opera, and the Charlotte, South Dakota, and Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestras. Equally comfortable in early and contemporary repertoire, Doug has been featured as a soloist in modern premieres by Baroque composers Giacomo Perti and Alessandro Melani, and in world and American premieres of pieces by living composers Jonathan Dove, Tod Machover, Paul Crabtree, Per Bloland, and Ken Ueno, and world-premiere recordings of pieces by Nicholas Vines and James Kallembach.
Doug has appeared regularly with many of the nation’s premier choral groups, including the Handel & Haydn Society, Seraphic Fire, Skylark, TENET Vocal Artists, South Dakota Chorale, and Kinnara. Originally from Spearfish, SD, he has earned degrees in anthropology from the University of South Dakota and in vocal performance from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri – Kansas City, and was a proud member of the prestigious Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in conjunction with Aldeburgh Music in Aldeburgh, UK.
-
Described by the New York Times as having a “clear, bright soprano,” and hailed as “the most versatile performer in the Baltimore-Washington area” (The Baltimore City Paper), soprano, Rebecca Duren is often praised for the ability to incorporate her multi-faceted background with the operatic stage. Highlights in her performing career include engagements with Ente Concerti in Sardinia, Italy performing Purcell’s Dido and Aneas; numerous appearances with American Opera Theater, including the role of Jonathas in M.A. Charpentier’s David et Jonathas (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and as Galatea in Acis + Galatea: A Circus Opera. A versatile performer, Ms. Duren has premiered many cutting edge concept-operas, most notably Songspiel - a production of Kurt Weill's music starring Sylvia McNair, premiered in Baltimore and Washington DC. As a concert soloist, Ms. Duren has appeared with the Firebird Orchestra, The Grand Tour Orchestra in New York City, Barefoot Baroque, The Miami Bach Society, The Miami Symphony, Musica Nova, and has appeared as a guest artist with the Indiana University New Music Ensemble. Major works include Mozart Requiem, Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, and Bach’s St Matthew Passion. An avid recitalist, Ms. Duren has been featured on the American Composers Association Festival Concert Series at Symphony Space in New York City, premiering Lansing McLoskey’s song cycle, Sudden Music; and featured with Musica Nova in Dallas premiering Robert Xavier Rodriguez’ Six Songs of E. E. Cummings. Rebecca has performed as a professional choral singer with Simon Carrington Chamber Singers, Tucson Chamber Artists, Spire, Skylark and was a member of Seraphic Fire for 6 seasons.
Ms. Duren can be heard on numerous professionally recorded albums with Seraphic Fire, True Concord, Simon Carringon Chamber Singers, and premiering new music of Lansing McClosky on Albany Records and Robert Xavier Rodriguez on The OPERA America Songbook.
Ms. Duren is Director of Choral Activities and on the voice faculty at Agnes Scott College.
-
Kerry Ginger, mezzo soprano, is active nationally as a performer, clinician, voice pedagogue, and scholar. Currently Assistant Professor of Voice at The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, Kerry has appeared as a soloist with the Chattanooga Symphony, Music in the Mountains, The Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, Phoenix Opera, Cal Poly Bach Week, Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, and Quintessence. Also an avid choral artist, she performs with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, True Concord Voices and Orchestra, and the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park. Kerry appears on Grammy Award-winning recordings by the Phoenix Chorale and True Concord for the Naxos/Chandos and Reference labels, and has published liner notes for Albany Records. She maintains an active portfolio of recitals, oratorio engagements, and vocal music research, specializing in twentieth-century music by women. She also helms a professional quartet, Element, which performs dynamic historical and contemporary vocal chamber music. Kerry earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Voice and Master of Music in Opera Performance at Arizona State University. Originally from Portland, Oregon, she now resides in beautiful Chattanooga, Tennessee.
-
Erik Gustafson, tenor, is active across the nation as an oratorio soloist and choral artist. A native of Portland, OR, he received his education from Arizona State University, and currently resides in Chattanooga, TN, where he is a voice instructor at Sewanee: The University of the South. Previously, he worked as a voice instructor at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO.
Erik has collaborated on two Grammy-winning recordings with the Phoenix Chorale, as well as albums with Skylark Vocal Ensemble (Boston, MA), Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Bach Collegium San Diego, Conspirare (Austin, TX), True Concord Voices and Orchestra (Tucson, AZ), Spire Chamber Ensemble (Kansas City, MO), and Sounding Light (Detroit, MI). He currently also performs regularly with Kinnara, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Oregon Bach Festival, and the Chattanooga Bach Choir. He was a founding member of the chamber ensembles Quadrivium (Durango, CO) and Helios (Phoenix, AZ).
As a soloist, Erik has performed as Evangelist for the St. John Passion with Apollo Chorus of Chicago and Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, Evangelist for the St. Matthew Passion with the Arizona Bach Festival, tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Tucson Symphony, tenor soloist for Mozart’s Requiem with Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, and has been featured as a soloist with many other organizations across the nation including the Phoenix Symphony, the Bach Vespers series at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City, Colorado Bach Ensemble, the Delaware Valley Chorale, Abendmusik (Lincoln, NE), Phoenix Opera, and Bach Society Houston.
-
Harris Ipock serves as Director of Choral Activities at Denison University. He has previously conducted ensembles at Harvard University, Shenandoah University, Boston University, Clayton State University, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges. As a soloist and chorister, he regularly performs with professional ensembles across the country, including Conspirare, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Kinnara Ensemble, Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble, and Yale Choral Artists. He appears on two Grammy-nominated albums House of Belonging (Delos, 2023) and The Singing Guitar (Delos, 2021) and the Grammy-winning recording The Sacred Spirit of Russia (Harmonia Mundi, 2015). He has conducted performances in Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall (Boston), and Kioi Hall (Tokyo), and the Taipei National Concert Hall. He served as choirmaster for Odyssey Opera’s debut performance of Wagner’s Rienzi and has guest conducted for professional ensembles such as the Virginia Chorale. Harris is currently R&R chair for Universities with the Ohio Choral Directors Association. He holds a DMA from Eastman School of Music, an MM from East Carolina University, and a BM in vocal performance and a BA in economics from UNC – Chapel Hill.
-
With singing described as “poignant...with sincerity and unforced beauty” (The Times, London), “elegant” (Cape Cod Times), and “emotionally devastating” (Boston Music Intelligencer), Cory Klose is a sought-after soloist and ensemble singer in the United States. Highlights of Cory’s recent solo appearances include Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, Schubert’s Mass in Eb, Mozart’s Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah. As a professional choral artist, Cory has appeared with many noted ensembles in the United States including Kinnara, The Crossing, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Handel & Haydn Society, Bach Collegium San Diego, True Concord, and The Thirteen. He can also be heard on many acclaimed choral recordings including the GRAMMY® Award-winning “Songs of Ascension” with Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble and as a soloist on Skylark’s GRAMMY® Award-nominated album “Seven Words from the Cross”.
-
Described by the New York Times as having a “clear, bright soprano,” and hailed as “the most versatile performer in the Baltimore-Washington area” (The Baltimore City Paper), soprano, Rebecca Duren is often praised for the ability to incorporate her multi-faceted background with the operatic stage. Highlights in her performing career include engagements with Ente Concerti in Sardinia, Italy performing Purcell’s Dido and Aneas; numerous appearances with American Opera Theater, including the role of Jonathas in M.A. Charpentier’s David et Jonathas (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and as Galatea in Acis + Galatea: A Circus Opera. A versatile performer, Ms. Duren has premiered many cutting edge concept-operas, most notably Songspiel - a production of Kurt Weill's music starring Sylvia McNair, premiered in Baltimore and Washington DC. As a concert soloist, Ms. Duren has appeared with the Firebird Orchestra, The Grand Tour Orchestra in New York City, Barefoot Baroque, The Miami Bach Society, The Miami Symphony, Musica Nova, and has appeared as a guest artist with the Indiana University New Music Ensemble. Major works include Mozart Requiem, Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, and Bach’s St Matthew Passion. An avid recitalist, Ms. Duren has been featured on the American Composers Association Festival Concert Series at Symphony Space in New York City, premiering Lansing McLoskey’s song cycle, Sudden Music; and featured with Musica Nova in Dallas premiering Robert Xavier Rodriguez’ Six Songs of E. E. Cummings. Rebecca has performed as a professional choral singer with Simon Carrington Chamber Singers, Tucson Chamber Artists, Spire, Skylark and was a member of Seraphic Fire for 6 seasons.
Ms. Duren can be heard on numerous professionally recorded albums with Seraphic Fire, True Concord, Simon Carringon Chamber Singers, and premiering new music of Lansing McClosky on Albany Records and Robert Xavier Rodriguez on The OPERA America Songbook.
Ms. Duren is Director of Choral Activities and on the voice faculty at Agnes Scott College.
-
David Pelino, tenor, is a vocal artist well versed in both solo and ensemble repertoire. Some of David’s solo credits include tenor solo repertoire in works such as Theodore Dubois’ The Seven Last Words of Christ, Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, G.F. Handel’s Messiah, and Adolphus Hailstork’s I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes, as well as performing the roles of King Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors and the Evangelist in J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion. Awards he was won for his singing includes the Grady-Rayam 2018 Upper Division Negro Spiritual Prize, the 2019 Central Region NATS Advanced Division 1st Place Winner, as well as being a National NATS semifinalist in 2020.
Equally at home in ensemble singing, David has had the distinct privilege of being able to sing both at home and abroad. He performs with nationally and internationally renowned ensembles such as the American Spiritual Ensemble, Seraphic Fire, Prometheus, and now, with Kinnara.
-
Marques Jerrell Ruff is an international musician and passionate music educator hailing from New England. Marques has graced the stage as a soloist with numerous organizations, including the National Chorus of Korea, Tallahassee Symphony, Charlotte Master Chorale, and the Hartford Symphony. The Hartford Courant marveled, “Ruff has a voice that has power, clarity, and brilliant shades of color.” His unwavering commitment to the Negro spiritual has been a cornerstone of his artistic and scholarly endeavors, ensuring that this vital musical tradition continues to inspire and educate future generations.
In addition to his solo career, Marques has sung with some of the most prestigious choral ensembles in the United States. His impressive roster of collaborations includes the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Chanticleer, Seraphic Fire, Conspirare, and Exigence. Marques earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Central Connecticut State University, where his passion for music flourished. He then pursued dual Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance from the University of Missouri, further honing his skills and expanding his expertise. Marques's dedication to music education culminated in a Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Choral Conducting from Florida State University. Most recently, Marques accepted an appointment at Arkansas State University where he serves as Assistant Professor of Vocal Music Education and Associate Director of Choral Activities. Marques is a proud member of the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association of Negro Musicians, the Society of Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He can be found on all social media @marquesjruff.
-
Andrew is a freelance musician and educator based in Atlanta, Georgia. He currently teaches part-time at Kennesaw State University in their music theater program and in the school of music. He is also the founder and artistic director of both Voces Altum, a sixteen voice treble ensemble, and EarlyBird, a professional ensemble specializing in early music and the adoption of new ideas and techniques. Andrew also directs the Summer Singers of Atlanta, and is a staff singer at Glenn Memorial UMC. He is also pursuing his PhD in Music Education at Georgia State University where his research centers on the intersection of choral and vocal pedagogy. Andrew also runs a private piano and voice studio, Make Music.
www.andrewphillipschmidt.comwww.andrewphillipschmidt.com
-
Deborah Stephens graduated with Honors from Yale University in 2023 with a master's degree in Sacred Music Vocal Performance, and also holds a bachelor's degree in Voice Performance from the University of Georgia. She currently sings with an array of professional choirs such as Seraphic Fire, Lyyra, Skylark, Artefact Ensemble, and Coro Vocati. Deborah is frequently invited as a soloist for early music, pop, and jazz performances across the US and Nigeria. She enjoys axe throwing with her fiancé and attempting to recreate competitive Masterchef dishes.
-
Praised for his “fine lyric” tone, Robert Strebendt is an nationally sought-after tenor whose collaborators are top American vocal ensembles including Kinnara Ensemble, Yale Choral Artists, and the three-time GRAMMY-nominated ensemble Seraphic Fire. Based in Raleigh, NC, Robert performs with the Raleigh Camerata, Duke University Chapel Vespers Ensemble, and the Voices of a New Renaissance among other local ensembles. As a conductor, Robert serves as the director of choral activities at the Ravenscroft School. He has conducted numerous ensembles throughout New England and has served on the faculties at Yale University, Wesleyan University, and the Hopkins School.
-
Joel Terning, bass-baritone, enjoys an active participation in the Atlanta choral scene where he has sung with the Atlanta Symphony Chamber Chorus, Coro Vocati, EarlyBird, Johns Creek Chorale, Kinnara Ensemble, Meridian Chorale, Michael O’Neal Singers, Orpheus Men’s Ensemble, and choirs of the Cathedral of St. Philip. Solo appearances include Bach’s Magnificat in D, BWV 3 and BWV 78 cantatas, Handel’s Messiah, Fauré’s Requiem, and recitals through the Macon Concert Association in 2023 and 2025. Joel teaches chorus, instrumental music, drumline, and musical theater at King’s Ridge Christian School, and serves on the music staff at Johns Creek Baptist Church.
-
Praised for his “clarion tone” (Chicago Classical Review) and “commanding and animated” presence (Seen & Heard International), baritone Edward Vogel possesses a diverse repertoire spanning ten centuries. He has appeared as a soloist with GRAMMY®-winning Apollo’s Fire, True Concord Voices and Orchestra, and at the Tanglewood and Aldeburgh festivals. The 2023-2024 season will see his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic. An avid and in-demand ensemble singer, Mr. Vogel has performed with Theatre of Voices, Bach Collegium Japan, and the Yale Schola Cantorum, with whom he has participated in recordings on the Hyperion label. He regularly works with many of America’s finest professional ensembles. As a recitalist, his specialties include British art song of the twentieth century and music from Medieval and Renaissance Iberia. Mr. Vogel is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music’s Voxtet program for early music, oratorio, and art song.
-
Mark Murphy Vogel, tenor, enjoys a varied career as a vocalist, keyboardist, and educator. Recent seasons include appearances with the Ad Astra Festival, Apollo’s Fire, Kinnara, the Portland Bach Experience, Seraphic Fire, True Concord Voices and Orchestra, the Chattanooga Bach Choir, and The Crossing. While a choral scholar at Hereford Cathedral in the United Kingdom, Mark enjoyed performances at the 2018 Three Choirs Festival, Buckingham Palace, and both the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City. Recently, Mark was awarded first prize in the 2021 Audrey Rooney Vocal Competition from the Kentucky Bach Choir. Previous piano engagements include a year in residence with the American Boychoir School, the 2018 NAfME All-National Honor Choir, the 2016 Tennessee All State Honor Choir, the 2015 Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, the 2012 Southern Division ACDA Honor Choir. Mark received his Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College and his Master’s degree in Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame.
-
Soprano Morgan Watts is an Atlanta-based educator, conductor, and performer. Following her degree in Vocal Music Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, she moved to Atlanta and completed her graduate degree in Choral Conducting from Georgia State University under the direction of Dr. Deanna Joseph. She currently serves as the Chorus Director for Chorus Director at Cambridge High School, and as a staff singer at the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta under the direction of Dr. Dan Bara. Morgan's recent vocal performance experiences include "Countess Almaviva" in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, "Gretel" in Humperdink's Hansel and Gretel, and as the "2nd Witch" in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. She proudly sings in the Louisiana and Atlanta areas as a chorister and soloist in organizations such as the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Coro Vocati, the Baton Rouge Early Vocal Ensemble, and more. Morgan is thrilled to make her Kinnara debut with this performance, and is looking forward to future engagements with this organization.
-
Kathryn Whitaker, Mezzo Soprano, enjoys a varied freelance career as a soloist, chorister, accompanist, and educator in the New York Metropolitan area. Her 2023-2024 season includes engagements with The Philadelphia Symphonic Choir, The New York Philharmonic Chorus, Orpheus Chamber Singers (Dallas,TX), the Kinnara Ensemble (Atlanta, GA), The Oratorio Society of New Jersey, The Montgomery Festival Chorale and Orchestra, The Princeton University Glee Club and the Salvatones (NYC), among others. Solo oratorio engagements for this season include Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil, Vivaldi’s Gloria, Vaughn Williams’ Serenade to Music and Hymn of Praise by Mendelssohn. Previous credits include Cantata BWV 147 (Bach), Requiem (Mozart), Elijah (Mendelssohn), and The Seven Last Words of Christ (Franck). In demand as a liturgical musician, Kathryn is a professional cantor and chorister at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City and Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston, New Jersey. In 2015, Kathryn served as the cantor for the Papal Mass at Madison Square Garden with Pope Francis. Also an active pianist, she is also the staff accompanist for the Bloomfield School District (NJ) and frequently accompanies various choral programs in Northern New Jersey. Recently, Kathryn can be found in the Candide Rehearsal Chorus in the SAG award-nominated film MAESTRO. She earned her music degrees from Westminster Choir College of Rider University.
-
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called mezzo-soprano Heather Witt “the kind of singer you hope to hear - talented, alert... a singer with a future.” Ms. Witt is known for her portrayal of a wide array of opera’s most notable mezzo-soprano characters, including: Gertrude in Roméo et Juliette, Giulietta in Les contes d’Hoffmann (FIO, Brazil), Dryad in Ariadne Auf Naxos, Principessa in Suor Angelica, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, Second Lady and Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Elmire in Tartuffe, Mauya in Riders to the Sea, Mrs. Nolan in The Medium, Mrs. Herring in Albert Herring, Meg in Falstaff, Sally in Hand of Bridge, and Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, among many others.Heather Witt is also an esteemed oratorio and concert soloist, and is a staff soloist at First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. Ms. Witt completed her undergraduate studies in Music at Millikin University (Decatur, IL), and received a Masters in Voice from Georgia State University (Atlanta, GA).
-
Jonathan Woody is a versatile and dynamic musician who maintains an active schedule as a performer and composer in New York and across North America. In demand as a bass-baritone soloist, Jonathan makes regular appearances with such historically-informed orchestras as Boston Early Music Festival, Apollo's Fire, Pacific MusicWorks, Bach Collegium San Diego, Trinity Baroque Orchestra and New York Baroque Incorporated. Since 2022, he has served as Artistic Associate with Opera Lafayette, singing featured roles in their productions of La Servante Maîtresse and Les Fêtes de Thalie, and curating and leading recitals with guest artists Justin Taylor and Christophe Rousset. As a committed chamber musician, Jonathan enjoys collaborating with ensembles at the highest level and has been featured regularly with the Grammy®-nominated Choir of Trinity Wall Street, where he has earned praise as ""charismatic"" and ""riveting"" from the New York Times for his solo work. Other recent collaborations include performances with Kaleidoscope Ensemble, Les Délices, Seraphic Fire, Byron Schenkman and Friends, and TENET Vocal Artists.
Jonathan is also immersed in the world of new music, as a performer and composer. His compositional voice blends 17th- and 18th-century inspiration with the minimalism and socially-conscious subject matter of today's music. Since 2020, he has received commissions from Apollo’s Fire, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, Chanticleer, the Handel and Haydn Society, and the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington DC, among others. Jonathan has participated in several premiere performances of leading composers' works, including Ted Hearne's The Source (2014), Ellen Reid's p r i s m (2019 Pulitzer-Prize winner), Missy Mazzoli's Breaking the Waves (NYC premiere, 2018), and Du Yun's Angel's Bone (2017 Pulitzer-Prize winner).
A former Virginia Best Adams Fellow at the Carmel Bach Festival (2013), other festival appearances include Staunton Music Festival, Portland Bach Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, American Bach Soloists Academy, and the Aldeburgh Festival at Snape Maltings, UK. On the operatic stage, Jonathan has joined Opera Lafayette, American Opera Projects, and Beth Morrison Projects for recent productions, and has recorded with the Choir of Trinity Wall Street under the Musica Omnia label on their Grammy® recording of Israel in Egypt. Other recording credits include ACRONYM’s Cantica Obsoleta (Olde Focus Recordings), Boston Early Music Festival’s St. Matthew Passion of J. Sebastiani (CPO), New York Polyphony’s Roma Æterna (BIS Records), and the Choir of Trinity Wall Street’s Missa Gentis Humanae (Musica Omnia).
Jonathan is committed to racial equity in the field of the performing arts, and has served on Early Music America’s Task Force for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access. Currently living on traditional Lenape lands now known as Brooklyn, NY, Jonathan holds degrees from McGill University and the University of Maryland, College Park and is represented by Miguel Rodriguez of Athlone Artists.
-
Soprano Wanda Yang Temko is a respected singer, voice teacher, and arts advocate. She holds a doctorate in voice performance from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana along with degrees from Georgia State University and Emory University. Sought after as a recitalist and soloist, recently she performed the role of Evangelist in David Lang’s Little Match Girl Passion with Kinnara. She is featured on New Trinity Baroque's recording of Christmas Cantatas and Concertos on Édition Lilac. She also performs and records with the Meridian Chorale and the Grammy-Award-winning Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Choruses. Dr. Yang Temko maintains an active private voice studio in Atlanta.