GUEST ARTISTS
For Concerts on March 3-4, 2012CAROLINE THOMAS
Soprano
Educated in New York City, Caroline Thomas gained her Master of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and attended the American Opera Center at the Juilliard School Lincoln Center.
In Switzerland, she was engaged as a member of the ensemble in Luzern where she sang many roles including the title role in Adriadne auf Naxos, Donna Elvira Don Giovanni and the Kostelnicka Jenufa. She also made guest appearences in Fribourg and Biel singing Donna Anna Don Giovanni, Ariadne and the title role in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena.
Additionally, she appeared in Nürnberg, Regensburg and Darmstadt in the roles of both Donna Anna and Donna Elvira Don Giovanni; and in Saverne, France, as Fiordiligi Cosi Fan Tutte.
Her concert experience includes engagements with the Macon Symphony with Wagner Wesendonck Lieder and Mozart Requiem, Mendelssohn Elijah, Beethoven Symphony No. 9 and Handel Messiah. Caroline Thomas regularly appears with the Brazilian pianist Luiz de Moura Castro.
Ms. Thomas was engaged at the Städtische Bühnen Münster in Germany where she sang the premiere of TOSCA in April 1997. The Münsterische Zeitung reported that: "the discovery of the evening was Caroline Thomas. The ensemble member trumped in her soprano force and placed the diva Tosca with her strong radiant high tones... In her aria ‘Vissi d’arte’, she forms one of those magical opera moments. Münster has a new Prima Donna.” In November 1997, she performed Kundry PARSIFAL and Opernwelt commented "Caroline Thomas supports the role with wide sweeping tone, attractive femininity and precise vocal dynamics.” Recent roles in Münster included Leonora LA FORZA DEL DESTINO, Agathe DER FREISCHÜTZ, Kundry PARSIFAL, Donna Anna DON GIOVANNI and Freia DAS RHEINGOLD.Recently she sang Sieglinde Die Walküre in Münster where her other roles have also included Donna Anna Don Giovanni, Sieglinde Die Walküre, Venus Orpheus in the Underworld, Brünnhilde Siegfried and the title role in Tosca, as well as concert performances of Kodaly’s Te Deum and the title role in Tristan and Isolde in Rostock. She also covered Deborah Voigt as Agathe DER FREISCHÜTZ for Seattle Opera; Lady Macbeth Macbeth and Aida for the Landestheater Innsbruck; Brünnhilde Siegfried in Catania; and Chrysothemis Elektra in Hannover. She has also sung Rosalinde Die Fledermaus for Gold Coast Opera and made her debuts with Seattle Opera as Leonore FIDELIO (where she returned last summer for Helmwige Der Ring Des Nibelungen) and Washington Opera as Brünnhilde Die Walküre, for which she was awarded the prize "Singer of the Year”. Miss Thomas recently debuted as Turandot at the Macedonia Opera Nights Festival.
WILLIAM FERGUSON
Tenor
Acclaimed for his versatility in both opera and concert, William Ferguson made his debut with the Santa Fe Opera in 2006 as Caliban in the North American premiere of Thomas Adès’ The Tempest, and in 2005, he bowed in Sydney with Opera Australia singing Truffaldino in a new production of The Love for Three Oranges directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Richard Hickox (subsequently released on compact disc under the Chandos label). The same year, Ferguson joined the roster of The Metropolitan Opera where he has performed Beppe in I Pagliacci as well as roles in Le Nozze di Figaro and The Magic Flute (under the baton of James Levine). A regular artist at The New York City Opera, his performances have included the title role in Candide, Nanki-Poo in The Mikado, the Funeral Director in A Quiet Place, and twice as Hérisson de Porc-Épic in L’Étoile--among many others. Additional credits include Andres in Wozzeck with Opera Festival of New Jersey, Ferrando in Così fan tutte at The Aspen Music Festival, Carl Linden in Bitter Sweet with Bard SummerScape, Pang in Turandot with Opera Company of Philadelphia, Frederic in Pirates of Penzance with both Virginia Opera and Opera Omaha, the Sailor in Dido and Aeneas with Gotham Chamber Opera, the title role in Albert Herring directed by Lotfi Mansouri at The Music Academy of the West, Gonzalve in L’Heure Espagnole and Fenton in Falstaff at the Tanglewood Music Center (both with Seiji Ozawa), and Peter Quint in The Turn of the Screw at the Chautauqua Institution. Ferguson has also performed with Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall on several occasions, including as Nick in La Fanciulla del West and as Laërte in Mignon. A compelling interpreter of new music, Mr. Ferguson sang Bentley Drummle in Dominick Argento’s Miss Havisham’s Fire at Opera Theatre of St. Louis and performed in the world premiere productions of Anthony Davis’ Wakonda’s Dream with Opera Omaha, Robert Aldridge’s Elmer Gantry with Peak Performances at Montclair, and operas by Lee Hoiby and Harold Farberman. While in St. Louis, Ferguson sang the role of Hippolyte in Rameau’s Hippolyte et Aricie as a last minute replacement earning a review in Opera News stating that he sang "with grace, and striking self-possession.” He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degree from The Juilliard School and is a native of Richmond, Virginia.
A passionate concert and recital performer, Mr. Ferguson has appeared with The American Symphony Orchestra, BBC Orchestra (London), Boston Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (England), Handel and Haydn Society, Houston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Musica Sacra New York, National Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Oratorio Society of New York, Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (in a fully staged production of Handel’s Messiah), and Radio Filharmonisch Orkest (Netherlands); as well as the local symphony orchestras of Bellingham, New Haven, Omaha, Richmond, Santa Barbara, Wheeling, and Winston-Salem. Ferguson appears as Brian on the recording and DVD of Not The Messiah, a comic oratorio based on Monty Python’s film Life of Brian, recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall in London. His repertoire ranges from that of the baroque masters to the difficult cycles of Schubert, Schumann, Janáček, and Rorem—showcasing him across the United States in chamber programs and recitals for the 92nd Street Y, Bard Music Festival, Marlboro Music Festival, Young Concert Artists, Delaware Master Chamber Series, and Clarksville Community Concerts among others. Ferguson has performed extensively with The Marilyn Horne Foundation, Five Borough Music Festival, as well as The New York Festival of Song.
Mr. Ferguson has been the recipient of several awards and honors including First Place in the Oratorio Society of New York Solo Competition, The Elihu Hyndman Career Grant from Opera Theatre of St. Louis, The Judges’ Award in the Opera Index Competition, a Bagby Foundation Career Grant, and The Alan Weiler Award for Excellence presented by Opera Orchestra of New York. In 2003 he was awarded the Alice Tully Vocal Arts Debut Recital Award granting him a New York recital debut in Alice Tully Hall.
PHILIP ZAWISZA
Baritone
Born in Michigan, Philip Zawisza completed his Master’s Degree in 1989 at Indiana University with Nicola Rossi-Lemeni. Following apprenticeships with the Santa Fe Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, in 1992, Zawisza was a MET finalist, won the Baltimore Opera Competition and Munich’s Radio-Symphony Voice Contest.
In the US, Philip sang with Carlo Bergonzi in Donizetti’s "L’Elisir d’Amore” in 1993 in Baltimore. From the Lyric Opera of Chicago he can be seen as Eros on video doing Barber’s "Antony and Cleopatra” and has recorded on New World, Hugo Weisgall’s "Six Characters in Search of an Author.” With the Wolftrap Opera, Philip sang Don Giovanni. He was awarded the Marion Anderson Prize in 1993, which led to his Radio debut in New York City. Philip replaced Herman Prey in 1997 for Schubert’s "Schwanengesang” with Martin Katz at the University of Michigan.
Winner of the 1995 Arnold Peterson Prize, Zawisza began his European career at the National Theater in Mannheim as a leading baritone for five seasons. Notable successes were Germont, Enrico Ashton, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Posa de Marquis, Marcello, Escamillo and Sharpless. Austrians would know Philip for his interpretations of Rossini’s Figaro, Guglielmo, Papageno, Danilo, Doctor Malatesta and Graf Homonay. Zawisza received critical acclaim for his debuts as Carlo Gerard in "Andrea Chenier”, Golaud in Debussy’s "Pelleas et Melisande” and Athanael in Massenet’s "Thais.”
In 2004, Zawisza rescued a performance with Vienna’s Radio-Symphony Orchestra conducted by Simone Young, singing the title role of William Walton’s The Bear. He recorded the world-premier of Blarr’s "Jerusalem Symphony” with Jun Merkl. He did Orff’s "Carmina Burana” and de Falla’s "Atlantida” with Migel Gomez-Martinez.
Philip has sung with Ivor Bolton, Patrick Fourniller, Doug Boyd, Howard Arman, Kevin Rhodes, Dorian Wilson, Mark Russel Smith and Kathy Romey. He has sung diverse repertoire from Bach to Bernstein with the Radio-Symphony Orchestras of Nuremburg, Frankfurt, Koblenz, Mannheim, Munich, Salzburg, Frankfurt, Madrid and Vienna.
In 2006-7, Zawisza premiered in Vienna, Mozart’s "L’oca del Cairo” as Don Pippo, Gil in ”Il Segreto di Susanna” and Claudio in Handels’ "Agrippina”. At Gars am Camp, Zawisza debuted as Nabucco at their outdoor arena festival. Zawisza has sung many recitals in Europe and the US. In 2008, he sang the McCullough’s "Holocaust Cantata” in Minneapolis with John DeHaan, as well as operatic recitals in Minnesota, Nevada and California.
Philip has sung the National Anthem as well as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony for the University of Minnesota where he is currently teaching. In September 2009, Zawisza debuted with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in the role of the Father in Berlioz’s, "L’Enfance du Christ.” In February he’ll perform Schubert’s "Winterreise” with Paul Shaw and in April, Noriko Kawai accompanies Philip in Liszt songs and Schumann’s "Dichterliebe”. A sample of Philip Zawisza’s baritone arias can be heard on You Tube.
QUAD CITY CHORAL ARTS
Jon Hurty, Director
Quad City Choral Arts was founded by Artistic Director Jon Hurty to provide the Quad City region with high quality choral music. The group performs a wide variety of literature from chorale chamber music to major choral works with orchestra. Recent concerts have included collaboration with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra in performances of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Randall Thompson’s Alleluia, as well as Orff’s Carmina Burana. Each December, Quad City Choral Arts joins the Handel Oratorio Society in performances of Handel’s Messiah. Many members of the ensemble are music teachers or professional singers, while others represent a wide variety of professions in the Quad City region.
MACALASTER COLLEGE CONCERT CHOIR
Matthew Mehaffey, Director
MINNESOTA BOYCHOIR
Mark S. Johnson, Director
The Minnesota Boychoir trains young men to be outstanding musicians and strives to help them develop a sense of poise and self-confidence through education and performance. A choirboy is challenged to sing well, stand tall, stay on schedule, take pride in his appearance, respect those in charge and tap into the best part of who he is and what he can accomplish. The Minnesota Boychoir challenges boys and young men from many backgrounds to the highest standards of choral music, nurtures the development of exceptional character, and inspires and benefits the community.