About the Program

Katherine Rossiter and Mary-Elizabeth O’Neill—recent alumnae of the Bard Conservatory Graduate Vocal Arts Program—will present the recital Here and There: Songs from America and Abroad both on Friday, June 1st at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington in Huntington, NY, and Sunday, June 3 at 4:00pm at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah in Rhinebeck, NY.  This summer, Ms. O’Neill will join The Berlin Opera Academy to sing Nerone in L’incoronazione di Poppea, as well participate in the soundSCAPE festival, in Cesena, Italy. Ms. Rossiter will attend the Academie National d’ete de Nice to work with Lorraine Nubar and Dalton Baldwin. As their journeys across the pond draw closer, this concert aims to take audiences on the journey with them as they explore music from not only where they are going but, also, where they are from. Admission to the recital is free of charge, however there is a suggested donation of $15 at door.

 

The recital will feature music from both Europe and the United States, including works by Benjamin Britten, Arnold Schoenberg, Francis Poulenc, William Bolcom, and Kurt Weill.  It is bound to be a fun and memorable afternoon of music, meant to transport audience members to the shimmering cities of Europe and bring them back to the comforting beauty of their homes.

 

About the Performers

All performers on this recital are recent alumnae of the Bard College Conservatory of Music. Mezzo-soprano Mary-Elizabeth O’Neill and Soprano Katherine Rossiter earned their Master’s of Music from renowned soprano, Dawn Upshaw’s Vocal Arts Program in May of 2017, and pianist Bethany Pietroniro completed the Postgraduate Collaborative Piano Fellowship, also in May of 2017.  Ms. O’Neill has placed 2nd in the 2010 Classical Singer National Vocal Competition High School division. She was also named a 2011 National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts NFAA Young Arts Finalist in Voice/Level 1 Winner, as well as a 2011 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts Award Semifinalist.  Katherine Rossiter recently made her Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center debuts with the New York Lyric Opera. She has also been a semi-finalist in the national James Toland Vocal Arts Competition and the Rochester Oratorio Society’s Classical Idol, as well as a finalist in the Dayton Opera Guild’s Vocal Competition.

 

About the Berlin Opera Academy

The Berlin Opera Academy (BOA) promotes individualized training and networking, all while being in Berlin.  Infusing passion and knowledge into every student is the goal of BOA. They aspire to shape leaders of the field and enable singers to pursue their dreams. BOA believes that the key to this is balancing disciplined preparation with the thrill of sharing great music. Singers work one-on-one and in small group coachings with active professionals and outstanding professors to gain a life-long fundamental understanding of the body and the voice. The faculty at BOA represent the full spectrum of expertise that a singer must develop to succeed. The combination of educational opportunities with collaborative workshops and rehearsals gives our singers the required tools to set forth into a professional opera career. The professional contacts made at the Berlin Opera Academy are essential and can be lifelong. These are the stepping stones for any young singers emergence into the German opera scene. Mentorship is a fundamental principle throughout the month at BOA, as well as for BOA Alumni. Networking with colleagues, professors, directors and coaches during and after the summer program is a necessary element of the operatic profession and BOA seeks to foster these relationships. BOA studios are located within one of Berlin's most beloved quarters and house all rehearsals, lessons and coachings, German classes, movement class, masterclasses, agent auditions and workshops. Performances will be presented in central cultural institutions in Berlin such as St. Elisabeth Kirche, Musikbrauerei, Kulturprojekte Berlin and others.

 

About the Academie Nationale d’ete de Nice

Since 1957, the International Academie Nationale d’ete de Nice (International Summer Academy of Nice) has offered master classes for instrumentalists, singers, and dancers from across the world.  Students from more than 50 different countries gather every summer at the Nice Conservatory to experience the exceptional training from some of the greatest professors and artists in the United States, Germany, France, and Russia.  In addition to superb instruction, students will have the opportunity to perform in the Nice Classic Festival at the historic Cimiez Monastery Cloisters.

About soundSCAPE

soundSCAPE facilitates the flowering of new music and the exchange of ideas and culture between musicians of tomorrow’s generation. They attract composers and performers from around the world for two weeks of concerts, lectures, master classes and workshops. The essence of the festival is one of process and collaboration – giving rise to new music initiatives that have flourished long beyond the festival, all around the globe. Vocalists work with contemporary music specialist Lucy Dhegrae for two weeks of intense study of solo contemporary vocal literature and chamber music.

 

About the Venues

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington was officially incorporated under the laws of New York State as The Unitarian Fellowship of North Suffolk in 1956. It moved to Huntington, meeting first in Temple Beth-El on Park Avenue. In 1957, the Carter House on Gaines Street was purchased.  Following membership expansion, the congregation purchased four acres at 109 Brown’s Road in 1962. The property was originally part of the McKesson Brown Estate (which is now Suffolk County’s Coindre Hall Park). In 1965, after the merger of the Unitarian and the Universalist denominations, the congregation’s name was formally changed to The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Huntington (UUFH).In 1984, a new sanctuary was built! The bold move to construct a new building exemplified commitment to the principles and purposes of Unitarian Universalism as well as to fostering spiritual and intellectual growth. The UUFH members and friends committed to respect each person’s unique journey, to nurture children and youth in a loving, supportive religious environment, and, for the larger society, to witness and act on issues of social justice.

 

Church of the Messiah is located in historic Rhinebeck, New York, in the beautiful Hudson Valley. Their mission is to be a place where hard questions can be asked, the healing power of love experienced and the joy of worship celebrated. There are three Services each week on Sundays 8am and 10am, and Thursdays at 10am in the Tyler Chapel. The Church of the Messiah is a healthy and thriving congregation of 250 families – large enough to have excellent programming yet small enough to enable personal connection with one another and with the rector, Father Richard McKeon. The congregation includes a mix of long-time Hudson Valley residents, recent transplants from New York City, and weekenders.  Music also plays a central role in worship at Messiah, with a choir combining volunteer members and professional singers, including Ms. Rossiter, enabling the choir to offer a wide range of high-quality sacred music each Sunday.