|
About Our Artists
Founding Members
Elaine Crane- Soprano and Executive
director
Elaine Crane has been hailed by critics as “brilliant”,
“…a charming actress”, “…a beautiful voice and a very fine comic actor.”
She has performed with Longwood Opera, Salisbury Lyric Opera Company,
New England Light Opera, Savoyard Light Opera Company, Lowell Opera,
Booth Theatre, Wachusett Theatre, Sterling Theatre, Worcester County
Light Opera Company, Sudbury Savoyards, Valley Light Opera, Commonwealth
Opera, New England Theatre Company, Mass Theatrica, Theatre at the Mount
and New Life Fine Arts. Gilbert and Sullivan operas are a particular
favorite, and “… Crane’s voice and demeanor (are) perfect G&S heroine
material…” Personal highlights of Elaine’s many stage roles include
performing the role of Hodel in
Fiddler on the Roof opposite Tony-nominated stage and screen
personality Eddie Mekka. Equally at home on the recital stage,
Elaine's voice and stage presence have been described by critics as
"sparkling", "exquisite", and "absolutely radiant". As recitalist and
oratorio singer, Elaine has been a featured soprano soloist with such
groups as the Worcester Chorus, Salisbury Singers and Great Waters Music
Festival. “Her voice soars…” in such works as the Requiems of
Mozart and Brahms.
Elaine is a cum laude graduate of the Boston Conservatory, where she
studied opera and vocal performance. She is the founder and executive
director of “Worcester Opera Works”, with whom she is also an active
performer. She is a member of the New England Gilbert and Sullivan
Society (NEGASS). Elaine invites you to visit her website-
www.elainecrane.com
|
 Sandra
Fritze- Mezzo Soprano and Trustee
This past year has been so
rewarding for Sandy, helping to create the new opera company "Opera- to
Go!", and performing Little Red Riding Hood for children.
The last 10 years have been remarkable for Sandy, as she has been
involved in opera, operetta and musical theatre throughout Central
Massachusetts working with wonderful people in Salisbury Singers,
Salisbury Lyric Opera, Wachusett Theatre, Stageloft Repertory Theater,
Sterling Theatre, Spencer Performing Arts, Spencer Theater Company,
Worcester County Light Opera and many others. Favorite roles
include Mother Abbess (The Sound of Music), Golde (Fiddler on
the Roof), and Sister Wilhelm (Nunsense Jambouree).
When not on stage you can find Sandy at Mary Queen of the Rosary Parish
where she cantors, sings with the senior choir and directs the junior
choir.
You may contact Sandy via
email at
Sjfsing@aol.com.
|
Jonathan LaBarre- Baritone and Trustee
Jonathan has recently moved from
Boxborough Massachusetts to Tallahassee, Florida with his wife Ellen and
their three children. Jonathan is one of the inaugural members of
Worcester Opera Works, and performed the roll of the Wolf and Woodsman
in Worcester Opera Works' production of Seymour Barab’s Little Red
Riding Hood. He has also sung with Salisbury Lyric Opera in
such roles as Dr. Daly in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Sorcerer,
Pish-Tush in The Mikado and Figaro in Mozart’s The Marriage of
Figaro. Jonathan has his schooling from the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst. He was involved in the inaugural
season of The Boston Opera Project, where he sang the roll of Oscar in
Marc Blitzstein’s Regina, and other roles include Enrico in
Lowell Opera's production of
Il Campanello and Count Almaviva in Worcester Opera Work's
production of
The Marriage of Figaro. When visiting the area, Jonathan still
sings as a part of Worcester Opera Works.
|
Olga Rogach- Collaborative Pianist and Trustee
Olga Rogach received a Master of Music degree in piano performance from
Russia's famed St. Petersburg Conservatory which acknowledged her
artistry with a special award for notable performances of Bach's solo
keyboard music. After graduation she was appointed to the St. Petersburg
Music College Faculty and became a featured pianist for the Literary
Association of St. Petersburg and the All-Russian Theatrical Society.
She emigrated to the U.S. in 1991 and made her home in Worcester, MA.
Ms. Rogach performed regularly
with the Salisbury Lyric Opera Company. A leading regional piano teacher, she
received the "Outstanding Faculty" award at the Performing Arts School of
Worcester where she was a faculty member for ten years.
Ms. Rogach performs extensively in New England, and is acclaimed for her
recitals and collaborations with instrumentalists and vocalists. Also she is one
half of the well known piano duo Con Brio, established in partnership with
pianist Sima Kustanovich.
Ms. Rogach is the official
pianist for the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Foundation, accompanist for the
opera ensemble "Worcester Opera Works" and accompanist for Master Singers of
Worcester. She has also been heard numerous times on WGBH Radio's Classics in
the Morning and Morning Pro Musica.
In addition to performing, she now plans to focus
on her private piano studio as well as being a private piano instructor at
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and acting as Music Director at First Parish
Church of Northborough.
|
Contributing Artists
 Brian
Ballard- Bass-Baritone
After 18 years in the software industry, Brian is quickly becoming a
regular on Boston-area and NYC stages, performing a broad repertoire of opera,
operetta and musical theater. He recently received critical acclaim for
his portrayal of Morales in Bizet's Carmen with Granite State
Opera, where Jeanné McCartin of the Portsmouth (NH) Herald wrote "The
earliest moments were given a lift thanks to Brian Ballard, as Morales
the soldier. He's got it all -- vocals and presence." As Macheath in
Brecht/Weill's The Threepenny Opera at Lowell House Opera, J.
Samuel Abbott of the Harvard Crimson wrote Ballard's "wit, presence and
voice give the opera a tremendous sense of power and severity whenever
he speaks or sings, or even moves." Other recent roles include
Agamemnon in Gluck's Iphigenie en Aulide, Father in Hansel and
Gretel, Colline in La Boheme, Cinderella's Prince in Into
the Woods and Captain Duval in Romberg's The New Moon, the Pirate King
in New Jersey Opera Theater's Pirates of Penzance, and Dancairo in Cape Cod Opera's Carmen.
He is also a regularly performing artist with DiCapo opera in New York,
whose touring productions are sponsored locally by Opera Worcester.
|
Dave Bonneau- Bass-Baritone
Baritone Dave Bonneau has appeared as a soloist, actor and percussionist
throughout New England. He has performed with the Lancaster Chamber
Orchestra, Worcester Chorus, Assabet Valley Mastersingers, Southboro
Pilgrim Church Festival Chorus and Orchestra, Metrowest Symphony
Orchestra, Worcester Opera Works and Chicago College of Performing
Arts. As an actor, Dave has performed principal roles in The Sound
of Music, The Secret Garden, Scrooge, Fabulous Fable Factory, Beauty &
The Beast, Children Of Eden and Once On This Island. David
also performs in pit bands, ensembles and studio productions spanning
traditional drum set and hand drums. Dave is a member of the Assabet
Valley Mastersingers and Chamber Singers and performs solo works
throughout New England. He currently studies voice with Robert
Honeysucker. Please visit his website,
|
 Michael Belle-
Tenor
Michael’s recent credits include Count
Almaviva in The Barber of Seville with Longwood Opera, Basilio
and Don Curzio in Worcester Opera Works’ Marriage of Figaro.
Tenor soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Commonwealth Opera, and
Andy in Opera Providence’s Treemonisha. Michael got his start in
opera in 2004 with Boston Opera Project's Regina, eleven years
after giving up music altogether, having previously been an a
cappella/jazz/barbershop singer. His first named role of Coalhouse in
Seacoast Repertory Theatre's Ragtime saw him nominated as a finalist for
Best Actor in a Musical by New Hampshire Theatre Awards. He went on to
perform as Matthew Henson in Ragtime a second time, Fairfax in
Yeomen of the Guard, Ralph Rackstraw in H.M.S. Pinafore,
Ernest Dummkopf in The Grand Duke, Macheath in The Threepenny
Opera, and Dr. Caius in Falstaff. Megan Grumbling of the
Portland Phoenix touted him as having "a rich bellow and stylistic
pride" as Coalhouse, while Nancy Burstein with the Trumpet Bray was
"delighted with [his] tenor voice and manly bearing as Fairfax" in
Yeomen of the Guard. Michael currently studies with Janice Edwards
in Manchester, NH.
|
 Erin Conley-
Lyric Coloratura Soprano
Erin Conley,
soprano, graduated from New England Conservatory of music in 2003.
Since then, she has traveled as far as Salzburg, Austria as an opera
singer and continues to sing professionally around the area. Most
recently, she was asked to sing for Connecticut Opera and is excitedly
preparing for her second audition with the company. Five days a week,
Miss Conley lovingly instructs 90 students in voice, music, dance and
theater at Paula Meola Dance & Performing Arts in Sterling, MA.
Students' ages range from 2 years to adults. Also, Miss Conley has
become a popular cantor in the Worcester diocese, singing as many as
five masses a week. Her hobbies include playing guitar, biking,
dancing, and portrait drawing. If asked what type of role she would
prefer, she enjoys comedic and dramatic roles and has been successful at
both.
|
 Elisabeth Gondek-
Lyric Soprano
Elisabeth received her degree in music in
1999 from Anna Maria College, Paxton. She has worked as a soloist and
section leader for Worcester area churches before, during and after
college. She worked as a private voice, piano and recorder teacher for
various Worcester area schools, including Bancroft School and Pakachoag
Community Music School. As she began to teach voice in her own studio,
she became a teacher for the early childhood music program at Pakachoag
Community Music School, Auburn. Elisabeth has appeared as a soloist
with the Salisbury Lyric Opera Company and Worcester Opera Works. She
is currently a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, the Packachoag
Church Choir, and the St. John the Evangelist Church Schola. She most
recently has performed in concerts for the St. Paul’s Music Festival and
to benefit Worcester Children’s Friend.
|
 Rebecca Grimes- Soprano
Texas
native Rebecca Grimes has been featured in such roles as Susanna in
The Marriage of Figaro, Venus in
Dido and Aeneas, Zerlina in Don Giovanni, Angelina in
Trial by Jury, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, The Shepherdess
in L’enfant et les sortileges, The Second Knitter in A Game
of Chance, Rosina in Haydn’s La Vera Costanza and Belinda in
Dido and Aeneas. As an oratorio soloist, Ms. Grimes has been
featured in such works as the Mozart Mass in C Minor, Brahms Ein Deutches Requiem, Faure’s Requiem and Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb. As a
2004 winner of the University of Connecticut Concerto Competition, Ms.
Grimes was featured with the UConn Orchestra in an all-Handel program.
Recent engagements include the Mozart Mass in C Minor for the Falmouth Chorale
as well as the role of Roxanne in L’Europe Galante for Amherst
Early Music Festival. Rebecca is the co-founder and stage director of
Opera del West, a regional opera company based in the Boston/MetroWest
area. Ms. Grimes holds a master’s degree from New England Conservatory
in Boston. She is currently a doctoral student and teaching fellow at
the University of Connecticut, where she teaches Opera Workshop and
maintains a studio of voice students for the University.
|
 Bülent
Güneralp - Bass-Baritone
Described by The Times Herald-Record,
Middletown, New York, as singing “with a firm bass-baritone and comedic
panache”, Bülent Güneralp is a versatile artist with international
credits who has performed as soloist in many productions with prominent
organizations. He is equally at home in diverse genres from opera to
Broadway, spirituals to American Songbook. In January 2009 he received
The Omaggio al Bel Canto Best Interpretation Award at The Stelle
dell'Anno Nuovo Festival in Boston, which was covered by Italy's RAI International TV. In March 2009 The Massachusetts
State Senate recognized him with a citation and extended best wishes for
continued success. In the same month he was also recognized by Thomas
Menino with a certificate, and a Bandwidth TV feature program about his
life and career premiered on Cambridge Community TV to be aired on
several channels in Boston. In May 2009 he gave a performance at the
historic USS Salem in the first-ever maritime festival of Quincy,
Massachusetts. Bülent Güneralp is the President of Orient Heights Music,
Inc., a member of La Scena concert duo, Enterprise Opera in RI, and
Boston Opera Collaborative. He is on faculty at Quincy Point Music
Academy as Vocal Instructor. For further information please see
www.bulentguneralp.com.
|
 Dr. Richard
Kimball- Musicologist and Narrator
Dr. Richard Kimball is widely known to
audiences around the Worcester area as the voice and commentator for the
Worcester Chorus. His love for music history has evolved into becoming
the Chorus’ resident music historian, and his rich narratives and
extensive research have continued to enlighten and entertain audiences,
helping listeners and performers alike to gain a greater understanding
of, and appreciation for, the music they are experiencing. His addition
to live music performance is one of great import, and Worcester Opera
Works is truly grateful for his significant contribution to our concert
events.
|
 Andrea Pisani-
Mezzo-soprano
Andrea is a
new addition to the Central Massachusetts opera scene. Originally from
Albany, NY, she has studied at such fine institutes as Manhattan School
of Music and the conservatory at CUNY Brooklyn, from where she graduated
this past June with a Bachelor of Music. Andrea got her start singing
in the chorus for four productions at Glimmerglass Opera, including the
acclaimed world premier of J.P. Sousa’s The Glassblowers. She
has gone on to perform scenes as Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte
and the title role in Bizet’s Carmen. A versatile artist, Andrea
is also a gifted songwriter and has performed in such famous NYC venues
as The Knitting Factory and Arlene’s Grocery. Please visit her MySpace
at www.myspace.com/andreapisani.
|
 William Posey-
Tenor
A native of Louisiana, William “Randy” Posey did post
graduate work at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Ft Worth
Texas and Florida State University. While in Texas, he studied
privately with Virginia Botkin at North Texas State University and won
the Midland-Odessa International Young Artist Competition and 1st
place at the NATS Southwest Regional Competition. A full time & part
time church choir director in various denominations, Randy was also a
member of numerous amateur and profession choirs such as Scola Cantorium
of Ft Worth, (listed on the roster of Community Concert Series, NY city)
and the New York City Cantata Singers. Onstage Randy has sung major
roles in opera and oratorio, most recently. Basilio/Curzio in Mozart’s
The Marriage of Figaro.
|
 John Salvi-
Baritone
John Salvi
(baritone) has been performing professionally throughout New England for
over a decade with groups such as Connecticut Opera, Granite State
Opera, Opera North, Commonwealth Opera, Raylynmor Opera, Boston Bel
Canto Opera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Opera Theatre of Weston, and Opera
del West. Notable operatic roles have included Dandini (La
Cenerentola), Papageno (Die Zauberflöte),
and Schaunard (La Bohème). He has won numerous awards and honors,
most notably from the Connecticut Opera Guild Competition and the
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Equally at home on the
concert stage, John has performed with numerous orchestras and choral
societies including Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Pioneer Valley
Symphony Orchestra, Arcadia Players Baroque Orchestra, Worcester
Collegium Chamber Orchestra, Mostly Baroque Players, Middletown Chorale,
Keene Chorale, South Hadley Chorale, Masterworks Chorale, Hampshire
Choral Society, Newton Choral Society, Handel Society of Dartmouth, and
the orchestras of Amherst College, Dartmouth College, University of
Mass., University of Conn., and WPI. He earned his Bachelor and Master
of Music degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
|
 Mauri Tetreault-
Mezzo-soprano
Mauri Tetreault has sung a wide range of opera, musical
theater and concerts series throughout New England, and holds a Masters
degree in music from The Boston Conservatory. She has portrayed roles
such as Dido in Dido and Aeneas, Hansel in Hansel and
Gretel, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus,
Zita in Gianni Schicchi, and Amneris in Aida with
Opera Un-Met. Last October marked her debut with Opera Boston in
Der Freischütz,
and she is excited to be debuting with Worcester Opera Works. Mauri
has been alto soloist for Handel’s Messiah with Masterworks
Chorale and Opera Un-Met, has soloed with the Spectrum Singers and
Assabet Valley Master Singers, and has performed in various concert
series with groups such as the Bel Canto Vocal Academy, New England
Light Opera, Longwood Opera, the Paul Madore Chorale and the St. Andrews
Performing Art Series with the Parket String Quartet. Mauri currently
enjoys teaching her private voice students.
|
 Ian Watson-
Piano Accompanist/ Music Director
Ian has played
with most of the leading British orchestras, including the London
Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, BBC Welsh,
BBC Philharmonic, English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra,
The Academy of Ancient Musick, English Baroque Soloists and the Academy
of St Martin in the Fields. He has made many recordings and toured
worldwide with the Academy, most recently to Germany with the American
violinist Pamela Frank playing all six Brandenburg Concerti. In addition
to appearing on nearly 200 broadcasts and recordings, including as solo
pianist on a recent award-winning CD with Renee Fleming and the English
Chamber Orchestra, Ian is featured on many film soundtracks including
Amadeus, Casper, Polanski's Death and the Maiden, Mr. Holland's Opus,
Restoration, Cry the Beloved Country and Hidden Voices. For Ian's
full biography, visit the
Arcadia Players' website.
|
 Jacque Eileen
Wilson- Mezzo-soprano
Mezzo
soprano Jacque Eileen Wilson has been hailed as “passionate singer with
beautiful warm tones”. She is a graduate of The Boston Conservatory
where she received her Master’s degree in Opera Performance. Her
operatic roles include: Meg in the New England Premiere of Mark Adamo’s
Little Women, Meg Page in Verdi’s Falstaff, Herself in the
West Coast Premiere of The Proposal, and Cherubino in Le Nozze
di Figaro. Equally comfortable on the concert stage, she has been
featured as a soloist with the Boston Symphony Orchestra where she made
her Carnegie Hall and Symphony Hall debuts as the alto soloist in
Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Her oratorio work includes Mozart’s
Solemni Vespers, Pergolesi’s Magnificat, Vivaldi’s
Gloria, and Handel’s Messiah. She has been a soloist with
Longwood Opera, Musica da Camera, Metrowest Symphony Orchestra, and
Parkway Concert Orchestra.
|
 Lisa Woods-
Mezzo-Soprano
This season mezzo-soprano Lisa Woods will perform
the role of Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Commonwealth Opera.
Last season, Ms. Woods performed the
role of Abishag in Yose, a new opera by John Cooper, and joined Commonwealth Opera in their production of
Rigoletto. Lisa has performed the role of Katisha in the Wilbraham
United Players production of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera The
Mikado and the role of Dame Hannah in Valley Light Opera’s
production of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera Ruddigore. Ms.
Woods has performed as soloist and ensemble member with Arcadia Players
under the direction of Ian Watson in their performances of Messiah.
She has been heard as soloist with the Hampshire Choral Society, the
Pioneer Valley Symphony Chorus, the Friends of Music of Guilford and the
American Guild of Organists and has also sung the role of Eunice’s
mother in the opera premiere of The Captivation of Eunice Williams.
The mezzo-soprano has been presented in numerous recital venues
throughout the Pioneer Valley and is a member of the Springfield
Massachusetts chapter of the Tuesday Morning Music Club. She is
currently a student of Maureen O’Flynn, Stockbridge Mass. Visit Lisa on
the web at
www.classicalsinger.net/lisawoodsmezzo.
|
|
