Choral Society Announces Soloists for Upcoming Bach Concert

— by Roger Sherman, Director, Orcas Choral Society —

The Orcas Choral Society is pleased to announce solo roles for its performance of the 1733 version of the “Mass in B-minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach. This concert is sponsored by Orcas Center and will be presented at 7:30 PM on April 18 and 2:00 PM on April 19.

Orcas resident Sharon Abreu has sung lead roles in operas including “Le Nozze di Figaro,” ” Don Giovanni” and “The Magic Flute”. She starred in the musical comedy “The Taffetas” at Orcas Center and the Bellingham Ferry Terminal. Ms. Abreu also sang in concert with Pete Seeger and for Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. Sharon was the soprano soloist with the Orcas Choral Society for Mozart’s” Requiem,” Haydn’s “Missa Brevis” and Bach’s “Coffee Cantata,” and with Seattle Chamber Singers in Mozart’s “Vespers” with Orchestra Seattle. She is also half of the acoustic duo “Irthlingz” with Michael Hurwicz, with whom she runs the nonprofit Irthlingz Arts-Based Environmental Education.

Naomi Aldort, also from Orcas, has performed both as a soloist and as choir singer. She was a member of the professional Israeli radio choir under Avner Itai which included performances with the Israeli Philharmonic under Zubin Mehta, Daniel Barenboim and Lucas Foss. She has sang with choirs in NYC, San Francisco, University of Colorado, Victoria BC, and with the Seattle Symphony Chorale. She has given solo recitals on piano and voice as well as chamber music, and has been a piano, voice and musical skills teacher since 1974.

Seattle soprano Madeline Bersamina was a finalist in the Ladies Musical Club 2013 Recital Competition. She has been featured on recital series in California, Washington and Germany. Madeline is also a dedicated choral artist and has sung with the Berwick Chorus of the Oregon Bach Festival, Tucson Chamber Artists, Vox Humana Dallas, and Junges Stuttgarter Bach Ensemble in Germany. In addition to performance engagements, Madeline is a frequent adjudicator for vocal competitions and maintains an active voice studio. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Music and French at Santa Clara University and her Master of Music in Voice Performance at the University of Washington.

American born tenor Eric Jeffords is currently studying classical vocal performance at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle under the tutelage of Michael Delos. Prior to this, he studied in the Flathead Valley (Montana) under Jeanne Grace, and Linnea Springer. He recently finished a run of “Bach in the Subway” performing with fellow students around Seattle.

José Luis Muñoz, is a Mexican-American countertenor, who has performed in recital, opera, and oratorio. José Luis made his vocal debut in Mexíco City in a sold-out solo recital sponsored by the Syndicated Working Musicians of Mexíco. He was also a winner in the California Opera Association Competition. A resident of Seattle, he was awarded the Artist Diploma in Early Music Studies from Cornish College of the Arts; he also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in both Vocal and Piano Performance. José Luis works as a vocal soloist, choral section leader, and organist for two Episcopal parishes in Seattle (Epiphany and Our Lady of Guadalupe).

Orcas audiences will remember Charles Robert Stephens who was a soloist in the Choral Society’s performance of Mozart’s “Requiem.” He has sung on numerous occasions at Carnegie Hall in a variety of roles with Opera Orchestra of New York, the Oratorio Society of New York, the Masterworks Chorus, and Musica Sacra. Now based in Seattle he has sung with Seattle Symphony, Tacoma and Spokane Symphony and Opera Companies, Portland Chamber Orchestra and many other the orchestras and opera companies in the Pacific Northwest. Upcoming performances include a return engagement with the American Classical Orchestra as Jesus in Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” at St. John the Divine in NYC.

Lopezians Ginni Keith and Gary Alexander have been qualified as locums for second soprano and tenor solos, respectively. They are prepared to sing solo roles in case there is an unexpected absence in the solo roster.

The Orcas Boy Choir, directed by Mary WillAllen will join the Choral Society for the final movement of the program. The Orcas Festival Orchestra and Turtleback Brass will accompany the choirs with their membership of both on and off-island players. The entire ensemble will be directed by Roger Sherman, artistic director of the Orcas Choral Society.

Tickets to these concerts are available from Orcas Center: ​www.orcascenter.org/tickets or 376-8821 ext. 1​.