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Gateway
Classical Music Society |
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Ida Angland, Artistic Director
and Conductor, is dedicated to providing opportunities for artists
on the rise and reconnecting audiences to great masterworks through
Gateway’s performances designed to achieve impact and intimacy.
Gateway’s Great Works of Art performances with full orchestra
have received enthusiastic response by audiences in Connecticut and
New York and have been described in reviews as “thrilling,”
“compelling” “a revelation” “unforgettable,” and “amazing.” Ida
Angland has been characterized as having “inner genius,” “flair,”
“idealism,” and “grit.” Ms Angland became an apprentice conductor
with the New York Grand Opera in 2001. In 2002, she became the
Director of The New York Grand Opera Chorus and assistant-conducted
numerous operas as well as symphonic works, including such works as
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. In her capacity as Director of
the chorus, she organized regional choristers to participate with
the New York Grand Opera Chorus in several concerts in Carnegie
Hall. Ms Angland began her music training as a pianist. When she was
12 years old, she was the youngest of four contestants chosen by the
National Federation of Music Clubs and the University of North
Carolina as the state’s “most promising” musical talents. She
continued her music training at the North Carolina School of the
Arts, Peabody Conservatory and Indiana University studying with,
among others, Konrad Wolff, Elaine Bonazzi and Margaret Harshaw. Ms
Angland sang professionally as a soprano with regional opera
companies. Other featured guest appearances have included the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and WQXR. |
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Alina
Kiryayeva, Pianist, has concertized internationally performing
with the Kharkov State Philharmonic and State Opera Theatre
Orchestras, The Imperial Valley Symphony orchestra and New York
Symphonic Ensemble Orchestra as well as in chamber ensembles in
Weill Hall, Morse Recital Hall, Maiden Lane Concert Series, the
Concerto Takes Manhattan Series at Yamaha Hall, Young Artist Concert
Series in Bergenfield, NJ and the Concert Series at Jefferson’a
Ferry, NY. Ms Kiryayeva has been the recipient of numerous awards
that include the First Prize in the Senigallia International
Competition, Italy, the Grace Welsh International Competition and
the California Young Artist International Competition. She was
honored by the Ukrainian President, Leonid Kravchuk, with the State
Award for Achievements in Arts. She has also been awarded the Fannie
Gottlieb-Harkavi Scholarship and Susan Rose Piano Scholarship. The
2009 benefit concerts will mark her debut appearances with Gateway
Classical Music Society. |
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Nicholas Szucs, Violinist, has
worked with symphonies all over the United States, including Dallas
Opera, Shreveport Symphony, Key West Symphony, Albany Symphony,
Syracuse Symphony and Roanoke Symphony. He served as concertmaster
for the Fort Smith Symphony, East Texas Symphony, Garland Symphony,
and Monmouth Symphony. In 2005 he participated in the Festival
Orchestra in Jimena de la Frontera, Spain. In the summer of 2006 and
2007, Mr. Scuzs performed in the Wintergreen Summer Music Festival
Orchestra. In addition to his career as a symphonic violinist, Mr.
Szucs also performs regularly as a recitalist and soloist. In
January 2007 he performed a complete unaccompanied solo recital at
Wesley Hall in Montgomery, NY, which included works by Bach, Ysaÿe
and Paganini. During the 2005-2006 season, Mr. Szucs accepted a
position as concertmaster for the Greater Newburgh Symphony
Orchestra and in the fall of 2007 performed the World Premiere of
Steve Margoshes’ New Hungarian Rhapsody with the GNSO. He
attended Manhattan School of Music and Montclair State University.
In addition to being soloist with the Montclair State University
Symphony, he performed as concertmaster and soloist with the
Congress of Strings festival orchestra in its final year (1989) and
as concertmaster and soloist for the Montclair Chamber Ensemble in
the year of the orchestra’s inception (1990), and in 2003, returned
as soloist. Mr. Scuzs has played as a member of the Gateway
Orchestra and has been a featured artist for Gateway events on
several occasions. |
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Vania
Chan, Soprano, has been praised for her “sensitive
musicianship”, “crystal-clear tone”, “commanding presence”, and
“lovely effortless singing.” Operatic roles include, Flaminia in
Haydn’s Il Mondo della Luna, Olympia in Offenbach’s Les
Contes d’Hoffmann, The Widow in Argento’s The Boor, Lucy
Willow in Kupferman’s In a Garden, Gretel in Humperdinck’s
Hansel and Gretel, Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro,
Gismonda in Steffani’s Tassilone, Madame Herz in Mozart’s
Der Schauspieldirektor, Blondchen inMozart’s Die Entführung
aus dem Serail and Lucia in Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia.
Ms Chan received the “City of Brandon Award” for best interpretation
of the commissioned work at the 2008 Eckhardt-Gramatté Voice
Competition in Brandon, Manitoba, which was broadcast on CBC Radio 2
(Canadian Broadcasting Company). Additionally, she was a finalist at
the Christina and Louis Quilico Awards, and winner of the “Silver
Tray” at the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival and National Finalist at
the Canadian Music Competition. Vania graduated Summa Cum Laude from
York University in Canada and is currently earning her Master of
Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music. The 2009 benefit
concerts mark her debut appearances with Gateway Classical
Music Society. |
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Christina
Rohm, Soprano, has been hailed for singing with "exquisite
conviction and emotion" and her voice called "indescribable in its
impact, beseechingly powerful, yet humbling and heartfelt." Ms.
Rohm’s opera credits include Harriet Mosher in Emmeline with
Dicapo Opera Theatre and Szeged National Theater (televised on Mezzo
TV); Micaela in Carmen with Treasure Coast Opera Society,
Inc.; Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly with Opera Company of
the Highlands and Dicapo Opera Theatre; Hanna Glawari in The
Merry Widow with Pineda Lyric Opera Company; Marguerite in
Faust with Regina Opera, One World Symphony, and Dicapo Opera
Theatre; Nedda in Pagliacci with Rockland Opera and Riverside
Opera; Mimi in La Bohème with Cantiamo Opera and New York
Opera Singers Association; Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus with
Little Opera Company of New Jersey and New York Metro Vocal Arts
Ensemble. Other roles performed in New York include Leonora in Il
Trovatore; the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro; the Mother
in Hansel and Gretel); Pamina in The Magic Flute;
Vitelia in Clemenza di Tito; Claudia in Claudia Legare
- New York stage premiere), Soprano in Opera Senza Rancor;
Estrella in La Perichole, Mother in Passion and Alice Ford in
Falstaff. Oratorio credits include the soprano solos in
Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Faure's Requiem,
Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Handel's Messiah, simulcast
on WMBI 90.1 FM in Chicago. Ms Rohm placed as a finalist with the
Liederkranz Competition, Opera Division in 2008 as well as in 2006
and with the International Opera Singers Competition, CCO, in New
York in 2005. Friday’s benefit concert will mark her debut
appearance with Gateway Classical Music Society. |
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Sandra
Schwarzhaupt, Mezzo-Soprano, has sung leading roles in New York
and in Europe that include two roles in the Japanese opera En Saga,
by Hirokazu Sugano performed in Merkin Hall in New York City as well
as performances at the Musikverein in Vienna; the Accademia Santa
Cecilia in Rome; the concert hall in Torino, and the Semper Opera in
Dresden. She toured throughout Germany performing The Diary of
Anne Frank and participated in the Young Artists' Program at
Caramoor in 2008. This past spring, she was a guest artist with the
Natchez Festival of Music. Ms Schwarzhaupt was awarded the
prestigious Jugendförderpreis in Dresden for outstanding young
artists and is featured in a recording of Mozart concert arias with
the Salzburg Chamber Orchestra. The 2009 benefit concerts mark her
debut appearances with Gateway Classical Music Society. |
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Ricardo
Rosa, baritone, sang the role of Heraldo in Otello for Teatro de
la Opera in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He also appeared in Madama
Butterfly for Opera de Puerto Rico. Mr. Rosa performed in the
world premiere of Roberto Milano’s opera The Queen’s Mirror
as John the Baker and has appeared as the baritone soloist in
several concerts in Puerto Rico, for, among others, the Anniversary
Gala of Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, the Casals Festival and the
Anniversary Gala of the University of Puerto Rico choir. Mr. Rosa’s
musical education took place at the Escuela Libre de Musica Antonio
Paoli where he studied clarinet. He later studied voice at the
Conservatory of Puerto Rico with Justino Diaz. Mr. Rosa debuted with
the roles of Morales and El Dancairo in Gateway Classical Music
Society’s Carmen performances. He has been a featured soloist
in Gateway’s Highlights concerts and special events and
performed the role of Monterone in Gateway’s performances of
Rigoletto in May 2007. A review of that performance stated Mr.
Rosa a “powerful Monterone,” and that his “Maledetto” was “
bone-chilling” and “hair-raising.” |
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Eric
Keller, bass baritone, studied at the St. Petersburg State
Conservatoire (Russia) and at the Internationales Opernstudio at
Opernhaus Zurich (Switzerland). At Opernhaus Zurich, Mr. Keller
performed the roles of Budd in Albert Herring, Troubadour in
Benvenuto Cellini and Grande di Spagna in Don Carlos.
At Staatstheater Nurnberg (Germany) Mr. Keller sang the roles of
Luther in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Hans Foltz in Die
Meistersinger von Nurnberg and Zuniga in Carmen at the
Bad Hersfelder Opernfestspiel (Germany). Mr. Keller has appeared as
a recital soloist in New York, Zurich, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Prague,
Nuremberg and St. Petersburg. He sang the role of Count Ceprano in
Gateway Classical Music Society’s 2007 performances of Rigoletto
and was a soloist in Gateway’s 2009 performances featuring three
great composers. |
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