Mary Sullivan
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Hailed for her “power, suppleness, and expressive depth,” soprano Mary Sullivan has appeared as a soloist with numerous ensembles in New England. She has been featured as a recitalist at Bowdoin College’s Studzinski Recital Hall with pianist and Artist in Residence George Lopez, and as a soloist for Opera Maine. Recent repertoire highlights include the Strauss Vier letzte Lieder; the Mozart Requiem; Handel’s Messiah; the Pergolesi Stabat Mater; Mendelssohn’s Elijah; and Bernstein’s Songfest.
She recently performed the role of Violetta in the Colby College Symphony Orchestra’s presentation of scenes from Verdi’s La Traviata. A gifted teacher and vocal coach, Ms. Sullivan is the co-founder of Amethyst Chamber Ensemble, a vocal and instrumental chamber ensemble, offering salon, recital, and full concert programs throughout the season.
She is also a member of the Maine Friends of Music chamber ensemble, which is offering its fall season of concerts this month. Ms. Sullivan maintains a private voice studio in Brunswick, Maine.
Erin Chenard
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Erin Chenard is a soprano specializing in repertoire of the Baroque and Classical eras. A graduate of Westminster Choir College and the University of Southern Maine School of Music, she holds a B.M. in Voice Performance and an M.M. in Voice Pedagogy and Performance.
Erin regularly performs with the St. Mary Schola, an early music ensemble devoted to the performance of master works from the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Solo appearances include concerts with the St. Mary Schola, Maine Pro Musica Orchestra, the Calderwood Consort, Music’s Quill, Blue Hill Bach, Downeast Singers, and Maine's Barroom Messiah.
As a voice teacher, Erin has served on the faculty at Bay Chamber Music School and the Portland Conservatory of Music. She is currently accepting students to her studio in Bath. www.chenardvoicestudio.com
Soprano
Molly Harmon
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MollyHarmon frequently performs as a soloist and chorister in the Southern Maine area, and currently sings with local ensembles ChoralArt, Oratorio Chorale, and St. Mary Schola. Her most recent performances include singing the role of Dido in Dido and Aeneas with St. Mary Schola and as the soprano soloist in Vaughn Williams' Serenade to Music with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a featured soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and Orff’s Carmina Burana.
Molly’s main passion lies in ensemble singing and chamber music; she has produced and performed in several recitals featuring works such as Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols and Eric Whitacre’s Five Hebrew Love Songs for soprano, violin, and piano.
Molly resides in Portland where she has a growing voice studio.
Michele Kennedy
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Praised by The Washington Post as “an excellent and engaging” soprano possessing "a graceful tonal clarity that is a wonder to hear" (SF Chronicle), SOPRANO MICHELE KENNEDY is a versatile specialist in early and contemporary music. She is a winner of the 2023 American Prize in Voice.
Michele’s recent solo highlights include Bach's St. John Passion with theSan Francisco Symphony & SF Bach Choir, Gabriel and Eve in Haydn’s Die Schöpfung with Washington Bach Consort, Handel’s Messiah with NYC’s Trinity Wall Street, Poulenc’s Gloria with Bach Society of Saint Louis, Smith Moore's MLK Oratorio at UC Berkeley, and her Carnegie Hall debut with The Hollywood Film Orchestra. This season, she joins Portland Baroque Orchestra for Bach’s Magnificat and SF Choral Society for his beloved Mass in B Minor.
A lifelong champion of new works, Michele has sung premieres with Experiments in Opera, Kaleidoscope Vocal Ensemble, Seraphic Fire, The Crossing, and The New York Philharmonic. She is thrilled to join Lorelei Ensemble in a world premiere tour of Julia Wolfe’s Her Story culminating with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, and for the release of her first featured solo album with AGAVE, called In Her Hands, featuring trailblazing female composers from Barbara Strozzi and Clara Schumann to Florence Price and Margaret Bonds.
Michele completed her musical studies at Yale University, Yale School of Music, and NYU. A lover of Redwood groves and Bay vistas, she lives with her husband, visual artist Benjamin Thorpe, and their daughter, Audra May. Please find more at www.michele-kennedy.com.
Caroline Koelker
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Caroline Musica Koelker, soprano, performs most frequently with the Una Voce Chamber Choir Caroline sang in the world premiere of Love's Stowaway with the Harvard Musical Association and has sung the world premiere concert performances and cd recording of Songs Off Museum Walls by Sarah Newcomb and Shari Craig, the Siren in the Boston premiere of Odysseus, and the premier of Beth Weiman's opera Deeds as leading lady, Mary.
Other opera and musical theater performances include, La Chauve Souris in L'Enfant est les Sortileges, Mme. Silverpeal in The Impresario, Belinda in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Maria in The Sound of Music, Sally in Gesner's You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, and in the chorus of Opera Maine’s production of Tosca.
Caroline received her M.M. in Opera Performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College and her B.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Maine with honors.
She has been a part of the Crittenden, Harrower and Key West Symphony Young Artist Programs. Koelker is Executive Director of Opera Maine. Koelker is a resident of Brunswick where she resides with her husband, Josh Koelker, and their two children.
Nacole Palmer
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A frequent oratorio and concert artist, soprano Nacole Palmer has lived in Maine for 8 years, following 14 years of living and singing in New York City. Carnegie Hall debut: Handel’s Messiah with the Oratorio Society of New York. Lincoln Center debut: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Riverside Choral Society. Other solo credits include acclaimed Bach’s St. John Passion and Orff’s Carmina Burana with Seraphic Fire of Miami; Haydn’s Creation with the Ulster Choral Society; Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and Graun’s Cleopatra e Cesare with The Clarion Music Society.
Solo recordings include the soprano soloist in Haydn’s Theresienmesse, Schopfungsmesse, and Harmoniemesse from Haydn’s Complete Masses with The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and conductor Jane Glover (NAXOS label), the Songs of Ishmael by Grammy-award winning conductor/composer James Blachly, and Handel’s Nine German Arias, which is coming out soon.
Nacole is the artistic director and founder of Zenith Ensemble (zenithensemble.org). A passionate advocate for gun violence prevention, Nacole also serves as the executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition (mainegunsafety.org).
Joëlle Morris
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Originally from Evian, France; Joëlle Morris has performed throughout Europe and the United States. She is admired for her versatility – from the concert stage to the operatic arena; in intimate jazz settings and French cabaret; or simply sharing her gifts as voice teacher and coach.
An accomplished recitalist, Joëlle has performed extensively across the United States and Europe. Most recently, she portrayed Mary Magdalene in the premiere of Blood & Breath, a concept opera by composer Lucas Richman and librettist Honora Foah, held in the Vatican City, Rome, Italy and Bertha in the Opera in the Pines’ production of The Barber of the Cape, a reimagined version of Rossini’s Barber of Seville.
Since relocating to Maine in 2011, Joëlle has appeared with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, the Mozart Mentor Orchestra and is regularly a featured artist at Colby College, Bates College, Bowdoin College, the Franco Center, Waterville Opera House, Nordica Auditorium, the Colby Jazz Faculty Ensemble, and the Early Music Festival in Portland.
Mrs. Morris is the co-founding member of the Resinosa Ensemble, which specializes in 21st century chamber works, and the Amethyst Chamber Ensemble in Maine.
In addition to annual summer appearances in France, Joëlle is on the faculty in music at Bates College.
joellemorris.com
Mezzo-Soprano
Jazmin DeRice
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Jazmin DeRice, is a Maine-based performing artist and teacher, ranging from classical to jazz, pop, and RnB. She has been a soloist with several Midcoast and central Maine music groups including the Sheepscot Valley Chorus, Down East Singers, Lincoln Arts Festival, Maine Music Society, and Snow Pond Arts. She also gigs on the regular with several local bands and tribute groups, including her own band, BobaFUNK.
Currently, in addition to her performance schedule, Jazmin is adjunct voice at Bates College, Teaching Artist at 317 Main Community Music School, and has a small private studio in Woolwich. She is an active member of the Portland Rossini Club, and is part of the Maine chapter of NATS.
DeRice received her Bachelors and Masters in Vocal Performance from the University of Southern Maine, and PSD in Vocal Performance from Mannes School of Music. She has received awards from the Bay Chamber Concert series and multiple Maine NATS recognitions, including the Lillian Nordica Award.
For recent and upcoming shows, visit jazminderice.com.
Sarah Tuttle
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Sarah Tuttle enjoys a multifaceted career as a performer, teacher, and public radio host. Sarah is committed to authentic storytelling, joyful collaboration, and meaningful connection with her audiences - onstage, on the air, and beyond.
From Wagner roles to modern opera, chamber music to art song, Sarah’s performances have been praised for their "fine balance of energy and introspection." (The Wall Street Journal). Sarah has a special interest in contemporary vocal music, and most recently launched Songs From Here, a Maine-based initiative dedicated to commissioning new vocal works from Maine’s composers.
Offstage, Sarah shares her knowledge and passion for music over the air on Maine Public Classical. She also curates and hosts Songbook, a weekly vocal program with an emphasis on art song. Sarah maintains a voice studio at 317 Main Community Music Center in Yarmouth, where she works with students of various ages and abilities towards meeting their personal goals.
She is proud to have spent two summers as a Vocal Fellow with the Tanglewood Music Center, from whom she received the Grace B. Jackson Prize for Excellence. She makes her home in Portland, Maine. www.sarahtuttle.com
Jenna Guiggey
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Jenna Guiggey performs a diverse and demanding array of repertoire, including early Baroque, classic and modern musical theater, pop, rock, and contemporary choral music. She performs locally with the St. Mary Schola in Falmouth, as an Artist in Residence with Oratorio Chorale in Brunswick, and in several popular cover bands.
Jenna studied classical voice with Ellen Chickering and Bruce Fithian at the University of Southern Maine, completing a Bachelor of Music degree in music education and a Master of Music degree in vocal performance and pedagogy.
She maintains a private studio in Auburn and owns and operates Blue Jay Coffee, a café in downtown Lewiston.
Josh Witham
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Josh Witham is a tenor and instrumentalist from Southern Maine, playing saxophone and doubling on flute and clarinet.
He is currently in two bands, The Larry Williams Band, an 11-piece function band, and The XYZ Factor, a four piece that primarily plays small venues.
Josh studied voice at the University of Southern Maine with Judith James and Ed Reichert where he was accepted into the honors recital, placed first on both Maine NATS and Boston NATS for his division and had many lead roles.
joshcharleton.com
Tenor
David Myers-Wakeman
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Tenor David Myers-Wakeman performs throughout New England, receiving praise for his “beautifully polished tone” and “attractive tenor sound” by former Portland Press Herald critic Allan Kozinn. In addition to performing with professional ensembles such as St. Mary Schola and Amethyst Chamber Ensemble, he is featured regularly as a soloist with Maine-based choral groups including Down East Singers, Lincoln Festival Chorus, Sheepscot Valley Chorus, and St. Cecilia Chamber Choir.
David was most recently featured in Words & Music, a new musical revue with music by award winning Maine composer Aaron Robinson and lyrics by Suzy Hallett. In 2024, David also appeared as Ezekiel Cheever in Opera in the Pines' production of Robert Ward's opera The Crucible. In recent years, he has been cast as "Slushie Guy" in the Osher School of Music at University of Southern Maine's world premiere of Girl In Six Beats (a chamber opera in one act commissioned by Opera Maine with music by local composer Daniel Sonenberg), and as Fenton in USM's full staging of Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor.
David is employed as the choir director at North Yarmouth Congregational Church in North Yarmouth where he also maintains his private voice studio. He holds a Master’s Degree in vocal pedagogy from the School of Music at the University of Southern Maine where he studied with the late esteemed soprano Ellen Chickering.
When he is not singing, teaching singing, or directing singers, David enjoys playing french horn and trumpet in various local wind ensembles and pit orchestras. For more information, visit his website at davidmyersjr.com.
Jonas Rimkunas
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Jonas Rimkunas (Gorham, ME), tenor, is a Graduate of The University of Southern Maine’s Osher School of Music (B.M. 2022) and The University of Maryland Opera Studio (M.M. 2024).
In his early 20s, Jonas was set to pursue a career in wooden boat building, but shifted course when singing with a barbershop quartet inspired him to seek a degree in music performance. Rimkunas’s love of opera was solidified when he performed the role of Tamino in USM's production of The Magic Flute in 2021.
Jonas had the privilege of singing Rinuccio in the Miami Music Festivals production of Gianni Schicchi, as well as multiple roles in their production of L’enfant et les Sortilege. Jonas also performed the title role in Albert Herring and Arcadio in Florencia en el Amazonas at The University of Maryland. Recently, Jonas performed with Opera in the Pines in their production of The Crucible as Reverend Samuel Paris. Jonas was privileged to be named one of the five 2024 Opera Maine Studio Artists in their production of Rickey Ian Gordon’s Rappahannock County, as well as their MainStage production of Verdi’s Aida.
Jonas also holds a position at USM teaching voice. When Jonas is not singing, teaching or performing, he can still be found working on boats both on the water and in the shop.
Jesse Myers-Wakeman
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Tenor Jesse Myers-Wakeman is an active vocalist, teacher, conductor, and composer in southern Maine. Jesse has been a featured soloist with groups such as the Portland Symphony Orchestra, St. Mary's Schola, Amethyst Chamber Ensemble, and the White Mountain Musical Arts Annual Bach Festival.
He maintains a small private studio at his home in Standish, ME, where he teaches voice and beginning woodwinds, focusing on healthy techniques in all styles of music.
Jesse is the choral director at Kennebunk High School, where he also teaches voice, ukulele, piano, and digital music classes. He also currently serves as the Artistic Director for the Greater Freeport Community Chorus, a non-auditioned community choir focusing on varied and accessible repertoire. In his spare time, Jesse serves as associate organist at the North Yarmouth Congregational Church.
In addition to performing, teaching, and conducting, Jesse is also an active composer. His catalogue includes works for choirs, solo voice, piano, organ, and chamber ensembles. In 2015, he debuted his full-length musical, Letters at Sea, with the Freeport High School Players. Jesse's pieces have been performed throughout New England and in parts of Europe.
Aaren Rivard
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Aaren Rivard, tenor, is a Maine native praised for a "full and clear" sound. He has appeared with prominent companies such as Pensacola Opera, Opera Colorado, Chautauqua Opera, Central City Opera, and Des Moines Metro Opera. He sang with Opera Maine as a Studio Artist in this summer’s L’elisir d’amore. His favorite roles performed include Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Tito in La clemenza di Tito, and Bénédict in Béatrice et Bénédict. He received his degrees from the University of Southern Maine School of Music and Wichita State University. His musical work has been recognized by various organizations, such as the Naftzger Association's Vocal Prize and Central City Opera's prestigious Moriarty Award.
Aaren is the co-founder of Opera in the Pines, an alternative opera company committed to reinventing the opera experience.
Jonathan Scott
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Jonathan Scott has loved to sing for as long as he can remember. Nine years as a child with the Atlanta Young Singers of Callanwolde saw him perform in venues around the world and under the artistic direction of notable legends such as Robert Shaw and John Rutter. He received his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance in 2002 from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia.
Highlights of his professional career include: the choral role of Judas in Brooklyn Academy of Music’s production of St. Matthew’s Passion under direction on Sir Jonathan Miller in 2006 and 2009, choral performances with the American Symphony and the New York Philharmonic, a member and featured soloist with the Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Choir and soloist for the Bach Cantata Choir both in Portland, Oregon.
Since moving to Maine in 2017, Jonathan has performed with St Mary Schola, Amethyst Chamber Ensemble, Portland Bach Experience, Colby College Collegium, Colby College Symphony Orchestra and King’s Chapel, Boston.
Jonathan is an active board member for St Mary Schola. He is an acupuncturist and massage therapist and lives in Newcastle with his beautiful wife and two amazing daughters.
Will Prapestis
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Lauded for his “resonant clarity and vibrant expressiveness" and his “subtle and refined” singing, baritone Will Prapestis appears frequently as a soloist and ensemble member in the U.S. and Europe.
He has had the pleasure of singing as a soloist and chorister with Emmanuel Music, Renaissance Men — of which he is a founding member — Boston Baroque, Carmel Bach Festival, West Virginia Symphony, Odyssey Opera, Cappella Clausura, Exsultemus, BEMF, Labyrinth Choir, Sound Icon, Upper Valley Baroque, Cantata Singers, Sound Icon, Monadnock Music Festival, Augmented, Orpheus Singers, Copley Singers, and the Fredonia College Choir.
Recently, Will was a featured soloist with Emmanuel Music at Bachfest Leipzig 2024. He was a Virginia Best Adams Fellow at the 2019 Carmel Bach Festival and was also the 2019-2020 Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow.
Will is also a very busy bass player, thoroughly active in the Boston and New York City Pop Music scenes, performing with as many as five bands as a bass guitarist, vocalist, writer, and arranger. He is also a highly-sought session artist.
Will is a native of Elmira, NY, and he earned his Bachelor of Music in Performance at SUNY Fredonia. www.renmenmusic.com
Baritone & Bass
Seth Grondin
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Seth Grondin is a Bass-Baritone based in Southern Maine, with experience as a soloist and in ensemble settings - from contemporary and classical choral music, to musical theater, opera, folk, and more.
Originally from Bangor, Maine, he is a graduate of the University of Maine in Orono and Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Trained in opera performance, he has worked with companies such as Boston Opera Collaborative, Odyssey Opera, NEMPAC Opera Project, MassOpera, the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance, and more.
More recently, he has performed with Portland Theater Festival and Good Theater in their main-stage productions. He has sung with Maine-based vocal ensembles such as Amethyst Ensemble, Dirigo Ensemble, and Una Voce Chamber Choir. He is also a trained voice actor and voice over artist.
Marc DeMille
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A native of Lynn, Massachusetts, baritone Marc DeMille has been known to church congregations and audiences all over New England for almost thirty-five years, having sung as soloist and chorister for thousands of services and performances at over 100 area churches, including Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, St. Paul's in Cambridge, Trinity Church in Copley Square and Church of the Advent on Beacon Hill.
He currently serves as Director of Music at St. John the Guardian of Our Lady in Clinton, a vibrant Catholic parish in Central Massachusetts renowned for beautiful polyphony and chant, as well as assisting at several parishes throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
In the concert and stage world, Marc is well sought-after for his warm, lyrical sound, having performed regularly with numerous professional ensembles, including Labyrinth Choir, Boston Secession, Philovox, and Cut Circle. His performances have taken him to Symphony Hall, Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center; and he has recorded for the Sony, Arsis, Brave, Wandering and Albany labels.
His appearances as soloist have included performances with Masterworks Chorale, Nashua Choral Society, Marblehead Festival Chorus, Calliope, Chorus Pro Musica, Paul Madore Chorale, Medfield Community Chorus, Nashua Symphony Orchestra, and Assabet Valley Master Singers.
Mr. DeMille studied music at MIT, where his work included vocal studies with John Oliver, Bill Cutter and Margaret O’Keefe. He currently lives in North Central Massachusetts with his wife and 4 children.
Joshua Miller
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Joshua Miller is a Baritone from Southwest Harbor Maine. He is a Graduate of the University of Southern Maine's vocal performance program and now resides in Brooklyn New York.
Most recently Joshua performed as Mr. Gobineau with City Lyric Opera's production of the Medium. Favorite opera roles include, Harasta in Příhody Lišky Bystroušky, Father in Hansel and Gretel and Pish-Tush in The Mikado. He also enjoys singing Oratorio and is a sought after soloist. Past performances include Elijah in Elijah with St. Cecilia Chamber choir, soloist for Ralph Vaughn-Williams Five Mystical songs with Epiphany's Schola Cantorum and he was a Semi-finalist in last years Lyndon Woodside oratorio competition.
Aside from singing Joshua is an ISA certified arborist, so when he's not onstage you can find him in the trees!
Sean Fleming, piano/organ
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Sean Fleming is an in-demand pianist, organist, harpsichordist, accompanist, composer, and arranger based in Maine.
He performs regularly with over ten choral and instrumental groups, and has been a guest artist with many more. He also performs with his ten-piece ragtime orchestra, and a seven-piece early jazz band.
Sean has directed or accompanied over eighty musical theater productions nationwide.
A piano and organ recitalist who has performed throughout the United States, Sean studied organ and piano with Ray Cornils, John Doney, Michael Lindsey, and Gerald McGee. For the past thirty years he has served as organist at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Newcastle. He was the recipient of a 2009 St. Botolph Club Foundation grant award for achievements in music.
Piano/organ
Randy Day, piano/organ
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After receiving a Bachelor’s of Music Education from Southern University (TN) in 1978, Randy’s career began as an educator and musician. In 1982 he obtained his Master of Arts in Organ Performance from Andrews University in Michigan. He has taught music on all levels from kindergarten through college. Randy has also been a recitalist since age 9 on piano and organ, and has concertized in the US, UK, and Italy.
Before moving to Maine in 2014, Randy played violin for 14 years with the York Symphony and was accompanist and Interim Music Director and Conductor of the York Symphony Choral Ensembles.
From 1994-1999 Randy served as Chapel Organist and Keyboard Instructor for Rollins College, Florida. He also served as accompanist and harpsichordist with the Messiah Choral Society, Bach Festival Society, Winter Park, FL, for 12 years.
Randy recently retired from music ministry after 9 years at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Brunswick, ME, and 21 years in total serving the Episcopal denomination beginning in 1989. He has recently become the accompanist for Maine Music Society, Auburn; Thornton Oaks Singers, Brunswick; and organist for Christ Church on the Commons, Gardiner. He continues to be a collaborative musician with the Amethyst Ensemble.
For the last ten years Randy has become fond of New England, especially enjoys exploring Maine lighthouses (34 so far), cello lessons, and travel. He resides in Gardiner, Maine, with his two Feist puppies named Bree and Fynn.
Marlene McCarthy, piano
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Pianist Marlene McCarthy has been praised for her multifaceted and individual career path, defined by a diverse range of musical interests.
At 15, Marlene began her formal training under Chiharu Naruse. Through her guidance, Marlene found success in numerous local competitions, winning the A.H Chatfield Junior Piano Prize and the Ocy Downs Piano Competition. She has also had the opportunity to share her music on Maine Public Radio.
Marlene moved to New York City in 2008 for her undergraduate studies with Victor Rosenbaum at Mannes College. She then furthered her musical education by pursuing a master's degree at New York University, under the guidance of Alexander Kobrin.
Outside of her classical pursuits, Marlene collaborates with her husband, Bobby Katz, in the folk-pop duo "Bobbylene," which has garnered attention with over 8 million plays on streaming platforms and has subsequently been featured in Starbucks locations worldwide. Additionally, her "Marlene T" project, which reimagines pop songs as solo piano arrangements, has found a growing audience with over 200,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Marlene holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts from Stony Brook University and is a former adjunct instructor at NYU’s Steinhardt School.
As an active chamber musician and collaborator, Marlene has had the opportunity to receive coaching from highly-regarded musicians, including members of the Emerson String Quartet, Gilbert Kalish, Colin Carr, Jennifer Frautschi, and Carol Wincenc.
Before relocating to Maine in April 2024, Marlene enjoyed educating her private students in New York City for over a decade.
Marlene is excited to continue her work as an educator, performer, and collaborator in her home state. She is currently on the faculty at Colby College and Bay Chamber.
Scott Nicolas, piano
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Scott Nicholas, pianist, has appeared throughout the U.S. and internationally in solo and chamber performances. He has served as pianist for the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, The Three Irish Tenors, Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis, Minnesota Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, the Concord Women's Chorus and the Leontyne Price Vocal Arts Competition, among numerous others.
He records frequently with E.C. Schirmer's Philovox Vocal Ensemble, has been heard on WGBH-FM and WBUR-FM in Boston, and his commercial recordings are available on Albany records.
Scott has served as music director for several organizations including Central Square Theater, Franklin School for the Performing Arts, Franklin Performing Arts Company, Suffolk University, the New England Conservatory’s Opera Workshop and St. Michael’s Playhouse, VT.
Mr. Nicholas is on the faculty of Emerson College and is a senior lecturer at Suffolk University where he teaches piano and coaches opera and music theater.
Morgan Lee, piano
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Pianist Morgan Lee has built a dynamic career as a collaborator, soloist, and teacher. She frequently performs with some of the most prominent ensembles and performing arts organizations in the state of Maine, including the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Opera Maine, Classical Uprising, and the Colby Symphony Orchestra.
She has performed and competed in numerous music festivals in the US and abroad and has given recitals in New York City, Italy, Spain, France, and the Kennedy Center.
An experienced collaborator, Dr. Lee is currently a collaborative pianist for the Colby College Music Department and the Augusta Unitarian Universalist Community Church Choir. She has previously served as staff collaborative pianist for the University of Southern Maine Osher School of Music and the University of Connecticut Music Department.
In addition to being an active performer, Dr. Lee is a teacher with over ten years of experience instructing piano. She currently works with over thirty students as an applied piano instructor for the Colby College Music Department and a member of piano faculty at Bay Chamber Music School. She has previously taught at institutions such as Eastern Connecticut State University, the University of Connecticut, the Bronx Conservatory of Music, and Mannes College of Music.
In 2022, Dr. Lee received her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Connecticut, where she studied with Angelina Gadeliya. She also holds a Master of Music from Mannes College of Music and a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University. Dr. Lee wrote her dissertation on interdisciplinary collaboration as creative practice for classical musicians and is passionate about finding new, unconventional ways to engage with classical repertoire. She is committed to continuing this work to connect with new audiences here in Maine. You can learn more about her work at morganleepianist.com.
Heinrich Christensen, piano/organ
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A native of Denmark, Heinrich Christensen, was appointed Music Director of historic King's Chapel, Boston, in the year 2000 after serving as the affiliate organist under Daniel Pinkham for the last two years of Dr. Pinkham’s 42-year tenure at the church.
Heinrich was a prizewinner at the international organ competitions in Odense and Erfurt and has given solo recitals on four continents. An avid proponent of contemporary music, he has premiered works by Daniel Pinkham, Carson Cooman, Graham Gordon Ramsay, James Woodman and several others.
The solo CD "Heinrich Christensen plays the C.B. Fisk Organ at King's Chapel" (available at www.arsisaudio.com) was hailed by Gramophone Magazine as a "smorgasbord" of "enormous stylistic flexibility".
For the past 15 years, he has performed an annual recital as a featured soloist of Boston’s venerable First Night celebrations. In February 2011, he released a recording of Bach’s Clavierübung III. In October 2011, Albany Records released “The Sacred Voice” with works of Graham Gordon Ramsay.
Christina Spurling, piano
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Christina Spurling is a pianist, collaborator, and educator whose expressive, versatile artistry brings warmth, sensitivity, and clarity to chamber music, song repertoire, choral, operatic, and educational settings.
A native of Islesford, ME, she earned her Master of Music in collaborative piano performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College and has served as rehearsal pianist and accompanist for opera companies, choirs, orchestras, and colleges across New England, including six years as a collaborative pianist and piano instructor at Colby College and teaching at College of the Atlantic.
In 2018 she founded the Quietside Chamber Music Festival on Mount Desert Island, showcasing Maine-based musicians. Christina currently teaches music at St. John's Catholic School and is organist/pianist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, both in Brunswick, and freelances as a collaborative pianist throughout New England.
Ben Noyes, cello
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A multi-faceted individual, Benjamin Noyes has many talents all revolving around an exceptional focus on the cello. With a particular interest, fascination and devotion to the qualities and production of sound, he channels his creativity and music into areas including, but not limited to performing, teaching, recording, producing, composing, drawing and writing.
He is widely acclaimed for his performances of solo recitals, chamber ensemble concerts, and various classical and non-classical ventures. Pursuing the artist’s life has led him to collaborations and performances throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, performing, teaching, coaching and motivating individuals of all ages and professions with his signature, one-of-a kind projects.
bennoyes.com
Katherine Liccardo, violin
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Violinist Katherine Liccardo, a native New Yorker, began her violin and piano studies at age 3. Katherine’s passion for music started at home, growing up in a household of music teachers and performers. At the age of 18, she made her Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium solo debut as the winner of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition. Katherine received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Mannes College, The New School for Music and her Master of Music Degree from the Manhattan School of Music.
An active pedagogue and trained Suzuki teacher, Katherine has served on the faculty of the Center for Preparatory Studies in Music at Queens College for thirteen years.
She runs an in-person and online teaching studio with students in New York, Maine, California, Texas, and Australia. During the summers, Katherine has served on the faculty of Kneisel Hall’s Program for Maine Students and Berkshire Summer Music in Massachusetts. As an adjudicator, she has been on the jury for Queens College undergraduate auditions and the Young Stars of Maine Competition. She is currently a member of the board of the Maine Suzuki Association, whose goal is to build community and create educational and performance opportunities for students across Maine.
Combining her passion for performing and teaching, Katherine and her husband started an interactive concert series for kids in Washington Heights, NY: For the Love of Music. The mission of this program is to give children the opportunity to listen deeply to classical music in a hands-on and engaging setting. Katherine has led many similar interactive music workshops through Kneisel Hall and the Treetops Chamber Music series in Connecticut.
Katherine is currently the associate director of Vigorous Tenderness, an immersive outdoor concert series that amplifies marginalized voices in classical music and democratizes new/experimental music. VT concerts happen on each equinox and solstice throughout the year and serve as a way to mark the passage of time for the community. Each concert resembles an art museum experience, with chamber music in harmony with the landscape. Katherine also works with Shelter Music Maine, a fledgling organization that brings music to unsheltered communities across the state of Maine. SMM believes that all people deserve access to the therapeutic and healing powers of music. https://katherineliccardo.com
Matt Consul, viola
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Currently based in Farmingdale, Maine, violist and multi-instrumentalist Matt Consul holds a Bachelor’s degree in Viola Perfor-mance and a Master’s in Contemporary Improvisation on mandolin and violin from Boston’s New England Conservatory of Mu-sic.
He is a member of the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and has previously performed with the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, Shattered Glass ensemble, and as acting principal viola of the New Orchestra of Wash-ington. Matt was formerly the principal violist of Boston’s highly-acclaimed (but, sadly, now defunct) chamber orchestra Discovery Ensemble.
A lifelong lover of chamber music, Matt has appeared as guest violist for the Portland String Quartet, performed in Hyderabad, India as a part of the SOTA festival, and has attended such festivals as The Taos School of Music and Kneisel Hall.
He also coaches chamber music at the Pineland Suzuki School in Manchester, Maine. Matt was a co-founder/director of For The Love Of Music, an educational initiative that provided free interactive performances and workshops for children in uptown Manhattan, and currently presents educational workshops for kids in Portland public elementary schools through the Portland Symphony’s Explorers program.
Active in a variety of musical circles outside the classical world, Matt has recorded and regularly performed with jazz composer/bandleader Miho Hazama’s Grammy-nominated ensemble m_unit and was formerly a member of the alt folk outfit the Laura Grill Band. He has performed, toured, and recorded with artists as diverse as jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, rock groups The Dear Hunter and Bent Knee, and ska band Streetlight Manifesto.
Strings/winds
Margaret Cerjan, violin
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Nominated a “Citizen Musician” by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Margaret Cerjan has established herself as a passionate per-former and educator.
After graduating from Northwestern University, Margaret joined the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, performing under conductors including Riccardo Muti, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Jaap van Zweden.
While in Chicago, Margaret performed over 80 chamber music concerts at schools and community centers as a Teaching Artist through the Chicago Symphony’s Institute.
As a founding member of the Chicago-based Élan String Quartet, Margaret performed at the Utah Symphony’s Emerging Quartets’ program, collaborated with the Chicago Symphony’s Institute and Chicago Young Authors to create beat poetry and classical music concerts, and performed the Schubert Cello Quintet with Yo-Yo Ma at the Chicago Symphony’s Citizen Musician Week.
Margaret continued her studies at Boston University. While in Boston, Margaret was a teaching artist at the Conservatory Lab Program and faculty member at the Chestnut Hill School and Boston Symphony’s Project STEP. She was the assistant for the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s String Quartet Workshop, and founded and directed BUTI’s Junior String Intensive, a chamber music pro-gram for exceptional middle school string players.
Margaret is currently a member of the Cape Ann Symphony, and a faculty mem-ber of New England Conservatory’s Preparatory School. Recent performances include concerts with the Portland Symphony Or-chestra, Opera Maine, and Classical Uprising.
Tracey Jasas-Hardel, violin
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Violinist Tracey Jasas-Hardelhas performed with the Milwaukee Symphony, National Symphony, The National Gallery Orchestra, and many other orchestras. Ms. Jasas-Hardel was a member of the U.S. Marine Band Chamber Orchestra, which performs chamber music in the White House at the President’s request for state dinners. She has played in chamber music festivals such as the Sarasota Chamber Music Festival, Tuacahn Summer Arts Institute and the Portland Chamber Music Festival, and studied with the Audubon Quartet, the Cavani Quartet, and the Weilerstein Duo. She was awarded a Fulbright grant for violin study in Berlin, Germany, where she attended the Hochschule der Musik and toured around Europe performing both as a recitalist and an orchestra member.
Tracey is a co-founder of 240 Strings, a nonprofit in Portland, ME providing free private lessons to students who couldn’t otherwise afford them, as well as free concerts. She has taught at both New England Suzuki Institute and New England Music Camp. portlandpianotrio.com
Laura Del Sol Jimenez, flute
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Colombian Flutist Laura del Sol Jiménez performed with the Bogotá Philharmonic Orchestra and Colombia National Symphony Orchestra before moving to the US in 2015.
Laura has also appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and with orchestras in China, Japan, Israel, Italy, Argentina, Chile, and throughout the United States. Equally at home as a chamber musician, Laura has performed at international music festivals such as the Bowdoin Music Festival and the Portland Bach Festival, and collaborated with groups such as Windscape and the Jupiter String Quartet. In 2015, Laura founded the Linos trio, which toured South America and produced an album premiering music of contemporary Latin American composers.
Laura served as flute faculty at the Portland Conservatory of Music and was a founder and director of the Conservatory’s College-Preparatory Program.
Currently, she lives in Brunswick with her husband and two young children, maintaining a private flute studio and performing with ensembles and orchestras in the New England area. www.lauraflute.com
Paul Kneller, guitar
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Paul Kneller, classical guitar
Paul Kneller holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from the University of Southern Maine. He studied classical guitar with two teachers in the Portland, Maine area, John Johnstone and Keith Crook.
While studying at the university, he participated in a Master Class with Lily Afshar and performed in the 41st Honors Recital.Apart from solo performances, he has had the opportunity to play with a variety of different instrumentalists. He has performed and recorded with groups outside the classical realm.
Since 2017, Paul has been teaching guitar in southern Maine. Paul joined the faculty of the Portland Conservatory in 2021.
