The Alchemy Project: Empowering the Arts to Transform our Community
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
Cantiamo String Quartet
Residency with The Alchemy Project
Erik Rohde, violin (Minnesota)
Katie McMullen, violin (Minnesota)
Jacob Tews, viola (Minnesota)
Lars Krogstad, cello (Minnesota)
Comprised of four animated musicians from the Minneapolis, MN area, the Cantiamo String Quartet has been playing together since 2003. The quartet was formed at the University of Minnesota School of Music, where the Cantiamos studied extensively with Thomas Rosenberg, formerly of the Chester String Quartet and the Artaria String Quartet of Boston. The quartet has also been privileged to work with the renowned pianist Lydia Artymiw and has performed in masterclasses for many distinguished artists, including the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award-winning Pacifica Quartet, the Borromeo String Quartet, and Paul Katz of the Cleveland String Quartet.
Kristi Bergland, soprano, is a free-lance singer and voice teacher in the Twin Cities. She studied music and math at St. Olaf College and then spent a year at the University of Trondheim, Norway as a Fulbright Scholar studying Norwegian music with Ola Kai Ledang and Norunn Illevold Giske before continuing on to pursue masters and doctoral studies in vocal performance at the University of Minnesota. Kristi maintains an active performing schedule as recitalist and oratorio soloist, and with various ensembles. She is a founding member of Nordic Voice, a Minneapolis based ensemble dedicated to promoting Scandinavian art song, a section leader with the Minnesota Chorale, and a soloist and section leader in the Cathedral Choir at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis.
Abbie Betinis, alto, has sung with the Dale Warland Singers, Ensemble of the North, The Singers--Minnesota Choral Artists, and VocalEssence. At St. Olaf College, she sang in the St. Olaf Choir, founded a women's a cappella group, and soloed with the jazz ensembles. A composer by day (but mostly night), she has fulfilled nearly 40 commissions for new music, and recently earned her M.A. in music composition from the University of Minnesota. She has been composer-in-residence at The Schubert Club in Saint Paul since 2005. www.abbiebetinis.com
John Bradford Bohl, countertenor, is currently the Assistant Music Director at St. Paul's Parish, K Street, Washington, DC, where he plays for all services, is accompanist for three choirs, and assists in the vocal training of the Girl & Boys choristers. Mr. Bohl is also active as a vocalist in the Washington, DC area, and abroad. He currently sings with the Washington Bach Consort, the Countertop Quartet, Chantry, and the Choirs of the Washington National Cathedral. Mr. Bohl has also sung with the Holy Trinity Bach Choir (NYC), Pro Arte Singers (Bloomington, IN), and the Festival Ensemble Stuttgart (Stuttgart, Germany), conducted by Bach scholar Helmuth Rilling. Mr. Bohl has been soloist with numerous ensembles in the United States, including singing Bernstein's Missa Brevis and Chichester Psalms with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Bach cantatas with the Washington Bach Consort, Bach's B-minor Mass with the Trinity Choir in Worcester, MA, and most recently Handel's Messiah as part of the Abendmusik series at Plymouth UCC in Lincoln, NE.
Michael B. Boswell, tenor, is currently on the faculty of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Indiana, where he teaches voice, diction, and music history. He holds a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from East Carolina University and a master’s in voice performance from Indiana State University. He is active as a soloist and chorister, having performed throughout much of the United States. Recent appearances include Bach's St. Matthew Passion in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Helmuth Rilling and performing as chorister and alto soloist in Haydn's Creation with Santa Fe Pro Musica. He appears frequently with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, a professional choral ensemble whose recordings have been featured on National Public Radio. He has also performed several operatic roles including Christopher Columbus in Christopher Columbus, Alfredo in Die Fledermaus, Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore, and Nanki-Poo in The Mikado. Michael has worked with such noted musicians and teachers as William Warfield, Fiora Contino, Clifton Ware, and the Grammy Award winning choral ensemble Chanticleer.
Tim Campbell is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Minnesota. Tim received his Bachelor of Science degree in Vocal Music Education from Bemidji State University where for two years he served as Tenor Section Leader of the Bemidji Choir. After finishing his studies at Bemidji, Tim spent five years in Houston, Texas where he was active as a conductor, voice instructor and professional singer. He taught private voice in several Houston-area High Schools, was a K-12 music instructor at Spring Cypress Presbyterian School and was employed at St. Luke's United Methodist Church. While at St. Luke’s Tim conducted the Early Music Ensemble and Psalmody, taught private voice and served as a soloist for large works and various services. As a singer, Tim has performed with the professional ensembles Cantare, the Houston Chamber Choir, The Singers, VocalEssence and 2006 Grammy nominated Conspirare. Most recently, Tim has toured Spain as a member of the Rose Ensemble where they took 1st prize in the sacred music category of the prestigious international choral competition in Tolosa, Spain.
Conductor Andrew Crow (bass) is a graduate of Temple University, where he earned the degree Master of Music in Choral Conducting in studies with Alan Harler. As an undergraduate at The Ohio State University, he toured widely with the renowned Men’s Glee Club under the direction of James Gallagher and performed with Robert Shaw. Mr. Crow is also an experienced singer, orchestral conductor, piano technician, and dedicated church musician, currently Director of the Trinity Choir at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Bloomington and Choral Coach for Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis. He entered doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota in 2006 following a faculty appointment at Rutgers University in Camden, New Jersey. In the summer of 2007, Mr. Crow was associate director of the U of M’s first Summer Choir. This academic year, he will continue to work with the University Men’s Chorus – a favorite instrument – and assist with the Campus Orchestra. Andrew resides in South Minneapolis with his wife and three children.
David Farwig, baritone, is a free-lance concert artist, voice teacher, choral conductor and clinician. He has been a featured soloist and chorister with professional orchestras and choirs throughout the US including the Orchestra of St. Luke at Carnegie Hall with Robert Shaw, Charles Dutoit and Peter Schreier, Conspirare with Craig Hella Johnson, The Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Santa Fe Pro Musica, the Santa Fe Symphony, Columbia Consort, and The Carmel Bach Festival where he was awarded the “Virginia Best Adams Fellowship” for aspiring baroque soloists in 2003. In 2004 he was the recipient of the “New Young Artist” program at the Victoria Bach Festival in Victoria, Texas. David holds undergraduate degrees in voice and music education, and a master’s degree in choral conducting from the Lamont Conservatory at the University of Denver in Colorado. He can be heard on Conspirare’s latest commercial recording, the Grammy-nominated, Requiem- we are but lightly here singing the baritone solos in Herbert Howells’ “Requiem”. David lives in Denver, Colorado where he maintains a private coaching studio and is the staff soloist at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. www.davidfarwig.com
Mezzo Soprano Binna Han, a native of South Korea, is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Minnesota-Twin cities. She is a Berneking fellowship recipient and studies with Larry Weller. In Fall 2007, she performed the role of Principessa in Suor Angelica at the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre and in April 2008 she will perform the role of Ottavia in L’incoronazione di Poppea. She received her Master of Music degree from Boston Conservatory and performed numerous concerts, opera scenes and oratorio series in Boston. Binna’s concert work includes performances with the national and regional orchestras in Italy, Austria, Hungary, East America, and throughout South Korea.
Baritone Matthew Hoch holds a BM degree, summa cum laude, from Ithaca College with a triple major in vocal performance, music education, and music theory, an MM degree from the Hartt School with a double major in vocal performance and music history, and a DMA degree from the New England Conservatory in vocal performance and literature. He is currently Assistant Professor of Music at Shorter College, where he teaches applied voice and directs the Shorter Chorus. Former positions include Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Barron Country and part-time positions at Northeastern University, Central Connecticut State University, the Hartt School, and the New England Conservatory. This summer, Matt will be singing his fourth season with the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, where he sings under Helmuth Rilling and Kathy Romey. He lives in Rome, Georgia with his wife, Theresa, and infant daughter, Hannah.
Connecticut native Linh Kauffman has performed throughout the United States in oratorio, opera, and musical theater. She recently made her Minnesota Orchestra debut in Arvo Pärt’s Como cierva sedienta under the baton of maestro Osmo Vänskä and has been chosen as a young artist in a professional workshop of Handel choral works with Baroque specialist Ton Koopman at Carnegie Hall. An active oratorio soloist, Ms. Kauffman recently sang the St. Matthew Passion for the University of Minnesota Bach Festival under the baton of Kathy Saltzman Romey; Roman motets with Consortium Carissimi; Bach’s Magnificat, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri with the Bach Chamber Players of St. Paul; Bach’s Christmas and Ascension Oratorios with Bach Society of Minnesota; and Judas Maccabaeus, Carmina Burana, and Vivaldi’s Gloria with San Francisco City Chorus. Recent stage appearances include The Governess (Turn of the Screw) with the University of Minnesota Opera Theatre, the title role in Handel’s Acis and Galatea with Berkeley Opera and Maria in West Side Story at Sierra Repertory Theatre. Ms. Kauffman holds degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Maryland, and is a doctoral candidate and Berneking Scholar at the University of Minnesota. As the winner of the 2007 Voices of Vienna Vocal Prize Competition, she recently studied with Edda Moser at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. www.linhkauffman.com
Patrick McDonough completed his undergraduate work in Music Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Superior, then subsequently undertook graduate studies in Choral Conducting at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Patrick has held positions as Director of Music and Organist/Choirmaster for many churches and is currently Acting Choir Director at St. Paul's on the Hill Episcopal Church. Patrick is Founder/Artistic Director of Ensemble of the North and has performed with many fine choral ensembles, including the Rose Ensemble, the Dale Warland Singers and the Minnesota Chorale.
Soprano Gitanjali Mathur was born in India, and immigrated to the United States at the age of 8. She finished her Bachelor, Master, and Performer Diploma degrees in Voice Performance at Indiana University, Bloomington. Most recently, Gitanjali has sung solos for "The Messiah", the "Lord Nelson Mass", Mozart’s “Requiem”, “Exultate, Jubilate”, “Waisenhausmesse”, Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio”, and Despina in Cosi fan tutte by Mozart in Rome, Italy. She has sung in numerous festivals and organizations as a soloist and chorister including the Austin Chamber Music Festival, La Follia Baroque, Viola By Choice, Canzonetta, Oregon Bach Festival with Mr. Helmuth Rilling, The Victoria Bach Festival and the Grammy-nominated group Conspirare with Craig Hella Johnson, and The Texas Early Music Project. Ms. Mathur had the pleasure of making her Carnegie Hall debut with Helmuth Rilling in J.S. Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion”. She was also thrilled to perform in a solo recital in May with the Belgium based “Flanders Recorder Quartet”. She recently performed the soprano solos for Bach’s “B-minor Mass” in Esslingen, Germany, and is excited to perform in the World Music choral Symposium in Copenhagen with Conspirare. Gitanjali teaches private voice lessons at home, McNeil High School, and West Ridge Middle School.
Donald R. Meineke serves as Director of Music and Organist at Trinity Church in Worcester, Massachusetts were he conducts the choirs of Trinity Church and is Artistic Director for Vox Triniti, Worcester’s professional early music ensemble. A graduate of Indiana University, Donald studied organ with Larry Smith and Marilyn Kaiser, as well as voice with Larry Brownlee and harpsichord with Elizabeth Wright. Donald has given recitals and performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada and Europe performing with such conductors as Paul Hillier, Helmuth Rilling and Järn Andresen. He as sung with the Festival Choir and Orchestra Stuttgart, the Pro Arte Singers, Arcadia Players, Mon Choeur, Dresden Kammerchor, Toronto Chamber Choir and the Holy Trinity Bach Choir (NYC). He has served as chorus master for Helmuth Rilling preparing Mozart’s Mass in C minor in multiple cities throughout Venezuela and as guest conductor for Bach Vespers in New York City.
An active soloist throughout the Twin Cities area, tenor Brock Metzger is a 2003 graduate of St. Olaf College and is currently a member of the VocalEssence Ensemble Singers, as well as the tenor soloist at St. Phillip the Deacon Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN. When the Ensemble Singers of VocalEssence presented the world premiere of Francis Grier's "The Passion of Jesus of Nazareth" in March 2006, Metzger was hailed by the Minneapolis Star Tribune as "particularly effective ... as the anguished soldier with the crown of thorns." Metzger is also a former member of Ensemble of the North. As a student, Metzger sang with the internationally renowned St. Olaf Choir, and he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a concentration in Management Studies.
Jaime Nelson is a local singer (mezzo-soprano) from St. Paul, MN. She has sung with groups such as VocalEssence Ensemble Singers and Ensemble of the North. While attending St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, she studied voice with Janis Hardy and sang with Cantorei and The St. Olaf Choir. Jaime also enjoyed singing with the St. Olaf Jazz Bands for swing dances. Her solo work includes Handle's Messiah with the Great River Chorale of St. Cloud, MN, and also Mozart's Requiem with members of the SPCO. Jaime spends her days as a Travel Coordinator at the Ameriprise Financial headquarters in Minneapolis.
Soprano Jennifer Rissman graduated from Drake University in Des Moines with a degree in vocal performance where she studied with Leanne Freeman-Miller and sang with the Drake University Choir under the direction of Dr. Aimee Beckmann-Collier. Jennifer has sung with The Dale Warland Singers and Ensemble of the North, and she currently sings with VocalEssence and the new performing group Deviated Septet. In the Twin Cities she has performed in The Schubert Club’s Courtroom Concert series and during the holiday season she can be heard on Minnesota Public Radio with the MPR Carolers. Jennifer is a frequent soloist at several area churches, and she studies voice with Teresa Tierney.
Paul Max Tipton, lyric baritone, sings with acclaimed ensembles in Austin, Miami, Detroit and Atlanta. He sang the role of Judas in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion under Helmuth Rilling at Carnegie Hall in 2007, and later made his Boston debut in the same work as bass soloist with the Back Bay Chorale, conducted by Scott Jarrett. He has sung Schaunard with the New York Opera Society while on tour in Toulouse, and was selected for the 2004 Bonfils-Stanton Young Artist Program at Central City Opera. Mr. Tipton studied at the University of Michigan on full fellowship with Luretta Bybee and Greer Grimsley. There he performed the title role in Don Giovanni under Martin Katz, and soloed under Leonard Slatkin on the Naxos recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence & of Experience. He also trained closely with composer Ricky Ian Gordon, joining him in concert in Ann Arbor and Florence, Italy. Engagements in 2007-2008 include Händel choral works with Ton Koopman at Carnegie Hall, the role of Jesus in Bach’s St. John Passion with New Trinity Baroque in Atlanta, Schubert Masses with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas, studio recordings with Conspirare in Austin, TX, and recitals in Philadelphia and Boston.
Emilie Sweet, conductor
Emilie Sweet is a graduate student in conducting at the University of Minnesota. She has a master's degree in choral conducting from the University of Arizona and a bachelor's degree in voice from Indiana University. At the UMN, Emilie currently conducts the U of MN Women's Chorus. She is also Senior Choir Director at Richfield Evangelical Lutheran Church. Active as a freelance choral artist, Emilie has performed with many of the finest choral ensembles around the country, including the 2006 Grammy-nominated Tiffany Consort and Holy Trinity Bach Choir (New York City), the Santa Fe Desert Chorale (Santa Fe), VocalEssence (Minneapolis), Conspirare (Austin), and Cantique Early Music Ensemble (Tucson).
THE ALCHEMY ENSEMBLE:
Sally Messner has sung with the Oregon Bach Festival chorus and the Festival Ensemble Stuttgart under Helmuth Rilling, VocalEssence under Philip Brunelle, and the Minnesota Chorale. She has appeared as a soloist in Vaughan Williams’s Benedicite and Mozart’s Requiem with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Paulus’s When Church Bells Are Ringing! with the Minnesota Orchestra under Osmo Vanska, and Bach’s Cantata 51 with Minneapolis’s Basilica Brass. Other solo performances include Bach’s Cantata 61 and Cantata 74, Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate, Handel’s Messiah and Arcadian duets, and recitals in Minnesota, Indiana, New York, and Georgia. Sally earned a Bachelor of Music in voice performance from Valparaiso University, Indiana, and has studied with Susan Druck, Harriet McCleary, and Christopher Cock. Sally earned a Master of Sacred Music from Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minnesota.
