Alissa Grimaldi is a vocal
technician and coach with
over twenty years of experience
as a soprano who has performed
the major operatic roles.

She has also appeared in
musical theater and has extensive
experience as an actress and a dancer as well as a singer.

THE ALISSA GRIMALDI PERFORMANCE SERIES

The last performance of the season was Wednesday, May 5, at 8 PM.

We will resume in the fall, date to be posted.

Christ & St Stephen’s Church
120 West 69th Street, between Columbus and Broadway, NYC.

Performers were: William Amory, Ulric Björklund, Shermayne Brown, Vincent Chambers, Mariana Alves da Costa, Diana Daniel, Amy Irvine, Maryann Mootas, Susan Parnassa, Tyler Putnam, Suzanne Stadler, Allegra Themmen-Pigott

With Saffron Chung, Piano; Gloria Yun, Flute; Kristi Shade, Harp

Performances were: the Pearl Fishers’ duet by Bizet; Te Deum from Tosca by Puccini; Nemico della patria from Andrea Chenier by Giordano; Ah, Je Veux vivre from Roméo and Juliette by Gounod; Una Voce Poco Fa from the Barbara of Seville by Rossini; No word from Tom from Rakes Progress by Stravinsky; Ebben Lontana from La Wally by Catalani; Acerba Volutta from Adriana Lecourvreur by Cilea; Amour! viens aider ma faiblesse! from Samson & Dalila by Saint-Saëns; Joey from Pal Joey by Rodgers and Hart; Cavatina from The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart; a quartet from Rigoletto by Verdi; Durch Zartlichkeit und Schmeicheln from The Abduction from the Seraglio by Mozart; Love is where you find! it by Brown; Anchio dischuiso un Giorno from Nabucco by Verdi; La Luce Langue from Macbeth by Verdi; and Ain’t it a Pretty Night from Susannah by Floyd.

Previous Performances

February 21, 2010

A thanks to all our performers and to our audience for a wonderful evening at our February 12 performance. Videos on the right.

Performers were Tyler Putman, Suzanne Stadler, Natasha Novitskaia-Adams, Jennifer Lindshield, and Jonathan Winell.

Our Performances February 12

Da tempeste il legno infranto from Giulio Cesare by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Jennifer Lindshield
In her apartments, Cleopatra is bidding her attendants farewell, as she has been taken prisoner by her brother, Ptolemy, when Caesar and the soldiers rush in and free her. He leaves to continue the battle as she rejoices at her sudden turn of fortune. When the ship, broken by storms, succeeds at last in making it to port, it no longer knows what it desires. Thus, the heart, after torments and woes, once it recovers its solace, is beside itself with bliss.

Pismo Titany (Letter Aria) from Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky
Performed by Natasha Novitskaia
In a moment of candor Titiana reveals her love for Onegin, and in her youthful ingneuousness she writes to him, expressing all that she had not dared say in his presence and asking him to meet her. This is the great letter scene which Tchaikovsky composed before the rest of the score.

Kennst du das Land from Little Women by Mark Adamo,
after the novel by Louisa May Alcott
Performed by Tyler Putnam
After a night at the opera, Jo asks her German teacher and friend, Friedrich Bhaer, what form of art is better than the melodrama that she so dearly loves. (Jo pens sensational stories for a local tabloid.) Bhaer responds by quoting poetry by Goethe, which he then translates for Jo, revealing his affections for her.

La mamma morta from Andre Chenier by Umberto Giordano
Performed by Suzanne Stadler
Aristocrat Maddalena tells the revolutionary Gérard about the death of her mother in the flames of her home that was burned by a mob of the French Revolution. She tells of her servant Bersi selling herself on the streets to provide for her. In the midst of her misery, the angel of love spoke to her, giving her the strength and hope to go on living.

Je crois entendre encore from Les pêcheurs de perles by Georges Bizet
Performed by Jonathan Winell
In the past, Nadir had fallen in love with a beautiful Brahman priestess named Léïla at a Brahman temple. Now, a veiled priestess has come to his village and he recognizes her as Léïla. He sings of his love for her which has not been diminished by the time they have spent apart.

O rendetemi la speme? Qui la voce sua soave from I Puritani by Vincenzo Bellini
Performed by Jennifer Lindshield
Lord Walton, the Puritan Governor-General, has allowed his daughter Elvira to marry her beloved Arturo, even though he is a royalist. But on the day of the nuptials Arturo learns that the widow of Charles I is in the castle under a death sentence. He escapes with the queen disguised in the wedding veil meant for Elvira. When the escape is discovered, Elvira, thinking herself deserted, loses her reason. Elvira wanders into the Puritan encampment utterly distracted, reflecting on the wedding that never took place.

Were Thine That Special Face from Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter
Performed by Tyler Putnam
Petruchio, being played by Fred Graham, has come to Padua to wed the wealthiest woman he can find. Unfortunately for him, the woman he sets his sights on is Katharine, a headstrong heroine who “hates men.” Petruchio makes it his mission to tame her! But to complicate matters, the woman portraying Katharine is Fred’s ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi, and no amount of Shakespearean acting can cover up their feelings for one another, for better or for worse.

Uzh polnoch blizitsya from Queen of Spades, by Tchaikovsky
Performed by Natasha Novitskaia
By the Winter Canal, Liza waits for Herman. It is already near midnight, and though she clings to a forlorn hope that he still loves her, she sees her youth and happiness swallowed in darkness. Realizing all is lost she eventually throws herself into the icy waters.

Che Gelida Manina from La Boheme by Puccini
Performed by Jonathan Winell
After both of their candles go out, Rodolfo and a young woman who has come to his room in order to relight her candle are in the darkness together. Pretending to look for her key which she had lost in the room, Rodolfo instead finds her hand and sings to her of his dreams and ambitions. He also tells her that he has fallen in love with her.

Ebben? Ne andrò lontana from La Wally by Alfredo Catalani
Performed by Suzanne Stadler
Wally is in love with Hagenbach. However, her father disapproves and wants her to marry his own friend Gellner. He gives her an ultimatum: marry Gellner or leave the house. When faced with the decision, Wally decides that she must leave. She despairs that she will never see her house again but she knows that she must be firm.

Johnny Guitar by Victor Young
Performed by Suzanne Stadler
Love song from the 1954 Western movie, Johnny Guitar.
Accompanied by William Hicks

Our Performers, Coaches, and Pianists for February 12

Performing

Jennifer Lindshield
Jennifer Lindshield, Soprano, has a voice of “great, communicative color.” Some of her favorite roles include Pamina and the First Lady in the Magic Flute, Miss Silberklang in the Impresario, the title role in Suor Angelica, and Fanny Legrand in the first performance of Massenet’s Sapho in New York in almost a century with Opera Oggi New York. She was a finalist in the Naftsger Competition and a regional finalist at the Western Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Natasha Novitskaia
A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Natasha Novitskaia has delighted audiences with her portrayals of Tatyana in Eugene Onegin with Bel Canto Northwest, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte with Opera of the Ozarks, Sister Dolcina in Suor Angelica with Brooklyn Opera, and Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Ischia in Italy. She has also been heard as Desdemona in Otello, Donna Elvira and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Micaela in Carmen, Alice in Falstaff, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, First Lady in Die Zauberflote, Musetta in La Boheme and the title roles in Manon Lescaut and Madama Butterfly.

Possessed with a rich and full lyric instrument, Ms. Novitskaia has performed extensively as a recitalist and soloist with orchestras throughout the United States and Europe. She performed as the featured artist in Chesnokov’s Motet and the Alleluia from Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate with the University of Portland Orchestra in Oregon, and her vast recital repertoire covers an impressive range, from Mozart to Gershwin. Ms. Novitskaia currently is under the management of James Greening-Valenzuela, Vocal Artists Management. jgrv@juno.com, www.jgvmgmt.org

Ms. Novitskaia speaks several languages, and has worked with Martina Arroyo, Richard Crittenden, Ellen Faull, Jane Olian, Richard Bower, Steven Crawford, and Donna Gill from the Juilliard School of Music. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Marylhurst University, and a Masters degree in Russian language and literature from St. Petersburg University in Russia. Ms. Novitskaia lives in Connecticut and is an American citizen.

Tyler Putnam
Tyler Putnam is a recent graduate of Dartmouth College where he majored in Music and Theater and trained with Louis Burkot, artistic director of Opera North in Lebanon, New Hampshire and director of the Dartmouth Glee Club. Tyler spent two summers with Opera North as a Choral Artist, performing scenes from Le Nozze di Figaro (Figaro), Così fan tutte (Guglielmo), and L’incoronazione di Poppea (Otto.) His concert solo work with the Dartmouth Glee Club and Dartmouth Handel Society include Fauré’s Requiem, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, and the role of Harapha the Giant in Handel’s Samson. Last summer he performed summer stock musical theater at the New London Barn Playhouse in New Hampshire singing the roles of Lord Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes, Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks’ The Producers, Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me, and Stewpot in South Pacific. Other favorite musical theater roles include: Officer Lockstock in Urinetown, Mr. Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, Terry Connor in Side Show, Young Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, and the Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance. His favorite straight theatre role was Betty in Caryl Churchill’s Cloud 9, which he performed at Northwestern University in 2004. Since moving to New York, Tyler has been hunting for work and you might spot him in the background of some New York TV series.

Suzanne Stadler
Originally from San Jose, California, the young spinto/dramatic soprano Suzanne Stadler initially began her musical studies at the G.B. Martini Conservatory in Bologna, Italy. While there Suzanne was invited to Rome to study with the internationally famous soprano Gabriella Tucci as well as Steven Roach, renowned vocal coach and pianist at the Teatro dell’ Opera di Roma. Upon moving to New York, nature took over and Suzanne’s voice grew in size from a full lyric to a spinto/dramatic. Her prepared roles include Leonora (Il trovatore), Desdemona, and Santuzza. She speaks fluent Italian and is a passionate scholar of operatic history. Suzanne continues the study of voice with Bill Schuman, as well as vocal coaching with William Hicks and Mitchell Cirker.

Jonathan Winell
Jonathan Winell, a New York City born tenor has been a student of Doris Jung Popper since 2002. He graduated with an undergraduate diploma in Opera Voice Performance from the Hartt School of Music, Hartford, where he studied under the direction of Wayne Riviera and coached with Doris Lang Kosloff.

Mr. Winell has performed in Hartt Opera Scenes as Cyril in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Princess Ida, as Il Duca di Mantua in Verdi’s Rigoletto, and as Councel for the Plaintiff in a full production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s Trial by Jury, 2006. In July 2006, Mr. Winell gave his debut recital at the Kaplan Penthouse in the Lincoln Center Performing Arts Complex. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 he did several opera concerts with Connecticut Concert Opera under the direction of Doris Lang Kosloff. In February 2007 he performed the role of Camille in the Merry Widow at the Hartt School with the Hartt Orchestra. Also in 2007 he was Nadir in Bizet’s Les Pecheurs de Perles with the Connecticut Concert Opera. From 2007 to 2009 he studied with Bill Schumann while he was a resident artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts. In 2008 he performed the role of Percy in Anna Bolena and then in 2009 he was the Notaro in Don Pasquale, both in AVA.

In October, 2007 Mr. Winell received a scholarship award from the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Foundation/Arturo Coppola Memorial Award, Rhode Island. In December 2007 he was a winner of the Queens Opera Association Vocal Competition, New York City. In July 2009 he was a winner of Il Comitato Amici del Loggiato in La Spezia Italy. Mr. Winell is continuing his studies with Doris Jung Popper in New York.

Coaching and Pianists

Vocal and presentation coaching for the performances was by Alissa Grimaldi and William Hicks at The Singers Studio for Opera with additional coaching in presentation for some of the performers by Scott Barnes.

Alissa Grimaldi is a soprano who has performed the major operatic roles as well as having appeared in musical theater. She has extensive experience as an actress and a dancer as well as a singer. Alissa is a vocal technician with over twenty years of experience using a student-focused technique. She received her academic training in San Francisco and Sacramento, and studied in the vocal studio of Jacqueline Victorino. Alissa’s many operatic roles include: Lucy, The Telephone; Perichole, La Perichole; Musetta, La Boheme; Pamina, Die Zauberflote; Countess Almaviva, The Marriage of Figaro; Susanna, Marriage of Figaro; Mimi, La Boheme. Her musical theater roles include: Maria, West Side Story; Eliza, My Fair Lady; Desiree, A Little Night Music. Member Actor’s Equity. More at AlissaGrimaldi.com.

William Hicks is a conductor, pianist, and voice coach. He worked at the Metropolitan Opera between 1995 and 2001, and has worked with some of the leading singers of our time, appearing with them on television, on stage in recital and master class settings, and in his private studio. Some the noted singers with whom he has worked are:_ Luciano Pavarotti, Franco Corelli, Renee Fleming, Deborah Voight, Renata Scotto, Marta Eggerth Kiepura, Roberta Peters, Anna Moffo, Carlo Bergonzi, Regina Resnik, Sherill Milnes, Teresa Stratas, Catherine Malfitano, Thomas Hampson, Jerry Hadley, Ruth Ann Swenson, Regine Crespin, Judy Kaye, Marcello Giordani, Rockwell Blake, Margaret Jane Wray, and Harolyn Blackwell. William travels extensively giving master classes in preparation, presentation, and appropriate repertoire selection to young singers. More about William Hicks at OperaCoaching.com.

This evening William Hicks will be playing piano for Jonathan Winell and for Suzanne Stadler’s Johnny Guitar.

Scott Barnes was trained at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Scott went on to perform on and off Broadway and around the country, sing on several of the Disney animated films, “act” in forty television commercials between 1977 and 1990, twice win the MAC award for NYC cabaret director of the year (5 nominations), put acts together for Bette Midler, Kathie Lee Gifford, Rita Moreno and scores of other wonderful singers. Scott has written several features, including three cover articles for Opera News. Scott coaches singers of all kinds to help them strategize for and enjoy auditions, and to broaden their imaginations to better inhabit songs, arias, and roles. He has team taught with singing actress supreme Lauren Flanigan and with William Hicks.

Saffron Y. Chung (piano), a native of Korea, considers New York City her home. She received her Bachelors of Music from Oberlin College, where she was the first student to double major in Piano Performance and Vocal Accompanying. She also has a Masters of Music in Accompanying from University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. She has worked as an assistant conductor of opera companies such as Chautauqua Opera, El Paso Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Madison Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Utah Festival Opera Company, under the baton of Harry Bickett, Richard Buckley, Barbara Day,-Turner, Victor De Renzi, John DeMain, Raymond Harvey, David Larsen, Robert Lyall, Luis Salemno, and Bob Tweeten. She is also an active coach and recitalist. She has just returned from leading a workshop of Brahms lieder for the voice department at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

The second performance was Friday, December 11. Videos will be posted soon.

Please come and bring as many friends as possible. We are working to build our audience.

The series allows audiences to discover new artists and an opportunity for singers to perform in front of an audience to build their experience.

We will serve snacks after the performance so that performers and audience can meet and chat.

A contribution of $10 is requested.

AUDITIONS
Auditions take place at the Singers Studio for Opera master class. The Singers Studio for Opera master class meets Wednesdays at 7:30 at the 853 7th Rehearsal Studios, which are at 853 7th Ave, Rear Lobby, between 54th and 55th Streets in Manhattan. There is a $35 charge to audition. Be prepared to sing one or more arias of your choice, and please bring two copies of your music. More at SingersStudioForOpera.com.

If you wish to audition, please email AlissaGrimaldi@mac.com or call 212-679-3461.

MORE INFORMATION
For more information, contact Alissa Grimaldi at 212-679-3461 or AlissaGrimaldi@mac.com.