Some OCU stars include: VOCALISTS Kristin Chenoweth Tony® and Emmy® Award-winning singer/actress Sarah Coburn ‘Blissfully sublime’ operatic soprano (Opera News) Marquita Lister Houston Grand Opera, New York City Opera soprano Leona Mitchell Legendary Metropolitan Opera spinto-soprano Kelli O’Hara Three-time Tony® Award nominee Destan Owens Longtime Tom Collins in Rent; Smokey Joe’s Café, Chicago Ron Raines Actor/singer on Broadway, Alan Spaulding on Guiding Light Gabrielle Ruiz In the Heights, Broadway; A Chorus Line, national tour Jennifer Sanchez Original cast, Tony® Award-winning revival of West Side Story Steven Sanders Operatic tenor; 2009 Lincoln Center debut, 2008 NYCO debut Lara Teeter Tony® nominee; head of music theatre, Webster University INSTRUMENTALISTS Merav Askayo Percussionist, Jerusalem Philharmonic Edgar Cruz Classical guitarist/recording artist Nathan Jones Featured performer, international tour of Blast! Tomar Levy Trumpet, winner ITG Jazz Improvisation Competition Jeff Luke Trumpet, Atlantic Brass; associate principal, Utah Symphony Russell Sharp Trombone, U.S. Naval Academy Concert Band Timothy Sutfin Clarinet, U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point Lei Zhang Concertmaster, Huashi Chamber Orchestra CONDUCTORS Timothy Long Founding director, Coast Orchestra; conductor, BAM Next Wave Gerald Steichen Conductor: New York City Opera, New Haven Symphony Linda Twine Broadway music director/composer/arranger COMPOSERS Mason Williams Classical Gas composer; Grammy and Emmy winner Katarzyna Brochocka Award-winning opera, chamber music composer Jay Wadley 2007 Charles Ives Prize, American Academy of Arts & Letters David Beasley Composer/staff arranger, USAF Heartland of America Band Rick McKee Composer for Orlando, international theme parks ARTS LEADERS Mark Blakeman VP/general manager, Nashville Symphony Orchestra Barbara Caprilli Director, American Singers Opera Project Robyn Hilger Program director, Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools Kris Markes General manager, Oklahoma City Philharmonic Maya Raviv Composer; board of directors, Society for Universal Sacred Music W. Stephen Smith Voice faculty, Juilliard School; Houston Grand Opera coach Midge Woolsey WQXR host; moderator, Encompass New Opera Theatre
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