UPCOMING EVENTS
see the complete list at vdm.uconn.edu/performances/ Upcoming Events UConn Festival Chorus Saturday, December 2, at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
UConn Symphony Orchestra UConn Concert Choir UConn Festival Chorus present
UConn Choirs Sunday, December 3, at 3:00 p.m.
Messiah Sing
UConn Jazz Ensemble Sunday, December 3, at 6:00 p.m.
Messiah, HWV 56 George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
UConn Percussion Ensemble Tuesday, December 5, at 8:00 p.m.
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Visit the School of Fine Arts web site at www.sfa.uconn.edu or find us on instagram, @uconnsfa and @uconnmusicdept, and Facebook, UConn School of Fine Arts and UConn Music
Dr. Cara Bernard, conductor Matthew Harrison, conductor Dr. Eric Rice, conductor Dr. Jamie Spillane, conductor Reuben Stern, conductor Avery Coe, soprano Emily Hoffman, soprano Kelly Whitesell, soprano Yoonjeong Yoo, soprano Amanda Janko, mezzo-soprano Dafna Ingerman, alto Matthew Harrison, tenor Matthew O’Callaghan, tenor Andrew Moreland, bass Luke Roy, bass Han Cheol Kang, harpsicord
printed on recycled paper CONCERTS AT VON DER MEHDEN RECITAL HALL ARE PRESENTED THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE RUTH B. FILIP CONCERT FUND.
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC * SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS * UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
Sinfony (Overture)
Comfort Ye My People
Orchestra Jamie Spillane, conductor
Matthew O’Callaghan, tenor Eric Rice, conductor
Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted Matthew O’Callaghan, tenor Eric Rice, conductor And the Glory of the Lord
Chorus Eric Rice, conductor
Thus Saith the Lord of Hosts
Luke Roy, bass Matthew Harrison, conductor
But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming Kelly Whitesell, soprano Matthew Harrison, conductor And He Shall Purify the Sons of Levi Chorus Matthew Harrison, conductor Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive Dafna Ingerman, alto Cara Bernard, conductor O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion Dafna Ingerman, alto Cara Bernard, conductor
For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth Andrew Moreland, bass Jamie Spillane, conductor
KELLY WHITESELL, soprano, made her professional debut as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare with Connecticut Lyric Opera in 2022. This past season she enjoyed performing Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni in the US, and Donna Anna in Italy. She graduated with a BM (voice and music education) from the Eastman School of Music, and now completes her graduate studies and is a Teaching Assistant at UConn. Ms. Whitesell’s roles include Elle (La Voix Humaine), Monica (The Medium), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus Act 2), Witch (Into the Woods), and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte). Recently, she was a winner in the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra Competition, and received First Prize in the Friends of Eastman Opera Voice Competition in 2019. She enjoys membership in Schola Cantorum at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, and varied concert repertoire, including new works in UConn’s Composer Concerts, Bach’s Mass in B minor, and jazz sets.
Soprano YOONJEONG YOO is a native of Incheon, South Korea. She is currently pursuing a DMA at UConn, studying with Dr. Constance Rock, and serving as a graduate teaching assistant. She earned her BM from Sookmyung Women’s University, MM in opera from New England Conservatory in Boston, and a Professional Studies Diploma in opera from Mannes School of Music in New York. She sang the role of Amore in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Camerata New York Orchestra. At NEC, she played Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Ruth in John Musto’s Later the Same Evening. She was the winner of the 2020 Orpheus Competition Bel Canto Award, a finalist in the 2018 Classical Singer Competition, and was an Apprentice Artist at the 2019 Nahant Music Festival. She also participated in the 2019 Martina Arroyo Prelude program in New York, covering Adele in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus.
The People that Walked in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light Luke Roy, bass Jamie Spillane, conductor For Unto Us a Child is Born
Chorus Jamie Spillane, conductor
Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)
Orchestra Reuben Stern, conductor
There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Fields And Lo! The Angel of the Lord And the Angel Said Unto Them And Suddenly There Was with the Angel Avery Coe, soprano Reuben Stern, conductor Glory to God in the Highest
Chorus Reuben Stern, conductor Intermission
Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion Yoonjeong Yoo, soprano Reuben Stern, conductor Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Opened Amanda Janko, mezzo-soprano Eric Rice, conductor
He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd/Come Unto Him Emily Hoffman, soprano Amanda Janko, mezzo-soprano Eric Rice, conductor Behold the Lamb of God
Chorus Eric Rice, conductor
Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs and Carried Our Sorrows Chorus Matthew Harrison, conductor And with His Stripes, We Are Healed Chorus Matthew Harrison, conductor All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray Chorus Matthew Harrison, conductor He Trusted in God that He Would Deliver Him Chorus Reuben Stern, conductor Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
Chorus Reuben Stern, conductor
He That Dwelleth in Heaven Matthew Harrison, tenor Cara Bernard, conductor Thou Shalt Break Them with a Rod of Iron Matthew Harrison, tenor Cara Bernard, conductor
ANDREW MORELAND, bass, is a fifth-year music and accounting dual degree major at the UConn, where he has studied under Rod Nelman and Greg Zavracky. As a baritone from Newburyport, Massachusetts, Mr. Moreland performs as a member of UConn’s Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Jamie Spillane, where he serves as section leader, and has previously performed in the UConn Chamber Singers, Collegium Musicum, and Glee Club. Outside of the Music Department, he sings and beatboxes in Notes Over Storrs, one of UConn’s ten a cappella groups. Mr. Moreland has debuted a number of works in the past at UConn, including previous collaborations with Sarah Marze, Max Hurtubise, and Travis Lavigne. He also performed as the baritone soloist in Noah Tan’s Swallows of Amritsar in 2019 as part of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Besides his musical pursuits, Mr. Moreland is an internationally ranked NES Tetris player.
MATTHEW O’CALLAGHAN, tenor, is a junior music major studying voice with Rod Nelman and composition with Kenneth Fuchs. A tenor, he sings with the UConn Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, and is the assistant music director of the a cappella group Notes Over Storrs. He is a member of the UConn ComposerEnsemble Collaboration and has released two albums of original music, In My Head and Butterfly. An educator, Mr. O’Callaghan is the music director for the West Rocks Middle School Drama Club in his hometown of Norwalk, CT of which he was a member as a student
LUKE ROY, bass, is a sophomore at UConn, pursuing a dual degree in music and data science, and studying voice with Professor Mark Womack. He is from Glastonbury, CT, and has participated in various regional and statewide music festivals during his high school career, singing with the Eastern Regional, All-State and All-New England mixed choirs. He currently sings with the UConn Concert Choir and Collegium Musicum, and has performed as a soloist at the UConn Messiah Sing concert, and the Glastonbury High School Concerto Night. Mr. Roy has been involved with opera since his first year at UConn, performing duets from Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni. This semester he has been preparing for his first full opera role as Masetto. He hopes always to keep music in his life and continue to perform as a classical bass singer.
Hallelujah
Worthy is the Lamb/Amen
DAFNA INGERMAN, alto, is a senior vocal performance major in her last semester at UConn, studying voice with Dr. Constance Rock. She currently participates in UConn’s Concert Choir and Collegium Musicum where she performed solos in several of their past performances, one of them being the alto solo in the Bach cantata Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. She also participated in UConn Opera Theater’s production of Menotti’s The Medium, for which she understudied Madame Flora. Ms. Ingerman has also performed the role of the witch in Hansel and Gretel in the UConn Opera Studio class. Other past performances at UConn include participation in numerous Songfests, such as the Spanish Songfest, the American Songbook, and Songs of our Heritage. She has also performed in the Freshman-Sophomore Honors recital, both as a freshman and as a sophomore, and the UConn Junior-Senior Singer Showcase, both as a junior and a senior.
AMANDA JANKO, mezzo-soprano, from Long Island, NY, is currently in her fourth year at UConn, pursuing a MA in curriculum and instruction, a BA in music, and a BS in music education in UConn’s IB/M Music Education program. She has participated in music festivals such as the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) as a soloist and the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association (SCMEA) as a member of their regional choirs. At present, she performs with UConn’s Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, both under the direction of Dr. Jamie Spillane. During her time at UConn, she has worked closely with Dr. Constance Rock and Dr. Lisa Williamson, who have been amazing mentors. She would like to thank them both for their guidance
Chorus Cara Bernard, conductor
Chorus Jamie Spillane, conductor Concert Choir
Soprano MaKayla Barstow Maya Bullied Avery Coe Maya Collins Stella DeSimone Elizabeth Flaherty Lilli Hanlon Kiera Higham Emily Hoffman Amanda Janko Ava Johnson Olivia Krout Brooke LaDuke Zonqi Li Alaina Magaldi Mary McGovern Amanda Melchers Isabella Mercado Maggie Murray Kaitlyn Neumann Elizabeth Nonamaker Madison Perry Elviany Quiroz Sofia Rodriguez Kyra Rook Sabrina Russotto Willow Santarsiero Gabriella Xavier
Alto Aislinn Aiken Andrea Arel Danae Billups Emma Blair Zamiyah Burton Alexa Calegari Ligia Camacho Lopez Jolie Edwards Rebecca Fisher Eliza Gilbert Micaela Guzman Trinity Hollis Dafna Ingerman Lara Koushouris Kristin Lageman Karlie Mindek Linda Nelson Delaney Schiefen Diya Sukumaran Katherine Suarez Haritha Subramanian Phoebe Thompson Akshi Viswanathan Faith Walker
Tenor Sam Arevalo-Hoefer Cooper Clark John McGovern Matthew O’Callaghan Ashton Pettry Thomas Stowik Bass Wyatt Anderson Rancele Ante Antonio Avilés Figueroa Dakota Earley-Dyer Andy Fox Devan Gopalakrishnan Evan Grzeda Travis Lavigne Anthony Martini Ben Monks Andrew Moreland Benjamin Olsen Luke Olsen Luke Roy Johannes Schnebel Jake Stewart David Sugrue Evan Timnev Bryce Turner Kenneth Van Dyk Nick Webster
Festival Chorus Soprano Caroline Bork Frances Franklin Ellen Gillon Zonqi Li Avery Lipkin Phyllis Martin Sofia Rodriguez Delaney Schiefen Rachel Tucker Meredith Turner Sydney Vallone
Alto Evelyn Allen Emma Banton Carol Cadman Rachel D’Antonio Suheera Haq Britta Hay Nelly Jara Xiaochen Liu Mary Lycan Lee Terry Chloe Zampetti
Tenor Matthew Harrison Tom Long Ken Metzler Ricardo Santos John Sundet Elaine Zincavage Bass Dalton Bates John Burrell Luis Cordón Bill Lycan Aaron Medford Win Smith Terry Thomas
Orchestra First Violin Michael Eby, concertmaster Antonio Aviles-Figueroa Tony Daise Camirynn Hester Tyler Park Krystian Pawłowski Benjamin Slater Nicholas Thiel-Hudson Alexandra Wynne Tianyi Xu
Viola Adrian Yemin, principal Thomas Bonitz Sophie Carey Jaclyn Doherty Jiaxin Jesse Zuo
Oboe Grace Wentland Nina Montague
Cello Luigi Polcari, principal Lucas Flood Miranda Hodgkins Vivian Hudson Kyle Lovell Second Violin Jacob Nordlinger Aniya Gonzalez, principal Lindsey Weiler Rancele Ante Micaiah Bradley Bass Jingang Calvin Chen Benjamin Boisoneau, Caroline Granger principal Noor Majid Silas Culbert Victoria Moussouttas Veronika Verbitsky
Trumpet Ashton Tyler Michael Reed
Bassoon Jocelyn Lessard
Timpani Jennifer Zhao
AVERY COE, soprano, is a senior studying at UConn for a MA in music education and a BM in vocal performance. She is a part of the UConn Concert Choir and Collegium. She has performed in events such as the 2022 production of Menotti’s opera The Medium, the 2023 UConn Spectrum Concert, Handel’s Messiah, the 2023 opera production Speed Dating Tonight! by Michael Ching, and the 2022 Husky Voices Singer Showcase. She will be performing her senior recital Sunday, January 21, at 5:00pm. Ms. Coe teaches voice lessons at the Connecticut Valley School of Music in Portland, CT and worked as an archery director at YMCA Camp Ingersoll over the 2023 summer. She would like to thank her friends and family for always supporting her.
EMILY HOFFMAN, soprano, a senior pursuing a BM in vocal performance, studies voice with Dr. Constance Rock. She sings with UConn’s Collegium Musicum, Concert Choir, and Opera Theater program. With UConn Opera, Ms. Hoffman has performed the role of Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, portrayed multiple daters in Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight!, covered the role of Mrs. Gobineau in Menotti’s The Medium, presented scenes from Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, and sung in the chorus of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Most recently, she was awarded Third Place at the NATS Connecticut Chapter Auditions. Ms. Hoffman has also been featured in UConn’s Junior/Senior Honors Recital, the Freshman/Sophomore Honors Recital, and several Songfest recitals. She currently serves as Soprano Section Leader at Storrs Congregational Church and as the Vocal Performance Representative on UConn’s Music Student Advisory Council. Over the summer, Ms. Hoffman participated in Westminster Choir College’s CoOPERAtive program at Rider University.
Personal connection, identities, and the human capacity for empathy guide the music-making of young conductor REUBEN STERN. Active in the Greater Boston area, they are the founder and music director of the Boston Orchestra Book Club, a volunteer ensemble dedicated to breaking down barriers to entry in orchestral music for players, composers, and audience members alike. Stern also serves as assistant conductor for the Apollo Ensemble, conductor of the Harvard Medical School Chamber Music Society, and regularly assists the Eureka Ensemble and Longwood Symphony Orchestra. They recently guest conducted the American Modern Ensemble and Mostly Modern Orchestra in four world premieres.
Stern completed their graduate work at the Peabody Institute under the tutelage of Marin Alsop and Joseph Young, and their undergraduate work at Harvard University, where they studied conducting with Federico Cortese; there, they were the second person ever to hold a three-year tenure as music director of Harvard’s famed Bach Society Orchestra.
Stern is fiercely committed to improving representation in classical music, in terms of gender, race, religion, social status, and mental or physical ability. In particular, they are an outspoken champion of mental illness de-stigmatization and gender diversity. A staunch advocate for the music of Grażyna Bacewicz, Stern is engaged in a broad-reaching project to revive much of the Polish composer’s lesser-known music. As part of this project, in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute New York and Schott Music, they led the North American premiere of Bacewicz’ Symphony for String Orchestra, to much acclaim.
CARA BERNARD is Assistant Clinical Professor of Music Education at UConn, where she teaches courses in choral and elementary methods and curriculum. As a conductor-teacher, she regularly workshops and leads festival performances for students and teachers. She has conducted, performed, and prepared choruses for performances at some of the most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater to the Museum of Modern Art. Dr. Bernard was the director and conductor of the Count Me In program at Carnegie Hall, where she designed and implemented a vocal and choral curriculum for beginning-level middle school music students. Additionally, she worked with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City in their School Choral Program, working with New York City public schools to bring a choral experience to over 1,000 children throughout the city. Prior to these appointments, she enjoyed many years of teaching high school chorus, general music, and piano in the New York City public schools. Dr. Bernard serves as Associate Editor for Visions of Research in Music Education, and is President-Elect of the Connecticut American Choral Directors Association.
MATTHEW HARRISON is a second-year DMA student in choral conducting. He holds degrees in piano and music education (BM) from James Madison University and a MM from The New England Conservatory in vocal performance. Mr. Harrison is President of the Connecticut chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and has served on the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) executive board as the Membership Chair. In 2018 he became the first choral artist to be granted a National Park Artist-In-Residence position (Glacier National Park, MT) and earned the distinction of Connecticut ACDA’s Choral Director of the Year, culminating in the first published choral work created specifically for a national park (Glacier Suite, Pavane Publishing). He has been the choir director at Hamden Hall Country Day School since 2014, and also serves as the organist and choir director at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Cheshire, CT.
Musicologist and conductor ERIC RICE is Professor and Head of the Music Department at UConn, where he teaches music history and directs the Collegium Musicum. He is the 2019 recipient of Early Music America’s Thomas Binkley Award for excellence in performance and scholarship by the director of a university early music ensemble. He also directs Ensemble Origo, praised by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as “aesthetically … top-notch” with “immaculate execution,” and by the New York Times as “a fine, flexible ensemble,” presenting concerts and making recordings reflecting the context in which early repertory was originally heard. He was previously Artistic Director of the Connecticut Early Music Festival and music director of the Boston-based ensemble Exsultemus. His scholarly focus is medieval and Renaissance liturgy and its relationship to architecture, politics, and secular music, and also representations of non-Western cultures in Western music. His books are Music and Ritual at Charlemagne’s Marienkirche in Aachen and Young Choristers, 650-1700 (co-edited with Susan Boynton), the first scholarly volume dedicated to the history of professional child singers. His articles have appeared in numerous journals, and he has received fellowships to pursue research in Germany and France. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Rice discovered early music at Bowdoin College. After four years as a schooner captain at the South Street Seaport Museum, he earned a PhD in musicology and a Certificate in Medieval and Renaissance studies from Columbia University. He taught at Brandeis University for two years before joining the faculty at UConn in 2003.
DR. JAMIE SPILLANE is the Director of Choral Studies at UConn, where he oversees an active program that includes eight choirs and teaches conducting and choral literature classes from undergraduate through doctoral degrees. UConn Choirs have lately twice toured Europe, with performances throughout Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy and France including such venues as the Salzburg Dom, St. Mark’s in Venice, and the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. An active festival conductor, Dr. Spillane has directed all-state and honor choirs throughout the US, and has presented interest sessions and conducted performances at state and division conventions of American Choral Directors Association and National Association for Music Education. Dr. Spillane is equally at home conducting large choral orchestral works, vocal jazz ensembles, and a cappella music. Recently he directed the MCP National Festival Choruses in Carnegie Hall as well as the Indiana All-State Vocal Jazz Choir; next year, he returns to Carnegie Hall with National Concerts. For fourteen years, Dr. Spillane was chair of the Ledyard High School Music Department in Ledyard, CT, where he directed a choral program that grew to over 400 singers in ten choirs. Dr. Spillane has taught at the University of Arizona, and served as Director of Choral Activities at Roberts Wesleyan College and Iowa Wesleyan College where he was named Chadwick Teacher of the Year. Dr. Spillane has earned degrees from Ithaca College, UConn, and the University of Arizona and has been named the Connecticut ACDA Choral Director of the Year.
Musicologist and conductor ERIC RICE is Professor and Head of the Music Department at UConn, where he teaches music history and directs the Collegium Musicum. He is the 2019 recipient of Early Music America’s Thomas Binkley Award for excellence in performance and scholarship by the director of a university early music ensemble. He also directs Ensemble Origo, praised by the Boston Musical Intelligencer as “aesthetically … top-notch” with “immaculate execution,” and by the New York Times as “a fine, flexible ensemble,” presenting concerts and making recordings reflecting the context in which early repertory was originally heard. He was previously Artistic Director of the Connecticut Early Music Festival and music director of the Boston-based ensemble Exsultemus. His scholarly focus is medieval and Renaissance liturgy and its relationship to architecture, politics, and secular music, and also representations of non-Western cultures in Western music. His books are Music and Ritual at Charlemagne’s Marienkirche in Aachen and Young Choristers, 650-1700 (co-edited with Susan Boynton), the first scholarly volume dedicated to the history of professional child singers. His articles have appeared in numerous journals, and he has received fellowships to pursue research in Germany and France. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Dr. Rice discovered early music at Bowdoin College. After four years as a schooner captain at the South Street Seaport Museum, he earned a PhD in musicology and a Certificate in Medieval and Renaissance studies from Columbia University. He taught at Brandeis University for two years before joining the faculty at UConn in 2003.
DR. JAMIE SPILLANE is the Director of Choral Studies at UConn, where he oversees an active program that includes eight choirs and teaches conducting and choral literature classes from undergraduate through doctoral degrees. UConn Choirs have lately twice toured Europe, with performances throughout Ireland, Germany, Austria, Italy and France including such venues as the Salzburg Dom, St. Mark’s in Venice, and the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. An active festival conductor, Dr. Spillane has directed all-state and honor choirs throughout the US, and has presented interest sessions and conducted performances at state and division conventions of American Choral Directors Association and National Association for Music Education. Dr. Spillane is equally at home conducting large choral orchestral works, vocal jazz ensembles, and a cappella music. Recently he directed the MCP National Festival Choruses in Carnegie Hall as well as the Indiana All-State Vocal Jazz Choir; next year, he returns to Carnegie Hall with National Concerts. For fourteen years, Dr. Spillane was chair of the Ledyard High School Music Department in Ledyard, CT, where he directed a choral program that grew to over 400 singers in ten choirs. Dr. Spillane has taught at the University of Arizona, and served as Director of Choral Activities at Roberts Wesleyan College and Iowa Wesleyan College where he was named Chadwick Teacher of the Year. Dr. Spillane has earned degrees from Ithaca College, UConn, and the University of Arizona and has been named the Connecticut ACDA Choral Director of the Year.
Personal connection, identities, and the human capacity for empathy guide the music-making of young conductor REUBEN STERN. Active in the Greater Boston area, they are the founder and music director of the Boston Orchestra Book Club, a volunteer ensemble dedicated to breaking down barriers to entry in orchestral music for players, composers, and audience members alike. Stern also serves as assistant conductor for the Apollo Ensemble, conductor of the Harvard Medical School Chamber Music Society, and regularly assists the Eureka Ensemble and Longwood Symphony Orchestra. They recently guest conducted the American Modern Ensemble and Mostly Modern Orchestra in four world premieres.
Stern completed their graduate work at the Peabody Institute under the tutelage of Marin Alsop and Joseph Young, and their undergraduate work at Harvard University, where they studied conducting with Federico Cortese; there, they were the second person ever to hold a three-year tenure as music director of Harvard’s famed Bach Society Orchestra.
Stern is fiercely committed to improving representation in classical music, in terms of gender, race, religion, social status, and mental or physical ability. In particular, they are an outspoken champion of mental illness de-stigmatization and gender diversity. A staunch advocate for the music of Grażyna Bacewicz, Stern is engaged in a broad-reaching project to revive much of the Polish composer’s lesser-known music. As part of this project, in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute New York and Schott Music, they led the North American premiere of Bacewicz’ Symphony for String Orchestra, to much acclaim.
CARA BERNARD is Assistant Clinical Professor of Music Education at UConn, where she teaches courses in choral and elementary methods and curriculum. As a conductor-teacher, she regularly workshops and leads festival performances for students and teachers. She has conducted, performed, and prepared choruses for performances at some of the most prestigious venues, from Carnegie Hall and the Apollo Theater to the Museum of Modern Art. Dr. Bernard was the director and conductor of the Count Me In program at Carnegie Hall, where she designed and implemented a vocal and choral curriculum for beginning-level middle school music students. Additionally, she worked with the Young People’s Chorus of New York City in their School Choral Program, working with New York City public schools to bring a choral experience to over 1,000 children throughout the city. Prior to these appointments, she enjoyed many years of teaching high school chorus, general music, and piano in the New York City public schools. Dr. Bernard serves as Associate Editor for Visions of Research in Music Education, and is President-Elect of the Connecticut American Choral Directors Association.
MATTHEW HARRISON is a second-year DMA student in choral conducting. He holds degrees in piano and music education (BM) from James Madison University and a MM from The New England Conservatory in vocal performance. Mr. Harrison is President of the Connecticut chapter of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), and has served on the Connecticut Music Educators Association (CMEA) executive board as the Membership Chair. In 2018 he became the first choral artist to be granted a National Park Artist-In-Residence position (Glacier National Park, MT) and earned the distinction of Connecticut ACDA’s Choral Director of the Year, culminating in the first published choral work created specifically for a national park (Glacier Suite, Pavane Publishing). He has been the choir director at Hamden Hall Country Day School since 2014, and also serves as the organist and choir director at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Cheshire, CT.
Festival Chorus Soprano Caroline Bork Frances Franklin Ellen Gillon Zonqi Li Avery Lipkin Phyllis Martin Sofia Rodriguez Delaney Schiefen Rachel Tucker Meredith Turner Sydney Vallone
Alto Evelyn Allen Emma Banton Carol Cadman Rachel D’Antonio Suheera Haq Britta Hay Nelly Jara Xiaochen Liu Mary Lycan Lee Terry Chloe Zampetti
Tenor Matthew Harrison Tom Long Ken Metzler Ricardo Santos John Sundet Elaine Zincavage Bass Dalton Bates John Burrell Luis Cordón Bill Lycan Aaron Medford Win Smith Terry Thomas
Orchestra First Violin Michael Eby, concertmaster Antonio Aviles-Figueroa Tony Daise Camirynn Hester Tyler Park Krystian Pawłowski Benjamin Slater Nicholas Thiel-Hudson Alexandra Wynne Tianyi Xu
Viola Adrian Yemin, principal Thomas Bonitz Sophie Carey Jaclyn Doherty Jiaxin Jesse Zuo
Oboe Grace Wentland Nina Montague
Cello Luigi Polcari, principal Lucas Flood Miranda Hodgkins Vivian Hudson Kyle Lovell Second Violin Jacob Nordlinger Aniya Gonzalez, principal Lindsey Weiler Rancele Ante Micaiah Bradley Bass Jingang Calvin Chen Benjamin Boisoneau, Caroline Granger principal Noor Majid Silas Culbert Victoria Moussouttas Veronika Verbitsky
Trumpet Ashton Tyler Michael Reed
Bassoon Jocelyn Lessard
Timpani Jennifer Zhao
AVERY COE, soprano, is a senior studying at UConn for a MA in music education and a BM in vocal performance. She is a part of the UConn Concert Choir and Collegium. She has performed in events such as the 2022 production of Menotti’s opera The Medium, the 2023 UConn Spectrum Concert, Handel’s Messiah, the 2023 opera production Speed Dating Tonight! by Michael Ching, and the 2022 Husky Voices Singer Showcase. She will be performing her senior recital Sunday, January 21, at 5:00pm. Ms. Coe teaches voice lessons at the Connecticut Valley School of Music in Portland, CT and worked as an archery director at YMCA Camp Ingersoll over the 2023 summer. She would like to thank her friends and family for always supporting her.
EMILY HOFFMAN, soprano, a senior pursuing a BM in vocal performance, studies voice with Dr. Constance Rock. She sings with UConn’s Collegium Musicum, Concert Choir, and Opera Theater program. With UConn Opera, Ms. Hoffman has performed the role of Gretel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, portrayed multiple daters in Michael Ching’s Speed Dating Tonight!, covered the role of Mrs. Gobineau in Menotti’s The Medium, presented scenes from Strauss’s Die Fledermaus, and sung in the chorus of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Most recently, she was awarded Third Place at the NATS Connecticut Chapter Auditions. Ms. Hoffman has also been featured in UConn’s Junior/Senior Honors Recital, the Freshman/Sophomore Honors Recital, and several Songfest recitals. She currently serves as Soprano Section Leader at Storrs Congregational Church and as the Vocal Performance Representative on UConn’s Music Student Advisory Council. Over the summer, Ms. Hoffman participated in Westminster Choir College’s CoOPERAtive program at Rider University.
Hallelujah
Worthy is the Lamb/Amen
DAFNA INGERMAN, alto, is a senior vocal performance major in her last semester at UConn, studying voice with Dr. Constance Rock. She currently participates in UConn’s Concert Choir and Collegium Musicum where she performed solos in several of their past performances, one of them being the alto solo in the Bach cantata Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit. She also participated in UConn Opera Theater’s production of Menotti’s The Medium, for which she understudied Madame Flora. Ms. Ingerman has also performed the role of the witch in Hansel and Gretel in the UConn Opera Studio class. Other past performances at UConn include participation in numerous Songfests, such as the Spanish Songfest, the American Songbook, and Songs of our Heritage. She has also performed in the Freshman-Sophomore Honors recital, both as a freshman and as a sophomore, and the UConn Junior-Senior Singer Showcase, both as a junior and a senior.
AMANDA JANKO, mezzo-soprano, from Long Island, NY, is currently in her fourth year at UConn, pursuing a MA in curriculum and instruction, a BA in music, and a BS in music education in UConn’s IB/M Music Education program. She has participated in music festivals such as the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) as a soloist and the Suffolk County Music Educators’ Association (SCMEA) as a member of their regional choirs. At present, she performs with UConn’s Chamber Singers and Concert Choir, both under the direction of Dr. Jamie Spillane. During her time at UConn, she has worked closely with Dr. Constance Rock and Dr. Lisa Williamson, who have been amazing mentors. She would like to thank them both for their guidance
Chorus Cara Bernard, conductor
Chorus Jamie Spillane, conductor Concert Choir
Soprano MaKayla Barstow Maya Bullied Avery Coe Maya Collins Stella DeSimone Elizabeth Flaherty Lilli Hanlon Kiera Higham Emily Hoffman Amanda Janko Ava Johnson Olivia Krout Brooke LaDuke Zonqi Li Alaina Magaldi Mary McGovern Amanda Melchers Isabella Mercado Maggie Murray Kaitlyn Neumann Elizabeth Nonamaker Madison Perry Elviany Quiroz Sofia Rodriguez Kyra Rook Sabrina Russotto Willow Santarsiero Gabriella Xavier
Alto Aislinn Aiken Andrea Arel Danae Billups Emma Blair Zamiyah Burton Alexa Calegari Ligia Camacho Lopez Jolie Edwards Rebecca Fisher Eliza Gilbert Micaela Guzman Trinity Hollis Dafna Ingerman Lara Koushouris Kristin Lageman Karlie Mindek Linda Nelson Delaney Schiefen Diya Sukumaran Katherine Suarez Haritha Subramanian Phoebe Thompson Akshi Viswanathan Faith Walker
Tenor Sam Arevalo-Hoefer Cooper Clark John McGovern Matthew O’Callaghan Ashton Pettry Thomas Stowik Bass Wyatt Anderson Rancele Ante Antonio Avilés Figueroa Dakota Earley-Dyer Andy Fox Devan Gopalakrishnan Evan Grzeda Travis Lavigne Anthony Martini Ben Monks Andrew Moreland Benjamin Olsen Luke Olsen Luke Roy Johannes Schnebel Jake Stewart David Sugrue Evan Timnev Bryce Turner Kenneth Van Dyk Nick Webster
He Shall Feed His Flock Like a Shepherd/Come Unto Him Emily Hoffman, soprano Amanda Janko, mezzo-soprano Eric Rice, conductor Behold the Lamb of God
Chorus Eric Rice, conductor
Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs and Carried Our Sorrows Chorus Matthew Harrison, conductor And with His Stripes, We Are Healed Chorus Matthew Harrison, conductor All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray Chorus Matthew Harrison, conductor He Trusted in God that He Would Deliver Him Chorus Reuben Stern, conductor Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
Chorus Reuben Stern, conductor
He That Dwelleth in Heaven Matthew Harrison, tenor Cara Bernard, conductor Thou Shalt Break Them with a Rod of Iron Matthew Harrison, tenor Cara Bernard, conductor
ANDREW MORELAND, bass, is a fifth-year music and accounting dual degree major at the UConn, where he has studied under Rod Nelman and Greg Zavracky. As a baritone from Newburyport, Massachusetts, Mr. Moreland performs as a member of UConn’s Concert Choir under the direction of Dr. Jamie Spillane, where he serves as section leader, and has previously performed in the UConn Chamber Singers, Collegium Musicum, and Glee Club. Outside of the Music Department, he sings and beatboxes in Notes Over Storrs, one of UConn’s ten a cappella groups. Mr. Moreland has debuted a number of works in the past at UConn, including previous collaborations with Sarah Marze, Max Hurtubise, and Travis Lavigne. He also performed as the baritone soloist in Noah Tan’s Swallows of Amritsar in 2019 as part of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Besides his musical pursuits, Mr. Moreland is an internationally ranked NES Tetris player.
MATTHEW O’CALLAGHAN, tenor, is a junior music major studying voice with Rod Nelman and composition with Kenneth Fuchs. A tenor, he sings with the UConn Concert Choir and Chamber Singers, and is the assistant music director of the a cappella group Notes Over Storrs. He is a member of the UConn ComposerEnsemble Collaboration and has released two albums of original music, In My Head and Butterfly. An educator, Mr. O’Callaghan is the music director for the West Rocks Middle School Drama Club in his hometown of Norwalk, CT of which he was a member as a student
LUKE ROY, bass, is a sophomore at UConn, pursuing a dual degree in music and data science, and studying voice with Professor Mark Womack. He is from Glastonbury, CT, and has participated in various regional and statewide music festivals during his high school career, singing with the Eastern Regional, All-State and All-New England mixed choirs. He currently sings with the UConn Concert Choir and Collegium Musicum, and has performed as a soloist at the UConn Messiah Sing concert, and the Glastonbury High School Concerto Night. Mr. Roy has been involved with opera since his first year at UConn, performing duets from Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni. This semester he has been preparing for his first full opera role as Masetto. He hopes always to keep music in his life and continue to perform as a classical bass singer.
For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth Andrew Moreland, bass Jamie Spillane, conductor
KELLY WHITESELL, soprano, made her professional debut as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare with Connecticut Lyric Opera in 2022. This past season she enjoyed performing Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni in the US, and Donna Anna in Italy. She graduated with a BM (voice and music education) from the Eastman School of Music, and now completes her graduate studies and is a Teaching Assistant at UConn. Ms. Whitesell’s roles include Elle (La Voix Humaine), Monica (The Medium), Rosalinde (Die Fledermaus Act 2), Witch (Into the Woods), and Pamina (Die Zauberflöte). Recently, she was a winner in the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra Competition, and received First Prize in the Friends of Eastman Opera Voice Competition in 2019. She enjoys membership in Schola Cantorum at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford, and varied concert repertoire, including new works in UConn’s Composer Concerts, Bach’s Mass in B minor, and jazz sets.
Soprano YOONJEONG YOO is a native of Incheon, South Korea. She is currently pursuing a DMA at UConn, studying with Dr. Constance Rock, and serving as a graduate teaching assistant. She earned her BM from Sookmyung Women’s University, MM in opera from New England Conservatory in Boston, and a Professional Studies Diploma in opera from Mannes School of Music in New York. She sang the role of Amore in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice with Camerata New York Orchestra. At NEC, she played Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Ruth in John Musto’s Later the Same Evening. She was the winner of the 2020 Orpheus Competition Bel Canto Award, a finalist in the 2018 Classical Singer Competition, and was an Apprentice Artist at the 2019 Nahant Music Festival. She also participated in the 2019 Martina Arroyo Prelude program in New York, covering Adele in Strauss’s Die Fledermaus.
The People that Walked in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light Luke Roy, bass Jamie Spillane, conductor For Unto Us a Child is Born
Chorus Jamie Spillane, conductor
Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)
Orchestra Reuben Stern, conductor
There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Fields And Lo! The Angel of the Lord And the Angel Said Unto Them And Suddenly There Was with the Angel Avery Coe, soprano Reuben Stern, conductor Glory to God in the Highest
Chorus Reuben Stern, conductor Intermission
Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion Yoonjeong Yoo, soprano Reuben Stern, conductor Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Opened Amanda Janko, mezzo-soprano Eric Rice, conductor
UPCOMING EVENTS
see the complete list at vdm.uconn.edu/performances/ Upcoming Events UConn Festival Chorus Saturday, December 2, at 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, November 30, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts
UConn Symphony Orchestra UConn Concert Choir UConn Festival Chorus present
UConn Choirs Sunday, December 3, at 3:00 p.m.
Messiah Sing
UConn Jazz Ensemble Sunday, December 3, at 6:00 p.m.
Messiah, HWV 56 George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)
UConn Percussion Ensemble Tuesday, December 5, at 8:00 p.m.
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Dr. Cara Bernard, conductor Matthew Harrison, conductor Dr. Eric Rice, conductor Dr. Jamie Spillane, conductor Reuben Stern, conductor Avery Coe, soprano Emily Hoffman, soprano Kelly Whitesell, soprano Yoonjeong Yoo, soprano Amanda Janko, mezzo-soprano Dafna Ingerman, alto Matthew Harrison, tenor Matthew O’Callaghan, tenor Andrew Moreland, bass Luke Roy, bass Han Cheol Kang, harpsicord
printed on recycled paper CONCERTS AT VON DER MEHDEN RECITAL HALL ARE PRESENTED THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE RUTH B. FILIP CONCERT FUND.
DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC * SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS * UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT