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Aundi Marie Moore American soprano Aundi Marie Moore was recently announced as the 2023 Honoree of Sphinx Organization’s Award for Excellence, an acknowledgement of her artistic achievements, work ethic, and spirit of determination. Current season highlights include Mother (Blue) at Toledo Opera and at Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Mother Abbess (The Sound of Music) at Virginia Festival. Future engagements include a European tour with Pacific Chorale.

Previous career highlights on the opera stage include her highly lauded appearance as Strawberry Woman in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess, Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) at L’Opéra de Monte Carlo for her international operatic debut, Nedda (I Pagliacci) at Sarasota Opera, Mimi (La bohème) in Italy at the Amalfi Coast Festival, Serena (Porgy and Bess) at Atlanta Opera and at Virginia Opera, Young African American Soprano in Ricky Ian Gordon’s world premiere of Rappahannock County at Virginia Opera, Soprano 2 in the U.S. premiere of Michael Nyman’s Facing Goya at Spoleto Festival, and Odessa Clay in the world premiere of D. J. Sparr’s Approaching Ali commissioned by Washington National Opera. A member of the Domingo-Cafritz Washington National Opera Young Artist Program, Ms. Moore appeared at WNO as Nella (Gianni Schicchi), Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte), Mother (Hansel und Gretel), Wanda (c, Sophie’s Choice), Fifth Maid (Elektra) under the baton of Heinz Fricke, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni under the baton of Placido Domingo. Ms. Moore completed her Master of Music degree at the University of Michigan and her Bachelor of Music at George Mason University. She participated in the Salzburg Music Festival Young Artist Program in 2008, where she covered the roles of Donna Anna (Don Giovanni) and the title role in Rusalka, and appeared as a featured soloist in their Gala concert conducted by Ivor Bolton. Noted for her versatility, Ms. Moore is no stranger to musical theatre, where she has appeared as Lady Thiang (The King and I) at Lyric Opera of Virginia, Nettie Fowler (Carousel) at Ashlawn Music Festival, and Maggie Porter in Tazewell Thompson’s Jubilee at Arena Stage. Concert engagements are highlighted by her performance with the New World Symphony for Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 under the baton of Steven Jarvi as well as the National Symphony Orchestra as their featured guest soloist for their Christmas Pops concert with Marvin Hamlisch conducting. She has often been a featured soloist with Virginia Symphony under the baton of JoAnn Falletta. Ms. Moore has been the recipient of numerous prizes and awards from the National Opera Association, the Bel Canto Vocal Competition, the West Palm Beach Opera Competition, the Rocca della Macie International Voice Competition, the Florida Grand Voice Competition, and the Leontyne Price Vocal Competition. She was celebrated for being the 2015 winner of The American Prize in Voice, the 2016 Bronze Medalist at the American Traditions Competition in Savannah, Georgia, First Place winner at both Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses Voice Competition and at Vocal Arts Discovery Series of Washington DC, and she was a finalist at Operalia.

I-Chin Betty Feinblatt Born in Taiwan and now living in Los Angeles, I-Chin Betty Feinblatt is a classically trained mezzo soprano soloist and choral singer. Having performed in numerous concerts professionally since 2003, she has become known for her warm, velvety voice. Her concert repertoire includes Bach’s Mass in B minor, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Her performance in the latter earned praise from Timothy Mangan of The Orange County Register as “delicate and aristocratic singing in her solos.” With the Camerata Singers of Long Beach and The National Children’s Choir at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, she has sung as a soloist in Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. Her most recent solo work includes Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Pacific Symphony (January 2023), the role of Shue-Ying in On Gold Mountain (LA Opera, May 2022) and the role of Suzuki in Madame Butterfly (Lyric Opera of Orange County, November 2021). Notably, she performed the role of Devotee in Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna (2018) as part of Glass’ 80th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall. You can see her this spring at The Ebell Center of Los Angeles production of The Everywhere of Her, book and lyrics by Velina Hasu Houston and music by Carla Lucero.Ms. Feinblatt will play the role of Katherine Sui Fun Cheung, the first Chinese aviatrix in U.S. from the early 30’s.

Nicholas Preston Praised by the Orange County Register as “resonant and warm” and by the music site Bachtrack as “a ringing stentorian tenor”, Hawai’i native Nicholas Preston is in demand as a soloist in Southern California and beyond, having performed throughout California and toured in France, Italy, and Spain. He has been a member of the Grammy Award-winning Pacific Chorale since 2002, frequently appearing as a soloist. Mr. Preston has also performed as a soloist with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. He has worked under the batons of John Alexander, Carl St.Clair, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Nicholas McGegan, Kent Nagano, John Mauceri, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Grant Gershon and Gustavo Dudamel. Nicholas’ solo appearances include Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Horatio Parker’s Hora Novissima, Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Symphony No. 9, Bach’s B Minor Mass and St. Matthew Passion, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Judas Maccabeus, and Britten’s War Requiem. Recent solo performances include the “Messenger” in Pacific Symphony’s production of Aida, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with Pacific Chorale, and Mozart’s Requiem with Long Beach Symphony. Mr. Preston was featured in the 2006 world premiere of Philip Glass’ The Passion of Ramakrishna, commissioned for the opening of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and premiered by Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony under Carl St.Clair. In 2018, he reprised the role as his solo debut in Carnegie Hall. Mr. Preston is also involved with Pacific Symphony’s award-winning Education programs as a presenter with the Class Act program and featured soloist in the Youth Concerts. Upcoming engagements include solo work with Orchestra Santa Monica and the 2023 Pacific Chorale European tour. Mr. Preston received his B.A. in Music from Loyola Marymount University, and resides in Orange County with his wife Dr. Kathleen Preston and their daughter Zelda.
www.nicholaspreston.com

Michael Sumuel American bass-baritone Michael Sumuel, lauded for “vocals that are smooth and ingratiating” (Daily Camera), returned to the Metropolitan Opera this season, singing Belcore in L’Elisir D’amore. Other roles include the Father in Blue with English National Opera, Elviro in Xerxes with Detroit Opera, and Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Pittsburgh Opera. In concert, Mr. Sumuel performed Mozart’s Requiem with the Cincinnati Symphony and James Conlon, Bach cantatas BWV 61 and 140 with the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, opened Washington Concert Opera’s season in a gala performance with soprano Tammy Wilson, and returned to Mercury Houston for Handel’s Messiah. Finally, Mr. Sumuel will take part in Pacific Chorale’s European tour. Last season, he made his debut as Jesus in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with LA Opera, a semi-staged production conducted by James Conlon with choreography by the Hamburg Ballet, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Seattle Opera, Escamillo in Carmen for his debut with The Santa Fe Opera, a concert of arias to open The Dallas Opera season, the King in Massenet’s Cinderella with the Metropolitan Opera, Leporello in Don Giovanni with Opera San Antonio and Escamillo with Chicago Opera Theater. In concert, Mr. Sumuel returned to the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall to sing Mozart’s Mass in C minor with Zubin Mehta, Bach’s Easter Oratorio with Music of the Baroque and Mozart’s Requiem with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. An in-demand concert artist, his work has included Messiah with San Francisco Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, and the United States Naval Academy; Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with Cleveland Orchestra, the Orchestra of St. Lukes, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, and American Classical Orchestra at Lincoln Center. Other repertoire includes Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis (Pittsburgh Symphony and Grant Park Music Festival), Mozart’s Requiem (North Carolina Symphony), Haydn’s Theresienmesse (Grant Park Music Festival), Puccini’s Messa di Gloria (San Diego Symphony), the bass solos in Bach’s St. John Passion (Music of the Baroque), and St. Matthew Passion as well as the Magnificat (Mercury Houston). Mr. Sumuel’s accolades include a Richard Tucker Career Grant, Metropolitan Opera National Council audition Grand Finalist and a winner of the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition. A Texas native, he is an alumnus of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Merola Opera Program at San Francisco Opera and the Filene Young Artist program at Wolf Trap Opera. He resides in San Francisco with his wife and baby son.