Nicholas Hersh, Music Director
Nicholas Hersh is Music Director of the Modesto Symphony, having been appointed in August 2023. Across the country, Nicholas has earned critical acclaim for his innovative programming and natural ability to connect with musicians and audiences alike, and he was the unanimous choice of the search committee in Modesto. In addition to his work in Modesto, Nicholas was named Principal Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Academy, the BSO’s celebrated program for adult amateur musicians.
Hersh’s 2025-26 season includes his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic and returns to the Houston and Colorado Symphonies, plus engagements with the Florida Orchestra, Reno Philharmonic, and Tucson Symphony.
His 2024-25 season included engagements with the Nashville, Madison, Omaha, and Tucson Symphony Orchestras; and the Florida and Apollo Orchestras. He continues to enjoy a regular relationship with the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Recent engagements include the Detroit, Grand Rapids, National, New World, North Carolina, Phoenix, Portland (ME), Richmond, Utah, and Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestras; Louisiana and Rochester Philharmonics; and the Sarasota Orchestra.
Over a remarkable tenure as Associate Conductor of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Hersh created the BSO Pulse series, through which he brought together indie bands and orchestral musicians in unique collaborations; he led the BSO in several subscription weeks, and concerts in and around Baltimore; and he directed the BSO’s educational and family programming. Hersh also maintains a close relationship with the National Symphony Orchestra, leading concerts throughout Washington, D.C. He stepped in to replace an indisposed Yan Pascal Tortelier, on subscription, to great acclaim.
Hersh is frequently in demand as an arranger and orchestrator, with commissions from orchestras around the globe for adaptations of everything from classical solo and chamber music to popular songs. His orchestration of Beethoven’s Cello Sonata Op. 69 was premiered by the Philharmonie Zuidnederland in January 2022, while his symphonic arrangement of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody continues to see worldwide success as a viral YouTube hit. He also serves as arranger and editor for the James P. Johnson Orchestra Edition.
Hersh grew up in Evanston, Illinois and started his musical training as a cellist. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Stanford University and a Master’s Degree in Conducting from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Hersh is also a two-time recipient of the Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award. Nicholas lives in Philadelphia with his wife, son, and two cats, and in his free time enjoys cooking and baking for family and friends.
Website: http://www.nicholashersh.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063225878694
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicholashersh/
Upcoming Performances
Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor
Ryan Murray
Principal Pops Conductor
American conductor Ryan Murray has found steady acclaim as a compelling, dynamic and unflappable presence on the podium. Ryan is currently Principal Pops Conductor for the Modesto Symphony, Music Director of the Auburn Symphony, and Artistic Director of Music in the Mountains. An award-winning opera conductor, Ryan spent his early career working as an assistant conductor and répétiteur, and is currently the Music Director of Opera Modesto. He has served as an assistant conductor at the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, is the past Music Director of Fresno Grand Opera, and previously worked as a staff conductor for the Bay Area Summer Opera Theater Institute (BASOTI) and The Opera Academy of California in San Francisco. Effortlessly moving between genres, Ryan currently enjoys a wide range of performance genres & platforms, including traditional orchestral and operatic repertoire, pops performances, movies in concert, and a notable emphasis on contemporary American operatic works.
Ryan was the winner of the Vienna Philharmonic’s prestigious Ansbacher Fellowship for Young Conductors, and spent the summer in residence alongside the Vienna Philharmonic at the 2014 Salzburg Festival. Ryan was also awarded second place in the 2019 American Prize for Professional Orchestral Conducting for his work with the Modesto Symphony, and has garnered national recognition for his dynamic, compelling performances of contemporary opera as the winner of the 2017 American Prize in Opera Conducting for his highly lauded production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He was a 2016 semi-finalist for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music for his production of Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking.
A charismatic pops conductor, Ryan has worked with prominent artists such as Storm Large of Pink Martini, SuperDiamond and the phenomenal symphonic tribute to David Bowie. He was recently engaged to step-in at the last minute as assistant and cover conductor for Andrea Bocelli's Believe Tour with the Sacramento Philharmonic where he conducted rehearsals to acclaim. He has led some of the top vocalists from Broadway and beyond, including Ben Crawford (Broadway's The Phantom of the Opera), Ashley Brown (Broadway's Mary Poppins), and Alli Mauzey (Glinda from Wicked), as well as some of today's top young jazz vocalists including Tony DeSare and James Tormé. With an enthusiasm for film scores, Ryan enjoys the unique challenges of conducting movies in concert and was recently added the the Disney & ICM Approved Conductors list. Recent and upcoming performances include Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pixar Animation Studios' Pixar in Concert, Star Wars: A New Hope and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
Ryan holds degrees, summa cum laude, in Bassoon Performance and Voice Performance from California State University, Sacramento and also holds a master’s degree, with distinction, in Music Business from the Berklee College of Music where he studied with industry professionals to develop tools for success in the modern music industry, including new technology, policy, law and finance. Ryan has a strong commitment to education and currently serves as the Director of Symphony Orchestra & Opera at California State University, Sacramento, and as the conductor for the Sacramento Youth Symphony's premier orchestra. Driven by a lifelong passion for learning, Ryan has attended conducting masterclasses and seminars around the world. Ryan recently conducted the Romanian Chamber Orchestra in concert and was one of just eight conductors worldwide to be invited to the Musiikin aika Summer Festival Masterclass in Finland led by Susanna Mälkki. He has previously attended the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music's Conductors Workshop; the contemporary music symposium led by Alan Gilbert featuring the New York Philharmonic; the Aurora Chamber Festival in Sweden, where he studied under Maestro Kurt Masur; the Lucerne Festival Academy’s Conducting Masterclass in Switzerland; and the Eastman School of Music’s Summer Conducting Institute. Widely praised for his tireless work ethic, natural poise, and impassioned, inspired performances, Ryan continues to connect deeply with orchestras and audiences alike, and has proven to be a formidable presence on the podium.
Upcoming Concerts
Daniel R. Afonso Jr., Chorus Director
Daniel R. Afonso Jr. has served as conductor of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus since its foundation in 2001 and has prepared several choral works with the ensemble. He is also Coordinator of Vocal and Choral Studies at California State University, Stanislaus. Afonso received a B.M.E. degree from the Universidade do Rio de Janeiro (UNI -Rio), a M.M. degree in Choral Conducting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a D.M.A. degree in Choral Conducting and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa. Dr. Afonso is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has studied conducting with Carlos Alberto Figueiredo, Cees Rotteveel, Eph Ehly, and William Hatcher.
Dr. Afonso has performed with choral groups in Brazil, U.S., and Europe, and has previously taught music at the Conservatório Brasileiro de Música, Universidade do Rio de Janeiro (UNI-Rio), and Doane College, Nebraska. In 1988, he won the first prize and the best performance of Villa-Lobos work award at the Concurso Villa-Lobos de Canto Coral, a national choral competition sponsored by the Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro. Dr. Afonso is strongly committed to the performance of new music and has commissioned and premiered many new choral works in the last few years, including several of his own works as well as works by young composition students. He had his New York debut in 2012, conducting Mozart’s Requiem with members of the MSO Chorus and students from CSU Stanislaus at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
He is also a composer, arranger, and editor of choral music and has choral works published by earthsongs, Colla Voce, and Alliance Music Publications. He served as composer-in-residence with the San Francisco Choral Artists during their 2014-2015 season and has also written works for the Los Angeles Children’s Choir, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, and other ensembles in the US and abroad. He has written innumerous arrangements for the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, including a new version of The Star-Spangled Banner for chorus and orchestra, recently premiered at the opening concert for the 2015-16 concert season. Dr. Afonso is widely recognized for his research and performance of Brazilian choral music and continues to frequently present workshops and lectures about the Latin American choral repertoire.
Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus
About the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Chorus
Formed in 2001, the Modesto Symphony Chorus is a regional ensemble of singers of all ages and experience who share a commitment to performing concerts of the highest artistic quality and enhancing the appreciation and enjoyment of choral music among members and audiences alike. Under the skillful and inspiring direction of Dr. Daniel R. Afonso Jr., the MSO Chorus rehearses weekly and performs throughout the season with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra and also for additional community events.
See our Chorus perform live
Timothy Loo, cello
Timothy Loo, moved to Los Angeles in 1992 to study cello performance at California State University at Northridge and the University of Southern California. Timothy is a member of the Lyris Quartet, founded in 2008. This quartet is the resident ensemble at both Jacaranda and Hear Now Festivals and has been featured numerous times on the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Green Umbrella and Noon 2 Midnight series at The Walt Disney Concert Hall.
In January 2018, Mr. Loo made his concerto debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at The Walt Disney Concert Hall performing the fiendishly difficult Concerto for Cello and Orchestra by Bernt Zimmermann, under the direction of conductor Susanna Mälkki.
Timothy has also performed on over 1000 motion pictures, TV shows, albums, commercials, award shows, including yearly at the Academy Awards.
Timothy is also one of the foremost music contractors in Los Angeles. Most recently he assembled the orchestra for composer John Williams for the scoring of Indiana Jones 5: The Dial of Destiny, ESPN College Football Playoffs, The Fablemans and Obi Wan Kenobi. Mr. Loo is also the music contractor for James Newton Howard, Mike Post, Jeff Russo, Branford Marsalis, Disney’s Launchpad streaming series, The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, just to name a few.
In 2019, Timothy and his husband Tommy Johnson purchased Sabron Payroll Services and act as CFO and CEO respectively. Sabron is a leading payroll company in the entertainment industry that has built strong relationships with major production companies such as Disney, Netflix, MGM, Paramount, LucasFilm, and Apple.
This performance with the Modesto Symphony marks Timothy’s debut performing the John Williams’ Cello Concerto.
Upcoming Performances
Tony DeSare, guest artist
Tony DeSare performing with Ryan Murray & the MSO, Holiday Pops 2014
Tony DeSare performs with infectious joy, wry playfulness and robust musicality. Named Rising Star Male Vocalist in Downbeat magazine, DeSare has lived up to this distinction by winning critical and popular acclaim for his concert performances throughout North America and abroad. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to Las Vegas and headlining major symphony orchestras, DeSare has brought his fresh take on old school class around the globe. DeSare has four top ten Billboard jazz albums under his belt and has been featured on the CBS Early Show, NPR, A Prairie Home Companion, the Today Show and his music has been posted by social media celebrity juggernaut, George Takei. DeSare has also collaborated with Youtube supergroup Postmodern Jukebox. He has been a featured guest artist with over 100 symphony orchestras with some highlights including the Cleveland Orchestra, The New York Pops, The San Francisco Symphony, The Houston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony.
Notwithstanding his critically acclaimed turns as a singer/pianist, DeSare is also an accomplished award-winning composer. He not only won first place in the USA Songwriting Contest, but has written the theme song for the motion picture, My Date With Drew, several broadcast commercials and has scored five films. His sound is romantic, swinging and sensual, but what sets DeSare apart is his ability to write original material that sounds fresh and contemporary, yet pays homage to the Great American Songbook.
Tony has a strong presence on social media and continues to release his "song diaries", recordings from his home studio that started in 2020 and now number in the 100's. Tony has numerous recordings available on all platforms and playlists.
Tony DeSare is a Yamaha Artist.
Website: https://www.tonydesare.com/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tonydesare
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TDeSare/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonydesare/
Upcoming Performances
Anne Akiko Meyers, violin
Anne Akiko Meyers, one of the world’s most esteemed musicians, is a GRAMMY® Award winning violinist, recognized as a muse and champion of many of today’s most important composers. Since her teens, Anne has performed around the world as soloist with leading orchestras, in recital and recorded more than 40 releases, which have become staples of classical music radio and streaming platforms.
Anne has been called “the Wonder Woman of commissioning” by The Strad and worked closely with some of the most important composers of the last half century, including Arvo Pärt (Estonian Lullaby), Einojuhani Rautavaara (Fantasia, his final complete work), John Corigliano (cadenzas for the Beethoven Violin Concerto; Lullaby for Natalie), Arturo Márquez (Fandango), Philip Glass (New Chaconne), Michael Daugherty (Blue Electra) Mason Bates and Adam Schoenberg (violin concertos), Billy Childs, Jakub Ciupiński, Jennifer Higdon, Morten Lauridsen, Wynton Marsalis, Somei Satoh, Joseph Schwantner, and Eric Whitacre (The Pacific Has No Memory, Seal Lullaby) performing world premieres with the symphony orchestras of Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Helsinki, Hyogo, Leipzig, London, Lyon, and New Zealand.
Anne’s recording of Fandango, a live performance with Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Philharmonic, received two Latin GRAMMY® Awards: Best Classical Album and Best Contemporary Composition. Fandango was premiered in 2021 at The Hollywood Bowl, and has been performed over 40 times with 16 different orchestras around the world since.
Fandango World Premiere with Gustavo Dudamel and LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl (c) Allen Murabayashi
In the 2024-25 season, Anne will premiere Eric Whitacre’s, The Pacific Has No Memory, with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and performs with the Cincinnati Symphony, Grant Park Music Festival, Sarasota Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, and Vancouver Symphony. Naxos will release Blue Electra, Michael Daugherty’s Violin Concerto inspired by Amelia Earhart, commissioned by Anne, and recorded with David Alan Miller and the Albany Symphony in April 25′. Platoon releases Beloved, a requiem by Billy Childs, alongside works by Ola Gjeilo and Eric Whitacre, with Grant Gershon and the Los Angeles Master Chorale in May 25′ for Mother’s Day and the Philip Glass Violin Concerto No. 1 with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New Chaconne, a new work written by Philip for Anne, and Echorus with Aubree Oliverson and the Colburn Academy Virtuosi, to be released for Father’s Day, June 25′.
The violinist’s first national television appearances were on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, at age 11, followed by performances that include Evening At Pops with John Williams, CBS Sunday Morning, Great Performances, Countdown with Keith Olbermann (in a segment that was the third most popular story of that year), The Emmy Awards, and The View. John Williams chose Anne to perform the theme from Schindler’s List for a Great Performances PBS telecast, and Arvo Pärt invited her to be his guest soloist at the opening ceremony concerts of his new center and concert hall in Estonia.
Krzysztof Penderecki selected Anne to perform the Beethoven Violin Concerto at the 40th Pablo Casals Festival with the Montreal Symphony, which was broadcast on A&E. Her recording of Somei Satoh’s Birds in Warped Time II was used by architect Michael Arad for his award-winning design submission, which today has become The World Trade Center Memorial in lower Manhattan.
Other career highlights include a performance of the Barber Violin Concerto at the Australian Bicentennial Concert for an audience of 750,000 in Sydney Harbour; performances for the Emperor and Empress Akihito of Japan; for Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, in a Museumplein Concert with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; and “The Star-Spangled Banner” at T-Mobile Park in Seattle and Dodger Stadium. She was profiled on NPR’s Morning Edition with Linda Wertheimer and All Things Considered with Robert Siegel, and she curated “Living American” on Sirius XM Radio’s Symphony Hall.
Anne has been featured in commercials and advertising campaigns including Anne Klein, shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz; Northwest Airlines; DDI Japan; and TDK; and was the inspiration for the main character’s career path in the novel The Engagements, by the popular author J. Courtney Sullivan. She collaborated with children’s book author and illustrator Kristine Papillon on Crumpet the Trumpet, appearing as the character Violetta the violinist, and featured in a documentary about legendary radio personality Jim Svejda. Anne has collaborated with a diverse array of artists including jazz icons Chris Botti and Wynton Marsalis; avant-garde musician Ryuichi Sakamoto; electronic music pioneer Isao Tomita;pop-era act Il Divo; and singer, Michael Bolton.
Anne was born in San Diego and grew up in Southern California, where she and her mother traveled eight hours, round trip, from the Mojave Desert to Pasadena for lessons with Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld at the predecessor of the Colburn School of Performing Arts. Anne moved to New York at the age of 14 to study at The Juilliard School with the legendary violin instructor Dorothy DeLay, and with Masao Kawasaki and Felix Galimir; she signed with management at 16; and recorded her debut album of the Barber and Bruch Violin Concertos with the RPO at Abbey Road Studios at 18. She has received the Avery Fisher Career Grant, Distinguished Alumna Award, and an Honorary Doctorate from The Colburn School. She serves on the Board of Trustees of The Juilliard School, the Dudamel Foundation, was recently honored by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame.
Anne performs on Larsen Strings with the Ex-Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesù, dated 1741, considered by many to be the finest-sounding violin in existence.
Website: https://anneakikomeyers.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/anneakikomeyers
Instagram: https://instagram.com/anneakikomeyers/
Upcoming Performances
Amaryn Olmeda, violin
Winner of first prize and the audience choice award at the 24th Annual Sphinx Competition, violinist Amaryn Olmeda is a rising star sought after for her bold and expressive performances as a soloist and collaborator. Violinist.com says of Olmeda, “…her commanding stage presence, infallible technique, and interpretive ability already rival that of international concert stage veterans.”
“...her commanding stage presence, infallible technique, and interpretive ability already rival that of international concert stage veterans.”
Highlights of 2024-2025 include season-opening concerts in debut with the Boulder Philharmonic and the Alabama Symphony, as well as debut performances with the Charlotte Symphony, Albany Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Omaha Symphony, and Sarasota Orchestra. Olmeda will also debut in recital at the Kravis Center’s Young Artists Classical Series in West Palm Beach, FL and the University of Florida Performing Arts in Gainesville, FL.
Olmeda made her Lincoln Center debut during the 2024 Summer for the City Series. She made her Carnegie Hall solo debut on the Sphinx Virtuosi tour at the age of 14, garnering rave reviews. At 13, Olmeda was named the initial member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Opus 3 Artist’s Artist Apprentice Program.
Highlights of previous seasons include debuts as soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra at their New Year’s Concert Series, earning her a nomination for the San Francisco Classical Voice Audience Choice Awards. Olmeda also performed in recital at the Bouchaine Young Artist Series at Festival Napa Valley as well as at the National Arts Club in New York City.
In 2023, Olmeda made her recording debut as the featured soloist of Carlos Simon’s Between Worlds on the Sphinx Virtuosi’s inaugural recording with Deutsche Grammophon. The Strad Magazine said of Olmeda’s performance, “…it receives an impressive reading here by the young musician [and] she shows why she has garnered the word 'prodigy’.”
Other career highlights include selection as an NPR From the Top Fellow, receiving the National Arts Club’s Herman and Mary Neuman Music Award, being named a Young Artist Soloist by the Seattle Symphony, and being featured in a solo performance with the Sacramento Philharmonic and VITA Academy in the video production, The Extraordinary Life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges. In 2022 Olmeda performed for the San Francisco Conservatory Gala with pianist Yuja Wang. She has performed for numerous school and community outreach events including with the Buffalo Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Auburn Symphony, and Oakland Symphony.
Born in Melbourne, Australia in 2008, Olmeda currently studies at the New England Conservatory of Music with Miriam Fried. She previously studied with Ian Swensen at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Amaryn Olmeda performs on a violin made by J.B. Vuillaume in 1864.
Website: https://www.amarynolmeda.com/
Upcoming Performances
Anastasia Malliaras, soprano
Anastasia Malliaras is a multifaceted soprano and recording artist known for her alluring performances in both traditional opera and innovative modern projects. A true vocal storyteller, her empathetic, imaginative, and expressive nature captivates audiences no matter the performance setting or musical style. Her vocal quality is marked by a pureness in clarity as well a rich and dynamic vocal timbre that seamlessly blends an array of tone colors across her extensive vocal range.
In the 2025–2026 season, Malliaras made her debut with Opera Santa Barbara as Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare by George Frideric Handel, a role that highlights both her dramatic agility and vocal brilliance. She also made her debut with the Santa Barbara Symphony as the soprano soloist in Requiem in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, bringing expressive depth and lyric clarity to one of the most celebrated works in the choral repertoire. In the same season, she will make her debut with the Modesto Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana by Carl Orff.
Previously, Anastasia was an apprentice at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis where she covered the role of Despina in Mozart’s iconic Cosí fan tutte and made her OTSL professional debut as Mrs. Hayes in Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah. Anastasia has been a Studio Artist at Central City opera where she played Ruth Baldwin in Musto’s Later That Same Evening and has previously participated in the Young Artist Vocal Academy at Houston Grand Opera and the iSing! International Young Artist Festival. Besides roles in the standard repertoire, Anastasia has performed in world premieres and revivals including the female lead role of Marie in Tesla: A Multidisciplinary Opera, Vervaine in Le Dornier Sorcier with Sing for Hope. Accolades include placement in prestigious competitions including the Loren L. Zachary Competition, the Irene Dalis Vocal Competition at Opera San Jose and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Los Angeles District and Western Regionals. She has been featured as the soprano soloist in Messiah with the Dream Orchestra of Los Angeles and Vivaldi’s Magnificat and Saint-Saëns’ Requiem with the Ventura College Orchestra. Anastasia is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and the University of Southern California where she earned her Master of Music in Vocal Arts.
Upcoming Performances
Daniel Ebbers, tenor
Highlights of Daniel Ebbers' performances include a critically acclaimed appearance as Sir Bedivere with baritone, Thomas Hampson at the Washington National Cathedral, in Elinor Remick Warren's The Legend of King Arthur. As an artist in residence with the Los Angeles Opera, Mr. Ebbers has performed as Gastone in La Traviata, and covered leading roles including Don Ottavio, Albert Herring, Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Ernesto,and Lindoro in L'Italiana in Algeri. An accomplished concert soloist, he has appeared with Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony, Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Haifa Symphony in Israel, and has appeared twice at both Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall. Mr. Ebbers has performed at both Chicago's new Orchestra Hall and the Chicago Lyric Opera in Handel's Messiah. A distinguished Mozart interpreter, he has appeared as Don Ottavio with Opera Theater of Connecticut, Belmonte in San Diego Comic Opera's production of Abduction from the Seraglio, as tenor soloist in Mozart's Requiem, at the Ruldophinum in Prague. Other mainstay roles have been the Duke of Mantua in Anchorage Opera's production of Rigoletto,Cassio in Otello, with Greensboro Opera, and with the San Diego Comic Opera as Prince Edwin in their production of The Gypsy Princess.
Daniel Ebbers recently appeared as the tenor soloist in a World Premiere with the Cheungju Symphony, South Korea of Ho Jun Lee’s Cantata for traditional Korean Percussion and Chorus and tenor solo. He has appeared with the Sacramento Opera as Cassio in Verdi's Otello, Basilio, in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Beppe, in Pagliacci. Other recent engagements include Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, and Fenton in Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor. In concert, Mr. Ebbers has appeared with the prestigious Music in the Vineyards Festival, the Stockton Chorale in Mendelssohn's Elijah, the Napa Valley Chorale singing Dvorak's Mass in D, in addition to Mozart's Mass in C minor. In research and performance, Mr. Ebbers is regarded as an expert in the music of Benjamin Britten. He recently appeared in the title role of St. Nicholas in Britten's tour de force Cantata for tenor, orchestra and choir, in addition to performing the great masterpiece Serenade for Tenor Horn and Strings with the Bear Valley Music Festival and the St John's Chamber Music Series.
In addition to his resident program with LA Opera, Mr. Ebbers has been an apprentice with Utah Festival Opera Young Artist Program, Glimmerglass Opera Young American Artists Program, Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies, and two summers with the Music Academy of the West. Among his regional engagements, he has appeared as a principal artist with San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival, Utah Festival Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, Fairbanks Symphony, and the Sanibel Music Festival. Mr. Ebbers toured the United States as tenor soloist in Richard Einhorn's oratorio Voices of Light-The Passion of Joan of Arc. During this tour he appeared as guest soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolftrap, the Los Angles Mozart Orchestra, the Charleston Concert Association and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
As a Professor of Voice, Mr. Ebbers joined the faculty of University of the Pacific in the fall of 2004. From 2015-2017, he served as the Interim Dean of the Conservatory. He holds the BM in voice from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the MM in voice from the University of Southern California. In the Conservatory of Music, Professor Ebbers teaches vocal performance and has been the Managing Director and Instructor at the Pacific Opera Institute. Professor Ebbers’ students’ successes range from winning the Met National Council auditions to advancing to the finals of American Idol. In addition, Professor Ebbers’ students are singing on stages all over the world and have been regulars at many high-profile performing venues including the Met, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Houston Grand, Santa Fe, San Francisco Opera, and the Music Academy of the West.
Upcoming Performances
Malcolm MacKenzie, bass
With a voice described as having a “rich vocal range full of inviting nuance,” Malcolm MacKenzie has firmly established himself as a strong presence in the dramatic baritone repertoire. Opera News recently praised him as a “confident, commanding Count di Luna…of robust tone, ardent address, arching phrases and genuine baritonal squillo.” Mr. MacKenzie has been heard at leading opera houses throughout the U.S. and Europe, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Paris Opera (Bastille), Finland’s Savonlinna Festival, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Glimmerglass Opera, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera, in roles including Simon Boccanegra, Iago, Tonio, Baron Scarpia, Don Giovanni, Count di Luna, Renato, Jack Rance, Marcello, Germont, and Count Almaviva.
Most recently, Malcolm returned to the Metropolitan Opera stage to sing the role of Stubb in their highly acclaimed production of Moby Dick, and he sang Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with both Austin Opera and Opera San Antonio. Additional recent engagements include his performance of Mark Torrence in The Shining with Atlanta Opera, Germont in La Traviata with both Eugene Opera and Knoxville Opera, Uncle John in Ricky Ian Gordon and Michael Korie’s The Grapes of Wrath with MasterVoices for his Carnegie Hall début, and a cover of Owen/Johnson in San Francisco Opera’s production of Omar. In the upcoming 2025-26 season, he returns to the Metropolitan Opera for their production of Innocence, sings Pandolfe in Cendrillon with North Carolina Opera, and will appear with Austin Opera for their 40th Anniversary Gala concert celebration.
Mr. MacKenzie recently appeared as Alfio in Opera Colorado’s Cavalleria rusticana, joined Quad City Symphony for their Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, reprised his performance of Mark Torrance in The Shiningwith Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and returned to The Metropolitan Opera to cover Rodrigue in the premiere of their five-act Don Carlos, which he also covered the previous season. Mr. MacKenzie’s 2021-2022 season featured him in the title role of Gianni Schicchiat Piedmont Opera, a reprise of his much-lauded Germont in La Traviata at Toledo Opera, and the dual roles of Master Johnson and Master Owen in Omarat Spoleto Festival.
Upcoming Performances
Central Valley Youth Chorus
Central Valley Youth Chorus (CVYC) brings young singers together to explore creativity, build friendships, and experience the joy of making music as a team. Through the transformative art of choral music, singers grow in confidence and compassion, with plenty of opportunities to perform throughout the community. Open to students in grades 1–8, CVYC helps singers develop healthy vocal technique and strong musicianship while making meaningful musical connections.
Registration is now open, and families can learn more or enroll young singers by visiting centralvalleyyouthchorus.org today. New and returning singers of all experience levels are welcome!
Beth Holtan, Central Valley Youth Chorus Artistic Director
Beth Holtan is a dedicated music educator with over 31 years of teaching experience in the Central Valley. She holds a degree in Music Education from the University of the Pacific and a Master’s in Educational Administration from California State University, Stanislaus. Throughout her career, she has taught choir, band, orchestra, handbells, drama, musical theater, classroom music, and physical education, inspiring students to discover their talents and build lifelong skills through the performing arts.
Beth currently teaches elementary classroom music and choir in Turlock Unified School District and is in her third season as the Founding Artistic Director of the Central Valley Youth Choir. She previously developed and expanded successful music and performing arts programs, creating meaningful performance opportunities for students at every level.
Her leadership extends beyond the classroom as the Stanislaus County Music Educators Association (SCMEA) Jr. High Honor Choir Coordinator and as an Induction Mentor for beginning teachers for eight years. She was honored as the 2020–21 Stanislaus County Junior High School Teacher of the Year.
Beth is passionate about creating a safe, nurturing environment where students can thrive both academically and artistically. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, camping, and hiking with her husband, Chuck, daughter, Anna, and their yellow lab, Ranger.
Brody Dolyniuk, guest artist
Brody Dolyniuk is a multi-faceted, self-taught musician who began his professional music career playing in piano bars. A chance meeting with a pair of star-shaped sunglasses led to forming an Elton John tribute band Brody called Yellow Brick Road. Soon YBR began going outside the EJ catalog to perform other classic rock giants such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and more.
Within a year, YBR was a steady working band in the Las Vegas music scene and had cultivated a large local following. YBR also became an in-demand choice for the corporate entertainment market.
After 14 years of solid work, Brody stepped down as front man for YBR to pursue other avenues, namely his role as a vocalist for Windborne Music’s touring symphony shows, singing the Music of Queen, and later The Who, Rolling Stones, U2 and Journey. Simultaneously Brody had been developing his own production called Symphonic Rockshow.
Now residing in Southern California, Brody continues to tour, as well as produce shows via his company, Yellow Brick Road Entertainment.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brodydolyniuk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/brodydolyniuk
Upcoming Performances
Simone Porter, violin
Violinist Simone Porter has been recognized as an emerging artist of impassioned energy, interpretive integrity, and vibrant communication. She has debuted with the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Seattle and Pittsburgh Symphonies and with a number of renowned conductors, including Stéphane Denève, Gustavo Dudamel, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Nicholas McGegan, Ludovic Morlot, Donald Runnicles, David Robertson, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Manfred Honeck, Louis Langrée and David Danzmayr. Simone made her professional solo debut at age 10 with the Seattle Symphony and her international debut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London at age 13. In March 2015, Simone was named a recipient of an Avery Fisher Career Grant.
Porter’s recent seasons include extensive US touring with debuts and return visits to orchestras such as Colorado, North Carolina, St. Louis, Oregon, Nashville, Baltimore, Hawaii, Grand Rapids, Arkansas, Omaha, Quebec, Jacksonville and Westchester symphonies, Erie Philharmonic, Florida Orchestra and many more. After a busy summer of festival performances at Methow Valley, Bellingham, Bowdoin, Charlottesville and Britt Festival, 25/26 season begins with a return to Oregon Symphony marking the first year of Porter’s Artist in residence with the orchestra, a title she will hold through 27/28 season. In the spring of 2027 she will return to Buffalo Philharmonic and embark on a tour with the orchestra to Florida performing Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy under the baton of JoAnn Falletta. Internationally, Simone has performed with the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra with Gustavo Dudamel; the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira in Rio de Janeiro; the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica; the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong; the Royal Northern Sinfonia; the Milton Keynes City Orchestra in the United Kingdom; Orquesta Clasica Santa Cecilia de la Fundacion Excelentia in Madrid; the Opera de Marseille and at the Edinburgh Festival performing Barber under the direction of Stéphane Denève,
In January 2026 Porter will lead a side-by-side project with New Century Chamber Orchestra and students of San Francisco Conservatory, presented in San Francisco and at Stanford Live. Recent recital highlights include a tour in Spain with pianist Pallavi Mahidhara and debuts at Celebrity Series in Boston and NY92, both of which featured the newly commissioned piece by composer Reena Esmail. An avid chamber musician, Porter has appeared at festivals such as La Jolla Summerfest, Bay Chamber Music, Moab Music Festival, Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival and many more. Together with her colleagues violinist Blake Pouliot and pianist Hsin-I Huang, Porter presented a program at Cliburn Foundation in Fort Worth, TX and Broad Stage in Santa Monica, CA in spring of 2025.
February 2025 marked the release of her highly acclaim first solo album ad tendo on Bright Shiny Things label, featuring pieces by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Reena Esmail, Andrew Norman, Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber and Hildegard von Bingen. At the invitation of Salonen, Porter performed his work ‘Lachen verlernt’ (‘Laughing Unlearnt’), at the New York Philharmonic’s “Foreign Bodies,” a multi-sensory celebration of the work of the composer and conductor. Simone made her Carnegie Zankel Hall debut on the Emmy Award-winning TV show From the Top: Live from Carnegie Hall followed in November 2016 by her debut in Stern Auditorium. She will return to Carnegie in December of 2024 together with cellist Joshua Roman as a part of their Well-Being Concert. In June 2016, her featured performance of music from Schindler’s List with Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and members of the American Youth Symphony was broadcast nationally on the TNT Network as part of the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award: A Tribute to John Williams.
Raised in Seattle, Washington, Simone studied with Margaret Pressley as a recipient of the Dorothy Richard Starling Scholarship, and was then admitted into the studio of the renowned pedagogue Robert Lipsett, with whom she studied at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles. Summer studies have included many years at the Aspen Music Festival, Indiana University's Summer String Academy, and the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy.
Simone Porter performs on a 1740 Carlo Bergonzi violin made in Cremona Italy on generous loan from The Master’s University, Santa Clarita, California.
Website: https://www.simoneporterviolin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simoneporterviolin/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simoneport/
Upcoming Performances
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor
A passionate communicator, Canadian conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser brings clarity and meaning to the concert hall, fostering deep connections between audiences and performers. Daniel is an innovative creative visionary, who believes that the beauty of music can heal and unite all of us beyond differences.
Mr. Bartholomew-Poyser holds the positions of Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education at the San Francisco Symphony, the Barrett Principal Education Conductor and Community Ambassador of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Principal Youth Conductor and Creative Partner with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. Daniel is also the Artist in Residence and Community Ambassador of Symphony Nova Scotia, conducting Ballet and Pops with national and international artists and designing diverse and relevant family and outreach shows for the Halifax community. He is the host of the weekly, national Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio show Centre Stage – with Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser.
Daniel has conducted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony in the US and the Canadian Opera Company, the Toronto Symphony, Vancouver Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Hamilton Philharmonic, Edmonton Symphony, and Regina Symphony in Canada. He was a guest conductor with the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Centre in 2020. Additionally, Daniel has served as the Assistant Conductor of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and Associate Conductor of the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. In April 2022, Daniel made his debut with Carnegie Hall’s Link Up Orchestra, conducting the world premiere of “Ram Tori Maya” by Indian American composer, Reena Esmail and “We Shall Not Be Moved” arranged by American vocalist and composer, Nathalie Joachim.
Mr. Bartholomew-Poyser was featured in the 2019 CBC documentary Disruptor Conductor directed by Sharon Lewis. Along with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Thorgy Thor, the documentary follows Bartholomew-Poyser as he collaboratively creates the first orchestral drag queen show in Canada, titled Thorgy and the Thorchestra. The award-winning documentary focuses on Bartholomew-Poyser’s concerts for the Neurodiverse, Prison, African Diaspora and LGBTQ2S+ populations.
Daniel holds a Bachelor of Music Performance and Education from the University of Calgary, and a Master of Philosophy in Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England. Mr. Bartholomew-Poyser is a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts Jean-Marie Beaudet Prize for Orchestral Conducting. He has been awarded RBC Royal Bank Emerging Artist Grant and the Canada Council for the Arts Jean Baudet Prize for Orchestral Conducting. Daniel is a member of the Ontario College of Teachers.
Upcoming Performances
Alexandra Loutsion, soprano
Hailed as "fearless" (Opera News) and “masterful” (Tulsa World) with a “powerful…and gorgeous voice" (MinnPost), Greek-American soprano Alexandra Loutsion continues to be recognized for her passionate performances and vocal versatility on the operatic stage.
In the 2024-2025 season, Ms. Loutsion joins The Metropolitan Opera roster to cover the title role in Verdi’s Aida. She returns to Dallas Symphony Orchestra singing Gerhilde, and covers Sieglinde in Wagner’s Die Walküre, and returns to Virginia Opera singing Donna Elvira in Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Washington National Opera as the rehearsal cover for Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth. Additionally, she will debut with Out of the Box Opera singing the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica. Last season, Ms. Loutsion returned to Virginia Opera singing Brünnhilde in the Jonathan Dove reduction of Wagner’s Siegfried. She returned to the rosters of Lyric Opera of Chicago covering the title role in Verdi’s Aida and Houston Grand Opera covering Kundry in Wagner’s Parsifal. She also returned to The Dallas Opera singing the Overseer and covering the title role in Strauss’ Elektra, and finshed her season debuting with Lyric Opera of Kansas City singing Mother Abbess in Rogers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music. Recently, Ms. Loutsion made her role and house debut with Virginia Opera as Brünnhilde in the Johnathan Dove reduction of Wagner’s Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) and returned to Opera Santa Barbara in the same role. She made her Washington National Opera debut as The Overseer, Confidante and Elektra (cover) in Strauss’ Elektra, as well as her Opera Idaho debut as Lady Macbeth in Verdi’s Macbeth. She returned to Washington Concert Opera debuting Abigaille in Verdi’s Nabucco, and also returned to Pittsburgh Opera as Leonora in Il Trovatore. She made her professional musical theater debut as Mother Abbess in Rogers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music with The Glimmerglass Festival and finished the season debuting with Austin Symphony Orchestra of Minnesota in both a solo recital and Wagner selections in concert.
Ms. Loutsion’s repertoire encompasses many of opera’s dramatic leads:, Strauss’ Elektra (Minnesota Opera, Canadian Opera Company (cover)), Puccini’s Turandot (Palm Beach Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Tulsa Opera, New Orleans Opera, San Francisco Opera (cover)) Verdi’s Lady Macbeth (Lyric Opera of Chicago (cover)), Puccini’s Tosca (Central City Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, The National Symphony Orchestra, The Santa Fe Opera (cover), Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Fort Wayne Philharmonic) and Beethoven’s Fidelio (Austin Opera and The Santa Fe Opera (cover)). Other role highlights include the Foreign Princess/Rusalka with Arizona Opera, Florencia/Florencia en el Amazonas with Arizona Opera and Pittsburgh Opera, and Donna Anna/Don Giovanni with North Carolina Opera. She also covered the Lady-in-Waiting in Verdi’s Macbeth with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Riccardo Muti.
In addition to iconic standard repertoire, Ms. Loutsion enjoys working with living composers to bring their heroines to life: most recently she recorded the leading role of Kayla in Kamala Sankaram’s Taking Up Serpents with Chicago Opera Theater, available on streaming services globally. She also recently debuted with Lyric Opera of Chicago as Brünnhilde in Yuval Sharon’s Twilight: Gods, a reinterpretation of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung.
One of her greatest joys is creating unique recital programs that blend storytelling, spoken narrative, and song. Recent notable programs include Grotesque Beauty: The Life of Maria Callas, a one-woman show highlighting the life of Maria Callas, and Greek Love, a program using the eight ancient Greek words for love to explore how humans experience love throughout their lives. In two iterations of Greek Love, she employed a musical language as limitless as love itself, encompassing various styles and reworking classical pieces by altering keys, merging elements, and creating a dynamic version of vocal music. This approach ensured that each audience member had something personal to connect with and take away. She is currently in the process of creating a new cabaret style performance piece entitled Right to Exist, a story about the struggle and acceptance of one’s own identity.
On the concert stage, Ms. Loutsion has sung the soprano solo in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem with the Santa Fe Symphony and the Academy Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, as well as Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Cathedral Choral Society, West Virginia Symphony, Syracuse Symphoria, Erie Philharmonic and as a guest soloist with the Ithaca College Chamber Orchestra.
Ms. Loutsion represented the United States as a quarterfinalist in the Francisco Viñas International Singing Contest in Barcelona, Spain. She was a winner of the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition District Auditions and the Long Beach Mozart Competition, as well as a finalist in the Fritz and Lavinia Jensen Foundation Competition, McCammon Voice Competition, and Dallas Opera Competition. She is the recipient of the Catherine Filene Shouse Education Fund Career Grant from Wolf Trap Opera, Santa Fe Opera’s Donald Gramm Memorial Award and Anna Case MacKay Award, the Shoshana Foundation Richard F. Gold Career Grant, the Central City Opera John Moriarty Award, and the Aspen Music Festival New Horizon Fellowship.
She spent two seasons each with The Santa Fe Opera and Central City Opera as an Apprentice Artist, as well as Pittsburgh Opera as a Resident Artist. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Ithaca College. Ms. Loutsion was also recently awarded a place in the Greek America Foundation's "Forty under 40" Class of 2018, which celebrates the professional excellence and philanthropic endeavors of North Americans of Greek descent.
Upcoming Performances
Alice Chung, mezzo-soprano
American mezzo-soprano Alice Chung is rapidly being recognized for her "operatic tonal glamour (parterre box) and being “a force of nature with a sound both powerful and appealing” (San Francisco Classical Voice).
Ms. Chung’s 2023-2024 season commenced with a celebrated house début at Boston Lyric Opera as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, after which Opera News declared Ms. Chung “one of America’s most gifted young singers.” Other notable appearances included a return to Hawai’i Opera Theatre in An American Dream and a début with Houston Grand Opera in the world premiere of The Big Swim. She also joined Boston Modern Orchestra Project for Bernstein’s Symphony No. 1 and Out of the Box Opera to sing the Principessa in Suor Angelica. On the concert stage, Ms. Chung enjoyed a return engagement with the U.S. Naval Academy in Handel’s Messiah, accompanied by the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra. This season, Ms. Chung sings Amneris in Aida with Boston Lyric Opera, the title role in Carmen with Hawaii Opera Theatre, and she reprises her roles of the Ox and the Pig in The Big Swim, this time with Asia Society Texas in Houston.
Previous engagements included a house and role début at Hawai’i Opera Theatre as Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, covering the role of Granny Jia in Dream of the Red Chamber in San Francisco Opera’s coproduction with the Hong Kong Arts Festival, along with a return to cover the role of Suzuki, and house débuts with Arizona Opera as the Third Lady in Die Zauberflöte and La mort in Le rossignol with West Edge Opera.
A graduate of the Academy of Vocal Arts, Ms. Chung has also performed with Tulsa Opera, Central City Opera, Chautauqua Opera, and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City. Role credits include La Zia Principessa in Suor Angelica, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Ježibaba in Rusalka, Die Hexe in Hänsel und Gretel, Mrs. Grose in The Turn of the Screw, Larina in Eugene Onegin, and Mariana in Luisa Fernanda. On the concert stage, she has sung with the Kansas City Symphony, Bucks County Symphony, and the Naples Philharmonic at Artis-Naples. Concert credits include Duruflé’s Requiem, Saint-Saëns’s Oratorio de Noël, Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky, and Beethoven’s Fantasia and Mass in C Major.
As a two-time alum of the prestigious Merola Opera Program, Ms. Chung garnered acclaim from San Francisco audiences for her excerpted portrayals of Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, Augusta Tabor in The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Azucena in Il trovatore, which parterre box praised for its “riveting dramatic intensity.” The San Francisco Chronicle lauded Ms. Chung’s Gertrude in Hamlet as “ringing, magisterial.” She returned for her Schwabacher Recital début, presented by the Merola Opera Program in conjunction with San Francisco Opera and has continued to perform recitals in the Bay Area since. A lover of collaboration and chamber music, Ms. Chung has premiered new works alongside standard literature.
Ms. Chung is an honored recipient of numerous grants and winner of various competitions, including the 2022 Gerda Lissner Lieder/Song Competition, the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshana Foundation, First Prize and Audience Favorite awards at the Young Patronesses of the Opera, First Place in the Cooper-Bing Competition, District and Regional Winner in the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, and the 2021 William Matheus Sullivan Foundation Audition Awards.
As the artistic director and co-founder of the arts and advocacy initiative Wear Yellow Proudly, Ms. Chung works to raise awareness of Asian and AAPI narratives and culture by showcasing and celebrating Asian art and artists worldwide.
Upcoming Performances
Ben Gulley, tenor
American tenor Ben Gulley has been hailed as “outstanding" (Opera News) and "startlingly gifted" (San Francisco Classical Voice). The award-winning artist’s recent seasons have included feature roles in opera, solo engagements, concert, film work, touring and important appearances abroad.
Gulley’s engagements for the 2024-2025 season include an exciting variety of fully staged productions including Rodolfo in La bohème with Knoxville Opera and Canio in Pagliacci with Pensacola Opera, as well as concert engagements such as a holiday concert with Orchestra Iowa, Carmina Burana with the Grand Rapids Symphony, and highlights from Bizet’s Carmen with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra.
Recent artistic and critical triumphs include his debut as Romeo in the rave-reviewed Roméo et Juliette with Opera Idaho (2024), headlining “An Evening with Sir Tim Rice” alongside the EGOT legend himself (2024), winning Broadway World’s “Best Actor In A Musical” award for his debut as Quasimodo in Dennis DeYoung's Hunchback of Notre Dame with Skylight Music Theatre (2022), a debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca with Sarasota Opera (2022), Tenor Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with Orchestra Iowa (2023) and international engagements as Tenor Soloist in Bruckner’s Te Deum with Maestro Hartmut Haenchen and as Tenor Soloist in Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde opposite renowned mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung with the Belgian National Orchestra in Brussels and Namur, Belgium under Maestro Hugh Wolff (2021). In April of 2023, Gulley enjoyed a triumph with Portland Opera, jumping into the role of the Prince in Rusalka on two days’ notice and traveling directly to a dress rehearsal with no prior musical or stage rehearsals. Then, weeks later, he ended the season in similarly heroic and dramatic fashion by learning and performing the role of Foresto in Verdi’s Attila in three weeks’ time for a last-minute replacement at the Opera Festival of Chicago.
Other engagements of note for the 2023-2024 season included debuting with and headlining Symphony San Jose’s Christmas Pops program, a solo recital with pianist and NPR’s Peter Dugan for Fontana Chamber Arts, a role debut as Edgardo in a return to Opera Orlando for Lucia di Lammermoor, and concert appearances for Symphony San Jose’s season finale, “A Night of Puccini,” a return to Orchestra Iowa as the Tenor Soloist in Carmina Burana, and headlining with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra for their Fourth of July Touring Patriotic Pops Concerts.
Season highlights for the 2022-2023 season included engagements with the Asheville Symphony (“Night at the Opera”), concerts for Hidden Valley Music Seminars and the Tallahassee Symphony (“Viva Verdi!”), Tenor Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with Orchestra Iowa, Radames in Aida with Fort Worth Opera, and Tenor Soloist in Bruckner’s Te Deum with the Belgian National Orchestra at the BOZAR in Brussels, Belgium.
Amidst the 2019-2022 COVID-19 disruption in the performing arts, Mr. Gulley performed the Tenor Soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra (2021) and with the University of Texas-Austin Symphony (2022), his Dallas Opera Recital (digital) debut in 2020, headlined an “Opera in the Park” concert with Opera Idaho (2021), produced the online “Aria-Thon” broadcast charity event and “Opera in the Park with Ben” with Opera Steamboat (2020), as well as his 2019-2020 Ben Gulley National Recital Tour presented by LiveOnStage (cut short due to COVID-19 lockdown), recitals for Perdue University, North Dakota State University, Epworth by the Sea, Banner Elk Community Concerts and the Jacksonville, FL Museum of Science and History (2021).
Previous seasons included engagements with Opera Orlando for a role and house debut as Dick Johnson in The Girl of the Golden West (2019), Opera San Luis Obispo as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (2018) and Radames in Aida (2015), Sarasota Opera as Ismaele in Verdi’s Nabucco (2018), a debut as the Prince in Dvorak's Rusalka with Opera Steamboat (2017), a debut as Dr. Marianus in Mahler’s 8th Symphony with South Dakota Symphony (2017), the Tenor Soloist in “Beethoven vs. Coldplay” by Steve Hackman with the Grand Rapids Symphony (2017), Christmas Pops concerts with the Jacksonville Symphony (2018) and Louisville Symphony Orchestra (2018), an Operetta Recital with Sarasota Opera (2018), and headliner for The Lyric Opera of Kansas City’s Opera Ball (2019). Mr. Gulley made his international company debut with the Staatsoper Hamburg, where he covered the late Marcello Giordani as Énée in Les Troyens under Maestro Kent Nagano (2016), performing at the Great Pyramids of Egypt in Giza (2017), a company and role debut with Sarasota Opera as Pedro in d'Albert's Tiefland (2017), his Carnegie Hall debut with The American Symphony as the Tenor Soloist in Haydn's Mass in Time of War (2017), and his celebrated 70-date Ben Gulley Solo US National Recital Tour, presented by Allied Concert Services (2014-2015).
Mr. Gulley is equally at home in the musical theater, having won praise and awards for his turn as Quasimodo in Dennis DeYoung’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (Skylight Musical Theatre, 2022). Dan in Next To Normal (MTH, 2016), Jack in Into The Woods (MTH, 2010), An Evening with Cole Porter (MTH, 2014) and originating Disney’s stage version of the evil puppeteer, Stromboli, in Stephen Schwartz’s Gepetto and Son (now My Son Pinocchio, Coterie Theater).
As a contemporary crossover artist, 2016 marked the commercial release of Mr. Gulley’s debut solo album of original music, In Between, which is available on every major music distribution and streaming service. From 2010 through 2014, Mr. Gulley was also a member of the Sony/BMG Masterworks recording and global touring group The American Tenors, alongside fellow tenors Nathan Granner and Daniel Montenegro and produced by creator and producer of The Irish Tenors, Frank McNamara. Mr. Gulley was also featured twice on the nationally televised PBS Memorial Day event “Celebration At The Station” with the Kansas City Symphony and Maestro Michael Stern.
Upcoming Performances
DeAndre Simmons, bass
Called a "class act" by the Los Angeles Times, American bass DeAndre Simmons is consistently recognized for his velvety voice, incisive musicianship, and captivating stage presence. He has appeared on musical theater, operatic, symphonic, and recital stages in all 50 states and across four continents. Career highlights include performing Mozart's Requiem in the presence of Pope John Paul II, being one of only 10 musicians invited to participate in a concert for Nelson Mandela, and singing for seven US Presidents — from Richard Nixon to Barack Obama.
Simmons is frequently immersed in the operas of Handel, Mozart, Puccini, Rossini, and Verdi. Career engagements include performances with Opera Philadelphia, San Diego Opera, Opera Panama, and Pacific Opera Victoria, and the premieres of several new works — including the West Coast premiere of William Bolcom's A Wedding, the Canadian premiere of Marc Blitzstein's Regina, and the East Coast premiere of Richard Danielpour and Toni Morrison's Margaret Garner. He also sang the role of Detective Watts in the workshop of Stephen Schwartz's Séance on a Wet Afternoon. On the orchestral stage, Simmons has performed with major ensembles across the US, UK, and Europe, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, LA Phil, Kansas City Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, and Italy's RAI National Symphony Orchestra.
Simmons is a veteran of musical theater, having recently performed as Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Kerchak in Tarzan, Boatman in Sunday in the Park with George, and Ken in Ain't Misbehavin'. Additional credits include Steven in She Loves Me, the Wolf in Into the Woods, Curtis in Dreamgirls, the voice of Audrey II in Little Shop of Horrors, and Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. He frequently performs music from the Great American Songbook in recital, concert, and cabaret settings — including his cabaret tribute to Stephen Sondheim, Just Me and Stephen: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim, which he toured across the US.
Upcoming engagements in 2024 include Montrellous in Lynn Nottage's Clyde's with Moxie Theatre, Bonze in Puccini's Madama Butterfly with San Diego Opera, the West Coast premiere of Zach Redler's The Falling and the Rising with Bodhi Tree Concerts, and a slate of solo recitals.
An alumnus of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and the Old Globe Theatre Intensive, Simmons holds degrees from the University of the Arts, Manhattan School of Music, and the Curtis Institute of Music. He studied voice with Fred Carama, Barbara Cook, and James Morris, acting with Uta Hagen, and the Fosse catalog with Ann Reinking and Jacques D'Ambroise.
Upcoming Performances