Performer Biographies
Hanan Alattar Lowell, soprano
Hanan Alattar, has lived a life embracing two worlds that converge on a shared canvas of elegance and refinement - the operatic stage and the luxury real estate market. Hanan's professional journey is a testament to her dedication, passion, and resilience.
Born in Texas, Hanan’s early life was marked by a profound love for music, a passion she pursued under the training of Darlene Wiley at the University of Texas at Austin and then for two more degrees at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. Honing her skills under the tutelage of distinguished music faculty, she quickly stood out for her powerful voice, compelling stage presence, and keen musical intelligence. Her dedication culminated in her recognition as an international opera singer, performing on stages across the world from the New York City Opera and Los Angeles Opera to the Staatsoper Berlin and Spoleto Music Festival in Italy.
After an illustrious career in opera, Hanan never lost sight of her affinity for artistic elegance, intelligent creativity, and grandeur. Always in search of new challenges, she turned her sights to another passion: real estate. Combining her cosmopolitan experience and family background in real estate development, Hanan has quickly carved out a niche for herself as a luxury real estate agent in Austin. Leveraging her extensive global network, profound understanding of marketing luxury aesthetics, and exceptional negotiation skills, she navigated her clients through the world of high-end properties with the same grace she once displayed on the stage.
Now under the professional name Hanan Lowell, she is rapidly rising through the ranks in the world of luxury real estate, demonstrating a unique flair for matching clients with their dream homes. Her dual background offers her clients an unparalleled perspective - her performances at the world's most esteemed opera houses and stages lend her an acute understanding of what inspires us, while her rigorous academic background ensures her clients receive a strategic, informed approach to property selection and negotiation.
Whether you are captivated by her stunning performances or entrust her with your real estate aspirations, Hanan Alattar, now known as Hanan Lowell, proves that with dedication, passion, and a desire for constant self-improvement, it is possible to successfully navigate and conquer two seemingly divergent career paths. She is beyond grateful for the opportunity to sing at the Barn at Oak Branch and would like to thank Darlene Wiley for her unwavering support of the arts and artists in Austin and around the globe.
Eunjin Bang, piano
Since moving to the United States in 2007, South Korean pianist Eunjin Bang has established herself as an award-winning performer, enthusiastic collaborator, chamber musician, and pedagogue. She has appeared in performances globally, including in the United States, South Korea, Germany, Spain, and Canada. Her engagements include a broadcast in WCLV radio (Cleveland), a performance of Schnittke’s Piano Quartet with Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica String Quartet, and appearance as a soloist with the IU Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Maestro David Effron as an Indiana University Concerto Competition winner.
She has also participated in master classes given by internationally renowned pianists, such as Malcolm Bilson, Enrique Graf, Lambert Orkis, Sean Duggan, and Xiang Zou. She received a Bachelor of Music from Oberlin College and Conservatory, where she was awarded the Dean's Talent Scholarship during her studies. She earned her Master of Music, Performer Diploma, and Artist Diploma at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where she is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Music Degree with minors in music theory and collaborative piano. In 2023, she joined Stephen F. Austin State University as a full-time staff pianist.
Cory Blais, cello
Cellist Cory Blais is a performer, studio musician, and cello teacher based in Austin, Texas. Cory moved to Austin in 2016 and soon after became a founding member of Austin Camerata. This chamber music organization is known for performance augmenting artistic collaborations. Performing with Austin Camerata has led to regular featured appearances with Austin's contemporary ballet company, Ventana Ballet. Collaborations with Ventana Ballet often pair choreography with music for solo cello, chamber ensemble, to small string orchestras. With Cory as soloist, Ventana Ballet has choreographed dance to his live performances of the Kodaly Cello Sonata, Cassado Cello Suite, Bach Cello Suites, and most recently, Andrea Casarrubios' piece for solo cello, SEVEN. Cory serves as principal cellist for the Temple Symphony Orchestra and Temple Symphony String Quartet. Cory has also performed with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Austin Chamber Music Center, Waco Symphony Orchestra, and the Central Texas Philharmonic.
Cory holds a Master’s degree in music from The University of Texas at Austin where he studied with Bion Tsang. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University, studying under Mark Rudoff.
Patrice Calixte, violin
Canadian violinist Patrice Calixte began playing the violin at the age of eight and went on to participate in a highly competitive high school music program in Montreal, Quebec, where he studied with Francine Pépin. He then earned his undergraduate degree and his master’s degree in music performance from the Université de Montréal, studying under Claude Richard. An experienced orchestral musician, Calixte has worked with many orchestras in Québec and Ontario, including the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, and Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. More recently, he was hired to the first violin section of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, where he stayed for two years. Leaving Calgary in search for more personal development, Calixte moved to Austin where he just obtained an artist diploma from The University of Texas at Austin in the studio of Daniel Ching. He has played in numerous masterclasses from luminaries such as Maxim Vengerov and Regis Pasquier. Calixte has also performed as a concertist with various orchestras in Montreal and recently won The University of Texas Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. He is the newest addition to the Austin based Artisan Quartet.
Patrice Calixte performs on a violin made in 1910 in Florence by Valentino de Zorzi, kindly on loan from Lorraine and John Wang.
Joseph Choi, piano
Korean-American pianist Joseph Choi is a multi-faceted artist of the 21st century. He has been praised for his sensitive, sincere, and scintillating performances.
As a performer, Joey has competed on the international stage and has garnered awards such as the Second Prize in the 2014 NTD International Piano Competition, Finalist in the 2016 San Antonio International Piano Competition, where he was awarded the prize for Best Performance of a Baroque Composer, Second Prize in the 2012 Tuesday Musical Club Competition in San Antonio, and winner of the 2012 concerto competition at the University of Texas at Austin. He has performed in venues such as Zankel Hall in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the Benedict Music Tent at the Aspen Music Festival. Joey has also performed with groups such as the Austin Symphony Orchestra, Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, University of Texas Symphony Orchestra, Aeolus Quartet, and Inversion Ensemble.
As a music educator, Joey currently serves on the faculty of Concordia University Texas where he teaches piano and music theory. Furthermore, he continues to maintain a private studio in Austin where his students have gone on to win prizes in many competitions and have been featured on programs such as NPR’s “From the Top”.
As an advocate for the arts, Joey is the Artistic Director of the Classical Artists Concert Series where he works in conjunction with the Pflugerville Arts Council to bring international artists to the Central Texas region. Recently featured artists include the Cordova String Quartet, Miro String Quartet, Alexander Malikov, Michael Schneider, and Francesco Mastromatteo. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Austin-based choral collective Panoramic Voices.
After initial studies with Ellen Masaki, Joey continued his education with Anton Nel where he received both his Doctorate of Musical Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees at the University of Texas at Austin. His Master of Music degree was obtained at the Juilliard School working under Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio. Masterclass and further studies include Yoheved Kaplinsky, Robert McDonald, Julian Martin, John O’Conor, Dominique Weber, Robert Roux, Zenon Fishbein, and Orli Shaham.
In his free time, Joey loves to compose music and ride his bicycle.
Benjamin Dia, piano
Benjamin Dia is a pianist, arranger and conductor. He made his debut as a collaborative pianist with the principal players of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra at the 1992 Asian Composers League Festival in the Cultural Center of the Philippines, premiering new works by emerging Asian composers. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of the Philippines, he went to the United States to pursue his graduate studies at the Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. Since then he has performed in music festivals and in venues such as The Asia Society of New York, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts, Oslo Konzerthus and in the Aberdeen International Youth Festival.
Cheryl Gallagher, harp and artist
Cheryl Gallagher, (known in the world of music as Madhavi Devi), is an accomplished artist and musician renowned for her mesmerizing and soul-stirring compositions. With a career spanning several decades, Madhavi Devi has created a unique musical experience that transcends boundaries and touches the hearts of audiences worldwide.
Born with an innate talent for music, Cheryl has honed her skills in various musical disciplines, including ambient, electronic, and world music. Her music reflects a deep connection to the spiritual and mystical, infusing her compositions with a sense of ethereal beauty and profound emotion. Her main acoustic instrument is harp and at this holiday event she will be playing a 19 string electric lyre.
Over the years, Cheryl Gallagher as Madhavi Devi has released a series of critically acclaimed albums that have garnered a dedicated following. Her evocative soundscapes invite listeners on a journey of self-discovery, relaxation, and reflection, making her a sought-after artist in the world of ambient and new age music.
As a visual artist, Cheryl Gallagher's work is equally enchanting. Her imagery often mirrors the ethereal yet intense quality of her music, creating a harmonious synergy between the two art forms. Some of her colorful and fascinating post symbolist and abstract paintings will exhibit in the barn concert space for the month of December. Don't miss the opportunity to witness Cheryl Gallagher’s traditional uplifting holiday themed live performance.
Sophia Gilmson, piano/harpsichord
Sophia Gilmson, Russian-born pianist, has concertized extensively in Europe and the United States to a high critical acclaim. Carl Cunningham of The Houston Post described Gilmson's playing as a "...brilliant, driving performance." Michael Huebner, of the Austin American-Statesman, referred to her performance of Bach's Goldberg Variations as "one of the most refreshing and thought-provoking performances this season." In 2001, she was awarded the prestigious Mount Everest Award by the Austin Critics Table for this performance, in which she played the Goldberg Variations on harpsichord and piano in the same evening. Michael Barnes, chief arts critic of the Austin American-Statesman at that time, ranked this performance as one of the top ten arts events of 2001, calling it "unforgettable". In the celebration of its 20th anniversary, Austin's Performing Arts Center included this concert in the list of twenty most memorable programs of its history, one per year. Later, her studio recording of this performance received a Silver Medal from the Global Music Award. “I can now say that Sophia Gilmson has gone where no one has gone before…” Fanfare Magazine She is a recipient of numerous awards, among which are the First Prize in the Young Artists Competition in New York City, followed by a recital in Carnegie Hall, and the Piano International Recording Competition. Radio Leningrad, Radio Vatican, WQXR and WNYC in New York City, among others, broadcasted her performances.
Sophia Gilmson is a dedicated educator. Her students have won major prizes on state, national, and international levels. Her unique pedagogical skills are universally recognized at both pre-college and collegiate levels. She has received an array of excellence in teaching awards, including 2001 Collegiate Teaching Achievement Award of Texas. In 2023 she was inducted to the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame.
Sophia Gilmson is the co-founder of both Houston and Austin Young Artists Concerts, the programs designed for musically gifted children. Sophia has been an artistic director for both programs for twenty years since its inception in 1987 to 2007.
She presented papers, masterclasses and lectures at the World Piano Pedagogy and Music Teachers National Association Conferences as well as various international music festivals and conferences. She has been published in Keyboard Companion, official journal of the Frances Clark Center for Keyboard Pedagogy.
Sophia Gilmson graduated cum laude from the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Conservatory in Russia, where she studied with a legendary Russian pianist Professor Vitaly Margulis. She is currently an Emeritus Professor at the University of Texas Butler School of Music.
Jill Grove, mezzo-soprano
Before the pandemic, American mezzo-soprano Jill Grove returned to both the Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago as the Governess in Pique Dame, joined Minnesota Opera for Klytaemnestra in Elektra, and was scheduled at the Metropolitan Opera for their production of Káťa Kabanova before the pandemic shut everything down. Last season she sang the Fortune Teller in Arabella and Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana with San Francisco Opera, 1st Maid in Elektra with Canadian Opera Company, and returned to the Metropolitan Opera for their productions of Götterdämmerung and Dialogues des Carmélites. She also joined the Calgary Philharmonic for performances of Verdi’s "Requiem". Jill will make her Arizona Opera debut in the winter of 2022 in their production of A Little Night Music.
The mezzo’s other recent performances include; Klytaemnestra in Elektra with Michigan Opera Theatre; Auntie in Peter Grimes with Canadian Opera Company; Ježibaba in Rusalka and First Maid in Elektra with Houston Grand Opera; Buryja in Jenůfa, and Madelon in Andrea Chenier at San Francisco Opera; Dame Quickly in Falstaff, Muschel in Die ägyptische Helena, Florence Pike in Albert Herring, Ursule in Béatrice et Bénédict, and Antonia’s Mother in Les contes d’Hoffmann with Santa Fe Opera; Erda in Siegfried, Nutrice in L'Incoronazione di Poppea, and Zita in Gianni Schicchi at Los Angeles Opera; Baba the Turk in The Rake’s Progress with Pittsburgh Opera and Utah Opera; Amneris in Aida in previous performances with Canadian Opera Company, San Diego Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
In Europe, Ms. Grove has performed the role of Haushälterin in Die schweigsame Frau with Théâtre du Châtelet; Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera with Welsh National Opera and Teatro Carlo Felice; and Erda in Siegfried and the First Norn in Götterdämmerung with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich under the baton of Kent Nagano.
Douglas Harvey, cello
Douglas Harvey performed his first concert as a member of the Austin Symphony Orchestra at the age of seventeen. At the age of eighteen, he won an audition to become the Orchestra’s Acting Principal cellist and performed his first concert in that position shortly after. In 2002 the position became his, following a national audition, thus making him the youngest Principal Cellist in the almost 100-year history of the Orchestra. In 2003 Harvey shared the stage as soloist with celebrated news anchor Hugh Downs, Peter Bay, and the Austin Symphony, in a performance of Dan Welcher’s massive oratorio, “JFK: The Voice of Peace,” for solo cello, narrator, symphony orchestra, and choir. The Austin-American Statesman said, “ASO principal cellist Douglas Harvey, in his first solo appearance with the orchestra, provided a strong and expressive musical representation of JFK, choosing to emphasize the more inward, sensitive aspects of the man.” The success of his performances led to the presentation of a J.B. Vuillaume cello, the JFK Award, presented by the Amatius Foundation, and the world premieres of two additional works, one of which written for him by the composer (Welcher), in New York’s Steinway Hall.
Harvey began playing the cello at the age of 9 in the fourth-grade public school program in San Antonio, Texas. Two years later he began private study with Mrs. Annette DiGiosia, cellist with the San Antonio Symphony, and over the next several years he won numerous first-place awards in every local competition that he entered. He began further study at age thirteen with Emeritus Professor Paul Olefsky of the University of Texas at Austin.
Douglas performed his first concerto as solo cellist with the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio at the age of 13, and made his debut as soloist with the San Antonio Symphony at the age of 15. At the age of 15, he began study of the Kodaly Sonata for Solo Cello Op. 8, which he has performed at two World Cello Congress events in College Park, Maryland. At age 16 he was the youngest cellist in history to be invited by the University of Texas at Austin to perform a full recital on its campus. He won first place awards in the 2000 William C. Byrd International Competition, the Idyllwild International Young Artists Competition, and the Corpus Christi International Competition, as well as two first place solo Bach prizes awarded at the Corpus Christi and Kingsville International Competitions. Since then, Mr. Harvey has performed almost 20 different works for cello and orchestra including works by: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Boccherini, Dvorak, Elgar, Faure, Haydn, Lalo, Saint-Saens, Schumann, Vivaldi, and others. In 2007, Douglas gave the Texas premiere of the Concertino for Cello and String Orchestra by Irving Schlein in the presence of the composer’s son, the late Dr. Peter Schlein, with conductor Anthony Corrora and the Austin Symphony during the Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park series. Last summer he performed the Brahms Double Concerto in Bear Valley, California, with violinist Larry Shapiro, and conductor Carter Nice.
He has given performances for St. Austin’s Catholic Church, the Austin Chamber Music Center, the Amatius Chamber Music Series at the Dell Jewish Community Center, Austin’s Classical Guitar Society, Into the Light Live, the University of Texas at Austin Jessen Series, the UT PAC at Bates, Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas State University in San Marcos, and performs regularly with the Chamber Soloists of Austin, and in intimate chamber music concerts with the Salon Concert Series. Harvey has also been the Principal Cellist of the Austin Lyric Opera Orchestra since 2005.
Douglas Harvey, as a member of the Tosca Strings, has twice toured through America and abroad with David Byrne of Talking Heads fame. Live broadcasts from the tours have included, David Letterman (CBS), On the Record with Bob Costas (HBO), Later with Jools Holland, London BBC, and Live at the Union Chapel, London BBC DVD. The tour featured performances at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, Concertgebouw, Royal Festival Hall, The Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and many others and was named in the top-ten of live touring shows by Rolling Stones Magazine, and the number one live show from the Dallas Morning News. Harvey has also recorded and worked locally with Ray Benson (Beyond Time), David Byrne (Grown Backwards), Matt Morris and Justin Timberlake (When Everything Breaks Open), Andrew Heller (Christmas Wonder, Places), Disney’s (Merry Little Christmas), and others.
Douglas plays on the Grand Prize-winning “Emperor” cello made c. 1860 in Paris by Gand Freres, commissioned by the Emperor Napoleon III.
Robert Hatten
Robert S. Hatten is Professor Emeritus and Emeritus Holder of the Marlene and Morton Meyerson Professorship in Music at the Butler School of Music, The University of Texas at Austin, where he taught music theory from 2011 to 2022. He has served as President of Society for Music Theory (2017-19) and President of the Semiotic Society of America (2008). Dr. Hatten’s first book, Musical Meaning in Beethoven: Markedness, Correlation, and Interpretation (1994) was co-recipient in 1997 of the Wallace Berry Award from the Society for Music Theory. His second book, Interpreting Musical Gestures, Topics, and Tropes: Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert (2004) helped launch the book series “Musical Meaning and Interpretation” (Indiana University Press), for which he served as general editor until 2020, shepherding the publication of over 35 books by musicologists as well as theorists. His third book, A Theory of Virtual Agency for Western Art Music, appeared in the series in 2018. He is currently working on a book exploring textural innovations and their expressive roles in selected solo keyboard works of Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, and Brahms.
Irida Herri, soprano
Praised as “an exquisite soloist with a wonderful voice full of warmth and expression” (Rhein Neckar Zeitung), soprano Irida Herri has performed actively as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Germany, and Japan. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from Augusta State University in Georgia and a master’s degree in Opera Performance from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music in New York. Irida was a prize winner of the Sun Coast Opera Guild Competition in Florida, and she has participated in masterclasses by Mary Dibbern, William McIver, and Barbara Hahn. Her operatic roles include Blanche from Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites, Damon from Handel’s Acis and Galatea, Micaela from Bizet’s Carmen, Pamina from Mozart’s Magic Flute, Rosalinde from Strauss’ Die Feldermaus, Queen Tye from Glass’ Akhnaten and many others.
In addition to opera, Irida has performed as the soprano soloist in major choral works, various cantatas, oratorios, and masses with Baltimore Symphony, Columbia Pro Cantare, Concert Artists of Baltimore, Heidelberg Bachchor, and Central Texas Philharmonic. Her soloist orchestral works include Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Exsultate Jubilate, Mozart’s Grand Mass in C Minor and Coronation Mass, Faure’s Requiem, Honneger’s King David, Bach’s St. Matthew’s Passion and Magnificat, Poulenc’s Gloria, Haydn’s Missa cellensis, etc. Irida was also a member of Theater der Stadt Heidelberg in Germany for many years.
Currently, Irida is a third year DMA student in Vocal Pedagogy at BSoM.
Jeanne Hourez, piano
Since her debut as a soloist at the age of 12, French pianist JEANNE HOUREZ has appeared with various orchestras, including the Orchestre Symphonique de Cannes, the Orchestre Symphonique Azuréen, and the Orchestre Philharmonique des Musiciens de Montréal. She has performed numerous recitals in Europe, North America, and Asia and has participated in seasonal music festivals such as Jeunes Talents in Paris, Orford Musique in Quebec, the Festival International de Mandoline de Castellar, Candlelights Concerts in the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam, and the Trinity Alps Chamber Music Festival. Jeanne Hourez has received numerous awards, including three Gold Prizes at the London Young Musician Competition (2021, United Kingdom), the Grand Prize, and the Public Prize at the International Piano Competition Alain Marinaro (2015, France), among others. An active chamber musician, Jeanne co-founded the Ensemble Benzaiten, whose repertoire uniquely blends mandolin and piano. She also forms a duo with French violinist Katya Darisio and serves as the pianist of SoundMap Ensemble.
Sun Huh, violin
Native Korean violinist Sun Huh has risen to acclaim around the world for her musicianship and extraordinary performances. She has played concerts as a soloist in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, and is a prize winner of many national competitions in South Korea and of international competitions including New York International Music Concours and National Artist Competition. Huh quickly established her European career while studying in Germany, and she debuted as a concert soloist with Neue Kammerorchester Düsseldorf' in the Mozart Festival under the baton of Rüdiger Bohn. She has had significant performance engagements as a soloist with German notable orchestras such as Collegium Musicum Jülich under the baton of Raymond Janssen and Neue Philharmonia Westfalen. She also appeared in several international music festivals to collaborate with renowned musicians including the Heine Quartet and Hariolf Schlichtig.
Her devoted passion to learning led her to the United States where she continued her professional career while a graduate student at the Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she was a recipient of the prestigious Barbara and David Jacobs scholarship to pursue her Performer Diploma. As an active soloist and chamber musician, she collaborated with contemporary leading musicians such as Mark Kaplan, Atar Arad, Peter Stumpf, Emilio Colon, Edward Gazouleas, Lawrence Hurst, Kurt Muroki, Sarah Kapustin, Marcus Thompson, and Godfried Hoogeven. She has performed as a chamber musician at the Edward Auer Summer Piano Workshop, and the Opening Ceremony Institute for Korean Studies, and for the Asian Culture Center 20th Anniversary Symposium at Indiana University. With her piano trio Zima Trio, she was invited to perform at the Mineral Point Chamber Music Festival in 2018. She is also a founding member of Cercis String Quartet since 2021 and has won the 1st prize in the Manhattan International Music Competition in 2022. She has performed with the ensemble across the Midwest. After having established her professional career in the U.S., she still continues her performance engagements in Europe. One of the highlights was a solo performance at the ceremony of the UNHCR World Refugee Day in Switzerland. She has been a regular member of the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico which provides dynamic concerts and masterclasses on violin to Puerto Rican communities and to young talents as a musical representative for the D’Addario, the Titin Foundations, and Fundacion Puertoriquena de las Humanidades since 2019.
Huh is a graduate of the Hanns Eisler Hochschule für Musik in Berlin and the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf, where she obtained her Bachelor of Music and Konzert-Examen degree with the highest distinction under the tutelage of Stephan Picard and Ida Bieler. Huh then completed her Performer Diploma and Master of Music with the late Ik-Hwan Bae at the Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she most recently earned her Doctorate of Music in Literature and Performance as a student of Mark Kaplan. She has been regularly invited to perform in faculty chamber recitals and to give lectures to the college students at IU. Recently, she gave lectures on Rehearsal Techniques with an Accompanist, and Instrumental Studies at IU. As an educator, she has distinguished herself as a cultivator of young talent. She has been on the faculty of the Stafford Music Academy and a regular instructor of the Fairview Project in Bloomington. She has been annually invited to the Violonissimo School and the Bougy Music Camp in Switzerland as a guest professor and music instructor since 2016. Ms. Huh has sat on the jury of international music competitions, including the St. Louis District Audition Missouri Music Teachers Association and the East Coast International Competition.
Zoe Chunghui Kim, soprano
Soprano Zoe Chunghui Kim has been celebrated as an artist with special voice color and ample expressivity. While her broad performance experience spans a variety of styles from Baroque to Contemporary music, her passion and signature roles are from the works of Verdi and Puccini. In 2021 May, Dr. Kim presented her research on Puccini’s Edgar and its heroine Fidelia. She successfully performed Fidelia’s main arias and scenes.
Ms. Kim sang at well-known venues around the world including the Carnegie Hall, National Opera America Center, and Seoul Arts Center. In 2021, she has been selected as the first prize winner of the MAP International Music Competition and also awarded first place in the 2021 Forte International Competition. She was also given the Distinction Award of the Metropolitan International Vocal Competition in 2018. Dr. Kim attended various programs such as the IVAI New York, Martina Arroyo Foundation Program, and Manhattan Opera Studio Summer Program where she sang as Fiordiligi (Così fan Tutte), Musetta (La bohème), Mimi (La bohème), and Countess (Le nozze di Figaro). As a young artist scholarship recipient at the Butler Opera Center for three years, she made several main role debuts. Her 2018-2019 season began as Vitellia (La Clemenza di Tito, cover) and she also portrayed Tatiana (Eugene Onegin) with the baton of James Conlon. Her other credits with the BOC include Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni), Governess (The Turn of the Screw), and Countess (Le nozze di Figaro, Cancelled for COVID-19). She also performed critical roles in Guilio Cesare, Die Fledermaus, Hansel and Gretel, and Suor Angelica.
She recently earned the Doctorate of Musical Arts at UT Austin studying under the tutelage of Darlene Wiley. She holds her Master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Mignon Dunn.
She is currently singing based in Austin, Texas.
Dan Kurland
Dan K. Kurland is currently Studienleiter und Solorepetitor mit Dirigierverpflichtung at Die Oper of Bühnen Halle. Previously, he was Solorepetitor mit Dirgierverpflichtung at Theater Hagen where he also served in the newly-created position of Stellv. Studienleiter until 2021.
Prior to moving to Germany, he maintained an active vocal coaching studio in New York where clients included prominent singers on rosters the likes of The Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, and Deutsche Oper Berlin. Former engagements include those at Wolf Trap Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, and Music Academy of the West. As a pianist active in almost all facets of vocal, instrumental, and orchestral repertoires, he has appeared in concert throughout New York (Steinway Hall, The DiMenna Center, The Guggenheim Museum, Caramoor, Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall and David Rubinstein Atrium) the United States (Aspen Music Festival and School, Chicago, Texas), Germany (Staatskapelle Halle, Dortmunder Philharmoniker, Philharmonische Orchester Hagen), Austria (AlpenKammerMusik), France (extensive concert tours throughout Nouvelle-Aquitaine), and England (Finalist Prize, 2015 Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition).
Collaborations include those with soprano Julia Bullock, tenors Miles Mykkanen and Spencer Lang, violinists Francisco García Fullana, Eric Silberger and Charles Yang, cellist Julian Schwarz, the critically acclaimed string quintet SYBARITE5, and actors Shalita Grant, Ernestine Jackson, Michael Kostroff. Joining the 2010 Broadway production of Master Class (Manny Weinstock, u/s) with Tyne Daly led to successive performances with the renowned EMMY and TONY Award-Winning actress, including a special performance for the opening of FOCUS on The Arts.
While at Theater Hagen, Mr Kurland combined the disciplines of music and acting in new productions of Schubert's Winterreise (Co-Concept with Francis Hüsers; Musikalische Leitung/Pianist), Shakespeare's play Ein Sommernachstraum (Squenz/Musikalische Leitung/Pianist), Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’amore (on-stage recitative cembalist) and the world premiere of Molly Bloom (after James Joyce's Ulysses; Musikalische Leitung/Pianist/Poldy Bloom). He also served as coach and pianist for main-stage productions of Tristan und Isolde, Tosca, Aida, Simon Boccanegra, Tosca, Il turco in Italia, Evererst, Dido and Aeneas, Les contes d’Hoffmann, Der Graf von Luxemburg, Frau Luna, as assistant conductor and pianist for performances of Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem and Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, and numerous performances with the Philharmonische Orchester Hagen as orchestral keyboardist and chamber musician.
A published writer, his articles have appeared in Opera News (2021), Singing: The Timeless Muse (2018), PLAYBILL Lincoln Center's program notes (2014) and numerous pieces in The Juilliard Journal and The Chicago Tribune. As a dedicated teacher, he has been an annual guest coach and clinician at Chicago Summer Opera, a member of the faculty at AlpenKammerMusik (Austria), The Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance program (New York City), and the Franco-American Vocal Academy (FAVA) in Périgueux, France. He has performed with mezzo-soprano Amanda Bottoms at the United Nations International School in New York City and given master classes at Juilliard in Aiken, Columbia University’s Opera Untapped, and at Highland Park High School’s FOCUS On The Arts.
Born in Chicago, he studied at The Juilliard School (Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) and Master of Music (MM)) and The University of Texas at Honors (Bachelor of Music (BM), with honors). A native of suburban Chicago his first teachers included Svetlana Budilovsky and Kay Kim. In his leisure time, Mr. Kurland enjoys hosting dinner parties inspired by Ina Garten, running, and surveying gin and French wines.
Rick Rowley, pianist
Rick Rowley leads a diverse musical life. He gives concerts with many of the world’s finest instrumentalists and singers and his solo, concerto and collaborative performances have taken him throughout the United States, to Europe and Latin America.
Mr. Rowley has made several recordings of solo piano repertoire, chamber music and art songs. His second CD with flutist, Marianne Gedigian, was one of the first recordings issued on the UT Longhorn label. He has recorded piano music of Chopin, Liszt, Granados, Mompou and American composers David Guion, Richard Cumming, Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber. His recordings with sopranos Cheryl Parrish and Mela Dailey also feature music of American composers. He has begun making video performances as part of a series of concerts in partnership with Prof. Darlene Wiley of the BSOM voice faculty.
Mr. Rowley coaches singers and works with collaborative pianists, has taught classes in German, French and American art song, singing and acting for musical theater and a history of musical theater on Broadway. He has appeared three times as soloist with the UTSO and is heard frequently on broadcasts of live performances from the BSOM.
Mr. Rowley has worked extensively in theater in over 50 productions as actor, director and musical director. As well as concerto soloist, he has appeared with the Austin Symphony as actor in two “Beyond the Score” presentations and a concert of music of Silvestre Revueltas. He played the role of Frosch in a production of “Die Fledermaus” at the Butler Opera Center and also wrote incidental music to a children’s theater production of “The Firebird”.
In the past Mr. Rowley was a partner in a piano rebuilding shop, where he gained knowledge and experience in the workings of the instrument.
Videos of Mr. Rowley's performances from Oak Branch and elsewhere can be seen here.
Mikhail Smigelski, bass
Hailed as “phenomenal” (The Harvard Chrimson), “impressively epic” (schwäbische.de), and for his “wine-dark bass” (The Boston Globe), bass-baritone MIKHAIL SMIGELSKI enjoys a career of vast and various genres, including opera, oratorio, early music, musical theatre, and contemporary music. Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Mikhail has performed on the world most prestigious stages including Carnegie Hall, Saint Petersburg’s and Moscow’s Philharmonias, Berliner Philharmonie, Kölner Philharmonie, and has collaborated with established European and American opera, musical theater and concert companies such as Saint Petersburg Chamber Opera, Theater Aachen, Theater Solingen, Theater Leverkusen, Cohen New Works Festival, New York Ferus Festival, East Coast Contemporary Ensemble, Austin Symphony, Opera Leggera, Opera in the Heights, Miami Lyric Opera, The Cleveland Opera, and others. Mikhail Smigelski's vast repertoire includes over 30 operatic roles and over 100 art songs in Russian, German, Italian, French, Polish, Czech, and Yiddish languages.