Studio 303 NEWSLETTER

•ASU Vocal Performance graduate and Kansas City native Cameron Becker (left), just completed his first two Fest contract productions for the Opera House in Regensburg, Germany. Next season, he'll be singing the role of Jamie in "The last 5 Years" by Jason Robert Brown at the same theater. His other roles are Freddy in My Fair Lady, Ottokar in Zigeunerbaron, John Utterson in Jekyll and Hyde, and Jelemaco in Il ritorno d'Ulisse by Simon Mayr. He just completed three years study at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria in the opera program and gave a solo recital in the Kansas City area in mid-August.

•Dr. JeeHyun Kim (right), received her Doctorate in Vocal Performance from ASU in December of 2008 and now teaches at SAN MYOUNG UNIVERSITY in Seoul, Korea specializing in Voice Teaching and Vocal Pedagogy. JeeHyun has also been cast as Adina in a coming production of Donizetti's ELISIR D'AMORE to be performed in Seoul later in 2010. She placed first in the Doctoral Division of the NATS competition last year. She gave her professional debut recital on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at Seoul's popular Sejong Concert Hall.

•Portland, OR native and ASU Musical Theater graduate Kelly Jeanne Grant (left) was Kathy in the recent Broadway Revival and PBS Great Performances Telecast of COMPANY, is singing the role of Christine in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA in the National Tour of Hal Prince production of the musical and is currently in ASU's Gammage Auditorium.

Kelly was married in Hawaii last year, and soon after, ran in the New York Marathon (and finished!). She then ran another marathon in Sacramento, CA a month later and qualified

for the Boston Marathon. In April, she ran Boston and finished in 3hrs. 33min! Earlier this year, she appeared on National TV in a Jay Leno Tonight Show skit. All this while participating in the National Tour of Phantom! Kelly will appear in Tempe at ASU Gammage Auditorium around Halloween (end of October, 2009.)

•On January 14-16 recent Vocal Performance graduate and another Portland, OR tenor Erik Gustafson (right), will be singing the part of Master Peter in the Phoenix Symphony's production of Master Peter's Puppet Show. He continues as a member and soloist with the Grammy Award winning Phoenix Chorale

•Still another Portland, OR native, former ASU soprano Anne-Kathryn Olsen (far right), who graduated in May, has been cast as Cleopatra in Georg Frideric Handel's JULIUS CAESAR to be performed at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music this school year. Katy is now a graduate Vocal Performance student there.

•Former ASU Music Theater major and Chandler, AZ, native Kyrstina Alabado (left), from Chandler, AZ continues as the female swing singer in the national tour SP

RING AWAKENINGS. The production is in its second year on the road.

•ASU Masters recipient and Longbeach, CA native Dr. David Thomas (far right), sang the baritone solos in Beethoven's 9th with the Gainesville Symphony in Georgia in October.

•ASU DMA Candidate John Mauldin from Logan, UT (near right), is new Director of Entertainment for Sun Valley Resort in Sun Valley, Idaho. He also sang with Boise Philharmonic as tenor soloist for their presentation of a new work Voices of Light to a sold out house in the Morrison Center in Boise. This marked the debut performance from conductor Michael Franz, the symphony’s new Music Director. He also soloed with Craig Jessop’s new choir, The American Festival Chorus in their performance of Carmina Burana. Coming performances for John include ”Archibald” in The Secret Garden, Sun Valley’s Classical Christmas Concert and Opera Idaho’s annual Puccini Martini Blast.

•Current Junior Music Theater Major from Mesa, AZ Alyssa Chiarello (far left) performed in the Phoenix Theater's new production of CURTAINS a show written by 'Caberet' and 'Chicago' authors Kander & Ebb. The show will run from September 16 thru October 11, 2009.

•Arizona sophomore and current ASU Music Theater major Michelle Chin (near right), performed in bare the musical early last summer played the role of Jenny in the Neil LaBute play: 'The Shape of Things' in September. She's just been cast in the Arizona Broadway Theater Production of Gypsy which will be up on stage in early 2010.

•Former ASU Music Theater graduate from Iowa and soprano Suzanne Emanuel (far right), lives and works as a singer, choreographer, painter and actress in Reykjavik, Iceland. She's in love with the country and its people and just took up a national past time, knitting.

• Junior Eddie Maldonado (first left), sang the role of Thuy in MISS SAIGON and he was in a new production of BYE BYE BIRDIE with sophomore Kayte Zhang (3rd from left above), produced by Arizona Broadway Theater. Eddie was nominated for a Zonie Award for a production of THE WORLD GOES ROUND.and is currently in the Arizona Broadway Theater production of ANYTHING GOES! Kayte sang the lead role of Kim in another production of MISS SAIGON last season and was also nominated for an Arizona Theater 'Zonie' Award. Masters in Vocal Performance candidate
From Seattle, senior in Vocal Performance and Music Theater Rachel Policar (third from left above), sang in the MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC summer vocal program in June and the year before, work with the College Light Opera Company in Faulmouth, MA.

• Senior Justin Carpenter, a double major in Vocal Performance/Music Theater (fourth above), and current ASU Arizona Junior Vocal Performance major Hannah Bentley (fifith above), along with other theater alumni, sang in a benefit concert for The Phoenix Valley Youth Theater in late May. The proceeds from this performance went to support the theater and its outreach programs her in the Phoenix-Metro area. Featured on the program were over 75 young artists who've gone through the program. Justin sang with the Salt River Brass Ensemble for the second time this year. Paul Nicosia (sixth from left above), from New Brunswick, NJ (right above), covered Belmonte in Mozart's ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO at the New Jersey Opera Festival during the summer season and participated in their summer young artist program.

•Former studio members: ASU soprano Christanna Rowader, Tenorand conductor/tenor Darryll Rowader (left), joined the Prescott, Arizona Symphony in a tribute to Lerner & Lowe in early August of 2009.

Excerpts from Brigadoon, Gigi, Camelot, My Fair Lady and Paint Your Wagen were featured on the program which was performed to two sold out houses.

•Former ASU graduate Dr. André Garcia-Nuthmann (left), continues as chair of the Music Department at New Mexico Highlands University. Recently, one of his choirs performed in a famous opera choruses concert, with his students as soloists and his other choir performed the

Bruckner “Te Deum” not to long

after.

As a soloist, he just finished performing Bach’s Cantata #104 in Santa Fe with a new group called Canticum Novum with Ken Knight as conductor. A week later he sang the Brahms’ “Liebeslieder Waltzes” in the quartet version on a concert series in Albuquerque. Presently he is preparing the solos for Haydn’s “Die sieben letzten Worte" to be performed in Eisenstadt, Austria as part of the Haydn 200th year anniversary of his death with the Classical Music Festival there. Details at: <http://cmfusf.arts.usf.edu> André also sang the tenor solos in the Beethoven 9th Symphony in March. He now resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

•Texas native and former ASU Bachelors recipient in Music Theater and Arizona 'Zonie' award winner, Tori Sanchez (right), will be performing in the Austin, Texas area as a featured singer with a new rock band this coming fall and spring. She's been lead singer with two groups here in Arizonal for the last three years.

•Mesa Arizona bass baritone and ASU Vocal Performance Bachelor's recipient Jeff Tucker and Jeff Tucker (right and

right), just completed a season with

the Saratota Opera Company singing the Sacrastan in Puccini's TOSCA and the Grand Inquisitor in DON CARLO.

•ASU Vocal Performance graduate and Edmonds, WA native, tenor Tracy Wise and Tracy Wise (left and left), sang his favorite role of the Tanzmeister in ARIADNE AUF NOXOS with the Montgomery Opera last Season and also sang Bazilio in the Dallas Opera production of THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO.

•Costa Rican mezzo and ASU Masters in Vocal Performance recipient Ilse Apestegui (left), sang the role of Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with the National Opera in Costa Rica this summer. She continues to guest with U. S. regional orchestras singing oratorio in concert and performs in straight plays as well.

•ASU Master of Music Collaborative Piano graduate and New York native Jennifer Hoppe (far right), worked in Tulsa last season working on Hansel and Gretel with Tulsa Opera. She was a member of the music staff for the Santa Fe Opera last summer and she says that she was very excited to be a part of their season.

•ASU DMA recipient in Collaborative Piano Dr. Solim Bae (near right) gave her first major recital in Seoul, Korea in mid-June of this year. She collaborates in recital with Dr. JeeHyun Kim (pictured above) in October of this year. Their concert will be performed at Seoul's well-known SeJong Recital Hall concert space.

•Recent ASU Masters recipient Russian Yevgeniy Chainikov and (far left), sang Iago in Verdi's OTELLO with the National Opera of Kazakhstan Astana. He garnered excellent

reviews for his portrayal and was immediately engaged for future productions with the company.

•Gresham, OR baritone Jason Paul (near left) former ASU Music Theater major, sang the role of Chris in MISS SAIGON at
the Arizona Broadway Theater in the Phoenix, Arizona area last season.

•To the right is ASU Vocal Performance Graduate and Cedar Rapids, IA native Christopher Johnstone who recently received a Performance Diploma in voice from the Cincinnati Concervatory.
He has soloed with the San Diego Opera, the Tanglewood Festival and the Glimmerglass Opera and he was featured on ABC TV's Good Morning America in early May as an up-and-coming classical singing artist. He's also appeared in a recurring role on the soap opera ALL MY CHILDREN.

•Former ASU DMA candidate Sun Kyoung Chung (lower left), gave her third major voice recital in Seoul, Korea at the Sejong Concert Hall complex earlier this year.

The Russian/American program included songs by Copland, Previn, Prokofiev and Rachmaninoff. Much in demand as a voice teacher, Sun Kyoung presently teaches at: EHWA, SANGMYUNG and DONGDUCK Universities in Seoul.

•Pictured right (from left to right), are Studio 303 members: Eddie Maldonado, Roberto Marin-Berdeguer, Rachel Policar, Hannah Bentley, Benjamin Soto, and in front Lindsey Geroux and Justin Carpenter in ASU's production of West Side Story presented last season. The show was put together in just 2 1/2 weeks, was very well received by the audiences and critics and filled the house for the four perfomances of its short run.

•Scottsdale, AZ tenor and ASU Vocal Performance Graduate Max Miller (left), was in the broadway revival production of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein's MUSIC IN THE AIR last season. This was his second Broadway show within a year's time. It was a short run but was well attended and boasted a great cast and production team. In his other production, he soloed in JUNO on Off Broadway in NYC at City Center last spring. He sang in Indiana at the New Harmony Theater singing Freddie in MY FAIR LADY between NY appearances.

•Stockton, CA soprano and ASU Vocal Performance Graduate Jen Johnson (near right), resides in Boston and still is very much involved as lead singer with her rock band THE STATIC OF THE GODS. The group has two national tours under its belt and several recordings out there (one new one in progress). Puyalop, WA native and former ASU Music Theater Major singer/dancer Kelly (Dwight) Sullivan (far right), performed the role of INGA in the Mel Brooks' production of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN seen on Broadway in New York City last fall and early 2009.

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