Amplifying Voices: Intersect Opera
La Traviata
The FF Collective, a new non-profit arts organization founded by Tasha Koontz, Sarah-Nicole Ruddy Carter, and Katie Hickey, recently presented La Traviata in concert. This production was conducted by Bruce Stasyna and featured local favorites including Tasha Koontz, Adam Caughey, Michael Sokol, Sarah-Nicole Carter and members of the San Diego Opera Chorus.
Due to the Covid-19 delta variant, audience members were asked to wear masks for the duration of the concert. Musicians were vaccinated and tested.
Due to the Covid-19 delta variant, audience members were asked to wear masks for the duration of the concert. Musicians were vaccinated and tested.
Meet the Artists
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Native Hawaiian soprano Tasha Koontz (Violetta) has been
recognized by Parterre Box for her “sumptuous, gleaming lyric instrument” and by Opera Wire for her “secure silvery high notes”. An artist garnering attention from coast to coast, she lends her unique combination of nuanced and vocally exciting performances to a gallery of leading ladies in the operatic repertoire. In San Diego Opera’s 2021 concert One Amazing Night “Soprano Tasha Koontz wowed with a knockout performance of “Dieu quel frisson” from Gounod’s opera, “Romeo et Juliette,” (San Diego Union Tribune) and performed the soprano solos in Bach Cantata 106 with the La Jolla Symphony. Ms. Koontz was also a featured soloist in the Del Mar International Composer’s Symposium where she performed new and recent works by up and coming composers like Nicolas Lell Benavides, Polina Nazaykinskaya, and Jordan Kuspa. In the 2019/20 season, engagements included the soprano solos in Mendelssohn's A Midsummer Night's Dream with the San Diego Symphony, the role of the High Priestess in Verdi's Aïda with the San Diego Opera, the soprano soloist in Vivaldi's Gloria with the San Diego Festival Chorus & Orchestra, and Barber's Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the California Chamber Orchestra. Ms. Koontz was also heard on the WFMT radio broadcast of the 2019 performance of Aïda with Chicago Symphony Orchestra in which she sang High Priestess. in In October 2020 she had the pleasure of covering Ana Maria Martinez in the role of Mimì in La Boheme in a groundbreaking drive in opera production by San Diego Opera. Ms. Koontz recently performed as the soprano soloist for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the historic Spreckels Organ Pavilion with the San Diego Master Chorale, Spreckels Organ Society, and San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez. She will next appear with San Diego Opera in the 2021 and 2023 seasons. www.tashakoontz.com IG: @TishTashKoontz |
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Tenor Adam Caughey (Alfredo), originally from San Diego, CA, received his B.M from UC Santa Cruz and M.M. from Peabody Institute of John’s Hopkins while performing roles Sam Kaplan from Weill’s Street Scene, Flute in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Peter Quint from Britten’s The Turn of the Screw, and four comic tenors in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. With that gained experience he was awarded Peabody Opera’s Gulen F. Tangoren Award for Vocal Excellence in Opera.
After his studies Adam went on to perform with numerous companies including Washington National Opera,Caramoor Opera, The Green Mtn. Music Festival in Vermont, Washington Concert Opera, Opera Camerata, and many more up and down the eastern seaboard. His favorite roles with such companies include Tamino, Edgardo, Rinuccio, Albert Herring, and Harlekin (The Emperor of Atlantis). After an extensive year in Frankfurt studying Deutsch and experiencing German life and musical culture, Adam in 2019 moved back to his native San Diego and will continue to perform, teach voice, and soon teach flight training at Montgomery Field. Upcoming roles include Ernesto -Don Pasquale, Frederic - Pirates of Penzance, and Benvolio with San Diego Opera’s Roméo et Juliette. |
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Baritone Michael Sokol (Germont) has had great success in opera and music theatre here in the United States and in Europe, in venues from the Metropolitan Opera, to the Philadelphia Orchestra, to Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. Mr. Sokol grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where as a child he was a member of the Phoenix Boys Choir for many years. He received his university degrees from Arizona State University, the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and Northwestern University.
As a performer in theatre and opera, he has performed roles from Mozart's Count in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Puccini's Marcello in LA BOHEME and Shaw's Henry Higgins in Lerner and Loewe's MY FAIR LADY. Very active in the creation of new music theatre, he created the role of Frank Lloyd Wright in the world premiere of Darren Hagen and Paul Muldoon's opera SHINING BROW, directed by Stephen Wadsworth and the role of the Magician in the American premiere of Stephen Oliver's MARIO AND THE MAGICIAN, directed by Francesca Zambello. An expert in the comic masterpieces of Gilbert and Sullivan and Offenbach, he has appeared in and directed over 17 of their respective works. Most recently he was seen with San Diego Opera singing in ONE AMAZING NIGHT and IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA. He is a respected pedagog and teacher in San Diego and is proud of his association with SDSU, PLNU, Grossmont College, Canyon Crest Academy and Visionary Dance La Mesa. |
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Bruce Stasyna (Conductor) has been on the conducting rosters of the San Diego Opera, New York City Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera, has served as Chorus Master for the San Diego, New York City, Minnesota, Wolf Trap and Des Moines operas, and as Artistic Director for the Green Mountain Opera Festival. He recently made conducting debuts with San Diego Opera, Intermountain Opera, and at the Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival (Italy).
Previously, Mr. Stasyna served for four seasons as Music Director of the Vero Beach Opera, and seven seasons as Chorus Master and Assistant Conductor of the Washington Concert Opera. Mr. Stasyna has recently conducted As One, Maria de Buenos Aires, One Amazing Night, Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, The Falling & The Rising, Kiss Me Kate, La Bohème, The Grapes of Wrath, Die Fledermaus, Il Tabarro, Die Zauberflöte, Albert Herring, The Rape of Lucretia, Così Fan Tutte, Don Pasquale, Le Nozze di Figaro, Little Women, and Orlando. As pianist, he has performed concerts with Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, Ellie Dehn, Marina Costa-Jackson, Sarah Joy Miller, André Courville, J’nai Bridges, and members of Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts. In One Amazing Night with Stephen Costello and Stephen Powell, San Diego Story wrote that “Bruce Stasyna, conducting the San Diego Symphony gave luxurious orchestral support.” Opera Today wrote of his conducting debut for San Diego Opera’s As One, “Conductor Bruce Stasyna wrought a demonstrative performance from his small band of mighty performers. The Hausmann String Quartet played superbly under Maestro Stasyna’s assured baton, and their ensemble with the singers was musically and dramatically flawless” and for Maria de Buenos Aires “Conductor Bruce Stasyna led an assured reading, full of color and undulating fire. He not only coaxed beautifully authentic ensemble playing from his accomplished ensemble, but also allowed the skilled bandoneon, piano, and guitar soloists all the room they needed to perfume the instrumentation with a heady individuality In October 2021, Mr. Stasyna will conduct La Traviata for the FF Collective, followed by Così fan tutte for the San Diego Opera in February 2022. |
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Ben Read (Pianist) began his musical training at the Eastman School of Music as a vocalist, but transferred to and recently graduated from CSU Northridge with a bachelor's degree in composition for Film and Media. He is thrilled, however, to be returning to opera as a pianist with this production of La Traviata.
Ben learned much of his craft of accompanying singers in the studio of his San Diego voice teacher, Enrique Toral. He is grateful to all of his mentors, who also include Tali Tadmoor, Thomas Muraco, and Elizabeth Sellers, for their insightful guidance and wisdom. Apart from his work as a musician, Ben is also a dedicated actor, director, and writer with a passion for theatre of any kind. He thanks Tasha and the FF Collective for the incredible joy of this opportunity and he thanks YOU for supporting their beautiful work. |
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Tenor Dennis Williams (Gastone, Visconte de Letorières) comes to San Diego from New York City where he was a full-time member of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in a career that spanned over 20 years. He made his solo MET debut as Giuseppe in La Traviata starring Edita Gruberova as Violetta. Other notable Violettas in his subsequent performances included Renee Fleming, Krassimira Stoyanova, June Anderson and Diana Soviero.
In total, Mr. Williams appeared in 200 solo performances in such roles as Parpignol in La Bohéme starring Hei-Kyung Hong and Marcello Giordani and in featured roles in La Fille du Regiment, Der Rosenkavalier, Madama Butterfly, Die Zauberflöte, and Kát’a Kabanová under the batons of James Levine, Roberto Abbado, Patrick Summers, Carlo Rizzi, Valery Gergiev, Edoardo Müller, Marco Armiliato and Maurizio Benini, to name a few. |
Baritone Andrew Konopak (Baron Douphol) has worked with both San Diego Opera and Los Angeles Opera companies. In addition to his work around San Diego and Los Angeles, he has performed around Germany and Austria. Andrew has placed and advanced in competitions such as the Los Angeles Western Regional level of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Musical Merit Foundation of San Diego, the Loren L. Zachary, and others. Notable appearances include All Is Calm with San Diego Opera and Bodhi Tree Concerts, der Musiklehrer in Strauß: Ariadne auf Naxos in Berlin, Le Philosophe in Massenet: Chérubin, and Belcore in Donizetti: L’elisir D’amore.
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Bass Josh Arky (Marchese D’Obigny), described by Times Argus as having “a rich, expressive bass,” recently returned to San Diego Opera to perform Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia. Other recent performances include a return to Virginia Opera to perform the Sacristan in Tosca, for which he was hailed as “vocally resonant, while suitably squirrely in character” (Clarke Bustard, Letter V), and many varied appearances with LA CENA È PRONTA, a project Josh co-founded that explores the ways music and food intersect.
Other career highlights include Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte with Opera San José; Jake Wallace in La fanciulla del West with Virginia Opera; Don Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Sugar Creek Opera; Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro with Point Loma Opera Theatre; Hidraot in Gluck’s Armide with OperaNEO; Alidoro in La Cenerentola and Sergeant of Police in The Pirates of Penzance with Opéra Louisiane; and the Captain of the Inquisition in Man of La Mancha and Dottore Grenvil in La traviata with Central City Opera. |
Shelby Condray (Doctor Grenville) is known for his mercurial career choices, bacchanalian hospitality, jovial personality, and singing really low notes that sound pretty. After decades in school studying chemical engineering, neuroscience, opera, and theology, he holds masters degrees from Yale and Boston University. He escaped his bucolic childhood life of Texas and Kansas homes lacking plumbing when his father’s military career took the family to exciting places such as rural Kentucky; Ansbach, Germany; Utica, New York; and Broomfield, Colorado. Since moving to San Diego — for the weather — he has appeared regularly with the San Diego Opera (Count Ceprano, and chorus) and other local companies. Previous engagements include jazz and gospel concerts in Mongolia, Russia, and Cuba, Don Alfonso in Barbados, Colline in France, and Beethoven 9th after the Boston Marathon bombing. He is most proud of his volunteer work with children and post-Katrina gospel performances in Biloxi, Mississippi. Mr. Condray is also a NY Times published writer and visual artist (onelineink.com). He pays the bills as a technical writer for an advanced mathematics software development company
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Mezzo-Soprano Sarah-Nicole Carter (Flora Bervoix) has been hailed by the L.A. Times as "simply wonderful", by San Diego Story as a “fiery mezzo-soprano who added verve and vibrant color”, and as conveying a "sharp wit and wistfulness." She will next be seen as the Alto Soloist in Saint-Saëns Oratorio de Noël with the Center Choral and Escondido Choral Arts Foundation. Recent performances have included Giovanna in Rigoletto and Kate in Pirates of Penzance with San Diego Opera, Berta in The Barber of Seville and Jack’s Mom in Into the Woods at Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theater, and a debut at the Kennedy Center performing La Lettre du jardinière by Marcel-Lucien Tournier.
She has performed in concert with Opera Saratoga, Eureka Symphony, Bach Collegium San Diego, La Jolla Symphony Chorus, Musica Vitale, the Los Angeles Conducting Institute, San Diego Master Chorale, San Diego Festival Chorus, Loveland Opera, Utah Festival Opera, and Musical Theater, and Grossmont Symphony Orchestra. She is a co-founder of the FF Collective, a staff singer at The Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano, and has continued her education during Covid studying improvisation at the UCB Training Center. Visit her website at www.snrcarter.com or find her on Instagram @mobcapmezzo. |
Mezzo-soprano Danielle Perrault (Annina) was born in Queens, NY and raised here in San Diego. Initially trained as a dancer, she began her musical career in the theater and has continued to be an avid performer of musical theater repertoire alongside the roles of music director and conductor for youth theater programs.
Danielle received her B.A. in vocal performance from CSU San Bernardino and her M.M. in opera performance from the University of Kansas. She has enjoyed a varied career singing locally with San Diego Opera, San Diego Symphony, and SACRA/PROFANA as well as abroad on concert and operatic stages in Spain, Germany, and Italy. In addition to her singing work, Danielle is the Worship Coordinator at The Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe as well as a private vocal and creativity coach. Follow her @danielle.perrault.creative ! |
Victor Morris (Giuseppe) has had the honor of gracing the stages of La Jolla Playhouse (His Girl Friday), Moxie Theatre (Trouble In Mind), San Diego Rep (Storyville), and the title role of Othello at Artist Rep in Portland. Film credits include Nora Ephron’s Sleepless in Seattle, Gus Van Sant’s Restless, and Ernest Dickerson’s Surviving The Game. Television credits include roles in American Vandal, Grimm, Criminal Minds, and Leverage. As an instrumentalist, Victor is proficient in piccolo trumpet, euphonium and Lakota flute. He has studied voice with maestri Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, George Shirley, Franco Iglesias, and George Peckham. Victor is presently a member of the San Diego Opera ensemble. His biggest Life Achievement Award is papa to Anaka and Raina.
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Eric Carter (Messenger, Flora's Servant) baritone, received his Master of Music from San Francisco Conservatory and his Bachelor of Music from DePauw University. He is currently a choral section leader at the San Juan Capistrano Mission Basilica. Past roles include Papageno, the Major General, and Count Almaviva. While pursuing his singing career, Eric's side gig of video game production blew up and has been going strong for the past 15 years. While he has lived all across the US, he has been in Southern California for the past 7 years with no intention of leaving. Eric is extremely proud of his wife, Sarah-Nicole, for being one of the founding members of the FF Collective! Together they raise two young daughters, and Eric loves helping them find and explore their own talents. Other interests include resin crafts, water colors, reading books, watching football and F1, and making holes in his house with power tools.
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Soprano
Recognized for her shimmering voice and her charismatic stage portrayals, Coloratura Soprano Laynee Dell, a native of Nebraska, has quickly established herself as an artist in demand since arriving in San Diego. Recently, Ms. Dell made her San Diego Opera debut in One Amazing Night accompanied by the San Diego Symphony. A winner of numerous competitions, she’s been named the First Place Winner in the Virginia & Susan Hawk Vocal Competition, First Place Winner in the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus Young Artist Competition, and Winner of the Musical Merit Trovillo/Graham Award.
Her operatic roles include, in part, the title role of Lakmè, Olympia in Les contes d’Hoffmann, the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, Sofia in Il Signor Bruschino and Zerlina in Don Giovanni. Ms. Dell earned her Masters of Music from the University of Maryland and her Bachelor of Music from Nebraska Wesleyan University. She is a student of Enrique Toral |
Sara Holmes has been a San Diego local since 2000 when she began her undergrad in Romance Languages at Point Loma. She sings often with SACRA/PROFANA and recently performed in Suor Angelica with Genesis Opera. Sara’s upcoming performances include the role of Ida in Die Fledermaus with Pacific Lyric Opera in October and her own recital in St. Peter’s Del Mar’s Unity Concert Series in December. Besides being a mom of two, Sara’s other work is as a Children’s Minister at St. Peter’s, where she is privileged to learn from the children each week
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Originally born and raised in Chicago, IL, Carr Martin made the cross-country move to San Diego in 2016 while pursuing a job in Higher Education. Since that time, Carr has made the most of her BA in Voice Performance from Anderson University here San Diego on a part-time basis by staying actively involved in the music community. Recent performances include collaboration with choral groups SACRA/PROFANA, the San Diego Pro Arte Voices, Soprano Soloist in LJSC’s Messiah Sing-Along, and as Soprano Section Leader at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Del Mar. Outside of music, Carr has established her career as a Finance Consultant with Workday, a Bay-Area based software company focusing on improving the student’s lifecycle at nationwide colleges and universities through implementation of an intuitively reimagined student information system. When Carr isn’t consulting or making music, she can be found flipping through the pages of Architectural Digest magazine for interior design inspiration, going for a jog along the harbor downtown, or playing with her puppy, Maia June, at the Coronado Dog Beach.
As acting Board President of the FF Collective, Carr is ecstatic to be a part of this inaugural concert production of La Traviata is a chorus member, and can’t wait to see this organization continue to take flight! |
Alto
Steph Ishihara, Mezzo-Soprano, is a San Diego native and has studied at MiraCosta Community College and San Diego State University. During her time at SDSU, Steph has performed with both the choral and opera programs, roles including Dido (Dido and Aeneas) and The Friend (Amelia Goes to the Ball). Concert appearances include Durufle‘s Requiem (Alto Soloist), Mozart’s Requiem (Alto Soloist), Mozart’s Coronation Mass (Alto Soloist), and Handel’s Messiah (Alto Soloist). Steph currently performs with the San Diego Master Chorale and has sung with other vocal ensembles in San Diego. An advocate for diversity, equality, and mental health, Steph is so excited to be part of The FF Collective and to be singing among friends.
@thestephish |
Mezzo-soprano Danielle Perrault was born in Queens, NY and raised here in San Diego. Initially trained as a dancer, she began her musical career in the theater and has continued to be an avid performer of musical theater repertoire alongside the roles of music director and conductor for youth theater programs. Danielle received her B.A. in vocal performance from CSU San Bernardino and her M.M. in opera performance from the University of Kansas. She has enjoyed a varied career singing locally with San Diego Opera, San Diego Symphony, and SACRA/PROFANA as well as abroad on concert and operatic stages in Spain, Germany, and Italy. In addition to her singing work, Danielle is the Worship Coordinator at The Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe as well as a private vocal and creativity coach. Follow her @danielle.perrault.creative !
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Elly Roseberry, mezzo-soprano, has resided in San Diego for 10 years. An active professional singing career has resulted in opera and musical theatre roles such as Zita, Gianni Schicchi (NorthSTAR Opera Repertory Theatre); Little Red, Into the Woods (Shasta Vocal Institute); Madame Baba, The Medium (SDSU School of Music), and Princess Winnifred, Once Upon a Mattress (MasterWorks Festival). Elly attended Brevard Music Festival as a young artist, has been a featured soloist with San Diego Symphony, and sings regularly with professional ensemble SACRA/PROFANA. Elly has a passion for teaching, with over a decade of experience as a teacher and vocal coach. She manages a full private studio and is on faculty at Villa Musica, as well as soloist and section leader at Village Church.
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Tenor
Brad Fox, tenor, has been a ubiquitous feature of San Diego choral life since 2007, singing with Sacra/Profana, Bach Collegium San Diego, the chorus of San Diego Opera, South Coast Chamber Choir, Musica Vitale, St. Peter's and All Souls' Episcopal Churches, and other fabulous organizations too numerous to mention. He and his husband have amazing dogs, and he bakes a really nice fruitcake.
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Victor Morris has had the honor of gracing the stages of La Jolla Playhouse (His Girl Friday), Moxie Theatre (Trouble In Mind), San Diego Rep (Storyville), and the title role of Othello at Artist Rep in Portland. Film credits include Nora Ephron’s Sleepless in Seattle, Gus Van Sant’s Restless, and Ernest Dickerson’s Surviving The Game. Television credits include roles in American Vandal, Grimm, Criminal Minds, and Leverage. As an instrumentalist, Victor is proficient in piccolo trumpet, euphonium and Lakota flute. He has studied voice with maestri Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, George Shirley, Franco Iglesias, and George Peckham. Victor is presently a member of the San Diego Opera ensemble. His biggest Life Achievement Award is papa to Anaka and Raina.
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Frank Napolitano studied voice at New England Conservatory under Edward Zambara. His operatic roles include Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte), Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Basilio (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Ramiro (La Cenerentola). As a choral singer he has sung with Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church (NYC), The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin (NYC) and Old South Church (Boston). Since moving to San Diego six years ago, Frank has appeared most frequently with San Diego Pro Arte Voices and Sacra/Profana. In his spare time, Frank can be found volunteering at Free Flight Exotic Bird Sanctuary in Del Mar, CA carrying on full-length conversations with birds he is convinced understand him completely.
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Bass
Eric Carter, baritone, received his Master of Music from San Francisco Conservatory and his Bachelor of Music from DePauw University. He is currently a choral section leader at the San Juan Capistrano Mission Basilica. Past roles include Papageno, the Major General, and Count Almaviva. While pursuing his singing career, Eric's side gig of video game production blew up and has been going strong for the past 15 years. While he has lived all across the US, he has been in Southern California for the past 7 years with no intention of leaving. Eric is extremely proud of his wife, Sarah-Nicole, for being one of the founding members of the FF Collective! Together they raise two young daughters, and Eric loves helping them find and explore their own talents. Other interests include resin crafts, water colors, reading books, watching football and F1, and making holes in his house with power tools. |
Jonathan Nussman is a baritone whose varied interests include opera, theater, improvisation, and chamber music, with a special emphasis on works from the 20th and 21st centuries. Appearances include San Diego Opera, Opera Boston, Guerilla Opera, Bodhi Tree Concerts, Project [BLANK], and the La Jolla Symphony. In addition to originating prominent roles in over twenty world-premiere operas and theatrical works, he has performed extensively in more traditional repertoire, with notable roles including Papageno (Die Zauberflöte), Count Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro), and Sid (Albert Herring). Jonathan is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, and holds a degree in Contemporary Music Performance from UC San Diego, and master’s degree from the Boston Conservatory.
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Kevin Martin has been a professional musician since his first job in high school as a section leader at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Ana, through 40 years of vocalist positions at Episcopalian, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Unitarian churches. He has sung with Long Beach Civic Light Opera, the L.A. Master Chorale, the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and numerous other organizations.
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