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MARTIN
ELDRED –
A
founding
member,
Martin
brings
his
talented
and
beautiful
bass-baritone
voice to
our
group.
In
addition
to
singing
with Bel
Canto,
Martin
has
performed
with
Anchorage
Opera,
soloed
in
productions
of
Messiah,
performed
for
Anchorage
Opera
Guild
and has
been a
guest
performer
with the
University
of
Alaska
Opera
Workshop
and the
Fairbanks
Summer
Arts
Festival.
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HEDWIG FABER – Hedwig began her musical studies in a small mountain community in Austria. There she performed for numerous weddings and social functions. She continued her studies here in Alaska and in 1990, won first place in the Anchorage NATS Competition. Hedwig has sung with the Anchorage Concert Chorus, the Anchorage Festival of Music and numerous Anchorage Opera choruses. Hedwig has given recitals in Alaska and Austria, and also enjoys singing with the Dinner Opera. She has been a member of Cantora Arctica since April of 2002 and a member of Bel Canto since 2003. |
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NANCY
GUILEY –
Nancy is
another
talented
founding
member
of Bel
Canto
and as a
teacher,
has
shared
her
musical
gift
with
hundreds
of
elementary
school
children
in
Mat-Su
and as a
performer,
with
such
groups
at
Anchorage
Community
Chorus,
Alaska
Chamber
Singers,
Anchorage
Opera,
Cantora
Arctica and Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival. Nancy has been a finalist in the Alaska Metropolitan Opera Auditions and a past winner in the Alaska NATS competition.
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DOROTHY
HIGHT –
Dorothy
is a Bel
Canto
founding
member
and has
been
sharing
her
delightful
and
versatile
voice
with
audiences
for many
years.
She has
sung
with
Anchorage
Community
Chorus,
Alaska
Chamber
Singers,
Mat-Su
Community
Chorus
and
soloed
in
productions
of
Messiah
in
Anchorage
and
Mat-Su
as well
as with
the
Fairbanks
Summer
Arts
Festival. |
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GUNNAR KNAPP – Gunnar joined our group shortly after its founding. A baritone, Gunnar speaks most of the languages in which we sing. He has also performed with the Anchorage Community Chorus, Anchorage Chamber Singers, Anchorage Opera, Avé, and the Russian American Colony Singers, and has soloed in productions of Messiah. For his day job, he’s an economics professor at UAA and a specialist on Alaska’s seafood industry. |
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LIZ
MILLIKAN
–
Although
Liz is a
classically
trained
violinist,
she
began
studying
voice a
few
short
years
ago and
has been
delighting
audiences
since
with her
beautiful
singing.
Liz is a
founding
member
of Bel
Canto,
an
educator
in the
Anchorage
School
District
and has
sung
with
Anchorage
Opera
and
soloed
in
productions
of
Messiah. |
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CAROLYN MORRIS – Carolyn Morris grew up in Idaho, graduating from the College of Idaho (C of I) with a B.A. in Music Education. She was a soloist with the C of I concert and tour choirs as well as the C of I and Boise Operas. Carolyn had roles in The Telephone, The Medium, The Consul, The Saint of Bleecker Street, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Cosi fon Tutte and Rachel. Carolyn taught in the Boise School system and directed several youth, women’s, opera and church choirs. In 1977, she with her husband and sons moved to Anchorage. After an 11 year hiatus from singing, Carolyn joined the Anchorage Concert Chorus (ACC) in 1988. With the ACC, Carolyn has been a concert, tour choir and Messiah soloist. In 1998, Carolyn began singing with the Anchorage Opera Chorus and has performed in 21 of their past 33 productions and in 2007, became the AO’s Opera ‘Diva’. Currently, Carolyn is the ACC Soprano Section Leader; the ACC Vocal Scholarship, Winners’ Recital and Mentorship Award Coordinator. Carolyn has been a winner in the Alaska state N.A.T.S. Competition and is a founding member of Bel Canto.
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ANNIE NILSSON – Annie joined Bel Canto in 2004, and has been a music teacher in the Anchorage School District since 1998. In 2003, she was First Alternate for the Alaska Met Competition. She has appeared as a soprano soloist with the Alaska Chamber Singers, the Messiah, Anchorage Opera Dark Night and Opera Guild productions, and in the Fairbanks Summer Fine Arts Festival. Her greatest achievement is mothering her adorable twin boys. |
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MARY OLSEN – Mary is in her 3rd season with Bel Canto and brings much depth with her rich mezzo-soprano voice. In addition to her fine musicianship, Mary is a wonderful performer and has shown much versatility. In addition to Bel Canto, Mary sings with Cantora Arctica, has soloed in productions of Handel’s Messiah in Anchorage as well as in the Mat-Su Valley and has performed in several musical theater productions with Valley Performing Arts. She is currently the Music Director for the Matanuska Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. |
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KATIE STEVENSON – Katie spent last season as a Guest Artist with Bel Canto, and is now the newest member of the group. Her performance experience includes the role of The Secretary in The Consul at Halifax Summer Opera Workshop, a cover role of Mercedes in Carmen with the Anchorage Opera, soloist in the Messiah with the Anchorage Concert Chorus, and numerous productions with the Anchorage Opera Chorus. She works as the music and drama teacher at Pacific Northern Academy and is a member of NATS. Katie grew up in Oregon and holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Portland State University. |
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LINDA PORTER, a mezzo-soprano, was born and raised in Anchorage and holds a degree of vocal performance and elementary education from the University of Alaska, Anchorage. She has taught elementary music in private school setting and loves singing for various community events such as weddings, funerals, and commencement ceremonies. Her musical background involves Anchorage Opera, Anchorage Festival of Music, Anchorage Concert Chorus where she enjoyed performing and recording a solo on their Holiday Pops CD, and has been involved with the National Association of Teachers of Singing since 2006. As a new member, she looks forward to performing with Bel Canto this season! |
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MARY BUSTAMANTE - Mary shares her love of singing and music with the students of the Anchorage School District as classroom music teacher and choir director of twenty years. She has been a soloist with the UAA Singers, UAA Theatre, the Anchorage Concert Chorus, Winds of Time Consort, Anchorage Opera, and the 2007 Anchorage Messiah Performance. Mary was the Maestra for the Second Stage Anchorage Opera production of “Trial By Jury” by Gilbert and Sullivan. Mary is director of the Winds of Time Consort, a historical instrument ensemble, and a music director at Saint Anthony Catholic Church. She holds two degrees in music education from UAA. |
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LAURA ALBRIGHT - migrated to Alaska from Arizona in 2004. She has worked with the Arizona Opera Company, The Bill Hunter Orchestra, The Bay City Big Band, and the Tommy Dorsey Ghost Band among others. She has played roles such as Rowan in Benjamin Brittan's "The Little Sweep", Gretel in Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" and many other musical stage productions. Laura has been teaching voice privately for 15 years and is currently teaching in Eagle River. Laura and her family were instrumental in building a little theater for the community of Eagle River at the Alaska Fine Arts Academy. She is currently involved in the Anchorage Opera production of "Sister Angelica/Pagliacci". |
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