2020 Festival
2020 Faculty
Isabel Bayrakdarian
It’s not every prima donna who can boast a degree in biomedical engineering, but then, Isabel Bayrakdarian isn’t your average prima donna. In a career still in its second decade, an eagerly anticipated visitor to opera houses and concert halls the world over, she’s become as celebrated for her beauty, presence, and style as for a strikingly multihued voice that’s wholly in sync with the rest of her. A winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions—the same year she graduated from the University of Toronto cum laude with a Biomedical Engineering Degree—Ms. Bayrakdarian thereafter found her career taking rapid wing. She scored a notable success in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s world premiere production of William Bolcom’s A View from the Bridge; the following year, she walked away from Plácido Domingo’s prestigious Operalia competition with first prize. More debuts followed, including her San Francisco Opera debut, as Valencienne in The Merry Widow, and her Metropolitan Opera debut, in the New York premiere of Bolcom’s opera; a season later, she won plaudits as Teresa in the Met premiere of Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini.
Matthew Valverde
Matthew Valverde, tenor, is a candidate for the degree of Doctorate of Musical Arts at the Eastman School of Music, where he recently completed his Master of Music degree as a student of Kathryn Cowdrick. An avid concert soloist, Matthew has performed in Rochester and Ft. Worth including performances of Bach’s Magnificat and Johannes-Passion, Bruckner’s Te Deum, Beethoven’s Mass in C, Dvořák’s Stabat Mater, Mozart’s Requiem, Puccini’s Messa di Gloria, and Britten’s War Requiem and is featured on the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s recording of Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music under Christopher Seaman for Harmonia Mundi.
Dr. Andre Garcia-Nuthmann
Dr. Andre Garcia-Nuthmann, has been the Director of Choral and Vocal music at New Mexico Highlands University since 1990. At Highlands, he directs two choirs and a Musical Theater ensemble. He also has been the choir director at Temple Beth Shalom in Santa Fe for 12 years. In 2007, his chamber choir was selected as Choir in Residence for the Classical Music Festival held annually in Eisenstadt, Austria. There, they performed in both the Esterhazy Chapel and in the famous Haydnsaal. Andre has an extensive choral experience starting with the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, where he sang and studied with Dr. Kurt Prestell in the Liedertafel Choir. Dr. Prestell was the leading authority for the music of Karl Orff and Igor Stravinsky. Andre also worked and performed with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale under the leadership of Larry Bandfield and later with Dr. Dennis Shrock. At Highlands, Andre was able to collaborate with the Santa Fe Symphony in several concerts held in Las Vegas, New Mexico. During those concerts, Andre would often conduct the Symphony with his Concert Choir. Some of those programs included Handel’s Messiah and several of Haydn’s Masses.
Kristin Ditlow
Kristin Ditlow, American pianist, harpsichordist, vocal coach and conductor, is enjoying a career in opera and recital in the United States and abroad. She is an alumna of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Westminster Choir College, Tanglewood Music Center, and Merola Opera Program. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Accompanying and Chamber Music from the Eastman School of Music, where she was a student of Dr. Jean Barr. Her conducting has been praised as “fine and polished” and featured an “exciting overture,” (Charles Jernigan, when she led Opera Southwest’s Norma). Philadelphia music critic Michael Caruso remarked that her piano performance had “an exquisite sensitivity and exhilarating thrusts of energy,” and the Bethlehem Morning Call wrote about her performance of Brahms as having “enormous passion, fine precision, and great musicality.”
Dr. Juan Hernández
Dr. Juan Hernández currently serves as Director of Choral Activities at Odessa College, where he conducts the A Cappella Choir and the Vocal Ensemble, and teaches Music Appreciation. He also serves as Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church of Odessa. Prior to his appointment at Odessa College, Dr. Hernández served as Director of Choral Activities at the University of New Mexico, where he taught Conducting, Seminar in Choral Literature, and conducted the Concert Choir and University Chorus. Furthermore, he was Music Director at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church of Albuquerque, and directed the Madrigal Singers of Albuquerque.
As Associate Instructor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Dr. Hernández served as Assistant to the Chorus Master in several productions of the IU Opera & Ballet Theater, including Verdi’s “La Traviata”, Indiana University’s premier of Glass’ “Akhnaten”, and the world premiere of Rands’ “Vincent”. He also assisted and conducted the Contemporary Vocal Ensemble (now NOTUS), the University Singers, the Symphony Choir, and the All-Campus Chorus.
Dr. Hernández has over fifteen years of conducting experience, and has performed a vast array of music genres, including popular and folk music of Latin America arranged for choir by himself and others, and major choral-orchestral works of different eras. In his home country, Colombia, he founded several choral ensembles, and participated with Bocca Chiusa Grupo Vocal in the 3rd version of the Choir Games, winning silver and bronze medals in the categories Popular Vocal Music and Folklore A Cappella, respectively. Dr. Hernández conducted the middle-school choir at Colegio Hacienda los Alcaparros in Bogotá, and taught music theory, piano, and conducted the adult, children’s, and parents’ choruses from the Fundación Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de Colombia.
Dr. Hernández holds Doctor of Music and Master of Music in Choral Conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, as well as Bachelor of Music from Los Andes University in Choral Conducting. His conducting professors and mentors include Robert Porco, William Jon Gray, Dominick DiOrio, Walter Huff, Richard Tang Yuk, Betsy Burleigh, Carmen-Helena Téllez, Manuel Cubides Greiffeinstein, and Werner Pfaff.
2020 Awards
2020 Performance Submissions
Cancion De Falla
The Sweet Nightingale W. H. Andersen
Julianna Jackson video
Spring is Singing in the Garden W. H. Anderson
Pampano Verde De la Torre
Sophia Bonnell (Corbett Thomas) video
The Linnet’s Secret Alec Rowley
The Secret Oley Speaks
Zeda Kathleen Titus video
Under the Greenwood Tree Arturo Buzzi-Peccia
Homeward Bound Marta Keen
Se tu m’ami Alesandro Parisotti
El tra la la y el punteado Enrique Granados
Rachel Anderson
Flower Drum Song Arr. Ruth Morris Gray video
Con amores, la mi madre Fernando Obradors video
Mareesh Bali video
The Wind Speaks George Alfred Grant
O Heart of Mine Henry Clough Leighter
Marcos Cano video
Asturiana Manuel de Falla
Le Colibri Ernest Chausson
Rose Carilli video
Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 Hector Villa Lobos
Das Verlassene Mágdlein Hugo Wolf
Sofia Chalamidas video
Sonntag Johannes Brahms
Triste Albert Ginastera
Olivia Chavez
Lasciatemi morire Claudio Monteverdi video
Sure on this Shining Night Samuel Barber video
Cleo Cummins (Jakiche) video
Asturiana Manuel de Falla
Scarborough Fair Arr. J Alhouse
Talia Czuchlewski (Gao) video
Apres un Reve Gabriel Fauré
Chiquitita la novia Fernando Obradors
Gretchen Eberhardt
Beau Soir Claude Debussy video
El Majo discrete Enrique Granados video
Analise Granados video
Se tu m’ami Alessandro Parisotti
Asturiana Manuel de Falla
Paige Gutjahr (Shevitz) video
Down in the Forest Landon Ronald
Majo timido Enrique Granados
Allison Lium (Higbie) video
Les filles de Cadix Leo Delibes
Fairy Lullaby Amy Beach
Owen Margarett-Verrett
Pilgrims Song Petrov Tchaikovsky video
Dios mio, que solos se quedan los Muertos Manuel de Falla video
Maylin Murray Krezan (Marshall) video
La Maja Dolorosa, 2 Enrique Granados
Leibst Du um Schönheit Gustav Mahler
Adrianna Mae Ritch
L’heure exquise Reynaldo Hahn video
Nana Manuel de Falla video
Talia Morgana Roberts
Con amores, la mi madre Fernando Obradors video
The Little Irish Girl Hermann Lohr video
Kaleb Nathaniel Romero
El Capotin arr. Bruce Trinkley video
Burung Kakak Tua arr. Elaine Schram video
Ytzel Romo-Olivas
Preludios Manuel de Falla video
Homeward Bound Marta Keen video
Avery Ross video
Mi sueño Arr. Edward Kilenyi
Amiamo Gaetano Donizetti
Noah Snow
Donde Vas, Alfonso Doce? Arr. Bruce Trinkley video
Homeward Bound Marta Keen video
Evie Stearns
Ave Maria Franz Schubert video
He’s gone away American Folk Song video
Cancion Manuel de Falla
The Sweet Nightingale W. H. Andersen
Corbett Thomas (Sophia Bonnell) video
The Linnet’s Secret Alec Rowley
The Secret Oley Speaks
Peter Jakiche (Cleo Cummins) video
Asturiana Manuel de Falla
Scarborough Fair Arr. By Jay Althouse
Karen Zhang (Annelise Wall) video
Tres Morillas Federico Garcia Lorca
Where Corals Lie Edward Elgar
Gabriel Higbie (Allison Lium) video
Les Filles de Cadix Leo Delibes
Fairy Lullaby Amy Beach
Grace Gao (Talia Czuchlewski) video
Apres un Reve Gabriel Fauré
Chiquitta la Novia Fernando Obrador
Lily Shevitz (Paige Gutjahr) video
El majo timido Enrique Granados
Down in the Forest Landon Ronald
Reia Kishi Gray (Elsa Mota)
El Majo Discreto Enrique Granados video
Into the Night Clara Edwards video
Georgina Lavery (Priscilla Gandara)
Intima Tato Nacho video
Von Ewiger Liebe Johannes Brahms video
Mary Marshall (Maylin Murray-Krezan) (Non competitive) video
La Maja Dolorosa 2 Enrique Granados
Liebst Du um Schönheit Gustav Mahler
Intima Tato Nacho video
Von ewiger Liebe Johannes Brahms video
Julia Glunt
De Donde Venis Amore Joaquin Rodrigo video
The Lamplighter Roger Quilter video
Chandlar Head
Lied der Mignon ll Franz Schubert video
La Partida Fermin Maria Alvarez video
Casey Hennigan
Dias Gigantes Manuel de Falla video
Extase Henri Duparc video
Oskana Herrera video
Amor y Odio Enrique Granados
Vaga luna che in argenti Vincenzo Bellini
Elsa Mota (Reia Gray)
El Majo Discreto Enrique Granados video
Into the Night Clara Edwards video
Maya Munoz
La Madre Triste Gwyneth Walker video
Au bord de l’eau Gabriel Fauré video
Sophia Neal video
Le Spectre de la Rose Hector Berlioz
Las Locas Por Amor Joaquin Turina
Lydia Raymond video
Estribillo Joaquin Rodrigo
Lied der Suleika Robert Schumann
Mitzy Sotelo video
Von Ewiger Liebe Johannes Brahms
Al Amor Fernando Obradors
Jordyn Tatum video
The Bird John Duke
Amor y Odio Enrique Granados
Annelise Wall (Karen Zhang) video
Tres Morillas de Jaén Federico Garcia Lorca
Where Corals Lie Edward Elgar
Viens, mon bien-aime Cecile Chaminade
El Mirar de la Maja Enrique Granados
Margot Friedii video
Algun Dia Jamie Leon Ferro
Frühlingsglaube Felix Mendelssohn
Lydia Grindatto video
Cantares Joaquin Turina
Befreit Richard Strauss
Jennifer Kuchar video
Chiquitita la novia Fernando Obradors
Il pleure dans mon Coeur Claude Debussy
Ana Elisa Portes
Cuba dentro de un Piano Xavier Montsalvatge video
Auf der Donau Franz Schubert video
Amanda Rindlisbach video
El Mirar del la Maja Enrique Granados
Il Poveretto Giuseppe Verdi
Sarah Serna video
On Music Ben Moore
Serenata Antonio de la Cruz