February 5, 2020 4:00 pm

“Già per le vie del cielo…Lungi O Dio” from I Due Figaro by Saverio Mercadante

Joanne Evans, mezzo-soprano
Enfield, United Kingdom
Student of Edith Bers
Shiyu Tan, piano
Shanghai, China
Student of Warren Jones

“O du mein holder Abendstern” from Tannhäuser by Richard Wagner

Eunsung Lee, baritone
Fullerton, California
Student of Shirley Close
Jinhee Park, piano
Namhae-Gun, Korea
Student of Warren Jones

“Davno-l’ moj drug (How Long, My Friend)” by Sergei Rachmaninov

Tiernan Chase, soprano
Newport, Rhode Island
Student of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell
Diana Borshcheva, piano
Boston, Massachusetts
Student of Warren Jones

“Épouse quelque brave fille” from Manon by Jules Massenet

Evan Lazdowski, baritone
Moultonborough, New Hampshire
Student of Mark Oswald
Yueqi Zhang, piano
Nanjing, China
Student of Warren Jones

Alternate

“Frülingsglaube” by Franz Schubert

Travis Benoit, tenor
Worcester, Massachusetts
Student of Ruth Golden
Yihao Zhou, piano
Nanjing, China
Student of Kenneth Merrill

Thomas Hampson, America’s foremost baritone, has received international honors and awards for his captivating artistry and cultural leadership. Lauded as a Metropolitan Opera Guild “Met Mastersinger” and inducted into both the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Gramophone’s “Hall of Fame,” Hampson is one of the most respected and innovative musicians of our time. With an operatic repertoire of over 80 roles sung in all the major theaters of the world, his discography comprises more than 170 albums, which include multiple nominations and winners of the Grammy Award, Edison Award, and the Grand Prix du Disque. He received the 2009 Distinguished Artistic Leadership Award from the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC, and was appointed the New York Philharmonic’s first-ever Artist-in-Residence. In 2010, he was honored with a Living Legend Award by the Library of Congress, where he has served as Special Advisor to the Study and Performance of Music in America. Furthermore, he has received the famed Concertgebouw Prize.

Highlights of Thomas Hampson’s 2019/20 season include his return to the Wiener Staatsoper in his signature role of Giorgio Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, and his return to Teatro alla Scala for a role debut as Altair in Strauss’ Die ägyptische Helena. At Opernhaus Zürich, he creates the role of Jan Vermeer in the world premiere of Stefan Wirth’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, based on the American author Tracy Chevalier’s eponymous novel about the famous portrait study by Dutch master, Johannes Vermeer.

Notable engagements on the concert stage include Schumann’s Dichterliebe with pianist Jan Lisiecki and a concert with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra at the Tsinandali Festival; Schubert lieder with the Orchester Wiener Akademie at the Brucknerhaus Linz and Musikverein; a recital with Wolfram Rieger and a masterclass at Wigmore Hall; Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte on tour with the Amsterdam Sinfonietta; and rising star soprano Angel Blue joins him in concert at Royal Opera House Muscat.

Hampson also takes his “No Tenors Allowed” program to Provo, Utah, and on to the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires for a debut with his son-in-law, bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni. He returns to Berlin’s Boulezsaal for Schubert Week, launching with a program of Schubert’s Winterreise with Wolfram Rieger. His “Song of America: Beyond Liberty” project continues this season with performances in Tucson and Seattle, with pianist Lara Downes and the Beyond Liberty Players.

In the 2018/19 season, Thomas Hampson made two highly anticipated house debuts, at the Canadian Opera Company, singing the title role in the world premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s Hadrian, as well as at Houston Grand Opera, where he created the role of the famed librettist Lorenzo da Ponte in the premiere of Tarik O’Regan’s The Phoenix.

On the concert stage, Hampson continued to show his great repertoire diversity in the 2018/19 season. In Vienna, he performed Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem with the Wiener Symphoniker under Philippe Jordan, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. He then engaged on an extensive tour with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Vasily Petrenko, with works by Hugo Wolf, Aaron Copland, and others. He started the New Year with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and conductor Bramwell Tovey singing Copland’s Old American Songs, before he reunited with clarinetist Daniel Ottensamer and his ensemble the Wiener Virtuosen, for a chamber music concert with Dvořák’s Zigeunerlieder and a selection of Mahler songs at Vienna’s Musikverein.

Further orchestral concerts brought Hampson to Munich with the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks under the baton of Mariss Jansons (Kurt Weill: Four Walt Whitman Songs), to Berlin with the Radio Symphony Orchestra and Vladimir Jurowsky (Mahler: Rückert Lieder) and to Japan, where he performed Mahler Songs with the Gewandhaus Orchestra and Andris Nelsons. Thomas Hampson gave several gala performances with renowned vocal partners throughout the season, in Tokyo with Angela Gheorgiu, in Baden-Baden with Nadine Sierra, with Kristine Opolais in Leipzig, and at the Ljubiljana Festival with Elena Mosuc. He was also once again the star in the Bayerische Staatsoper’s summer open-air gala “Oper für Alle” under the baton of renowned conductor Kirill Petrenko. He reunited with Luca Pisaroni for their “No Tenors Allowed” program in Boston, Toronto, and Santa Fe.

The 2018/19 season also marked the exciting launch of Thomas Hampson’s “Song of America: Beyond Liberty” project. In this one-man show, Hampson guides audiences through stories using personal anecdotes, historical monologues, and readings of his favorite poetry, to celebrate America’s history through song. The project, developed with stage director Francesca Zambello and writer Royce Vavrek, premiered at the Glimmerglass Festival, and shares the rich history of the people and events that helped create and define “the land of the free” with audiences, students, and educators across the US and beyond. Through The Hampsong Foundation, which he founded in 2003, he employs the art of song to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding.

Hampson is an honorary professor on the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Heidelberg, and holds honorary doctorates from Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory, Whitworth College, and San Francisco Conservatory, and is an honorary member of London’s Royal Academy of Music. He carries the titles of Kammersänger of the Wiener Staatsoper and Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of the Republic of France, and was awarded the Austrian Medal of Honor in Arts and Sciences. In 2017, Thomas Hampson received the Hugo Wolf Medal from the International Hugo Wolf Academy, together with his long-time musical collaborator, pianist Wolfram Rieger. Hampson was awarded the Heidelberger Frühling Music Prize in 2019.

Thomas Hampson enjoys a singular international career as an opera singer, recording artist, and “ambassador of song,” maintaining an active interest in research, education, musical outreach, and technology, continually expanding his pedagogical activities. He is the Artistic Director of the Heidelberg Lied Academy, and collaborates with the Barenboim-Said Academy Schubert Week in Berlin each year. His recurring international master class schedule is a continuing online resource of the Manhattan School of Music, Medici.tv, and The Hampsong Foundation livestream channel.

Joanne Evans, mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano Joanne Evans is a first-year Master’s student at Manhattan School of Music studying with Edith Bers. Born in London, Joanne completed her undergraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tutelage of John Evans. Professional credits include a six-month North American tour with acappella group, Gobsmacked, along with performances in Hong Kong, Edinburgh and London. Aged 22, Joanne made her professional acting debut as Charlie/The Singer in the UK regional premiere of Laura Wade’s Posh. Elsewhere Joanne has performed with the English National Opera and Opera Holland Park. Joanne made her solo operatic debut in the role of Cherubino in Mercadante’s I Due Figaro, at MSM, of which City Journal wrote, ‘From the moment that Evans stepped onstage … one recognized the presence of a star’. Future performances include Cendrillon (playing Prince Charmant) for MSM’s Outreach program in April 2020.

Eunsung Lee, baritone
Korean-American baritone Eunsung Lee is a Professional Studies candidate at Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Shirley Close. Mr. Lee performed the role of Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, covered Zurga in Les Pêcheurs de Perles and Simon Fenton in Emmeline with Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater, and he also appeared in MSM’s outreach program, touring NYC’s public and private schools. He has performed as Colline in La Bohème by Puccini with Opera New York, and covered Colline in Leoncavallo’s La Bohème with Teatro Grattacielo’s 25th Anniversary Concert: A Verismo Trilogy. Mr. Lee has sung the title role of Don Giovanni in The Assisi Performing Arts Festival in Italy. This year, he will appear as Plumkett in Martha by Flotow and covering Germont in La Traviata with Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater. Mr. Lee holds Bachelor in Music from California State University, Fullerton and Master in Music from Manhattan School of Music.

Tiernan Chase, soprano
TIERNAN CHASE is a second year master student at Manhattan School of Music in New York,
NY. Originally from Newport, RI, Tiernan completed her undergraduate degree at Providence
College in Providence, RI. Tiernan Chase made her New York debut with New York Lyric Opera
Theatre as Papagena (The Magic Flute) in 2018. Following that performance, she made her
Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Lyric Opera Theatre’s Opera Gala as a featured soloist,
Singing Lakmé in “The Flower Duet” from Leo Délibes’ opera, Lakmé. In 2019, Tiernan was
active with the Manhattan School of Music’s outreach program, and in the spring semester she
and her colleagues performed an original operatic work for school children. In the summer of
2019 Tiernan made her Italian debut as Gilda in Verdi’s masterpiece “Rigoletto” as part of the
Voce nel Montefeltro Festival in Novafeltria, Italy. She will return there this summer to sing
Violetta in Verdi’s “La Traviata”. This semester she will be singing the title role in Manhattan
School of Music’s production of “Martha” by Frederick von Flotow.

Evan Lazdowski, baritone
Bass-baritone Evan Lazdowski, a recipient of the Birgit Nilsson Scholarship, is a fourth-year senior undergraduate and a student of Mark Oswald. At MSM, he recently performed the role of Figaro in Mercadante’s I due Figaro. At the 2019 Chautauqua Institution, Mr. Lazdowski performed I Capuleti e i Montecchi (Capellio) and Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Theseus). Other previous operatic performances include Les Pêcheurs de Perles (Nourabad) and Così fan tutte (Guglielmo). Upcoming MSM engagements include Moscow, Cheryomushki (Sasha). An alum of Houston Grand Opera’s Young Artists Vocal Academy, Mr. Lazdowski will join the 2020 Gerdine Young Artist Program at Opera Theatre of St. Louis, singing Die Fledermaus (Chorus), Susannah (Elder Ott), and Carmen (Zuniga, cover).

Alternate

Travis Benoit, tenor
Travis Benoit from Worcester, Massachusetts, is a second year Graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Ruth Golden. Previous credits include I due timidi (Il dottore) in the 2018 Manhattan School of Music main stage production and Die Zauberflöte (Tamino) with The Nahant Music Festival as a vocal apprentice. Scene work includes Così fan tutte (Ferrando), La Rondine (Prunier), and L’elesir d’amore (Nemorino). In 2017 Travis won the Worcester Schubertiade Vocal competition with the first place college vocal division prize. Travis also won his alma mater’s Concerto competition, which gave him a 15-minute performance with the Gordon Symphony Orchestra. There he performed three Mozart Concert Arias. This year Travis is in his second year of his Masters degree. Future Engagements include La Traviata, a degree recital, and Sergei in Senior Opera Theater’s Moscow Cherryomushki.

Shiyu Tan, piano
Ms. Tan is currently on the coaching staff at Manhattan School of Music. Meanwhile, she is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in collaborative piano under the tutelage of Warren Jones. In 2016-2018, she has served as rehearsal pianist in Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen at Manhattan School of Music. She was also an opera fellowship pianist/apprentice coach at Aspen Music School and Festival for past two summers where she prepared Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and was involved in their opera scenes program. Other performance highlights include masterclasses with Sir Thomas Allen, Martin Katz, Jane Glover and Stephanie Blythe. Ms. Tan holds Bachelor degree in Music Production & Recording Arts from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and a Master degree in Collaborative Piano from Manhattan School of Music.

Jinhee Park, piano
Pianist Jinhee Park has built an international reputation as a versatile artist of both vocal and instrumental chamber musician as she has given extensive performances in the United States, Korea, Italy, Taiwan, and China. In New York, where she currently resides, Ms. Park has performed in Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Lincoln Center featuring a wide range of repertoire with renowned musicians such as Bomsori Kim, Stella Chen, and Timothy Chooi. Her recent performance highlights include recitals at Ravinia Festival in Illinois and Kreeger Museum in Washington D.C. with violinist Stella Chen, and Glema Mahr Center for the Arts in Kentucky with Clarinetist Yoonah Kim. During the summer months, Ms. Park has given extensive performances in Aspen music festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, and Chautauqua Institution. She currently serves as a vocal coach at Manhattan School of Music and Chautauqua Institution, where she also served as a chorus master for Bellini’s opera, I capuleti e i montecchi. In addition, she is an artist faculty of the Perlman Music Program, and currently is a staff pianist at the Juilliard School. Aside from her performing career, she has worked with Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Julius Drake, Robert McDonald, Roger Vignoles, Christoph Prégardien, and Craig Rutenberg.
Ms. Park received her Bachelor’s degree at the Seoul National University and received her Master’s degree at Juilliard School under the tutelage of Jonathan Feldman, Margo Garrett, Andrew Harley, and Diane Richardson. Recently, she received her Professional Studies Certificate at Manhattan School of Music and she is currently pursuing Artist Diploma at Manhattan School of Music with Warren Jones.

Diana Borshcheva, piano
Russian-born pianist Diana Borshcheva started her career nearly 15 years ago. Ms. Borshcheva won several competitions in Russia and Europe before moving to the US, including the International Piano Competition in Gorizia (Grand Prix) and the International Piano Competition by S. Moniuszko (First Award). She received her Bachelor Degree in Solo Performance from Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2016, and Master of Music Degree in both Solo and Collaborative Piano from Cleveland Institute of Music in 2019.

Voice has a special place in Diana’s heart. Ms. Borshcheva has been working with singers for more than 10 years. In 2018, Diana, together with her duo partner soprano Caroline Bergan, performed during the renowned Art Song Festival in Cleveland. A vocal coach herself, Ms. Borshcheva enjoys working through vocal repertoire and improving her skills and knowledge of this art form. This past summer Ms. Borshcheva worked as a pianist and coach in Salzburg for Frost Summer Music Program.
Ms. Borshcheva has just started her post-graduate study at the Manhattan School of Music, under the tutelage of esteemed pianist and vocal coach, Warren Jones.

Yueqi Zhang, piano
Yueqi Zhang, collaborative pianist, is a first-year graduate student at Manhattan School of Music. He was born into a very musical family: his mother is a Soprano and his father is a Violinist. Under the influence of his parents, he began his piano and vocal studies when he was a child.
Mr. Zhang finished his bachelor’s degree at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, where he studied as a Music Performance student. In 2015, he was admitted by Nanjing University of the Arts as a graduate student in Classical Voice and studied with Mezzo-Soprano Xunmei Liu, who completed her Master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music and was a student of Daniel Ferro. During his graduate years he finished two Vocal recitals which specialized in German Lieder and one piano recital. He has participated in Daniel Ferro Vocal Program and Summer Festival in Seoul. He also competed in Vocal competitions (2nd prize in the 2017 Hong Kong International Vocal Competition) and performed in venues such as Nanjing Baoli Theatre.
Upon finishing his study in Nanjing, Mr. Zhang started to become interested in keyboard collaborative arts and decided to continue his study in the United States, where he was admitted by six music schools at the same time. Now he is pursuing a Master’s degree in collaborative piano at Manhattan School of Music under Warren Jones.

Alternate

Yihao Zhou, piano
Yihao Zhou has been studying with Kenneth Merrill at Manhattan School of Music since 2018. Prize Winner of Over 10 International Piano competitions including Hong Kong International Open Piano Competition, The 19th Santa Cecilia International Piano Competition, Bach Mannheim International Youth Music Competition – Pianist Yihao Zhao is recognized as one of the most promising and talented young pianists of his generation. Born in China, Yihao was invited to perform in many local music talent concerts in China. During his time in the high school, Yihao was invited as one of the very few selected students to participate and perform several International Piano Festivals and Chamber Music Festivals. He gave a Chopin Recital in Shanghai Festivals and performed in his Professor’s piano technique training lecture for the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in 2014. Yihao continues his study with internationally acclaimed Canadian pianist, Lu Wang, and Polish pianist, Piotr Tomasz. His previous teachers include Zhaoyi Dan and Yoon Hi Moon who is the chairwoman of the Peabody Institute. Yihao has embarked on many recital tours in solo piano, chamber music, art song, and Puccini operas since 2017. In 2019, he performed six concerts at Manhattan School of Music, as well as playing for Stephanie Blythe’s master class.

Gia per le vie del cielo…Lungi O Dio

O du mein holder Abendstern

How Long My Friend

Épouse quelque brave fille

Alternate’s Scores

Frühlingsglaube

I due Figaro

Tannhauser

Davno-l’, moj drug

Manon

Frülingsglaube

Don Giovanni (Opera Guides)

The Wagner Operas

Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music

Massenet’s Manon Opera Study Guide with Libretto

Poetry into Song: Performance and Analysis of Lieder