Applied
Voice
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Aurelius
Gori, Baritone
Dr.
Aurelius Gori is an active soloist and recitalist based in Washington,
DC. A 1990-91 Fulbright scholar, he studied at the Hochschule
für Musik in Munich and was a 1991 semifinalist in the
International Belvedere Competition in Vienna. Two years later,
he was awarded a scholarship to study Lieder with Ian Partridge
at the Britten-Pears School for Advanced Musical Studies in
England. As a young graduate student at the University of Maryland,
Gori portrayed Araspe in the American premiere of Handel’s
Tolomeo . The Washington Post called his humorously nasty rendition
“splendidly villainous”. While completing his doctorate
at Maryland, he created the role of General Biante in the world
premiere of Lawrence Moss’s The Queen and the Rebels. Although
he has sung many operatic roles, his deepest musical love is
for the art song , and in this medium he has specialized in
the presentation of lecture recitals of music by André
Caplet and Yrjö Kilpinen. Recently, he premiered several
compositions by his friend the American composer, Marshall Ocker
including Trilogy for Baritone on the Vienna Modern Masters
label (VMM 2030). Dr. Gori has appeared as a soloist with the
National Symphony Orchestra, the Fairfax Symphony, the Amherst
(New York) Symphony and the North York Symphony in Toronto,
Canada. He has sung many performances at Northern Virginia Community
College-Alexandria campus, including the baritone solos in a
gala performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana at the dedication
of the new Rachel Schlesinger Performing Arts Center.
He
maintains a large voice studio, and is currently on the faculties
of Frederick Community College, Northern Virginia Community
College-Alexandria and Washington Bible College in Lanham, Maryland.
Jon
Lackey, Tenor
Tenor Jon Lackey garners international acclaim for
his appearances both on the solo recital stage and as a concert
soloist with symphony orchestras. His distinctive voice is a
unique blend of both a heldon and lyric tenor - a combination
that has lead critics to refer to Mr. Lackey's voice as having
both "penetrating power" and "focused lyricism".
Mr. Lackeys' vocal prowess is due in great part to his study
of the bel canto singing technique with his master teacher,
Ilse Metternich, in Munich, Germany.
Mr.
Lackey has sung countless performances internationally, many
of which have been broadcast live to millions around the world
by the BBC, Radio France, WGMS Radio in Washington, D.C., and
PBS Television. He has sung for U.S. Presidents, foreign heads
of state, ambassadors, and royalty. Mr. Lackey had the rare
privilege of residing for a year with the Richard Strauss Family
in Munich, Germany, and resided in Paris, France for a year
while studying with the internationally acclaimed baritone,
Gérard Souzay. In recognition of Mr. Lackey's remarkable
abilities as a performer and his demonstrated interest in the
French culture, the Government of France sponsored his residency
during the annual international summer music festival at the
Maurice Ravel Academy in St. Jean-de-Luz, France.
A
native of Seattle, Washington, Mr. Lackey began his music studies
at the age of ten and by the age of sixteen made his public
debut as a tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah. He received a
Bachelor of Music degree in Vocal Performance on scholarship
from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and
did graduate music studies at both the University of Washington
in Seattle and at Kent State University in Akron, Ohio.
Included
among the many honors received by Mr. Lackey throughout his
career was being the Top National Finalist in the prestigious
National Federation of Music Clubs Voice Competition, scoring
above all of the nearly 300 classically trained singers from
throughout the United States.
Mr.
Lackey's extensive music career has included a full-time position
as tenor soloist with the United States Air Force Band and Singing
Sergeants in Washington, D.C., and positions as resident tenor
soloist for prominent church congregations in Seattle, Washington,
D.C., and Paris, France. He has appeared as a guest artist with
numerous symphony orchestras including L'Orchestre de Bordeaux,
the Seattle Symphony, the Tacoma Symphony, the Arlington Symphony,
and the Williamsburg Symphonia.
In
addition to performing, Mr. Lackey is active as a voice teacher
and guest lecturer. He is currently teaching on the voice faculty
of Northern Virginia Community College, and serves as Minister
of Music and Organist at Graham Road United Methodist Church
in Falls Church, Virginia. He was formerly on the music faculty
of Pacific Lutheran University and taught music courses as a
guest lecturer at the American College in Paris.
E:mail: jon@blacktiearts.com
Jennifer
Lopez, Soprano
Jennifer Lopez received her Bachelor
of Music Degree in Voice Performance from the University of
Texas where she studied with Professor Herald Stark. She continued
her studies at the University of Maryland where she earned a
Master of Music Performance degree. A frequent performer in
the Washington area, she has appeared as soloist with the Fairfax
Symphony, the Smithsonian Chamber Players, the Strathmore Recital
Series, the Montpelier Recital Series, the Alexandria Performing
Arts Association, the Washington Savoyards, Yehudi Menuhin's
Live Music Now and the Nevilla Ottley Singers. She spent
two years as Artist-in-Residence at the National Portrait Gallery,
performing the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Irving
Berlin. Internationally, Ms. Lopez has performed in Italy and
Austria, where she appeared as Susanna in The Marriage of
Figaro and as the First Lady in The Magic Flute.
In addition to her performing engagements,
Ms. Lopez is presently a member of the voice faculty of Northern
Virginia Community College (Alexandria Campus) and Frederick
Community College in Frederick, Maryland.
