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Lisa Rogers Lee, a relative newcomer to the Northwest, enjoys a varied career as a chamber singer, oratorio soloist, opera singer, and recitalist. She has appeared with opera companies throughout the Midwest in the roles of Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Pamina in The Magic Flute, Lucy in The Beggar's Opera Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, and Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. She is in demand as a singer of early music, having sung with The St. Ignatius Octet, New York City, Mon Choeur, Indianapolis, and The Bach Babes, Milwaukee. Most recently she was soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Seattle Choral Company, and The Pacific Northwest Ballet. She has had the honor of working under the direction of Gian Carlo Menotti, Helmuth Rilling, Andreas Delfs, and Doc Severinsen.
Ms. Lee is an active recitalist specializing in French art son g and late 20th century literature as well as early music. In January, 2003 she will be presenting a recital of the music and poetry of Hildegard de Bingen at Christ Church, Tacoma. She holds a Bachelor of Music from The University of Michigan and Le Diplôme Supérieur from Eastern Michigan and The Paris Chamber of Commerce. She has had the pleasure of attending the master classes of Victoria de los Angeles and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. Ms. Lee is known as an educator and mentor of young singers. She has served on the faculty of The University of Notre Dame's music prep program, Indiana University's South Bend Music Academy and maintains a private studio. Currently she serves as section leader and coach for St. Thomas Episcopal Church and the Seattle Choral Company.
Monica B. Harris, Soprano II
Originally from Amarillo, Texas, soprano Monica Harris received her undergraduate performance degree from the Oberlin Conservatory, and her graduate degree in Vocal Pedagogy from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. After subsequent study at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Ms. Harris launched her professional career as an apprentice artist covering the role of Barbarina in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro with the famed Santa Fe Opera in 1991. With over ten major roles in her operatic repertory, she has since been cast as Musetta in La Boheme, Norina in Don Pasquale, both Susanna and Countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Rosina in The Barber of Seville and Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus with a variety of distinguished university and regional opera companies such as Chicago Opera Theater, Amarillo Opera and Dorian Opera Theater, and has sung with symphony orchestras throughout the Midwest.
Ms. Harris made her Seattle oratorio debut with the Seattle Choral Company in Vivaldi's Gloria in 1998. Since then, she has sung Britten's Les Illuminations, Handel's Messiah and Poulenc's Gloria with the Bellevue Philharmonic; Fauré's Requiem with both the Seattle Choral Company and the Cascadian Chorale; Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasilieras No. 5 with the Rainier Symphony; and in May 2001 sang the role of the angel Gabriel in Haydn's Creation at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Choral Company.
Ms. Harris has been on the voice faculty at Pacific Lutheran University, Northern Illinois University, the College of DuPage, Sherwood Conservatory, and the Merit Music Program and currently maintains a thriving private voice studio in north Seattle.
Julie Thornton, Alto I
Julie Thornton is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Oberlin College. University of Washington's Professional Actor Training Program, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts in Acting. In addition to teaching at KidStage, she teaches acting at Redmond's Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Julie teaches singing at the Washington Academy of the Performing Arts and in the Vocal Arts program at Roosevelt High School in Seattle.
Julie has performed at ACT, the Bathhouse, Seattle Opera, Civic Light Opera and at Village Theatre, where her favorite roles include the White Witch in Narnia and Claire in Village's wonderful production of On the Town. Julie has also appeared at the Seattle Fringe Festival, where her solo performance in Alan Bennett's Bed Among the Lentils was selected as an "Artist's Pick" and festival finalist.
Julie has studied acting with Jack Clay and Mark Jenkins, Voice and Speech with Elizabeth Moulton and Judith Shaun, singing with Erich Parce, Richard Miller and Helen Hodam and Movement with Max Dixon and especially Catherine Madden, with whom she has trained extensively in the Alexander Technique.
Susan Salas, Mezzo-Soprano
Susan Salas graduated with a BA in Vocal Performance from Gonzaga University in 1996. Since moving to Seattle in 1997, she has appeared with the Bellevue Opera, Lake Union Civic Orchestra, Vocal Arts Northwest, the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society, Skagit Opera and the Seattle Symphony Soundbridge lecture series.
She is an Associate Chorister with Seattle Opera and will be in Manon Lescaut in January 2005. She has performed as the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales, Rosine in Signor Deluso, Phoebe Merryl in The Yeomen of the Guard, Constance Partlett in The Sorcerer and Tessa in The Gondoliers. She is a founding member of the Olympic Baroque Ensemble and is a member of the Seattle Early Music Guild’s Continuo Ensemble. In December, she will sing with the Rainier Symphony in their annual Holiday Concert. She was a National Semi-Finalist in the Eleanor Lieber Competition.
Stephan Rumph, Tenor I
Stephen Rumph joined the School of Music faculty in autumn 2002. He earned a B.M. degree in voice from the Oberlin Conservatory and his M.A. and Ph.D. in musicology from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to coming to UW, Rumph lectured in music history at both Berkeley and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
He has published articles in Nineteenth-Century Music and the Journal of Musicology. His book, Beethoven After Napoleon, a political study of the composer's late works, will be published in summer 2003 by University of California Press. Rumph is currently researching Mozart's absorption of sacred music, in the context of Enlightenment aesthetics and language theory.
In addition to his scholarly work, Rumph has sung leading tenor roles, including Rodolfo, Hoffmann, Lenski, Tamino, and the Duke of Mantua, with West Bay Opera, Berkeley Opera, Pocket Opera, Livermore Valley Opera and other companies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Randal Fisher, Tenor II
Randal Fisher graduated with honors with a BA in Vocal Performance from Eastern Washington University. He returned to EWU to pursue his Masters Degree in Music Performance and Business in 1981 and did some post graduate work in voice and music theater at the University of Victoria. He studied with Max Von Egmont in master classes, was a student of Carol Webber for several years and coached with Suzanne Szeckely. In 1974 he took first place in the Vocal Division of the Victoria Music Festival and subsequently performed with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra.
While living in Spokane he was tenor soloist at Spokane First Presbyterian for 15 years. He was one of the founders of the Inland Northwest Men's Chorus and a founding member of the Spokane Opera Company, where he not only sang major roles, but also acted as their principal costume designer. Operatic roles he has sung include Ferrando in Cosi fan Tutte, Vacek in The Bartered Bride, Basilio in The Marriage of Figaro, Nemorino in Elixir of Love, Top in The Tender Land, Almaviva in The Barber of Seville, and Caspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors. As an oratorio soloist, Mr. Fisher has performed in Messiah 24 times! He also performed solos in Mendelssohn’s St. Paul, Haydn’s Creation, Bach’s Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio, and Dubois’ Seven Last Words—just to name a few.
Since moving to Seattle he was tenor soloist at First United Methodist for two years, then soloist at St. Paul's Episcopal (Queen Anne) for one year, and has been singing at St. Thomas Episcopal in Medina for over five years. In addition he was the first tenor section leader for the Seattle Men's Chorus for 4 years. Most recently, he performed the title role in The Mikado with the Bellevue Opera Company.
Chrade Younkin, Baritone
Chrade R. Younkin obtained a Bachelor of Music Degree with emphasis in Voice from the University of Montana in Missoula and a Master's in Music with emphasis in Opera from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. While living in the Midwest, Chrade enjoyed an active teaching and performing career. He served an apprenticeship with the Des Moines Metro Opera, under the direction of world renowned artistic director Robert L. Larsen. He appeared as the Bass Soloist with several Midwest symphonies including the Grinnell College Choir & Orchestra, Oskaloosa Symphony & Choir, Drake University Symphony & Chorus as well as the Des Moines Symphony. Chrade also made guest appearances with the Butte Symphony & Chorale in his home town of Butte, Montana. While residing in Des Moines, Mr. Younkin provided voice lessons to several area schools including Drake University, Des Moines Area Community College, and Hoover High School, with his combined studios numbering close to 100 students. He served as the youth choir director at Central Presbyterian Church. Before moving to the Midwest, Chrade was fortunate enough to study abroad for a semester in Vienna, Austria, under the guidance of Sebastian P. Vittucci, resident voice instructor for Das Theater An Der Wien.
Mr Younkin has had many prestigious performing credits in his career as well. Some of these highlights include: Finalist in a Master Class with Sheryll Milnes (resident baritone soloist with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City), Finalist in a Master Class with Dawn Upshaw (world famous operatic soprano), Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions (1989, 1993, 1997), and 1st place awards in numerous NATS and MTNA music auditions. He has performed as the Bass Soloist in major choral works including: Handel's Messiah, Paine's Mass in D Major, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Mozart's Piccolomini Mass, Rheinburger's Star of Bethlehem, Mozart's Requiem, Faure's Requiem, Puccini's Messa Di Gloria, and Orff's Carmina Burana.
Mr. Younkin has resided in the Seattle area since November of 2000. Prior to joining the Seattle Choral Company, Chrade was a member ot the Esoterics, an ensemble devoted to performing contemporary a cappella classical music, directed by Dr. Eric Banks. He serves as the Cantor, Keyboardist, and Bass Section Leader at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Mercer Island. He was a member of the faculty of Musicworks Northwest in Bellevue from 2001-2003 and currently serves as a vocal and piano instructor with Musicatto, a private music school in Redmond, Washington. He is an active member of NATS, MTNA, and the National Guild of Piano Teachers.
Steven Tachell, Bass
Seattle native Steven Tachell studied at the University of Washington and the Vienna Music Academy. He has performed with Seattle Opera, Opera New England, Arizona Opera, New Jersey State Opera, Chatanooga Opera, and the Opera Orchestra of New York and others. He was the resident bass-baritone at the Stadttheater in St. Gallen, Switzerland and has recently returned from living in New York and Munich, Germany where he performed extensively. Mr. Tachell includes many oratorio roles to his credit from such works as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, Haydn’s The Creation, Brahms’ Requiem, Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and the Verdi Requiem among others. He has been enthusiastically received locally singing these works with the Seattle Choral Company, the Federal Way Symphony, the Choir of the Sound, the Everett Chorale, Orchestra Seattle/Seattle Chamber Singers and the Spokane Symphony. Mr. Tachell now resides in Carnation, Washington.
