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The Bach Ensemble's Musicians
The Bach Ensemble is a 40-voice auditioned chorus of Volunteer Singers, which performs with professional Instrumentalists and Vocal Soloists.
Toby Blumenthal, Piano Soloist |
Featured Guest Artist
Toby Blumenthal, Piano Soloist
Toby Blumenthal Phillips received her Bachelors of Music Degree from Northwestern University, where she was a student of Gui Mombaerts, and her Masters of Music Degree from the University of Houston, as a student of Albert Hirsh. She also took Post Graduate studies at Marlboro, with Rudolph Serkin, and at University of Texas, with Leonard Shure. Ms. Blumenthal has distinguished herself a Steinway Artist.
Toby and her late husband Bert Phillips were co-Artistic Directors and Founders of both the Classic Chamber Concert series in Naples and the Luzerne Chamber Music Festival in Lake Luzerne, New York, a summer music camp for talented young musicians. Toby continues her work at Luzerne as President and CEO.
She has appeared as soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Houston Symphony, and has presented numerous solo recitals throughout the United States and Mexico with Mr. Phillips. She has also performed in duo-recitals with Mr. Phillips at art and education institutions throughout the United States and Europe, including Alice Tully and Carnegie Recital Halls in New York City, The National Gallery in Washington, D.C., and the Edvard Munch Gallery in Oslo, Norway.
Vocal Soloists
Soprano |
Dr. Jeanie Darnell, Dr. Jeanie Darnell , Soprano
Jeanie Darnell, Head of Vocal Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Bower School of Music, teaches courses in Applied Voice, Diction, Music Literature, and Vocal Pedagogy. As a concert artist Darnell has been hailed by critics throughout the United States and in Europe for her “wonderfully bell-like tones” (Wertheimer Zeitung). A regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 1998, she has been in demand as soprano soloist of major concert and oratorio repertoire. Some orchestral works performed include the Vaughn Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers, Mozart Requiem with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Omaha Symphony, Bach’s B Minor Mass at the Denver Bach Festival, Mozart’s Dominican Vespers with the Arkansas Chamber Orchestra, and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the Lindsborg Messiah Festival in Kansas. She presented new art songs by the featured composers Lori Laitman and Richard Hundley at “The Songs Across the Americas Festival” in 2006.
Soprano |
Valarie Milazzo, Valarie Milazzo, Soprano
Valarie Milazzo
is a Soprano Soloist of Classical, Operatic and
Sacred repertoire. A member of The Bach Ensemble since 2006,
Ms. Milazzo performed solos in Handel's Messiah and Dixit Dominus,
and in Britten's Ceremony of Carols. She is a regular participant in concerts of the Naples Opera Society,
and serves on their Board of Directors. In the Atlanta area, she has been a soloist with the Summer Singers of Atlanta and the Michael O’Neal Summer Singers. She has presented three recitals at Peachtree
Christian Church, and also performed there in productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors and The Telephone. Ms. Milazzo is a cantor at both St. Ann Catholic Church in
Naples, Florida, and at All Saints Catholic Church in
Dunwoody,
Georgia
.
She earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance formerly operated a large teaching studio with a
national award-winning Junior Music Club. She continues her support of music
education by chairing the annual Bach Festival for youth in
Southwest
Florida
.
Mezzo-Soprano |
Janet Ortenzo,
Janet Ortenzo, Mezzo-Soprano
Janet Ortenzo is an established soloist performing oratorio and concert repertoire. She has performed as alto soloist in Haydn's Mass In Time of War at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, Marco Island, and in Bach's Magnificat, Vivaldi's Beatus Vir, Charpentier's Magnificat, Handel's Messiah and Dixit Dominus, Mozart's Requiem and Britten's Ceremony of Carols for The Bach Ensemble, as well as chants of Hildegard von Bingen, Durufle's Requiem, Brahms' Neue Liebeslieder and Bach's Magnificat for the Southwest Florida Symphony Chorus and Chamber Chorus. She was also a soloist on the 2006 Bach Ensemble's 2006 tour to England and on the return voyage on the Queen Mary 2, as well as a featured soloist for Naples Opera Society programs. She was the alto soloist for Voices of Naples' 2007 "Sing-Along Messiah" concert and will appear in the role of "La Badessa" in an upcoming production of Puccini's Suor Angelica directed by Dr. Jeanie Darnell of Florida Gulf Coast University. A native of Pittsburgh, PA, Ms. Ortenzo is the Assistant Principal of St. Francis Xavier School in Ft. Myers. A vocal student of Dr. Ronald Doiron, she is also the alto soloist and section leader at the Naples United Church of Christ.
Baritone |
Dr. Ronald Bowman, Dr. Ronald Bowman, Baritone
Music and the educational process have played major roles in the life of Ron Bowman, who holds two baccalaureate degrees from Georgia State University, in vocal performance (classical baritone) and foreign languages; a master’s in voice from the University of Tennessee, and a doctorate in music from Florida State University. Prior to moving to Naples, Bowman was a Professor at Auburn University in Alabama for seven years teaching voice and opera. Currently, Bowman serves as the Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students of Hodges University, a private nonprofit institution. In addition to his administrative duties, Ron teaches a popular course in music appreciation and he is a frequent music lecturer for the Francis Pew Hayes Center for Lifelong Learning and other non-profit organizations. Bowman also plays the piano, and he enjoys accompanying and working with young singers locally. Ron Bowman is the president of the Naples Opera Society, serves on the advisory board of Opera Naples, and is a “Star in the Arts 2007”, as announced by the United Arts Council of Collier County. Recent performances include roles in Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Trial by Jury for Opera Naples.
Singers
SOPRANO |
ALTO |
TENOR |
BASS |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Julia Bugera |
Gay Carder
|
Kurt Colburn |
Cash DeCuir (Intern) |
| The Bach Ensemble, Inc. 6017 Pine Ridge Road, Suite # 96 Naples, Florida 34119-3956 info@thebachensemble.org 239-732-1055 |
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