Temptation
Featured Artists
As the creator of New York City's One World Symphony, Sung Jin Hong is committed to realizing and fulfilling its VISION. One World Symphony does not exist without the generous contributions of its community of partners: passionate artists, versatile staff, and the audience. As a conductor, he has had the honor of presenting world premieres and works by living composers such as John Adams, John Corigliano, George Crumb, Michael Daugherty, Harold Farberman, Kyle Gann, John Harbison, George Perle, Andre Previn, Steve Reich, Kaija Saariaho, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Joan Tower, Keith Bailey, Lisa Burke, Jason Candler, John Craven, James Cross, Jerry DeVore, Peter Gilbert, Leonard Goldfine, Stanley Grill, Sean Hickey, Jihwan Kim, Masashi Mori, Andrew Struck-Marcell, Margarita Zelenaia, and others. After conducting works by many composers during One World Symphony's first nine seasons, Sung Jin Hong programmed From The Alchemist on September 2009, which also was his first work that was publicly performed by One World Symphony. Hong and his work have been reviewed and profiled by The New York Times, Time Out New York, Operaticus, Lucid Culture, Composers of Sibelius, Tuxedo Revolt, and most recently by the award-winning journalist and author Clemency Burton-Hill of BBC. Sung Jin Hong would like to thank the dedicated musicians of One World Symphony who consistently bring the music to life, as the notes on the page are only the blueprint; its active partners, who have embraced inspiring collaboration through adventurous programming and powerful performances; the press, who has helped to spread the word about its events and VISION; and his three compositional muses: Brooklyn's Prospect Park, Cleo, and Adrienne Metzinger.
Making her debut with One World Symphony, Bettina May is a crtically-acclamed New York-based pin-up model and burlesque performer. Ms. May will portray the legendary temptress Dalila in Saint-Saëns’ “Bacchanale” from Samson et Dalila. In the autumn of 2012 she was awarded the first ever green card from the USA for a burlesque performer based on her outstanding ability in her field. She started her career in 2003, and since then has performed internationally on stages in Paris, London, Berlin and Lisbon, as well as touring nationally for the past 3 years. She has been featured on The Real Housewives of NYC, NBC News, CBS’s The Couch and she has also performed for Brooke Shields, Kanye West, Jude Law, and more. She is also an in-demand performer for corporate clients like Patron, Dos Equis, Harley Davidson and MTV. TimeOut New York praised her as ”one of new York’s leading burlesque artists and pinup models.”
Dominique Donnarumma is thrilled to be making her debut with One World Symphony as Angelica. Ms. Donnarumma was a prizewinner for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 Barry Alexander International Vocal Competition. In January of 2009, Ms. Donnarumma made her Carnegie Hall debut in the Barry Alexander 2008-2009 Prizewinner’s Recital, in Weill Hall. She later returned to Carnegie Hall to participate in the 2009 Alexander and Buono Gala. Ms. Donnarumma was recently seen at Symphony Space as Micaëla in Carmen scenes with the New York Lyric Opera Theatre. Ms. Donnarumma originated the roles of Annunciata in Brother Fire, Mozart in Mozart and the Grey Steward, and Polyhymnia in Michael Oberhauser’s Magnum Opus, at Catholic University. In December, Ms. Donnarumma can be seen as the Sandman/Dew fairy in New York Opera Forum’s Hänsel und Gretel in December of 2013. Ms. Donnarumma received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Maryland and her Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Catholic University. Ms. Donnarumma is a student of Michael Warren.
Soprano Christina Douglas is an active performer in opera, concert and recital. Since moving to New York from Las Vegas in 2012, Christina has sung with Opera Company of Brooklyn and is a soloist at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in Manhattan. She has also performed at the Hawai’i Performing Arts festival and Le Songe d’ÉtÉ en Musique festival in Quebec. Christina has sung a variety of roles including Adele, Lauretta, The Queen of the Night, Le Feu from L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, and Laetitia from The Old Maid and the Thief. She received her undergraduate degree in Music from Luther College and graduate degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. This season, Ms. Douglas is looking forward to her debut with One World Symphony.
Lucretia Fleury is pleased to return to One World Symphony to perform Saariaho’s Parfum de l’Instant. She previously appeared with One World as the Niece in its uncut and acclaimed production of Peter Grimes. Other recent performances include Leila in The Pearl Fishers and Octavie in Cleopatre with Amici Opera Company, Musetta in La Boheme, Inez in L’Africana, Gilda in Rigoletto, and Beatrice in Donizetti’s Beatrice di Tenda. Ms. Fleury received her Doctorate in Music from the University of Michigan, where her two areas of focus were 19th Century Italian opera and contemporary art song and chamber music. She has worked with composers such as Michigan faculty Bright Sheng and William Bolcom on the performance of their works.
Making her debut with One World Symphony, soprano Abigail Kempson completed her undergraduate degree in 2013 at Gettysburg College’s Sunderman Conservatory. While there, she appeared in several roles, including Rosalinde in Die Fledermaus, First Witch in Dido and Aeneas, and Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte, which led to her European debut in the same role in the Varna Opera House in Bulgaria. She has also studied in Vienna with Donna Robin, and has sung scenes as Norina (Don Pasquale), Beth (Little Women), and Miss Pinkerton (The Old Maid and the Thief). She is currently a student of Pamela Kuhn of Greenwich, CT.
Making her debut with One World Symphony, Karin Laine, soprano, has sung as a concert soloist, opera performer and jazz singer on stages in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Australia. She made her debut at Carnegie hall in 2012. She is currently singing the roles of Suor Angelica and Lauretta in Puccini’s Il trittico with Hudson Valley Opera. She was most recently heard as Gabriel in Haydn’s Creation and as Dorabella in Così fan tutte. Karin attended St. Olaf College as an undergraduate and earned a Master’s Degree from University of Iowa and did post graduate work at New England Conservatory. She is a member of the Concordia Camarata. Other frequent roles include Musetta from La Bohème, Countess from Le nozze di Figaro and Donna Elvira from Don Giovanni, Micaëla from Carmen. A 20th Century enthusiast, Karin has frequently premiere’s new works including several works by John Kramer and Four Love Songs in Greek by Katerina Stamatelos. Karin attended Interlochen Center for the Arts, Dorian Opera Theater, VoicExperience and Shaker Mountain Opera as part of her training. She was a twice recipient of the Symphony Guild Awards as a pianist and vocalist and was the winner of the MTNA Regional Vocal Awards. She lives in Westchester with her husband and son.
Adrienne Metzinger is a founding member, graphic designer, managing director, and stage director of One World Symphony. Ms. Metzinger had the honor of singing our National Anthem to begin New York City’s televised 2003 Veteran’s Day Parade as well as at a ceremony honoring then-Senator Hillary Clinton held by the United Spinal Association. She made her Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut singing the music of Kurt Weill in a benefit concert for the American Red Cross. Ms. Metzinger’s recent collaborations with One World Symphony include the critically-acclaimed all-Gluck program performing as Paride in Paride ed Elena, Clara Schumann’s Liebst du um Shonheit (arranged by Sung Jin Hong), and Britten’s Funeral Blues in Great Atomic Desire. She has made numerous appearances in One World Symphony’s opera productions: Wagner’sTristan und Isolde(Brangane), Poulenc’s The Dialogues of the Carmelites (The First Prioress), Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus (Orlofsky), Barber’s Vanessa (The Baroness), Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos (Dryade) and Elektra (Clytemnestra’s Trainbearer), Verdi’s Otello (Emilia), Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen (Forester’s Wife, Dog), Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin (Larina), and Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Cornelia). Her solo concert repertoire with One World Symphony include Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Été Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, Bach’s Magnificat, and Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ms. Metzinger has also performed world premiere works by Kyle Gann, Joan Dawidziak, and Stan Grill. Ms. Metzinger sang Sibelius’s Kaiutar with world premiere orchestration by Sung Jin Hong in Legends from the North.
Making her debut with One World Symphony, soprano Jennifer Sgroe began her musical career in dance and musical theater before transitioning to opera and classical repertoire. Highlights from past performances include Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Romilda (Xerxes), Pamina (Die Zauberflöte), Monica (The Medium), Greta Fiorentino (Street Scene), Drusilla (L’Incoronazione di Poppea), and the premiere of the role of Esther in Scott Wheeler’s Democracy (American Opera Projects). Past performances have been with Utah Opera, Commonwealth Opera, Amherst Early Music Festival, New Trinity Baroque, Knoxville Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera del West and Opera New Hampshire among others. In 2013, Ms. Sgroe reprised the role of Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) with Arbor Opera Theater and went on to sing Lula/Lightfoot McClendon cover in Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree & Curley’s Wife (Of Mice & Men) while an Apprentice Artist with Sugar Creek Symphony & Song. She was also named a semi-fInalist in the 2013 Oratorio Society of New York Solo Competition. Ms. Sgroe holds degrees in voice & opera from the University of Kentucky and The Boston Conservatory. Originally from New York, she now resides in historic Salem, MA and is the Chair of the Voice Department for New England Conservatory’s Preparatory School.
Award-winning musician Kathleen Theisen earned the MM from University of Wisconsin – Madison, where she won the Beethoven competition with her performance of the Hammerklavier Sonata. Since then, she has split her time between piano, conducting and opera. She debuted with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus in 2003 and has sung major roles with Taconic Opera, DiCapo Opera, Boston Academy of Music, Dubuque Symphony and Norwalk Symphony. As a pianist, she has recently performed with the Waterbury Symphony, Ridgefield Symphony, Bridgeport Symphony and The Mozart Ensemble. Ms. Theisen is a frequent presenter at MTNA, NCKP, CMS, ATMI and other conferences nationwide. She has written for publications including Clavier Companion and American Music Teacher, and has film credits in Reservation Road. Kathleen is Minister of Music at Darien United Methodist Church and teaches in the Darien Public Schools. She has been on faculty of Western Connecticut State University, Dana Hall School and Walnut Hill School. An independent piano and voice teacher for 23 years, she is President of Connecticut State Music Teachers Association and teaches privately in Danbury and Darien, Connecticut.
Praised for “elegant, power-packed mezzo” and “lustrous tone,” Gulnara Mitzanova was educated and trained in Moscow Conservatory, the Juilliard School, and Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadephia on postgraduate program. Most recently she performed Eboli in Don Carlo and Zita in Gianni Schicchi. She was a featured artist with One World Symphony as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana, and as Maurya in Riders to the Sea, which The New York Times praised her: “a moving performance.” She recently performed the complete cantata Ich habe genug by J. S. Bach in Baroque[n] Hearts and the title role of One World Symphony’s Carmen and the critically-acclaimed Great Atomic Desire as Kitty Oppenheimer in John Adams’ Doctor Atomic. Her other roles include Laura and La Cieca (La Gioconda), Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Olga (Eugene Onegin), and Rosina among others. Ms Mitzanova recently returned from Mexico, where she was featured as a solo recitalist at the FAOT International Festival, in line with Jessye Norman and Frederica von Stade, and earning acclaim. As an oratorio soloist and a recitalist, she also has performed in Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and Bard International Music Festival. Her competition successes include New York Oratorio Solo Competition, Parkinson Bel Canto Competition, and the Albanese-Puccini Foundation. Ms Mitzanova is also a professional pianist and a choral conductor, and maintains an active voice studio in NYC.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Holy Apostles Church
Manhattan
Monday, October 28, 2013
Holy Apostles Church
Manhattan
