An Evening of Operatic Arias - Wednesday, October 15, 2014 at 7:00 PM.
The Harry Blumenthal Memorial Concert.
Harry Blumenthal loved opera and was the guiding force behind the Broadmead Opera Club. To honor his life and contribution to the musical life at Broadmead we present three amazing musicians to perform some of his favorite operatic arias.
Called “winningly wily and dauntless, and in good voice” by Boston Classical Review, American Mezzo-soprano, Kate Jackman, is multifaceted musician and actress who excels in a variety of musical expression.
Kate Jackman
On stage, Kate Jackman performed the lead role in Oliver Knussen’s Higglety Pigglety Pop! at the Tanglewood Festival of Contemporary Music and “touchingly incarnated Jennie, Sendak’s beloved terrier” (Alex Ross, The New Yorker). Other roles she has performed include Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi, and Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti – a role she “sang with considerable nuance and communicative weight.” (Tim Smith, The Baltimore Sun). In 2010, Kate premiered the roles in Piecing It Apart by Paul Matthews and Lux et Tenebrae by Douglas Buchanan for The Figaro Project’s production of Contemporary Opera Trio.
In concert, Ms. Jackman has performed solos from Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Christen, atzet diesen Tag over internationally televised programming with The Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, D.C., and has performed as Narrator in Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat with the Lunar Ensemble.
Kate made her recital debut at the Kennedy Center in the 2012 Vocal Arts Society Discovery Recital Series, and attended the Tanglewood Music Festival, where she performed works by Messiaen, Debussy, & Shostakovich in Seiji Ozawa Hall.
In the 2013-2014 season, Kate made her Carnegie Hall debut in Marilyn Horne’s The Song Continues series. She also sang a program of 20th Century French Melodie with pianist, Alex Peh in the SFZ Salon Series, and performed the roles of Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte, and Prince Orlofsky in Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus with Maryland Concert Opera.
Ms. Jackman holds a Master of Music Degree from the Peabody Institute and a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of North Texas (cum laude).
Peter Drackley
Peter Scott Drackley, tenor has been lauded by the Baltimore Sun as having “an impressive lyric tenor voice........summoning credible emotionally intensity", Peter Scott Drackley was introduced to opera at a very young age by his musically talented parents. A student of Dr. Phyllis Bryn-Julson at The Peabody Conservatory, Mr. Drackley was seen in the role of Ferrando with the Peabody Opera's production of Così fan tutte in 2009. Other performances with Peabody Opera include Herr K in the 2008 Maryland premier of Melissa Shiflett’s Dora and in 2011 as Tom Rakewell in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, the latter performed at the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore. In 2011, Mr. Drackley placed first in the Opera Lancaster Competition, as well as fourth in the Mario Lanza Competition in Philadelphia.
Mr. Drackley is also an active performer in the greater Washington, DC area. In concert, he has performed solos from Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Christen, atzet diesen Tag over internationally televised programming with The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and he performed arias and ensembles in Annapolis Opera’s “Gifts from Grand Opera” concert. He joined Opera Vivente as Arturo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor in the fall of 2010. Mr. Drackley originated the role of General Kornilov in the world premier of Joshua Bornfield’s politically satirical opera, Strong Like Bull, with The Figaro Project in Baltimore. Mr. Drackley was also seen as the tenor soloist in Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Baltimore Choral Arts Society and as Alfredo in the Opera AACC production of La Traviata. Mr. Drackley recently premiered with the Lyric Opera of Baltimore as Parpignol in their 2012 production of La Boheme. Peter then returned to the Opera AACC Stage to sing Bastien in Mozart’s Bastien und Bastienne in November. In December, Mr. Drackley performed the tenor solo in Handel’s Messiah with the York Symphony in Pennsylvania.
Mr. Drackley will next be seen as Gerald in Lakmé with Peabody Opera Theatre in March, followed by his performance of Male Chorus in Britten’s Rape of Lucretia with Baltimore’s HexaCollective in April.
John Wilson
Described by the Baltimore Sun as having, “admirable technical confidence and expressive sensitivity,” John Wilson, performs as recitalist, collaborative musician and soloist with orchestra. The recipient of a “Debut Award”, Wilson will appear as soloist with the New York Concerti Sinfonietta in Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto. As a finalist of the Carnegie Hall American Protégé Competition, he recently took part in a winners’ recital at Weill Hall in December of 2012. This summer, he will attend the Aspen Music Festival as an orchestral piano fellow, working under Maestro Robert Spano. During his undergraduate studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, Wilson earned the Presser Award and the Clara Ascherfeld Award. He is currently pianist for the Baltimore Lyric Opera. An avid collaborative artist, he recently appeared in recital with award winning trumpet player Josef Burgstaller, and with Ron Barron, multiple times, and Mark Davidson, the former principal trombonists of the Baltimore and Boston Symphonies, respectively. A member of the contemporary music group “The Lunar Ensemble”, Wilson performed Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire at Baltimore’s Shriver Hall, as well as eight new works by Peabody composers. Most recently, he was soloist with the Peabody Conductor’s Orchestra in Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, and a finalist in the Harrison L. Winter piano competition. Wilson earned his Bachelor of Music and Master’s degrees under Marian Hahn at Peabody and is currently earning a Graduate Performance Diploma, studying with Benjamin Pasternack. He has had the added advantage of coaching sessions with Leon Fleisher, Murray Perahia and Ian Hobson.
