Spokane Symphony salutes Broadway with an evening of Bernstein

Apr 30, 2008

For Immediate Release

Contact: Annie Matlow 464-7071

SPOKANE: The Spokane Symphony will play selections from the Broadway hits by American composer Leonard Bernstein on Saturday, May 10, at 8 p.m., at the INB Performing Arts Center. The final concert in the SuperPops series will be conducted by Resident Conductor Morihiko Nakahara, with guest artists Dawn Marie Wolski, soprano, Kristy Fox, lyric soprano, Quincy Marr, baritone, Randel Wagner, bass and Max Mendez, baritone.

Bernstein (1898-1937) was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and was the first American-born conductor to achieve international acclaim. Bernstein took piano lessons as a child, although his father discouraged a career in music. He attended Harvard University and went on to study at the Curtis School of Music, earning an A in his conducting class the only one ever given by Fritz Reiner. He also studied at the Tanglewood Institute with Serge Koussevitzky, with whom he later worked as assistant conductor. Bernstein is best known as the conductor of the New York Philharmonic, and as the composer of Broadway musicals, including On The Town, Peter Pan, Candide, and West Side Story. Bernstein also created a stir by making recordings of two of these musicals using classically trained soloists, rather than singers with more traditional show-tune voices.

Soprano Dawn Marie Wolski's clear, brilliant tone and exacting attention to detail is quickly catching the attention of the international opera, operetta and concert worlds alike. Ms. Wolski is a native of Washington, D.C. who studied at the esteemed Manhattan School of Music, where her portrayal of Lucia in The Rape of Lucretia was described as exquisite in a review in Opera News. Ms. Wolski has served in the United States Military, touring with The United States Army Field Band of Washington, D.C. soloing for tens of thousands throughout over 40 states in venues as prestigious as Boston Symphony Hall to local arenas where under reached audiences could experience classical music for the first time. Ms. Wolski is the wife of Mateusz Wolski, Spokane Symphony concertmaster.

Kristy Fox, Lyric Soprano, graduated from Black Hills High School in Tumwater, Washington in 2002 and is completing her studies in vocal performance at Eastern Washington University, where she has studied under Susan Windham, Patti Blankenship, Kendall Feeney, and Dr. Randall Wagner. She participates every year in Opera Workshop at the university, and has performed Snow White in Into the Woods, and Pink Sheep in Candide.

Baritone Quincy Marr, a 2002 Hope College graduate hailing from Brooklyn, NY, has recently returned from a nine-month international tour of In The Mood during which he sang nightly with a 13 piece big band to sold our houses everywhere. Marr has been singing since third grade, when he joined a boy's choir, which he toured with for seven years. After completing his studies, he embarked on an acting career in New York City. He was the guest soloist fro the Spokane Symphony's Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber last season.

Randel Wagner, bass, is the Director of Choral and Vocal Activities at Eastern Washington University. As a professional singer and conductor he has performed across the United States, Asia and Europe. Highlights of his career include performing the bass solos in Haydn's Di Jahreszeiten with the Quodlibet Choir and Telemann Orchestra in Osaka, Japan. He has been a Regional Finalist for auditions with the Metropolitan Opera, and National Finalist, NATS Singer of the year Competition, and has won awards for his work as a professor at Eastern. Dr. Wagner holds a Doctorate of Music from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in voice performance and voice pedagogy.

Max Mendez, baritone, has been an active part of the Inland Northwest music community for the last seven years. He divides his time between conducting, teaching and performing. He has recently sung to critical success in the Northwest Bach Festival St. Matthew Passion and Spokane Opera's recent production of Tosca. Mendez has performed opera with various organizations, including Los Angeles Music Center Opera, Opera Pacific and Opera Plus! His versatility as a singer ranges from opera and oratorio to musical theater, cabaret and popular styles. He is currently on the music faculty of North Idaho College serving as choir director and voice instructor. He has been a featured singer with the Spokane Symphony performing in their production of Rigoletto and in their Holiday and Latin Pops concerts.

This concert has been made possible by the generous donations of Witherspoon, Kelley, Davenport and Toole, PS.

Tickets range from $20 to $44 and are available Monday through Friday from 9:30-5:00 p.m. at the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office at the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox at 1001 West Sprague Avenue or by calling (509) 624-1200. Tickets are also available at www.spokanesymphony.org or through TicketsWest at 325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT.

CALENDAR LISTING:
Tonight - Bernstein's Broadway Pops Concert; Morihiko Nakahara conducts the Spokane Symphony; May 10 at 8:00 p.m. in the INB Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $20 to $44; Call the Spokane Symphony Ticket Office at (509) 624-1200; tickets are also available through TicketsWest outlets or by calling 325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT.