EMERGING ARTISTS [LIVE!] ONLINE

Boston Court’s 4th annual Emerging Artist Series is going virtual! This Series pairs talented young musicians with acclaimed mentors who develop a special program showcasing the young artist’s unique skills and musical viewpoint.

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ABOUT THE ARTIST

Angel Riley is an emerging American soprano embarking on a promising career. Hailing from Belleville, Illinois, Angel is currently finishing her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance under the tutelage of Juliana Gondek at the University of California–Los Angeles where she has acquired extensive experience as an operatic, concert, and recital soloist.

At UCLA Angel has performed the lead role of Lala in the world premiere of Janice Hamer’s Lost Childhood as well as Sor Andrea in Carla Lucero’s opera Juana. Additional credits include the soprano soloist in Leonard Bernstein’s Songfest for the Los Angeles Bernstein Centennial celebration, soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” with the UCLA Philharmonia under Maestro Neal Stulberg in historic Royce Hall, and a televised national anthem in the Rose Bowl for UCLA Bruins football.

While earning her Bachelor of Music degree at DePauw University Angel performed the roles of Contessa Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Mrs. Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, Meg March in Little Women, and Drusilla in The Coronation of Poppea. She was also a winner in the DePauw Concerto Competition.

Angel’s exciting stage presence and rich vocal color distinguish her performances, resulting in her winning a coveted position as a 2020 Gerdine Young Artist with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis. She has also sung in master classes with opera stars Frederica von Stade, Michelle DeYoung, and Sasha Cooke. While the current global pandemic has curtailed some of Angel’s scheduled performances, she nonetheless is preparing for upcoming engagements, including a performance and recording of celebrated composer Richard Danielpour’s 28-minute song cycle on Maya Angelou texts, A Woman’s Life.

You can read more about Angel online at angelrileysoprano.com.

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ABOUT THE MENTOR

Paul Floyd ‘s training as a classical pianist includes performance degrees from the University of Southern California, The Eastman School of Music and the University of Colorado, Boulder.   He was fortunate to work with some of the best teachers in the country including Nelita True, Robert Spillman, and James Bonn.  During his studies, he also fell in love with vocal chamber music and opera.

Paul’s career as an opera coach began in the summers with festivals in Aspen and Central City, Colorado and for ten summers in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He then made his living for sixteen years as an Assistant Conductor with the Los Angeles Opera.  While working in the field of opera, he collaborated daily with many of the world’s finest opera singers and conductors. He is now conducting opera both at Chapman University and in the summers, at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival.

You can read more about Paul online at pgfloyd.com.

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PROGRAM

Patience (2020, world premiere*)……….Nicolas Benavides (b. 1987)
Text by Ross Gay

Hermit Songs, Op. 29 (1953)……….Samuel Barber (1910-1981)
Annonymous Irish Texts

1. At St. Patrick’s Purgatory
2. Church Bell at Night
3. St. Ita’s Vision
4. The Heavenly Banquet
5. The Crucifixion
6. Sea Snatch
7. Promiscuity
8. The Monk and His Cat
9. The Praises of God
10. The Desire for Hermitage

Spring Rain……….Robert Spillman (b. 1936)
Poetry by Sara Teasdale

1. Barter
2. Central Park at Dusk
3. Summer Night, Riverside
4. Spring Rain
5. I Shall Not Care
6. There Will Come Soft Rain
7. Morning

My Solitude (2020, world premiere*)……….Nicholas Benavides
Lyric by Mark Saltzman

*Boston Court Emerging Artists Commission