Performer Bios


	Georg Friedrich Handel The Messiah December 2003, 2004, 2005 Artists











	Composer Georg Friedrich Handel was born on February 23, 1685 in Halle-in-Saxony, a Prussian town famous for its university and prosperous due to its salt springs. His father, also named Georg, was a barber-surgeon, a career combination that was not unusual in those days, and his mother Dorothea, Georg's second wife, was the daughter of a Lutheran pastor. He had two sisters. The English adopted Handel early in his career and took him to their heart. He enjoyed the favours of the British Royal Court and King George I made repeated requests for special occasion music. This most famous of Handel’s oratorios was first performed in Dublin to raise money for charity. The text for The Messiah, entirely taken from the Bible, was supplied by Jennens, who had earlier collaborated with Handel on the oratorio Saul. Handel wrote the score in three weeks. We regret that Maestro Handel is not available to join us, except in spirit.

	Soprano Terri Richter was a member of the first graduating class of Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program in 1998 for which she portrayed Despina in Mozart’s Così fan tutte. She made her Seattle Opera debut as Barbarina in Mozart’s Nozze di Figaro in 1997 and returned to the company as Papagena in Mozart’s Zauberflöte in 1999, as Xenia in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov in 2000, as the First Wood Nymph in Dvorak’s Rusalka in 2001, and as Oscar in Verdi’s Ballo in maschera in 2002. Other performances in the Northwest include Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with Opera Idaho and concert appearances with Seattle Symphony. In the 2003/04 Seattle Opera season, Richter sings an Esquire and a Flower Maiden in Wagner’s Parsifal and the Naiad in Ariadne auf Naxos. Ms. Richter will be the soprano soloist in Skagit Opera's December 2003 Messiah production. Visit Terri's website at www.terririchter.com Soprano Soloist 2003, 2004

	A specialist in music of the Baroque, Ms. Bird has performed many of Bach’s masterpieces, including both Passions and Cantatas 51 (Jauchzet Gott) and 202 (Wedding Cantata). This holiday season, she will perform with Seattle Baroque Orchestra, singing excerpts from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and three Christmas cantatas. In Baroque opera, Ms. Bird has performed the roles of Poppea in adaptations of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and Handel’s Agrippina. As a member of the prestigious Apprentice Program for Singers at The Santa Fe Opera, 2005, Miss Bird covered the role of 1 st Niece in Peter Grimes and sang a featured ensemble role in the world premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar. She will recreate her role in that opera when the production travels to Lincoln Center in January 2006. Soprano Soloist 2005

	Melissa Plagemann, mezzo-soprano, performs frequently throughout the Pacific Northwest, and has appeared with some of the area's finest ensembles, including the Seattle Symphony, Tacoma Opera, Orchestra Seattle, Seattle Opera Guild, Skagit Opera, the Seattle Choral Company, Kitsap Opera, and NOISE, among others. Recent opera roles for Ms. Plagemann include Hänsel in Humperdinck's Hänsel und Gretel, Carmen in semi-staged scenes with the Seattle Symphony, Dorabella in Così fan Tutte, Tisbe in Rossini's La Cenerentola, and both the 2nd and 3rd Ladies in Mozart's Magic Flute. Equally at home on the concert stage, she has performed in several recent productions of Mozart's Requiem, as well as Copland's In the Beginning, and Saint-Saëns' Christmas Oratorio, among others. Messiah (Alto Soloist) 2005

	Jonathan Silvia, bass, is a graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, WI, with a degree in Voice Performance and Pedagogy. Returning to Washington, he has since been involved in several productions with a variety of ensembles and roles, such as with Bellevue Opera, Skagit Opera, Seattle Civic Light Opera, and the University of Washington. Regularly, he sings professionally with Plymouth Congregational Church in downtown Seattle, with the Cascadian Chorale, and with the acclaimed Santa Fe Desert Chorale, among others. Most recently he was seen as Colline in Bellevue Opera’s La Bohème, and in the coming months will be involved again with Skagit Opera and with Bellevue Opera as Alidoro in Cenerentola. Bass Soloist 2005

	Mezzo-Soprano Marana Avant received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Arizona. She sang Dorothea in Massenet’s Cendrillon, Cousin Hebe in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, Octavian from Strauss’s Der Rosencavalier and Giove in Cavalli’s La Calisto with the U of A Opera Theater and Opera Scenes Programs. Seattle area performances include previews for Seattle Opera's Bellini’s Norma, Peep-bo in Bellevue Opera’s The Mikado, and as a chorister in Seattle Opera’s Parsifal. She covered the role of the Mother in the Seattle Symphony's Amahl and the Night Visitors. She also sang in the chorus of Seattle Opera’s Carmen in January 2004. Messiah (Alto Soloist) 2003

	Mezzo-Soprano LuAnne Hargis began singing later in life, yet has established a varied career in the Northwest as a soloist with the Seattle Opera, the Tacoma Opera, and the Seattle Chamber Singers. She has also performed with various local and regional music theatre groups, and has sung in many concerts and churches in the area, including a solo recital here at St. Paul’s in 2001. She is a member of the Seattle Opera's Supplemental Chorus. American Anthem, First Sunday at the Opera Alto Soloist 2004

	Tenor Scott Rittenhouse graduated from Western Washington University with both a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Vocal Performance. He has sung roles in a variety of community and university productions including, "The Pirates of Penzance," "The Gondoliers," "Carmen" and "The Magic Flute." He has sung with the Seattle Opera in productions of Verdi's "Don Carlo" and Wagner's "Lohengrin." He has appeared as guest soloist with the Skagit Symphony in Rossini's "Stabat Mater," and most recently, in their performance of Bach's "Magnificat." He is the band and general music teacher at Jefferson Elementary School in Mount Vernon, and is the choir director at Salem Lutheran Church. He lives in Mount Vernon with his wife Lynne, and their two children. Tenor Soloist 2003, 2004, 2005

	Baritone Erich Parce has been a frequent guest of opera companies throughout North America and Europe, including the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, San Diego Opera, Seattle Opera, Greater Miami Opera, L’Opera d’Nice, and L’Opera de Montreal. His roles include Figaro in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”, the Count in “Le Nozze di Figaro”, Guglielmo in “Cosi fan Tutte”, Jonathan Wade in “The Passion of Jonathan Wade” by Carlisle Floyd, Zurga in “Les Pecheurs des Perles”, Valentin in “Faust”, and the Father in “Hansel and Gretel”. He has sung with Alfredo Kraus, Carol Vaness, and Placido Domingo among others. Mr. Parce resides in Bellevue Washington with his wife Melissa and sons Jesse and Anthony, where he maintains an active teaching studio when not performing and directing. Bass Soloist 2003, 2004

	Chorus Director Beth Kirchhoff, a native Kansan, has worked extensively in the Pacific Northwest as an opera coach, accompanist, recitalist, and chamber musician. She is the Chorusmaster for the Seattle Opera after serving as Assistant to George Fiore for several years. Beth has also worked for Opera Northwest, Pro Musica, Opera-by-the-Book, and was Asst. Music Director for Tacoma Opera. She is currently also Music Director for the opera program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Ms. Kirchhoff holds a degree in Piano Performance from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas and a MM in choral conducting from Western Washington University. She shares her life with Loren Lukens, ceramic artist, and daughter Claire who attends Colorado College.

	Music Director and Concert Master Sharyn Peterson holds a B.A. in Fine Arts (music emphasis), and studied voice, viola, and violin. She also holds an M.A. in Violin Performance/Pedagogy from the University of Washington. She studied conducting with Vilem Sokol and Gary Bonner, and is currently in her 11^th year of conducting the Mt. Baker Youth Symphony, her 8^th year of conducting the Fidalgo Youth Symphony, and recently conducted the Fidalgo Youth Symphony for the Northwest Children’s Theater. She also conducts the Moviehouse Sinfonia and is the Artistic Director and Violin Soloist for the Starry Night Chamber Concerts in the historic Lincoln Theater in Mt. Vernon where she has a private studio and teaches voice and violin. At home in the Pacific Northwest, Mrs. Peterson has collaborated with several world-class musicians, such as, Barton Frank, Paul Rosenthal, Jodi Schwarz, Eugene Zoro, Harvey Pittel, and John Barcelona. She has taught all levels of strings techniques, elementary age to college age, beginning adults and middle school and high school choirs. She has organized and performed (violin soloist, concertmaster) with orchestras for several Skagit Valley Chorale concerts, as well as the Northwest Community Chorale, for over 15 years.

	Conductor Malcolm Peterson has expertise developed in a variety of groups, including high school and college choirs and ensembles, large church choirs and orchestras, high school, middle school, beginning bands, and notably, the Cascade Cantabile Choir for 3 years, which performed masterworks of the choral literature, including, Te Deum, a cantata written specifically for Malcolm (trumpet), and his wife Sharyn (violin) and their Seattle Choir; then known as the Musical Offering Chorale. Mr. Peterson has studied conducting with the acclaimed Dr. Bonner of Azusa Pacific College, and is committed to the growth of musical experience among the youth and adults of Skagit Valley. For several years, he served as a brass coach and an assistant conductor of the Fidalgo Youth Symphony (Skagit Valley) and the Mt. Baker Youth Symphony (Whatcom County). He also worked professionally as Orchestra Manager & Brass Coach for the Cascade Youth Symphony in the North Seattle area. In two of the churches where he directed the music department, he developed and trained volunteer orchestras of mixed ages who played in the weekly services, often accompanying the 65 voice choirs on major works such as The King’s March from Vaughn Williams Hodie and numerous Messiah selections.

Harpsichordist Robert Kechley is a Seattle-born composer, arranger, performer and accompanist. His compositions, including two symphonies, choral works, and chamber pieces, have been commissioned and performed by Orchestra Seattle, Seattle Chamber Singers, The George Shangrow Chorale, Masterworks Choral Ensemble, the Northwest Chamber Orchestra and the Northwest Boy Choir. He is a graduate of the University of Washington, where he studied harpsichord with Silvia Kind and composition with Ken Benshoof, Robert Suderberg, William O. Smith and others. He is currently director of music at East Shore Unitarian Church and accompanist for the Seattle Bach Choir.

The Skagit Opera Chorus
	Messiah Chorus 2003 Left to Right - Beth Kirchhoff , Chorus Director, Wendy Lyons , LuAnne Hargis, Clarence Holden, Lois Vander Meulen, Randy Stewart, Janice Mikkelborg, Roger Wechsley , Steve Crider, Ginny Wolff, Sarah Huntington, Eric Hall Missing – Faye Patrick, Lisa Martin, Flora Adams , Beverly Pearson, Kelly Siebecke, Karen Rentko, Kathleen Wadland, Penny Lingenfelter, Phil Trautman, Dave Lingenfelter, Don Semrau, Daniel Davidge, Rick Bulcroft - Photo by Ron Wohl