When putting together our upcoming program of Romantic music, Artistic Director Ted Sperling felt the evening called for an energetic, youthful group of soloists… and that’s what he assembled!
Now you can learn a little bit more about them…
Nicole Cabell, Soprano
Ways You Might Have Heard Her: At Carnegie Hall as part of Marilyn Horne’s Birthday Gala (2018) and Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music (2014); as Micaela in Carmen at the Met (2011); as Bess in The English National Opera’s Porgy and Bess (2018).
Something Romantic About Her: Cabell got together with husband Christopher Guarnieri in May 2017 and they married that September.
What She’ll Be Performing: Liebeslieder Waltzer (Brahms); “Night Waltzes” from A Little Night Music (Sondheim, arr. Sperling); “Joy”, “New Moon”, “Dream Variations” from Life is Love (Gordon).
Small World Department: She met composer Ricky Ian Gordon in 2002 at Lyric Opera of Chicago, ultimately recording an entire album of his songs, Silver Rain (2012). She also sang with MasterVoices in A Child of Our Time (2012) at Carnegie Hall!
Kate Aldrich, Mezzo/Alto
Ways You Might Have Heard Her: At the Metropolitan Opera as Carmen (2010) and as Adalgisa in Norma (2013); with Opera Orchestra as Smeton in Anna Bolena (2003); at Caramoor as Romeo in I Capuleti e I Montecchi (2012).
Something Romantic About Her: “I have a very passionate relationship with food. Food and I are in love.”
What She’ll Be Performing: “Do I Hear a Waltz” (Rodgers, arr. Sperling); Ständchen (Schubert); Liebeslieder Walzer (Brahms); “Night Waltzes” from A Little Night Music (Sondheim); “Joy”, “God” from Life is Love (Gordon).
Small World Department: She and Nicholas Phan both studied at the Manhattan School of Music; Kate sang the title role of Carmen with MasterVoices in 2016 at the Verbier Festival!
Nicholas Phan, Tenor
Ways You Might Have Heard Him: At Florence Gould Hall in Sarah Rothenberg’s A Proust Sonata (2018); at Ravinia as Nebuchadnezzar in The Burning Fiery Furnace (2013); at Carnegie Hall in Musicians from Marlboro (2017) and Haydn’s “Creation” with Helmuth Rilling and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (2009) – on three hours’ notice!
Something Romantic About Him: Barely 40 years old, Phan has already recorded multiple albums celebrating Romantic music of the German tradition (Gods and Monsters), the French (Illuminations), and the British (Winter Words).
What He’ll Be Performing: Liebeslieder Walzer (Brahms); Mondnacht (Schumann); “Night Waltzes” from A Little Night Music (Sondheim); “Joy”, “Heaven”, “New Moon” from Life is Love (Gordon).
Small World Department: Nick sang on a program of Ricky Ian Gordon’s work at Cal Performances in 2006; just last month he performed with Nicole Cabell in Mozart’s Requiem with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra!
Nmon Ford, Baritone
Ways You Might Have Heard Him: this past summer as The Celebrant in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass at the Mostly Mozart Festival; at Spoleto Festival in the title role Don Giovanni (2006); as a featured soloist on Grammy-winning Songs of Innocence and Experience (Naxos), or with the English National Opera in Porgy and Bess (2018) as Crown.
Something Romantic About Him: Nmon (pronounced “En-mon”) was planning to be a lawyer but fell in love with opera as a teenager when he caught Leontyne Price on TV singing her final performance in opera of Verdi’s Aida. He usually sings bad guys but his dream role is Rodrigo in Verdi’s Don Carlo.
What He’ll Be Performing: Liebeslieder Walzer and Unbewegte laue Luft (Brahms); “Night Waltzes” from A Little Night Music (Sondheim); “Joy” “Prayer”, and “New Moon” from Life is Love (Gordon).
Small World Department: Nmon was featured as a young soloist with the Atlanta Symphony the same year as Nicholas Phan was featured with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; last year he appeared with Nicole Cabell in The English National Opera’s Porgy and Bess.
