Treat Yourself to an Insider’s
Starry, Starry Night!
You won’t want to miss this magical night of music with intimate access to the stars of Carmen! This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity (and the sole auction item for our Fall Gala) that only MasterVoices can offer, made possible through the extraordinary generosity of our Artistic Director, Ted Sperling, and his circle of stars.
Prepare to be entranced by not one, but TWO superb guests in your own home or club! Carmen leads Mikaela Bennett and John Brancy are two of the brightest stars on stage today. Place the winning bid for this incredible experience and you’ll enjoy the music they make long past the Carmen curtain. There are few experiences as special as being up-close-and-personal with Ted and his musical colleagues – the stars of the show! This opportunity is NOT to be missed!
BIDDING IS NOW CLOSED.
Current Bid: $5,500
Submit your Bid via email to Christopher Judd.
Provide your name and your bid using the link below.
Bids must be made in increments of $500.
DON’T CARE TO COMPETE? – BUY NOW!
For the ultimate Treat, this special evening can be yours for the Buy-it-Now bid of $10,000! Whether you Buy-it-Now by yourself or gather a group of friends to go in on it with you, this one-of-kind experience can be yours with one single bid. No need to track other offers—you’ve locked it in!
VALUE: Priceless!
DATES: Mutually convenient to artists and the winning bidder
(buyer must provide suitable piano)
DONORS: Ted Sperling, Mikaela Bennett, and John Brancy
Auction Closes 3 PM EST, Friday, October 28, 2022
Artist Bios
Mikaela Bennett is a graduate of The Juilliard School and is celebrated as a singer and actress for her work on stage and in the concert hall. She most recently appeared as a featured soloist in Daniel Fish’s concert conception of The Most Happy Fella at Bard SummerScape and made her Festival Napa Valley debut as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi under the baton of Kent Nagano. In 2021, Mikaela had the honor to appear in Carnegie Hall as a featured soloist in the MasterVoices concert “A Joyful Noise,” performing alongside the Grammy Award-winning group Take 6. In 2019, Mikaela was honored by Lincoln Center with a ‘Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists’ and in May of that year, she made her critically acclaimed debut at Lyric Opera of Chicago playing Maria in West Side Story. To cap off that eventful year Mikaela sang the role of Mary Wintergreen in MasterVoices’ concert production of Gershwin’s Let ‘Em Eat Cake at Carnegie Hall, music directed and conducted by Ted Sperling.
Grammy Award-winning baritone John Brancy is known for his intense musicality and communicative power. Hailed by the New York Times as “a vibrant resonant presence,” Mr. Brancy is equally at home in staged opera, concert performance, and recital, with a wide-ranging repertoire that includes classical, contemporary world premieres and musical theater. The New Jersey native won First Prize in the 2018 Lotte Lenya Competition in New York and recently debuted with the Apex Ensemble performing Mahler’s Lieder Eines Fahreneden Gesellen. He has performed in Cosi Fan Tutte with the San Diego Opera and San Francisco Opera and will be premiering a new work by composer Julien Bilodeau with the Montreal Opera. Mr. Brancy has a B.A. and Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance from The Juilliard School in New York.
Ted Sperling is a multi-faceted artist; director, music director, conductor, orchestrator, singer, pianist, violinist, and violist. He is the Artistic Director of MasterVoices and Music Director of the recent Broadway productions of My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, and The King and I, all currently touring nationally and internationally. He has directed the premiere productions of The Other Josh Cohen, Red Eye of Love, Striking 12, and See What I Wanna See, all off-Broadway. A Tony Award winner for his orchestrations of The Light in the Piazza, Mr. Sperling is known for his work across many genres, including opera, oratorio, musical theater, symphony, and pops. His video interpretation of Adam Guettel’s Myths and Hymns can be viewed on the PBS channel, AllArts, where you can also view his concert of Carole King songs. He earned rapturous reviews for his production of Lady in the Dark with MasterVoices at NY City Center as well as for recent performances of Let ‘Em Eat Cake and Anyone Can Whistle at Carnegie Hall.