| Natalie Arduino is an alumna of Lyric Opera Center for American Artists where she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Kristina in the Lyric Opera of Chicago's production of The Makropoulos Affair. In addition to her numerous Chicago appearances, she has sung with the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Chautauqua Opera, Opera Festival of New Jersey, the Connecticut Early Music Festival, Hawaii Chamber Opera, and the Ohio Light Opera. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1996 as the alto soloist with the Masterworks Chorus in Handel's Messiah. |
Amy Becker portrayed Aurora Wentworth in the 1998 Chicago Humanities Festival presentation of Mr. Seward's farce, High Fidelity. She is an accomplished soloist in the Chicago area and includes in her repertoire Vivaldi's Gloria, Haydn's Creation, Brahms Requiem, Fauré's Requiem, Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Grand Mass in C Minor. In addition to her solo career, Miss Becker is a professional member of the Chicago Symphony Chorus and teaches sixth grade music in Winnetka.
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Coloratura soprano Patrice Boyd has appeared in opera, concert, oratorio, and musical theatre throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. She sang the world premiere of Giampaolo Testoni's Alice (based on Alice in Wonderland) in Palermo, Italy, and has appeared as Marie in La Fille du Regiment at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu under Richard Bonynge. The New York Times praised her Gilda in Rigoletto with the Empire State Opera: "She is gifted with a shining soprano tone and effortless upper register; her 'Caro nome' was the evening's highlight . . . A singer who bears watching.” Last May, Miss Boyd sang the role of Aurora in Mr. Seward's comic opera High Fidelity at Merkin Hall in New York. In the United States, Miss Boyd has also performed Christine in Phantom of the Opera, Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, Olympia in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Juliet in Romeo et Juliette, and most frequently, the Queen of the Night in Mozart's The Magic Flute; she is also one of the few sopranos who sings the title role of Lakmé. As a concert soloist, Miss Boyd has appeared with the New York Choral Society, the St. George's Orchestra and Choral Society of New York, the Philippine National Orchestra, the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of Beijing, and the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. She is currently cantor at St. James Cathedral, in which capacity she appears regularly on television in the New York metropolitan area. |
Composer/Performer Philip Seward lists among his operatic and musical works, Sincerely Yours and Juan Peron’s Hand at the Northtown Arts Center; High Fidelity at the Chicago Humanities Festival with Ms. Becker — and at Merkin Hall in New York with Ms. Boyd; Spreading The News at North Park University and Hans Brinker at Theatre Building Chicago (which received several Jeff Citations and an After Dark Award). Commissions include a musical memorial for former Lyric Opera of Chicago General Director, Ardis Krainik, at the request of the Chapters Executive Board; several works for chorus and orchestra for the Lira Ensemble; and threed new operas for children commissioned by Lyric Opera (which have been performed by Lyric and other companies across the United States). As a tenor soloist he has concertized extensively in Europe and sung with Ars Musica in Chicago, The Messiah with the Elmhurst Chorale Union, roles in Die Fledermaus, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, South Pacific, The King and I, Cinderella, The Beggar’s Opera, A Chorus of Disapproval, The American Clock, and Frank McCourt’s The Irish...and how they got that way. |