2004 Bach Festival Performers
Soprano ANN MONOYIOS has collaborated in concert engagements with leading Baroque specialists of the world such as Gustav Leonhardt, Frans Brueggen, Christopher Hogwood, John Eliot Gardiner, Philippe Herreweghe, Reinhard Goebel, and Nicholas McGegan. She has toured with Tafelmusik Orchestra and has appeared in numerous productions of baroque operas throughout Europe. Miss Monoyios can be heard on Deutsche Grammophon Archiv (St. Matthew Passion with John Eliot Gardiner), Sony Vivarte, EMI, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, and Erato recordings.
Baritone CHRISTÒPHEREN NOMURA, who made his New York City debut in 1992, has performed throughout the world, and has been hailed as one of classical music's "rising stars" by the Wall Street Journal. He has performed with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, the Carmel Bach Festival, Handel & Haydn Society, Boston Early Music Festival, Boston Baroque, and The Berkshire Choral Festival. A Grammy nomination, a Fulbright Grant, and winning the 1992 Young Concert Artists International Auditions are listed among his credits.
Mezzo-Soprano CHRISTINE ABRAHAM has sung a wide operatic and orchestral repertoire to great critical acclaim. This year marks her third appearance at the Baldwin-Wallace Bach Festival. Ms. Abraham’s engagements in 2003-04 include performances of several new roles, including Bradamante in Handel’s Alcina with Boston Baroque and Sesto in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with Utah Opera. She also appears this year with Chicago’s Music of the Baroque, performing works of Monteverdi, and sings Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem.
Tenor FREDERICK URREY returns this season for his tenth Bach Festival appearance. He has performed throughout the United States, in Europe and Asia, and has appeared with the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, the Washington Bach Consort, the Carmel Bach Festival, the Marlboro Music Festival, Les Violons du Roy of Quebec, and the Bach Societies of Vienna, Vancouver, Orleans, Louisville, and Kalamazoo. His discography currently lists twenty-nine titles on the Dorian, RCA/BMG, Harmonia Mundi, Telefunken-Decca, Newport Classic, Vox Classic, Albany, and Koch International labels.
Lyric tenor ALAN BENNETT is noted for his performances of the oratorios of Bach, Handel, and Mozart. This season, Mr. Bennett returns to the B-W Bach Festival for his second appearance. He has performed throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and South America. He appears annually with the Carmel Bach Festival and has also sung at the Tanglewood Festival, Oregon Bach Festival, and Bethlehem Bach Festival, as well as with Handel & Haydn Society, Tafelmusik, and Les Violons du Roy. Prominent conductors with whom he has worked include Christopher Hogwood, Helmuth Rilling, and Robert Shaw.
Baritone SANFORD SYLVAN returns to the Bach Festival for his third season. Mr. Sylvan has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe. A Grammy and Emmy Award winner, he has appeared with leading orchestras of the world, collaborating with such conductors as Simon Rattle, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Herbert Blomstedt, Christopher Hogwood, Kent Nagano, Bruno Weil , Roger Norrington, and Edo De Waart. He has performed with the Carmel and New England Bach Festival, and has recorded on Nonesuch, Decca, Harmonia Mundi, Musicmasters, Bridge, Koch, Virgin Classics, New World, and CRI labels.
Organist ULLRICH BÖHME began his career as organist at the age of 13 and has retained his fascination with the "King of Instruments" ever since. He studied with Hans Otto at the Dresden Church Music Academy and then at the Leipzig Conservatory with Wolfgang Schetelich. In the Bach anniversary year 1985 (300 years after Bach's birth) Mr. Böhme was chosen as organist at Leipzig's St. Thomas Church, the church where Johann Sebastian Bach worked for the final twenty-seven years of his life. He has made regular concert tours to many European countries, North America, and Japan and has made numerous recordings and television appearances.