Johann Sebastian Bach: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140
Georg Frideric Handel: Concerto Grosso in B-flat Major, HWV 313, Op. 3, No. 2
Antonio Vivaldi: Gloria
Soloists: Jessica Beebe, soprano; Doug Dodson, countertenor; Steven Brennfleck, tenor; Edward Vogel, bass
The Redeemer Choir
Philharmonie Austin
Mark Dupere, conductor
{no charge for admission}
Mark Dupere, conductor
Mark Dupere is Associate Professor of Music at Lawrence University, where he is the Director of Orchestral Studies. He is a passionate educator and hopes to impart a love of music-making and active engagement with audiences in the performance of music from all periods. He currently conducts the Lawrence Symphony and Chamber Orchestras.
As a cellist, Mark performed throughout Europe with the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, Haagsche Hofmuzieck, and Ani-ma Eterna Brugge and was an apprentice with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in London. Mark was a “Emerging Artist” at the Victoria Bach Festival, performed in the Leipzig Bach Competition, and most recently was named a national finalist in the American Prize in Conducting. Mark holds degrees in cello from the University of Texas at Austin and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, the Netherlands, and a Doctorate in Orchestral Conducting from Michigan State University.
Jessica Beebe, soprano
Lauded by Opera News as “evocative and ethereal”, “a honey-colored tone”, and "the most radiant solo singing", soprano Jessica Beebe is steadily gaining international attention as an affecting interpreter of repertoire spanning over four centuries, ranging from Renaissance music to contemporary American opera. In recent seasons, she has appeared as a guest soloist in concert with The New York City Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, The Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Raymond Leppard; The Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra; the Princeton Festival Orchestra; The English Concert under Harry Bicket, Bourbon Baroque, Piffaro The Renaissance Wind Band; The Folger Consort; the Delaware Symphony Orchestra; the Utah Symphony under the baton of Craig Jessop, and several other orchestras and ensembles.
Ms. Beebe's vast solo concert and oratorio repertoire includes such major works like Monteverdi's Vespro della beata vergine; Vivaldi's In furore iustissimae iræ and Gloria; Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater; J. S. Bach's Mass in B minor, St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio, and a wide range of cantatas; Handel's Messiah, Dixit Dominus, Samson, Semele, Jepthe, and Judas Maccabaeus; Mozart's Mass in C minor, Coronation Mass, Vespers, and Requiem; Haydn's Die Schöpfung, The Seasons, Te Deum, Lord Nelson Mass, and Harmoniemesse; Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem; Fauré's Requiem; Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem; Delius' Requiem; and Orff's Carmina Burana. She has also performed late 20th & 21st-century works such as John Adam's El Niño; Andrea Clearfield's Alleluia; Donald McCullough's Song of the Shulamite; John Rutter's Requiem and Mass for the Children; and Richard Einhorn's Voices of Light.
In the realm of opera, Ms. Beebe has performed a variety of roles including Barbarina in Le nozze di Figaro (the role of her 2015 debut with the Princeton Festival), Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and Despina in Così fan tutte; Gluck's Euridice and Humperdinck's Gretel; 20th-century roles such as the First Niece in Peter Grimes with Princeton Opera Festival, and the First Daughter in Akhnaten with Indianapolis Opera, and in 17th-century repertoire, the commanding roles of La Gloire in Lully's Alceste and Purcell's Dido. Highlights of her operatic activity including covering the role of Lila in the 2016 East Coast premiere of Jennifer Higdon's Cold Mountain, and joining Norway's Bergen National Opera to cover the role of the Angel in Netia Jones' hi-tech staged production of Messiah. In 2017, she helped to create the role of Luna in the world premiere of David Hertzberg's The Wake World with Opera Philadelphia and in 2018 she covered Winnie in Lembit Beecher's Sky on Swings. In 2019, Ms. Beebe debuted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the west coast debut of Meredith Monk's opera, Atlas. Beebe is a frequent performer of contemporary opera and is currently workshopping new operas with Opera Philadelphia by Jennifer Higdon and Missy Mazzoli.
Ms. Beebe is a member of GRAMMY winning ensemble The Crossing, GRAMMY nominated Clarion Society, GRAMMY nominated Seraphic Fire, founding member of Variant 6, Lorelei Ensemble, Trio Eos and Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia.
A native of the Philadelphia suburbs, Jessica Beebe earned her Bachelor of Music from the University of Delaware, her Master of Music in Early Music from Indiana University, and a Performance Certificate from London's Royal College of Music. Ms. Beebe is on faculty at both Franklin and Marshall and Muhlenberg Colleges. https://www.jessicabeebesoprano.com/
Doug Dodson, countertenor
Possessing a “beautiful, ringing, and agile countertenor” (Boston Classical Review), Doug Dodson brings sensitive musicality and strong dramatic instincts to repertoire ranging from the baroque to the contemporary. Praised as a “vivid countertenor” by the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Dodson’s current and upcoming seasons feature a wide variety of exciting engagements throughout the United States.
In the 2022-23 season, Mr. Dodson makes his debut with Arts on Alexander in Austin, TX, performing parts IV-VI of Bach's Christmas Oratorio. He returns in the spring to sing his first complete St. John Passion of Bach. He will also be featured as a soloist in sections of the Christmas Oratorio and Bach’s Ascension Oratorio with Seraphic Fire (Miami, FL), and in Herr, wende dich und sei mir gnädig, a rarely heard cantata by Johann Christoph Bach with Atlanta's premier professional choral ensemble Kinnara in their exciting first collaboration with the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra. He was also happy to return to the operatic stage in Pegasus Early Music’s production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo as alto soloist and chorus.
Mr. Dodson's previous season in 2021-22 included performances of Handel's Messiah with the South Dakota Symphony in Sioux Falls, SD, and Bourbon Baroque in Louisville, KY. He also was featured as a soloist with Seraphic Fire in several Bach cantatas and a world premiere for men’s choir and countertenor soloist by Ilana Perez Velázquez, in Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb with the Summer Singers of Atlanta, and embarked on a tour of the UK with TENET Vocal Artists to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the birth of composer Thomas Tomkins, including performances in Cambridge, Oxford, Ely, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Edinburgh.
The 2019-20 season was unfortunately cut short due to the covid pandemic, but did include some exciting solo opportunities for Mr. Dodson, including Bach’s Cantata 106 (Actus tragicus) with Seraphic Fire in collaboration with the Aspen Music Festival and conducted by Robert Spano, and Schütz’ Musikalische Exequien with Boston’s Back Bay Chorale.
In the 2018-2019 season, Mr. Dodson appeared as an alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with New York City’s TENET Vocal Artists, in a unique unconducted performance featuring just twelve singers and the collaborative instrumental ensemble The Sebastians. He also joined TENET as an alto soloist in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and appeared as the alto soloist in Messiah with the Handel Society of Dartmouth College. Additionally, Mr. Dodson created the role of Arion in the American premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Arion and the Dolphin with the Harvard Summer Chorus, and sang the countertenor solo in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra of Newburgh, NY.
Notable past engagements include the role of The United Way in the American premiere of Tod Machover’s highly anticipated new opera Death and the Powers, an innovative collaboration between the MIT Media Lab and The American Repertory Theatre performed at the A.R.T. (Boston, MA) and Chicago Opera Theatre, under the baton of Gil Rose. The world-premiere audio recording of this opera was released in 2021. Other operatic role creations include Ignis in the world premiere of Per Bloland’s opera Pedr Solis and Farinelli the Rooster in Ken Ueno’s Gallo with Guerilla Opera. The Boston Globe called his aria in Gallo “show-stopping” and Lloyd Schwartz (for New York Arts) praised his “impressive and uninhibited” countertenor. An accomplished Handelian, Mr. Dodson has been featured as the alto soloist in Messiah with the Charlotte Symphony and the South Dakota Symphony (among many others), and has performed the operas of Handel, Monteverdi, and Purcell and the cantatas and oratorios of Bach with such organizations as Boston Baroque, Aldeburgh Music, the Aspen Music Festival, the Handel and Haydn Society (Boston, MA), Seraphic Fire (Miami, FL), TENET Vocal Artists (New York, NY), Pacific MusicWorks (Seattle, WA), Pegasus Early Music (Rochester, NY), and the Henry Purcell Society of Boston.
Mr. Dodson is a dedicated ensemble singer and appears regularly with many esteemed choral ensembles throughout the country, including the prestigious Handel & Haydn Society, Seraphic Fire, Skylark, and Kinnara. He has been featured on four GRAMMY-nominated recordings by Skylark and the South Dakota Chorale.
His discography includes the United Way on the world-premiere recording of Tod Machover’s Death and the Powers, the Voice of the Angel on the world-premiere recording of James Kallembach’s The Most Sacred Body, as Perforated on the world-premiere recording of Nicholas Vines’ Loose, Wet, Perforated, and as a soloist in works by Charpentier and Sances on Viva Italia recorded with the Duke Vespers Ensemble.
Mr. Dodson has degrees from the University of South Dakota (Vermillion) and the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, and was a proud member of the prestigious Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme in conjunction with Aldeburgh Music in Aldeburgh, UK. He also appears as a regular panelist on the critically acclaimed opera podcast OperaNow! and made his television debut in 2018 as a contestant on season 35 of Jeopardy!, where he was a three-day champion.. https://dougdodson.com/
Steven Brennfleck, tenor
Praised by the New York Times as a “stand out” performer, tenor Steven Brennfleck has been consistently acknowledged for his consummate artistry, vocal flexibility, and moving interpretations on the operatic and concert stage. He has received recognition from Classical Singer Magazine’s AudComps, Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions | District Winner ‘06, ‘09, & ’10, and the Mildred Miller International Voice Competition. His operatic credits include performances with American Opera Projects, Glimmerglass Opera, OrpheusPDX, Portland Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, The Tanglewood Festival and others in roles such as Roderick Usher in Philip Glass’ The Fall of the House of Usher, Don Ramiro | Cenerentola, Tamino | Die Zauberflöte, Laurie in Adamo’s Little Women, Madwoman in Britten’s Curlew River, Gonsalve in Ravel’s L’Heure Espagnol, Henrik | A Little Night Music, and Tobias Ragg | Sweeney Todd.
On the concert stage, Mr. Brennfleck has been hailed for his “Outstanding presence and clear, lyric voice” (Texas Classical Review) and “elegant” musicianship (The Baltimore Sun). He is a passionate interpreter of early music and regularly appears with some of the country’s top Baroque musical organizations in works by Bach, Handel, Monteverdi, the French hautre-contre repertory among others. He made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2012 and finds himself equally at home with art song as well as new and contemporary works. Mr. Brennfleck is a featured artist on recordings of Philip Glass’ Orphée with the Portland Opera and Charles Wuorinen’s cantata It Happens Like This among others. He has collaborated with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, American Bach Soloists, Ars Lyrica Houston, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Bach Ensemble, LA International New Music Festival, Philadelphia’s Lyric Fest, the MET Chamber Ensemble and the Victoria Bach Festival. In addition to his performance schedule, Mr. Brennfleck is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, presenting masterclasses for musicians throughout the United States and abroad. www.stevenbrennfleck.com
Edward Vogel, bass
Praised for his “clarion tone” (Chicago Classical Review) and “commanding and animated” presence (Seen & Heard International), baritone Edward Vogel possesses a diverse repertoire spanning ten centuries. Recent solo appearances have included Handel’s Messiah, Israel in Egypt, and Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine with GRAMMY®-winning Apollo’s Fire under the direction of Jeannette Sorrell; and Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem, Bach’s Mass in B minor, and Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem with GRAMMY®-nominated True Concord Voices and Orchestra, under the direction of Eric Holtan. The 2023-2024 season will see his solo debut with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, reprising his role in Israel in Egypt with Jeannette Sorrell. In 2019 he made his international solo debut in Bach’s Mass in G Major at Snape Maltings, UK, under the direction of Philippe Herreweghe. Highly in-demand as an ensemble singer, Mr. Vogel has performed with Bach Collegium Japan, and Paul Hillier’s Theatre of Voices in the world premiere of David Lang’s the writings at Carnegie Hall.
An avid recitalist, Edward finds passion in delivering sensitive, intimate performances of both art song and genres that go beyond the traditional classical canon. A two-time Vocal Fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center, he has honed his craft by coaching with champions of art song including Dawn Upshaw, Roger Vignoles, and the late Sanford Sylvan. His musical interests have led to engaging and diverse recitals of repertoire ranging from music of medieval Iberia to British art songs of the twentieth century.
Edward received his Master of Music degree from the Yale School of Music, where he studied with tenor James Taylor. During his time at Yale, he appeared regularly as a soloist with the Yale Schola Cantorum and the Yale Voxtet, most notably in Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis at Lincoln Center with David Hill, and on an album of Christmas music by Heinrich Schütz released on the Hyperion label. Additionally, Mr. Vogel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame, where he studied with baritone Stephen Lancaster. Prior to his studies at Notre Dame, Edward sang for ten years with the Trinity Choir of Men and Boys in New Haven, Connecticut, where he received extensive training under the direction of R. Walden Moore, with whom he continues to collaborate. edwardvogelmusic.com