Western Piedmont Symphony: Carmina Burana-copy2

One of classical music’s most spellbinding and immersive experiences, Carmina Burana is an epic, captivating choral masterpiece. A massive orchestra and huge chorus join forces for Carl Orff’s infamous ode to love, drink, and living life to the fullest. Brahms’ “Academic Festival Overture” opens the concert.

FEATURING
Western Piedmont Symphony
Matthew Troy, Music Director

The Appalachian State University Singers
Dr. Jake Taylor, conductor

The Appalachian Chorale
Dr. DaVaughn Miller, conductor

FEATURED SOLOISTS
Sequina DuBose, soprano
Daniel Stein, tenor
Michael Adams, baritone

MICHAEL ADAMS, baritone

Michael Adams, praised by Opera News for “brandishing a beautiful, evenly produced, nicely ripe sound,” makes his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2023-24 season as Dancaïre in a new production of Carmen. He also retunes to Utah Opera as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and sings his first performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Phoenix Symphony. Last season, he also sang the Count in Le nozze di Figaro with both Opera Omaha and Madison Opera and returned to the role of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Idaho. The baritone recently made his debut at the Grand Teatre del Liceu as Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles. He first joined Seattle Opera as the title role in Eugene Onegin, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and Belcore in filmed performances of L’elisir d’amore, and he made company debuts and subsequent returns at the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Melisso in Alcina, and Marcello in La bohème, Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Maximilian in Candide; Utah Opera as Marcello in La bohème, Silvio in Pagliacci, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Betto in Gianni Schicchi; and Des Moines Metro Opera as Lescaut in Manon, Ping in Turandot, and Donald in Billy Budd. He joined Dallas Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Austin Opera for the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, Knoxville Opera for Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, made his first appearance at the Glimmerglass Festival as Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat, and sang Edwin Cheney in Hagen’s Shining Brow with Arizona Opera. Mr. Adams has returned to Washington National Opera as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and Lieutenant Audebert in Puts’ Silent Night. He is a former Cafritz Young Artist with the company, and while there sang Melisso in Alcina, the Pilot in Portman’s The Little Prince, the title role of Don Giovanni, Prince Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, and the Motorcycle Cop and Prison Guard #1 in Dead Man Walking. He joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin for a season, singing a number of roles including Ping in Turandot, the Marquis in La traviata, and Harašta in The Cunning Little Vixen, and recently returned as the Count and the Herald in Shrecker’s rarely-performed Der Schatzgräber. His concert performances include a Bernstein concert under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Bach’s Cantata No. 29 and Handel’s Te Deum, all with the Fort Worth Symphony.

Mr. Adams completed two years as a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts, where his performances included Valentin in Faust, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Lescaut in Manon, Tomsky in Pique Dame, Schaunard in La bohème, and Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri. He is a former Resident Artist of the Santa Fe Opera and Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera. He was a 2018 grant winner from The William Matheus Sullivan Musical Foundation. Additionally, he was 2015 winner of first place in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competition, and the Mario Lanza Competition; the namesake award from the Nelson Eddy Foundation; third place in the Giulio Gari Foundation International Vocal Competition, and fifth place in the Loren L. Zachary Competition, an encouragement award winner of the Opera Index Competition. He was a Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions semi-finalist in 2015. Mr. Adams holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Christian University and completed further training at the Seagle Music Colony and Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center.

MATTHEW TROY, Maestro

Matthew Troy is a conductor with a mission to make classical music accessible to everyone and to program concerts that are meaningful, relevant, and artistically exceptional. He has conducted orchestras across the country, including the North Carolina Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Portland Symphony, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, Northern Lights Chamber Orchestra (AK), Oklahoma Virtuosi, University of North Carolina School of the Arts Symphony, Salisbury Symphony, and others. Maestro Troy is familiar to North Carolina audiences from his previous work as associate conductor with the Winston-Salem Symphony. From 2015 to 2020, Troy held the position of music director and conductor of the Piedmont Wind Symphony, where he transformed the ensemble from a community band to one of the leading professional wind ensembles in the country. Troy also served as education conductor with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic from 2010 to 2023, where he conducted the Discovery Family Series, educational concerts, Carnegie Hall’s Link Up concerts, and led many other outreach efforts. He also has routinely conducted on the Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s Pops series with leading artists. Recently, he made his Classic Concert Series debut with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic with violin superstar Jennifer Koh, to wide acclaim. Troy has previously held positions as conductor of the Fibonacci Chamber Orchestra, the Wake Forest University Orchestra, and the Salisbury Youth Orchestra. He has also served as assistant conductor of the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) Symphony. Troy has led performances with many internationally renowned pops and classical artists, including Midori, Jennifer Koh, Tai Murray, Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Wu Man, Jerod Tate, Ben Folds, Boyz II Men, Pink Martini, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Judy Collins, the Texas Tenors, Eileen Ivers, The Wailers, Anthony Dean Griffey, Sidney Outlaw, Dmitry Vorobiev, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Bryan Wallick, and many others. As an educator, Troy has taught conducting on the faculties of Wake Forest University, UNC- Greensboro, and UNC School of the Arts.

Maestro Troy is known for innovative programming and partnerships, deep community involvement, and support for music education. He is an advocate for under-represented composers and new music. This season alone features two world premieres and one commission. He is recognized for creating an instant rapport with both orchestras and audiences, and for his unique ability to make classical music engaging and relevant to today’s audiences. Troy has pushed boundaries through a number of film and music projects. In April 2018, he created a program called Music Without Borders, which focused on the ongoing refugee crisis both locally and abroad. This concert included music and partnerships for many countries affected by these issues, including a partnership with World Relief and local interfaith groups. Troy has commissioned new works, performed countless clinics supporting local music teachers, and created programs and received funding for outreach into the local prison systems.

Troy is a passionate advocate for orchestral music and music education. As a viola/violin faculty member at the Music Academy of North Carolina, he received awards for excellence in teaching. Troy is a frequent conductor/clinician and has led numerous high school and middle school All-State and All-County clinics throughout the United States. Intermittently from 2015 – 2021, Troy served as conductor of the Cannon Music Camp, where he also played viola in the faculty string ensemble. One of Troy’s most creative projects at the Winston-Salem Symphony was an educational program that partnered the orchestra with a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization called the African Library Project. This program, created in conjunction with the educational concert series and a corresponding short story competition, used music to focus on the importance of literacy both locally and abroad. Through this program, Troy raised over 50,000 books to start 50 new libraries for schools in Botswana, while allowing three students in Winston-Salem the opportunity to receive new instruments and music lessons. This program garnered national attention, and Troy was invited to lead a presentation on the project at the 2010 League of American Orchestras national conference in Atlanta.

Troy is an accomplished violist and has performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Piedmont Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Piedmont Chamber Singers, Salem Bach Festival, and stays active with the “Maestro’s Quartet” at various Western Piedmont Symphony events. In addition, Troy has served as a judge for the Rosen-Schaffel Competition, the Charlotte Symphony’s Concerto Competition, UNC School of the Arts Concerto Competition, and the Peter Perret Youth Talent Search with the Winston-Salem Symphony.

Troy maintains an active guest conducting schedule and has previously led performances with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, the Carolina Chamber Symphony, Kensington Consort, the Philharmonia of Greensboro, Gate City Camerata, and the Triad Chamber Music Society. Troy also competed in the Jordanian International Conducting Competition. Troy earned a bachelor’s degree in music at UNCG, where he also completed his master’s degree in orchestral conducting as a student of Maestro Robert Gutter. He has studied at the prestigious Pierre Monteux School under Maestro Michael Jinbo and with renowned conducting pedagogues Maestro Gerard Schwarz and Maestro Kenneth Kiesler at the Conductors Retreat at Medomak. In addition to his conducting engagements, Troy keeps a very active schedule as a public speaker and is a member of the Conductors Guild, League of American Orchestras, and the Pi Kappa Lambda Honors Music Society, and he serves on the board of directors for Greensboro Opera and the music advisory board for Catawba Valley Community College. In his free time, he enjoys reading, studying new music, traveling, and singing.

SEQUINA DUBOSE, soprano

Sequina Dubose is an interpreter of contemporary and hybrid works, launched her debut album titled Blurred Lines: 21st Century Hybrid Vocal Literature on the Albany Records label in 2022. In the same season, she debuted with the Virginia Arts Festival in two chamber operas as part of the John Duffy Institute for New Opera: Companionship by Rachel Peters and Tales from the Briar Patch by Nkeiru Okoye. She also performed in 2022 as Donna Elvira in Eve Summer’s modern adaptation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Opera Carolina. She looks forward to performances as Clara in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess with Opera Carolina in 2023. Other recent highlights include a 2021 performance as soprano soloist with the Tulsa Symphony, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in Tulsa Oklahoma in remembrance of the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Riots, and in 2020, several live-streamed virtual concerts as soloist with Opera Carolina as part of the iStream Virtual Concert Series and a collaboration with the Mint Museum titled Voice and Vision Live at the Mint. With 2019 came the world-premiere of Elegy: In Memoriam of the Emanuel Nine by Leonard Mark Lewis, a work for soprano soloist and chamber orchestra dedicated to the lives lost in the tragic shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 12, 2015. Additionally, Dr. DuBose created the role of Philomena in the world premiere performances of the electronic chamber opera Nightingale and the Tower (Jason Treuting, Rebecca Comerford, Beth Meyers, Mikael Jorgensen). The work’s neo-classical score featured adult singers, a children’s ensemble, orchestra, synthesizers, and a long-string harp coined “Sonic Butterfly” by artist Andrea Brook; demonstrative of the movement toward technology integration in 21st-century hybrid works on the operatic stage. Additional distinctive engagements include performances as a soloist and ensemble member in Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey, a concert series that culminated in a performance at the Metropolitan Opera with international opera icon Kathleen Battle; a debut with Michigan Opera Theater as 4th Maidservant in Strauss’ Elektra; and performances with both the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Royal Danish Opera as Annie in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and as Rachel in the world premiere of Nkeiru Okoye’s folk opera Harriet Tubman: When I Cross that Line to Freedom. She continues to serve as a board member for ArtsCentric and is also the current Board Vice-President for The International Florence Price Festival. Dr. DuBose serves as Assistant Professor of Classical and Contemporary Voice at UNC Charlotte and serves as Co-Coordinator of the Musical Theatre Certificate Program.

DANIEL STEIN, tenor

Daniel Stein (Tenor), whose voice has been described as “warm and flexible,” is an avid concert performer. Most recently, he made his debut with the Filharmonie Brno as the orchestra toured in the U.S. from the Czech Republic. Stein has performed as tenor soloist with many regional orchestras, including the Arizona MusicFest Festival Orchestra, Charlotte Symphony, Portland (ME) Symphony, Greensboro Symphony, Memphis Symphony, Winston-Salem Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, and numerous others. His performed works include Carmina Burana (Orff), Messiah (Handel), C-minor Mass (Mozart), Glagolitic Mass (Janacek), St. John Passion (J.S. Bach), and Elijah (Mendelssohn), among others. Equally comfortable on the operatic stage, Stein has sung leading roles with such companies as Asheville Lyric Opera, Opera Carolina, Opera Columbus, Dayton Opera, Greensboro Opera and Opera North (NH). Some of his favorite roles include Conte Almaviva (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Theodore Lawrence (Little Women), Alfredo (La Traviata), and world premiere performances creating the roles of Alan Seymour in Picnic (Libby Larsen) and William in The Flood (Korine Fujiwara).  Daniel earned his D.M.A. from The Ohio State University, his M.M. from University of North Carolina Greensboro, and his B.M. from Wright State University. A 2020 (rescheduled to 2021 due to COVID) National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Professional Intern alumnus, he currently serves as Assistant Professor of Instruction in Classical and Musical Theater Voice and is Coordinator of Opera Theater at Ohio University. He resides in Athens, OH with his wife and three daughters and their dog. To learn more about Daniel, visit www.danielcstein.com.

MICHAEL ADAMS, baritone

Michael Adams, praised by Opera News for “brandishing a beautiful, evenly produced, nicely ripe sound,” makes his Metropolitan Opera debut in the 2023-24 season as Dancaïre in a new production of Carmen. He also retunes to Utah Opera as the Count in Le nozze di Figaro and sings his first performances of Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Phoenix Symphony. Last season, he also sang the Count in Le nozze di Figaro with both Opera Omaha and Madison Opera and returned to the role of Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Opera Idaho. The baritone recently made his debut at the Grand Teatre del Liceu as Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles. He first joined Seattle Opera as the title role in Eugene Onegin, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, and Belcore in filmed performances of L’elisir d’amore, and he made company debuts and subsequent returns at the Grand Théâtre de Genève as Melisso in Alcina, and Marcello in La bohème, Masetto in Don Giovanni, and Maximilian in Candide; Utah Opera as Marcello in La bohème, Silvio in Pagliacci, Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, and Betto in Gianni Schicchi; and Des Moines Metro Opera as Lescaut in Manon, Ping in Turandot, and Donald in Billy Budd. He joined Dallas Opera as Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Austin Opera for the Count in Le nozze di Figaro, Knoxville Opera for Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, made his first appearance at the Glimmerglass Festival as Gaylord Ravenal in Showboat, and sang Edwin Cheney in Hagen’s Shining Brow with Arizona Opera. Mr. Adams has returned to Washington National Opera as Papageno in Die Zauberflöte and Lieutenant Audebert in Puts’ Silent Night. He is a former Cafritz Young Artist with the company, and while there sang Melisso in Alcina, the Pilot in Portman’s The Little Prince, the title role of Don Giovanni, Prince Yamadori in Madama Butterfly, and the Motorcycle Cop and Prison Guard #1 in Dead Man Walking. He joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin for a season, singing a number of roles including Ping in Turandot, the Marquis in La traviata, and Harašta in The Cunning Little Vixen, and recently returned as the Count and the Herald in Shrecker’s rarely-performed Der Schatzgräber. His concert performances include a Bernstein concert under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Bach’s Cantata No. 29 and Handel’s Te Deum, all with the Fort Worth Symphony.

Mr. Adams completed two years as a Resident Artist at the Academy of Vocal Arts, where his performances included Valentin in Faust, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Lescaut in Manon, Tomsky in Pique Dame, Schaunard in La bohème, and Taddeo in L’italiana in Algeri. He is a former Resident Artist of the Santa Fe Opera and Studio Artist at Wolf Trap Opera. He was a 2018 grant winner from The William Matheus Sullivan Musical Foundation. Additionally, he was 2015 winner of first place in the Gerda Lissner International Vocal Competition, Licia Albanese Puccini Foundation International Vocal Competition, and the Mario Lanza Competition; the namesake award from the Nelson Eddy Foundation; third place in the Giulio Gari Foundation International Vocal Competition, and fifth place in the Loren L. Zachary Competition, an encouragement award winner of the Opera Index Competition. He was a Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions semi-finalist in 2015. Mr. Adams holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Christian University and completed further training at the Seagle Music Colony and Janiec Opera Company of the Brevard Music Center.

DR. JAKE TAYLOR, conductor

Dr. Jake Taylor is the Director of Choral Activities in the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University, where he conducts the University Singers and Chamber Singers. In addition to his conducting responsibilities, he mentors pre-service educators and teaches courses in choral methods and conducting. Before his appointment at Appalachian State, Dr. Taylor was the Director of Choral Studies at New Mexico State University. There, he conducted the department’s three choral ensembles and taught courses in conducting, choral methods, and graduate-level music education. Before working at the university level, he taught high school choir for six years in Houston and San Antonio, TX. In 2014, he co-founded The Houston Men’s Choir, a collaborative ensemble of tenor-bass singers that rehearses and performs without a traditional conductor and is a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to the art of singing and its positive impact through performance and education. Dr. Taylor earned his Doctorate of Musical Arts in choral conducting from Texas Tech University, a master’s degree in choral conducting, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Stephen F. Austin State University. He maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician and has given numerous presentations on score study, conducting gesture, rehearsal techniques, and music literacy in the secondary choral classroom.

DR. DEVAUGHN MILLER, conductor

As an Associate Professor of Music, choral conductor, and researcher, Dr. DaVaughn Miller joined the Hayes School of Music in the fall of 2022. Currently, he conducts the Appalachian Chorale, Glee Club, and App State Gospel Choir. Over the years, Dr. Miller has taught numerous music courses, including Conducting, Music History, African American Sacred Music History, Hymnology, and Music in Worship. As a conductor, Dr. Miller has performed numerous concerts and tours across the east coast, including collaborative performances with the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra and Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. While serving as the Director of the Choral Activities at Livingstone College, one of Dr. Miller’s most notable performances was at Carnegie Hall, New York. In addition to teaching and performance, Dr. Miller has publications in the research areas of musical stereotyping, musical preference, and racial identity development. His research primarily exposes the connection between identity development and musical preference and its impact on musical stereotypes. To this end, Dr. Miller has rendered numerous lecture demonstrations on Music and the Mind, Musical Preference, and Musical Stereotyping – while highlighting the impact of these phenomena on individual musical tastes. Dr. Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a concentration in Ethnomusicology from Hampshire College in Amherst, MA; a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education and a Master of Music Degree in Choral Conducting from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC; and the Master of Education Degree and the Doctorate of Education from Columbia University in New York, NY.