Krystal Classical Productions Presents John F. Kennedy: Requiem Lyric Symphony In Song - William Maselli

William Maselli is a New York-based composer who has written principally for voice, including the song cycles Easter Songs, Dreams of Love, and Flowers. Maselli has also written an opera, Spirit Fire, dealing with subjects of politics, romance, eroticism, racial relations and spirituality against a backdrop of the French Revolution in Paris and early American life in New York and Monticello, Virginia, which is being recorded with soprano Adina Aaron, tenor Marc Heller, and bass Aaron Borst. Maselli is currently composing a new opera, a Raskolnikov-inspired drama dealing with the morality of murder and the unbridled passions of artistic frustration and erotic obsession. Information concerning Maselli’s compositions, including texts as well as philosophical and political essays, may be found on www.worldkrystal.com.

Megan Weston, soprano, has sung with the Lyric Opera San Diego, San Diego Opera, Opera Utah, Tulsa Opera, and the Opera Theatre of Philadelphia. Ms. Weston first gained national attention in her San Diego Opera debut as the underprivileged mill-girl, Lightfoot McClendon, in Carlisle Floyd’s Cold Sassy Tree. She recently sang a program of Viennese operetta selections with New Haven Symphony with conductor Jung-Ho Pak’s, and Lucy Lockit in Britten’s The Beggar’s Opera with Lyric Opera San Diego. Other notable roles include Amore in Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea with Utah Opera, Zerlina in Don Giovanni with Opera Theater of Philadelphia, Blondchen in The Abduction from the Seraglio with Lyric Opera San Diego and Lapak in Janácek’s The Cunning Little Vixen with Tulsa Opera. The soprano made her debut at Weill Recital Hall with the Lyric Recovery Festival last season. Her recent concert appearances include Carmina Burana with San Diego Symphony and a recital at Steinway Hall for Japanese NHK network television, which has aired in several countries throughout Asia. She has won many national awards including the Gerda Lissner Foundation Awards, Loren L. Zachary Competition, and the Metropolitan Opera Western Regional Auditions. Miss Weston’s future engagements include Mozart’s Coronation Mass at Carnegie Hall and Lisa in La Sonnambula with Caramoor International Music Festival.

Edith Dowd , contralto, is a regular performer at the New York City Opera, where she has been heard recently in the world premiere of Haroun and the Sea of Stories, as well as Flora in Traviata and Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro. Ms. Dowd recently performed Carmen with the Belleayre Music Festival. Other roles include Adalgisa in Norma, Cefisa in Rossini’s Ermione, Annina in Traviata, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, and Maddalena in Rigoletto. Edith has performed with the Nationale Chorale in Avery Fisher Hall in the Mozart Requiem and Copland’s In The Beginning and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Virginia Symphony. Edith received a Master of Music degree from Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, and was an apprentice in Santa Fe in 1999 and 2000.

Eric Fennell, tenor, has recently completed a highly-successful run as Alfredo in the New York City Opera production of Verdi’s Traviata. Eric earned a Masters Degree from Boston Universtity, studying with Phyllis Curtin. Eric was a member of the Young American Artists Program at Glimmerglass in 1999 and the Young Artists program at Seattle Opera. Major roles for Eric include Rodolpho in Boheme, Ferrando in Cosi, the Duke in Rigoletto, Werther, Romeo and Tamino in the Magic Flute, which Eric performed at the Sarasota Opera. Eric has also performed at the San Francisco Opera under Donald Runnicles in Don Carlo and Lady Macbeth of Mtsenk.

Aaron Borst, bass, made his Carnegie debut in Weill Recital Hall with the John F. Kennedy Requiem. This season he joined the Sarasota Opera as Angelotti in their season-opening production of Tosca as well as Ramfis in Aida in their gala Verdi concerts. The young bass has already performed much of the leading repertory, including Don Giovanni, Figaro, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Reverend Olin Blitch in Susannah, Oroveso in Norma, Mustafa in Italian Girl in Algiers, Gremin in Eugene Onegin, and Basilio in The Barber of Seville. Aaron has performed at Canadian Opera Company, Santa Fe Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Central City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, and Tanglewood. He has recently performed as Sparafucile in the Florida Opera Company production of Rigoletto. Mr. Borst recently recorded the roles of Rada and Washington in Maselli’s Spirit Fire, as well as the song cycle Flowers.