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Biographies |
Cidalia Alves |
Mezzo Soprano |
| Cidalia Alves has studied classical voice at both Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT. She has been a musical theater performer in regional theaters across the country, and has performed locally at many community theaters here in Fairfield County, particularly Crystal Theater of Norwalk, where she has been featured in many of the original musicals written by her voice coach, Cheryl Kemeny. Cidalia is General Manager of Merit Music in Norwalk, where she also teaches voice, piano, and clarinet. She is very excited to be a new member of Musica Plenti! |
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Martha Vosburgh Alward |
Mezzo Soprano |
| divides her free time among three passions: music, skiing and golf. Having received a Ph.D. in music education with an emphasis in pedagogy from the Hartt School, she is an active advocate for music education and is a music specialist for the Fairfield Public Schools. She has performed with numerous choruses, including Pro Arte Singers, and is currently Cantor at Our Lady of Assumption Parish in Fairfield.
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Natalie Cappiello Lucia |
Soprano |
| a graduate of Smith College, was formerly the soloist and section leader at Southport Congregational Church, Southport, CT. She has also been soloist and guest artist at many other area churches. She has premiered several sacred works of local jazz composer, Bill Franz. |
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Marsha Cirulli |
Soprano |
| holds a degree in music from Queens College. Her credits include performances with the Trinity Church Recital series in NYC and the Amato and New Jersey Opera Companies. Formerly Music Director at St. Gabriel Church in Stamford, CT, Ms. Cirulli teaches voice and piano privately. |
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Sylvia Robinson Corrigan |
Soprano |
| studied voice and performance at Sarah Lawrence College with Paul Ukena, Vicki Starr and Ellen Faull. She sings with the Christ and Holy Trinity Church Chorale in Westport. Ms. Corrigan has been a featured soloist in area churches and other venues, and most recently sang America the Beautiful in Interfaith Housing’s production, Give Our Regards to Broadway. She is currently a student of Betty Jones of Wilton, CT. |
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Welder Gomez |
Tenor |
| is from the city of Medellín in Colombia, South America, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Singing. He performed in his native country as a bass soloist in operas and oratorios, including Mozart's Cosí fan tutte, Puccini’s La Bohème, Menotti’s The Medium and Handel’s Messiah. After thirteen years of singing bass, Welder began a transition to the tenor voice and is now the tenor leader of both St. John’s Church choir in Darien and The Stamford Chorale. He teaches voice, serves as the director of St. Mary’s Hispanic Choir in Norwalk, and continues his vocal studies in NYC. |
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Joseph Humphrey |
Baritone |
| was trained in Gregorian chant as a boy. He has been a choral singer for many years, making solo and choral appearances with the Westchester Baroque Chorus, the Westchester Chorale and area churches. Mr. Humphrey conceived and produced Cry of the Children as well as collaborating with Mr. Puleo in choosing the poetry for it. He, along with his wife Kate and Robert Puleo, is a co-founder of Musica Plenti. |
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Katherine Humphrey |
Soprano |
| has performed roles with Connecticut Grand Opera, the New Britain Opera Company and Troupers Light Opera, and has been a featured soloist with several area choral groups and churches. For ten years, Ms. Humphrey was Cantor and Music Director at St. Paul’s Church in Greenwich, CT. Her most recent role was that of Claire in Robert Puleo’s opera, St Francis of Assisi. Currently she teaches privately and studies with John Macurdy of the Metropolitan Opera. |
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Justine Macurdy |
Pianist |
| hails originally from Detroit. She has her music degrees from the University of Michigan with post-graduate work in the opera department of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She spent three summers in the opera departments of Tanglewood in Lenox, MA, and Ogleby Park in Wheeling, WV. For ten summers she had her own opera workshop where she cast, coached, staged, played and announced the programs. Currently Ms. Macurdy plays for many area singers, and Musica Plenti. |
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Jodi Maxner |
Mezzo Soprano |
| a graduate of UMASS, Amherst, is an active member of the Connecticut Grand Opera, as well as its Guild, and she sings with Crystal Opera, Button & Bows (a 40’s group), and the Mendelssohn Choir of CT. Recent roles have included Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosí Fan Tutte, the mother in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and Sarah in the premier of a new one-act opera The Binding of Isaac by composer Linder Chlarson. Ms. Maxner also studies with John Macurdy. |
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Frank Paine |
Bass |
| sings with many regional groups. Formerly active with the Collegiate Chorale, Connecticut Grand Opera Chorus and other choirs, he is primarily involved at this time with Musica Plenti. Periodically he sings with the Crystal Opera Company, and enjoys forays into lieder and art song. He has studied with Marion Thompson and Arthur Burrows. Mr. Paine sits on the Board of Directors for both Musica Plenti and Crystal Opera. |
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Robert Puleo |
Artistic Director, Composer and Tenor |
| began his career as a boy soprano at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and Spoleto Festival. He sang the role of Amahl with Menotti directing. A graduate of SUNY-Purchase, Mr. Puleo has studied at the Britten-Pears Advanced School for Music and has performed with a number of small chamber and opera groups. He is the composer of the dramatic cantata Outcasts, and a musical for children based upon C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. He has completed an opera based upon the life of St. Francis of Assisi, which received its world premiere in October 2001 with Crystal Opera. In 2002 he composed Cry of the Children, based upon poetry written by students at the UN International School in NYC. In addition to his work with Musica Plenti, he serves as stage and musical director for Crystal Opera. Mr. Puleo teaches music at P.S. 21 in the Bronx, NY. |
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Jacqueline Steiner |
Mezzo Soprano |
| is a well-known folk singer, classical singer and linguist. She is co-writer of the famous folk standard Charlie on the MTA. Her CD, Far Afield: Songs of Three Continents was praised by critic John Sweeney as “folk music for connoisseurs.” A graduate of Vassar College, she studied with the late Max Margulis and with Richard Lalli of Yale. Mrs. Steiner is former alto soloist at Christ’s Church, Rye, NY and has sung for High Holy Day services at Temple Israel, Westport, CT, for the past twenty years. |
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John P. Verel |
Bass |
| John has sung extensively as a Roman Catholic cantor at St. Joseph Church in Norwalk and as an opera chorister with Connecticut Grand Opera, Stamford and New York Grand Opera, New York. He made his solo opera debut last summer in NYGO's production of I Pagliacci. John lives in Rowayton. |
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