(June 24 in Glendale, repeated in Los Angeles on June 29 for the Music@MiMoDa concert series.)
We are nowhere near the windmills of the Moulin Rough in Paris. However, we will sing a song about them, and also offer many other classic European and American selections during the “Not Quite Paris Cabaret.” In recognition of the support offered to Spacious Vision by the Worship Arts ministry at St. Mark’s, this concert will benefit the church’s partner congregation and school in Haiti.
PRACTICAL DETAILS
No presale of tickets; general admission. $20 donation is suggested, but any amount will be greatly appreciated. (Cash/check preferred.)
Table seating, cash bar with light refreshments.
The program is family friendly, but not intended for young audiences.
There is ample (free) street parking in front of the church, or in the lot behind the church off Dryden Avenue. The Parish Hall is wheelchair and walker friendly.
Scroll down to learn more about the artists.
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American born lyric baritone BERNARDO BERMUDEZ started his musical education at The Conservatory of Music Juan Manuel Olivares in Caracas, Venezuela. His many operatic credits include Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Silvio in Pagliacci, Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Papageno in Die Zauberflöte, Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro, Vidal in Luisa Fernanda, Schicchi in Gianni Schicchi, and Morald in the North America stage premiere of Richard Wagner’s Die Feen, as part of Los Angeles Opera’s Ring Festival. Bernardo was a voice fellow at both The Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara California and Opera North in New Hampshire. His singing has been recognized with awards from the the Burbank Philharmonic Hennings-Fischer Opera Competition, the Opera Buffs, and the Loren L. Zachary Vocal Competition.
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Soprano ARIEL PISTURINO completed her graduate studies at the University of Southern California, where she performed with the Thornton Opera. She has appeared with the Long Beach Opera and other Southern California companies in roles from Carmen, Don Giovanni, Nixon in China, and The Magic Flute. Most recently, Ariel appeared in the nationally acclaimed operatic event Hopscotch with the Los Angeles-based company The Industry, and as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with the Redlands Opera Theater. Ariel is a co-founder of the Chamber Opera Players of Los Angeles (COPOLA), and a frequent collaborator in performances of new works. She was a featured soloist on the recent Delos Records releases of “Terrain of the Heart” and the opera “Home is a Harbor” by composer Mark Abel.
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Tenor GERALD SEMINATORE is the founding Director of the Spacious Vision Song Project. He began his musical career with professional ensembles including the Handel and Haydn Society, the Boston Early Music Festival, and Emmanuel Music. Operatic engagements in the USA have included roles with the Chautauqua, Dayton, Glimmerglass, Oakland, Santa Fe, and West Bay opera companies. He made his European debut at England’s Aldeburgh Festival, and went on to become a member of the solo ensemble at the Dortmund Opera in Germany. Gerald was also a frequent guest artist at the Frankfurt am Main Opera, the Rheinland/Pfalz Theater in Kaiserslautern, and the Bremen Opera. His concert performances have included appearances with many orchestras and choral ensembles. Gerald’s singing has been recognized with numerous awards, and praised in publications such as the London Times, Opera News, and San Francisco Classical Voice.
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TARO WAYAMA is a Japanese born guitarist and composer. He was the First Prize winner in the 2003 Aron Green/American String Teachers Association Guitar Competition, and the Second Prize winner in the Thailand International Guitar Competition. As a composer, Taro received the award for “Best Original Score” at the Los Angeles Movie Awards for the independent film Anne Jennings. He is an active soloist and chamber musician, and has performed in Japan, Thailand, Canada, and the USA. Taro frequently collaborates with instrumentalists and singers in presenting Classical music from the Renaissance through 20th Century, as well as venturing into Folk and World music. Taro earned both his Masters and Bachelor of Music degrees at the University of Southern California, where he studied an array of master teachers including Pepe Romero and Scott Tennant.
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RON BARNETT is the Director of Music and Sacred Arts at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glendale, CA. In addition to his work as an organist, choir director, and keyboard artist, Ron is active as a composer and music educator. His choral works have been published by GIA Publications and Morning Star Music Publishers. His score for A Christmas Carol (book by Barry Kornhauser) premiered at the Fulton Theatre (Lancaster, PA) in 2001. Since its recent commercial publication, the show has enjoyed several productions across the United States. A second show, Around the World in 80 Days (book and lyrics by Julianne Homokay) premiered at the Fulton Theatre in 2007. Ron’s new show When Butter Churns to Gold (book by Peter Welkin, lyrics by Randi Wolfe) had its 2015 premiere at the Northern Sky Theatre (Fish Creek, WI). Ron’s orchestrations include the productions of Bojangles (music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Sammy Cahn), Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus (music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum) and Treasure Island (music and lyrics by Marc Robin and Curt Dale Clark). Sound Design credits include the Off-Broadway production of All Under Heaven starring Valerie Harper as Pearl S. Buck, and Zelda and The Last Flapper, which played in Romania and Hungary as part of the ACTIV-5 International Theatre Festival.
I knew Brian for more than 20 years, was in a few shows with him, and saw him in several others. I recall his work in The Coronation of Poppea at Glimmerglass and Los Angeles, Xerxes in Santa Fe and Cologne, Giulio Cesare in San Diego, and Death in Venice at the Metropolitan Opera. Perhaps my most vivid memory is his portrayal of Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Houston Grand Opera. I remember the distinguished, coiffed lady with a soft drawl who greeted me kindly when I took my seat. Her husband was a talkative man sporting cowboy boots and a bolo tie. When Brian came onstage and began to sing, I was in a reverie of sorts until the gentleman suddenly exclaimed “what the hell? It sounds like he’s been gelded!” The countertenor revolution had arrived in Texas! During the intermission, we had a pleasant conversation about the countertenor voice. I imagine there were similar conversations everywhere that Brian sang. 
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Pianist IZUMI KASHIWAGI started playing the piano at the age of five. She attended California State University in Long Beach, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance. She continued her studies with Kevin Fitz-Gerald at the USC Thornton School of Music, where she earned both the Masters and Doctoral degrees in Keyboard Collaborative Arts. Izumi has been both a student and performer at festivals such as the Aspen and the Quartet Festival in Boulder, CO. She has worked as a collaborative pianist with many singers, including at SongFest in Los Angeles in 2014. As a chamber musician, Izumi has played with several professional instrumentalists, including violinist Charles Castleman and Los Angeles Philharmonic cellist Peter Stumpf. Izumi is on the staff of the Centenary United Methodist Church, and also teaches at Vanguard University.
TARO WAYAMA is a Japanese born guitarist and composer. He was the First Prize winner in the 2003 Aron Green/American String Teachers Association Guitar Competition, and the Second Prize winner in the Thailand International Guitar Competition. As a composer, Taro received the award for “Best Original Score” at the Los Angeles Movie Awards for the independent film Anne Jennings. He is an active soloist and a chamber musician, and has performed in Japan, Thailand, Canada, and the USA. Taro frequently collaborates with instrumentalists and singers in presenting Classical music from the Renaissance through 20th Century, as well as venturing into Folk and World music. Taro earned both his Masters and Bachelor of Music degrees at the University of Southern California, where he studied guitar and composition with Pepe Romero, William Kannengiser, James Smith, Brian Head, and Scott Tennant.
On this last day of 2015, here is an audio excerpt from our 2014 program Carols Rare and Bright. “A New Year Carol” is from Benjamin Britten’s Friday Afternoons (op.7), a collection of songs written for the students of Clive House School in Prestatyn, Wales, where the composer’s brother was Headmaster.
Bass-Baritone E. SCOTT LEVIN completed graduate studies at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. He began his singing career in St. Louis, where he sang in over twenty productions with Union Avenue Opera. Since moving to Los Angeles, Scott has performed regularly with the Pacific Opera Project, and also appeared with Long Beach Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, Celestial Opera, Center Stage Opera, and the Redlands Opera Theater. This season he made his debut as the Sacristan in Tosca with the Townsend/Fresno Opera, and his Los Angeles Opera “Off-Grand” debut as Babayan (Bartolo) in Figaro 90210! Most recently, Scott had his Los Angeles Opera main stage debut as Dr. Spinelloccio in Gianni Schicchi, starring Placido Domingo and directed by Woody Allen. Scott is also the co-founder of Chamber Opera Players of LA (COPOLA).
Spacious Vision 