David Hughey, Baritone
http://davidhughey.com/#
His current roles on New York's Broadway stage include the most recent production of Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess". From the Broadway stage to the world’s preeminent opera houses and concert halls, David Hughey is quickly gaining notable recognition as one of the world’s most versatile rising stars. This young performer is an intuitive artist whose stage prowess encompasses a variety of genres and disciplines.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Hughey has appeared both in the U.S.A. and abroad in major opera houses including: San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Festspielhaus Baden Baden, Cleveland Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Utah Festival Opera, and New York City Opera. His roles include Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Schaunard (La Boheme), Amida (L’Ormindo), Falke (Die Fledermaus), Peter (Hansel and Gretel), Jake (Porgy And Bess), Belcore (L’Elisir d’amore), Il Mandarino (Turandot) and Morales (Carmen). Dually acclimated to the musical theater stage, he has also performed a number of crossover roles including: Sporting Life (The Gerswhins’ Porgy And Bess), Harry Easter (Street Scene), Bernardo (West Side Story), Rapunzel’s Prince (Into The Woods), Tin Man (The Wiz), The Arbiter (Chess), Father (Children of Eden), and Al (Most Happy Fella).As a concert artist, the young singer has also garnered international recognition as a sensitive and passionate interpreter of song and oratorio. He continues to appear in concerts and recitals throughout the United States, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Japan, and Argentina in pertinent works such as Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Fauré Requiem, Brahms Requiem, and Carmina Burana.Noted also for his unique background in the world of dance, David has studied and performed with the world’s leading vernacular and world dance artists including: Papa Susso (Gambia, West Africa), Fatala (Gambia, West Africa), Grupo Afro Cuba de Matanzas (Cuba), La Escuela de Bomba y Plena (Puerto Rico), and Accane (Brazil).
He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and a Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a Rodgers and Hammerstein Scholar.
His current roles on New York's Broadway stage include the most recent production of Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess". From the Broadway stage to the world’s preeminent opera houses and concert halls, David Hughey is quickly gaining notable recognition as one of the world’s most versatile rising stars. This young performer is an intuitive artist whose stage prowess encompasses a variety of genres and disciplines.
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Hughey has appeared both in the U.S.A. and abroad in major opera houses including: San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Festspielhaus Baden Baden, Cleveland Opera, Virginia Opera, Opera Theater of Pittsburgh, Utah Festival Opera, and New York City Opera. His roles include Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Schaunard (La Boheme), Amida (L’Ormindo), Falke (Die Fledermaus), Peter (Hansel and Gretel), Jake (Porgy And Bess), Belcore (L’Elisir d’amore), Il Mandarino (Turandot) and Morales (Carmen). Dually acclimated to the musical theater stage, he has also performed a number of crossover roles including: Sporting Life (The Gerswhins’ Porgy And Bess), Harry Easter (Street Scene), Bernardo (West Side Story), Rapunzel’s Prince (Into The Woods), Tin Man (The Wiz), The Arbiter (Chess), Father (Children of Eden), and Al (Most Happy Fella).As a concert artist, the young singer has also garnered international recognition as a sensitive and passionate interpreter of song and oratorio. He continues to appear in concerts and recitals throughout the United States, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Japan, and Argentina in pertinent works such as Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Fauré Requiem, Brahms Requiem, and Carmina Burana.Noted also for his unique background in the world of dance, David has studied and performed with the world’s leading vernacular and world dance artists including: Papa Susso (Gambia, West Africa), Fatala (Gambia, West Africa), Grupo Afro Cuba de Matanzas (Cuba), La Escuela de Bomba y Plena (Puerto Rico), and Accane (Brazil).
He holds a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, and a Masters of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a Rodgers and Hammerstein Scholar.
John Sutton, Conductor
John Sutton received his Bachelor of Arts in Sacred Music and Bible Literature in 1982 from Northwest College and in 1997 he earned the Master of Arts in Choral Conducting from San Jose State University, where he was a student of Dr. Charlene Archibeque. In 2009, John received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from UCLA where he studied with Professor Donald Neuen.
As a full-time professional musician for over 25 years, John has distinguished himself in the area of Church Choral Music, establishing programs which have attracted over 400 weekly singers in choir programs for grades K – 12, and adults. Serving communities in Oregon, Washington, Colorado and California, John is known for impacting the community through his active involvement and leadership in the arts. John has been the Interim Director of Adult Choral Music and Worship at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California since 2000.
Beyond his focused choral training in the university setting, John has had the opportunity to study with some of the top choral conductors in the field including performances and training with Robert Shaw, Helmut Rilling, Eric Ericson, Weston Noble, Frank Pooler, Howard Swan, Paul Salamunovich, Anton Armstrong, Eph Ely, and others. In addition, he has performed extensively throughout the United States and abroad in choral concert tours and recording projects which include performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and Constitution Hall.
His enthusiasm for the choral art and his commitment to excellence has made him a popular choral clinician, festival conductor and adjudicator. He was selected as one of the featured choral conductors at Lake Avenue Church’s 1996 Festival of Choirs, conducting over 1200 singers in song. John has been a featured choral clinician and workshop leader for groups such as the American Choral Directors Association, Choristers Guild, the Association of Christian Schools International, Choral Conductors Guild, Augsburg Publishing House, the National Association of Church Musicians and others. In 2004, John presented workshops on “Intergenerational Choirs” at the Conference on Liturgy and Worship in Denver and for the National Association of Church Musicians in Virginia. He has served as a consultant to Calvin College’s Worship Institute in the area of intergenerational worship. In addition to his work with festival groups, conferences and choral gatherings, John served on the National Board of Choristers Guild, an international organization whose mission is to promote the spiritual nurture of children and youth through music.
Moving to Los Angeles in 2000, John began working in the Hollywood film scene, conducting choral music that has been heard on major motion pictures, weekly television series, and music for films such as Spider Man III, Fantastic Four, and many others. In 2005, he began a relationship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and he has been named Musical Director and Conductor for their annual Christmas Holiday Sing-a-Long. 2008 marked John named as the Principal Conductor of the Angeles Chorale in Los Angeles, and in 2010 John was appointed as the Chorale’s Artistic Director.
John resides in Altadena, California with his wife, Dr. Cecilia Patiño-Sutton. He is an Assistant Professor at Azusa Pacific University where he lectures in the School of Music and serves as the Director of Choral Activities, conducts the Oratorio Choir, and the University Choir and Orchestra.
As a full-time professional musician for over 25 years, John has distinguished himself in the area of Church Choral Music, establishing programs which have attracted over 400 weekly singers in choir programs for grades K – 12, and adults. Serving communities in Oregon, Washington, Colorado and California, John is known for impacting the community through his active involvement and leadership in the arts. John has been the Interim Director of Adult Choral Music and Worship at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California since 2000.
Beyond his focused choral training in the university setting, John has had the opportunity to study with some of the top choral conductors in the field including performances and training with Robert Shaw, Helmut Rilling, Eric Ericson, Weston Noble, Frank Pooler, Howard Swan, Paul Salamunovich, Anton Armstrong, Eph Ely, and others. In addition, he has performed extensively throughout the United States and abroad in choral concert tours and recording projects which include performances at the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, and Constitution Hall.
His enthusiasm for the choral art and his commitment to excellence has made him a popular choral clinician, festival conductor and adjudicator. He was selected as one of the featured choral conductors at Lake Avenue Church’s 1996 Festival of Choirs, conducting over 1200 singers in song. John has been a featured choral clinician and workshop leader for groups such as the American Choral Directors Association, Choristers Guild, the Association of Christian Schools International, Choral Conductors Guild, Augsburg Publishing House, the National Association of Church Musicians and others. In 2004, John presented workshops on “Intergenerational Choirs” at the Conference on Liturgy and Worship in Denver and for the National Association of Church Musicians in Virginia. He has served as a consultant to Calvin College’s Worship Institute in the area of intergenerational worship. In addition to his work with festival groups, conferences and choral gatherings, John served on the National Board of Choristers Guild, an international organization whose mission is to promote the spiritual nurture of children and youth through music.
Moving to Los Angeles in 2000, John began working in the Hollywood film scene, conducting choral music that has been heard on major motion pictures, weekly television series, and music for films such as Spider Man III, Fantastic Four, and many others. In 2005, he began a relationship with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and he has been named Musical Director and Conductor for their annual Christmas Holiday Sing-a-Long. 2008 marked John named as the Principal Conductor of the Angeles Chorale in Los Angeles, and in 2010 John was appointed as the Chorale’s Artistic Director.
John resides in Altadena, California with his wife, Dr. Cecilia Patiño-Sutton. He is an Assistant Professor at Azusa Pacific University where he lectures in the School of Music and serves as the Director of Choral Activities, conducts the Oratorio Choir, and the University Choir and Orchestra.
Kevin Kumar
http://www.salastinassociety.org
A recent performance “allowed Kumar to demonstrate that, in addition to making an utterly beautiful sound, he is a born leader, and the performance responded to every last facet of a work gigantic in stature.” (Bernard Jacobson, Music-Web International) Also praised by press for his “obvious communicative powers”, “sense of sheer enjoyment”, and having “the precision and tonal richness of a virtuoso”, violinist Kevin Kumar has appeared as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra, West Los Angeles Symphony, Riverside Philharmonic, and the Peninsula Symphony, among others.
Kumar has also been active as an orchestral player, serving as Concertmaster of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra under Valerie Gergiev and Semyon Bychkov in tours throughout major European cultural centers. He was personally invited by Sir Georg Solti to participate in the Solti Project at Carnegie Hall (Decca).
As a devoted chamber musician he has performed in various ensembles and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, and Central America and participated in numerous radio and television broadcasts, including a featured appearance on a primetime NBC sitcom. Kumar has given the world premieres of chamber music and solo works by composers such as Grammy-nominated composer Javier Navarrete, Daniel Catan, R.I. Gordon, and Jeremy Cavaterra.
At the outset of his concert career, Kumar was forced to spend an extended period away from the violin due to injuries; during this time he became involved with songwriting and production for musical artists in the U.S. and in East Asia. Since his return to the stage, he has participated in a variety of activities; appearing as soloist with a number of orchestras in Southern California, including St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra and the Riverside Philharmonic, and performing chamber music abroad on series such as the Olympic Music Festival and Classicopia. He is also the violinist of the Catgut Trio, a recently formed ensemble dedicated to exploring the repertoire of the string trio and collaborating with other artists in the performance of chamber music. He is partnered by violist Dale Hikawa Silverman and cellist Armen Ksajikian, titled members of the LA Philharmonic and the LA Chamber Orchestra.
In addition to attending Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music, Kumar received the Jascha Heifetz Scholarship and his Advanced Studies in Music Diploma from the University of Southern California and Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University. He has studied with Viktor Tretyakov, Alice Schoenfeld, Linda Rose, and Gennady Kleyman and benefited from masterclasses with Dorothy Delay, Sylvia Rosenberg, Gary Hoffman, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. Awards include Grand Prizes at the Pasadena Instrumental and Edith Knox Concerto Competitions.
Jonathan Thomson, Cellist
http://www.apu.edu/music/faculty/jthomson/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuWEYaragP4
Thomson moved from Washington State to Los Angeles in 2005 to continue his musical studies in cello and immediately began performing, recording, and teaching professionally. As a chamber musician, he has participated in the Fischoff and Coleman Chamber Music Competitions and has received instruction from the Kronos, St. Lawrence, Brentano, Avalon, Lafayette, and Penderecki quartets. He has played in master classes at the Banff Centre under Aldo Parisot and Shauna Rolston, as well as in other locations in the classes of Raphael Wallfisch, Nathaniel Rosen, and Pieter Wiespelwey.
Internationally, Thomson has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United Kingdom, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, South Korea, and China. He has been an adjunct faculty member at Azusa Pacific University since 2008 and has taught at Education Through Music—LA, Diamond Bar High School, private music academies, as well in a private studio.
Thomson is currently working on a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at UCLA where he is working with Antonio Lysy. He lives in Monrovia with his wife and enjoys traveling, reading, tennis, and running.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuWEYaragP4
Thomson moved from Washington State to Los Angeles in 2005 to continue his musical studies in cello and immediately began performing, recording, and teaching professionally. As a chamber musician, he has participated in the Fischoff and Coleman Chamber Music Competitions and has received instruction from the Kronos, St. Lawrence, Brentano, Avalon, Lafayette, and Penderecki quartets. He has played in master classes at the Banff Centre under Aldo Parisot and Shauna Rolston, as well as in other locations in the classes of Raphael Wallfisch, Nathaniel Rosen, and Pieter Wiespelwey.
Internationally, Thomson has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United Kingdom, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, South Korea, and China. He has been an adjunct faculty member at Azusa Pacific University since 2008 and has taught at Education Through Music—LA, Diamond Bar High School, private music academies, as well in a private studio.
Thomson is currently working on a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at UCLA where he is working with Antonio Lysy. He lives in Monrovia with his wife and enjoys traveling, reading, tennis, and running.
Grace Chung
Grace Chung began playing the piano at the age of four, and her love of music has continuously grown since then. At age 16, she was awarded the opportunity to perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue with the Southern California Young Artists’ Symphony, and that experience sparked her desire to pursue further studies in performance. Grace received her bachelor’s degree in music from La Sierra University and went on to study at the Manhattan School of Music, where she received her Master of Music degree in piano performance under the tutelage of Dr. Marc Silverman. She then returned to California where she taught as an adjunct professor of piano at La Sierra University and also served as a staff accompanist at the University of Redlands. Throughout her years of performing, Grace has had the privilege of traveling abroad to share her music with others, including performances in England, France, Greece, Brazil, and Argentina.
Grace is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Keyboard Collaborative Arts at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. She also serves as an organist at the La Sierra University Church of Seventh-Day Adventists and the Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, CA. She is a strong believer in the importance of arts education and is fascinated by the powerful ways in which music can affect the mind. She hopes that the music she shares will always be a positive inspiration to those who hear her.
Grace is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Keyboard Collaborative Arts at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. She also serves as an organist at the La Sierra University Church of Seventh-Day Adventists and the Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, CA. She is a strong believer in the importance of arts education and is fascinated by the powerful ways in which music can affect the mind. She hopes that the music she shares will always be a positive inspiration to those who hear her.