The Thief River Falls Area Community Theater is delighted to host the Gate City Young Artists in Thief River Falls on March 7 & 8 to educate and entertain local residents. The Young Artists program hails from the Fargo-Moorhead area and focuses on opera, employing five up-and-coming singers from various areas of the United States.
The singers will arrive in Thief River Falls on Tuesday, March 7, and will present a workshop and demonstration to Darcy Reese’s middle school choir students. From there, they will perform for the residents at the Thief River Care Center. That evening at 7:00 p.m., a concert for the public will be presented at Northland Community & Technical College.
On Wednesday, March 8, the Young Artists will present to the students at St. Bernards and St. Johns schools, and then host their final session with Darcy Reese’s choir at Lincoln High School.
According to ACT Executive Director Jane Anderson, “This is the fourth season we’ve hosted the Gate City Young Artists, and we are always excited to meet them and experience their unique personalities and talents. Each year is different, with various singers performing pieces that suit their voices and personalities. And to see them interact with children and young people is truly inspiring. The kids have many questions and are engaged with this art form that is not generally available in this area. I hope the public will come to the evening concert to experience what they have to offer.”
The artists in 2023 include: Lisa Buhelos is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana where she received her master's in vocal performance and literature. She has participated as a Festival Artist at Opera Saratoga, where she portrayed Quiteria in Don Quixote at Camacho's Wedding, covered the role of Aldonza in Man of La Mancha, and was featured in the Knight at the Opera and Quixotic Opera concerts. With Lyric Theatre of Illinois, she has also been seen in their productions of The Adventures of Little Sharp-Ears as Sharp-Ears and Ordinary Days as Deb. Other performances include Fun Home (Allison/Middle Allison Cover), Crazy For You (Margie/ Polly Cover), La bohème (Ensemble), Pirates of Penzance (Ensemble), and the workshop of Take Flight (Brenda). She has participated in the American Institute of Music in Graz, where she was a soloist for the AIMs Festival Orchestra and Operetta Concerts. Tiffanie Trujillo is an American soprano and alumna of Manhattan School of Music where she studied under the tutelage of Neil Rosenshein. She is the recipient of merit-based scholarships and the winner of multiple singing competitions. Ms. Trujillo will make her company debut with Opera Modesto later this year. Most recently, she has sung the title character in Suor Angelica as an Emerging Artist with Seagle Festival in 2022. Roles she has performed completely and partially include Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Micaëla and the title role of Carmen, Countess Almaviva (Le nozze di Figaro), Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust, Magda Sorel (The Consul), Mimì (La bohème), Suzel (L’amico Fritz), and Dido (Dido and Aeneas) to list a few. She is currently based in California and maintains a private voice studio both online and in-person. Meredith Smietana, mezzo soprano, is originally from snowy Buffalo but now lives in New York City. Meredith is a graduate of The Mannes School of Music, where she received her Master’s in Vocal Performance. Previous roles include Mutter (Hansel und Gretel) Orfeo (cover) Monitress (Suor Angelica) Alma March (Little Women) and Dido (Dido and Aeneas). Meredith most recently joined the Chautauqua Opera Company in The Mother of Us All where she sang the role of Isabel Wentworth and covered Indiana Elliot. Meredith is elated to be joining the Gate City Bank Young Artist Program. This season she can be heard singing Rosemary, Jaclyn and Wife in Love Bites and in the ensemble of La Boheme. James Danner, tenor, is a graduate of the Harvard-NEC AB/MM program, and recently completed a Professional Studies Diploma at Mannes. A professional since the age of 5, James spent ten seasons at the Metropolitan Opera as a chorus member and soloist both there and at many of the major halls in the Northeast. Equally at ease in tomorrow’s music as in the old, James’ most recent season encompassed Purcell and the Spanish Renaissance to new operas, with Rossini and Boieldieu in between. Gerard Taeeun Moon, baritone, has been praised by Operawire as “From the moment he walked on stage it was evident that this was a singer with authority and command and incredible stage presence” and Lexington Herald-Leader as “A strong voice, impeccable diction, and a huge sense of fun” He performs internationally throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe and in the greatest venues including Prague Estates Theatre, Smetana Hall (Czech Republic), and Great Hall at Mozarteum (Austria). Please join us when these talented individuals perform a public concert on Tuesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. at the Northland Community and Technical College Theater. Admission is $10; holders of a current Concert Series ticket and students 18 and under get in free of charge.
*This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Northwest Minnesota Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.
