-Benjamin Greene, Conductor-
Benjamin Greene graduated from Rhode Island College in 1982 with a B.S. in Music Education. He has also achieved a masters in Music Education from Boston University. Ben has been the Coordinator for Performing Arts in the Concord School District. He has also directed the high school orchestra and currently holds the position of assistant principal at Concord High School. Ben serves as Music Director/Conductor of the Lakes Region Symphony and Greater Manchester Youth Symphony. During his tenure as conductor of the Lakes Region Symphony he has brought exciting programming to the orchestra and has helped to transform the group into a great and exciting community orchestra. In 1997 Ben was named New Hampshire String Teacher of the Year and in 2002 he was named New Hampshire Music Teacher of the Year. In 2006, Ben was inducted into the Rhode Island College Alumni Honor Roll. In addition to conducting, Ben is an active performer. He has performed with Granite State Symphony, Great Waters Music Festival Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic and was formerly Principal Double Bass of the New Hampshire Philharmonic. He is past president of both the New Hampshire String Teachers Association and New Hampshire Music Educators Association. Presently Ben serves on the Executive Board of the New Hampshire Music Educators Association as All State Chair. Ben and his wife Faith have five children and live in Concord, New Hampshire.


Welcome to a new group of soloists for 2011!

 
-Janet Poisson, Soprano
Soprano Janet Poisson has received critical acclaim for her striking presence due to “the kind of ease of movement around the stage that adds to a production’s natural rhythm and realism” and for her "stage presence, solid acting prowess and pleasing vocal ability” (Opera Online).  Most known as an oratorio soloist, Janet is well versed in opera, chamber music and as a recitalist.  Janet was recently seen as the soprano soloist in Karl Jenkins’, “The Armed Man” and upcoming performances include soprano soloist in Carmina Burana with the Manchester Choral Society.  Janet has appeared with the chamber music ensemble Enchante Musique, and as soloist in groups including Cappella Clausura, Newton Community Chorus, Boston Coro di Camera, New Hampshire Master Chorale and Manchester Choral Society.  Janet received her Masters in Voice Performance from The Boston Conservatory and her Bachelor of Science degree from Plymouth State University in music education.


-Emily Jaworski, Alto
Mezzo Soprano Emily Jaworski is earning praise throughout New England for her charismatic stage presence and sensitive interpretations of a wide range of works. A passionate advocate of the song recital, she has received accolades for her work from the National Association of Teachers of Singing, The Friday Morning Music Club and Young Concert Artists, and was recently acknowledged as "a consummate storyteller, musician, and artist" by Classical Voice of New England. Ms. Jaworski holds degrees from Susquehanna University and Boston University, and is in demand as a teacher and clinician.




-Dr. Fredric Scheff, Tenor 

Fredric is thrilled to be reunited with Maestro Greene. Recent engagements include solo appearances with the RIC Wind Ensemble, performing works of Bernstein and Mahler as well as tenor soloist for the Tiverton Chorals performances of Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Other recent engagements include the RI Civic Chorale's performance of Bach's Magnificat as well as the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Concert. This past spring he appeared in a work by composer Steven Jobe entitled "Melusine," a work in progress. He has appeared with New England musical organizations, among them, the South County Chamber Singers, Opera Providence, Milton (MA) Centre Series, Shalom Music Series, Operatunity, Operartisti, University of Rhode Island, Wheaton College, Ocean State Light and Lyric Opera Companies, Ocean State Chamber Orchestra, Burnt Cove (ME) Concert Series, Theater-by-the-Sea, Beavertail Productions, Trinity Repertory Company, Mystic (CT) River Choral, Chaminade Opera and the South County Courthouse Players. He has toured the country appearing as Ubaldo Piangi in Sir Andrew LLoyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera. He worked with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis for seven seasons, during which time he appeared in seventeen productions under such directors as the late Colin Graham, Rhode Levine, Francesca Zambello, Robert Carsen and Linda Brovsky and conductors, Leonard Slatkin, John Nelson, Joseph Rescigno, Hal France, Andrew Litton, and Stephen Lord.  He holds his Masters and Doctorate in vocal performance from the University of Kansas. Dr. Scheff serves as an adjunct faculty member in the department of Music Theatre and Dance at Rhode Island College where his responsibilities include courses in Music Appreciation, and Private Voice instruction.

-Matthew Stansfield, Bass
Matthew Stansfield (Baritone) received his Masters Degree and Graduate Performance Diploma from The Boston Conservatory. Previous operatic roles include Figaro in Le ozze di Figaro, Elviro in Handel’s Xerxes, and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte. Mr. Stansfield has performed as soloist with Longwood Opera, the Masterworks Chorale, and the Somerville Community Chorus. Matthew is also a member of the Cantata Singers and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, Boston, and has performed with Cape Cod Opera, Opera Hub, and Boston’s Diva Day Foundation. Matthew too has appeared in the children’s operas Pinocchio and Jack and the Beanstalk, and has performed in the shows Cinderella, A Dragons Tale, Sinbad the Sailor, and Alice in Wonderland. Matthew is an artist of the Boston Area who continually performs in productions, recitals, churches, and is delighted to be singing with the Concord Community Chorus.

-Katheryn Southworth, Piano-

Kathryn Southworth (piano)  is Piano Department Chair at the Concord Community Music School. She holds a B.M. in piano performance from Oberlin Conservatory and an M.M. in Vocal Accompanying and Coaching from the University of Illinois. While pursuing her graduate studies, she held an assistantship as staff accompanist under the tutelage of acclaimed accompanist John Wustman, and served as a musical ambassador to Costa Rica as accompanist for soprano Ollie Watts Davis. She has been a collaborative pianist for such organizations as Opera North, Dartmouth College, Plymouth State University and Boston Ballet, and has also served as music director, accompanist and organist for numerous theater and choral groups throughout New England. Currently, she is accompanist for Belle Voci, and performs regularly with the Musicians of Wall Street Ensemble. She has been an interim piano faculty member and staff accompanist at Plymouth State University, and  has been a member of  the piano faculty at St. Paul’s School.  She currently serves as music director and organist for the Canterbury United Community Church, and is musical director of the Canterbury Shaker Singers.

-Jay Daly, Trumpet-
Jay Day is considered "one of the most versatile trumpet players in the Boston area," Boston Globe. He has performed extensively throughout New England at many of the finest performance arenas: Symphony Hall, the Tweeter Center, the Wang Center, Boston Fleet Pavilion, and Tanglewood. Over the last 25 years, he has been privileged to be among Boston's "first call" trumpet players performing with artists such as Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mathis and many more. In the last two years, Jay toured with Natalie Cole, Linda Rondstadt, and with the Artie Shaw Orchestra in Florida and Taiwan. Locally, he performs over 100 concerts a year with his own group, the New England Brass. He also plays first trumpet for many of the Broadway shows at the Wang Center in Boston, Massachusetts; the Performing Arts Center in Providence, Rhode Island; the Palace Theatre in Manchester, New Hampshire; and the North Shore Music Theater in Beverly, Massachusetts. Jay has been a featured soloist with many area orchestras and is very happy to be performing the Messiah with the Concord Community Chorus this year.

Classical muisic, live Christmas performance, soloists, orchastra with strings and brass instruments, Concord, New Hampshire, singing, free admission, entertainment, Manchester, Laconia, Loudon