In Concert at Union Church
Sunday, May 18 at 4pm
The Mel-O-Chords
www.melochords.org
The Mel-O-Chords is a dynamic vocal ensemble based in Montclair, New Jersey. Founded in the 1960’s as a committee of The Montclair Operetta Club, this group has been warming hearts and charming ears for over forty years. Their vast repertoire includes numerous selections from musical theater as well as popular music from multiple decades and other adventurous secular works. They have been important ambassadors for the MOC, reaching out into the community to bring musical joy to as many listeners as possible. Notable performances include First Night Montclair; Liberty State Park; The Paper Mill Playhouse; May in Montclair and telecasts on New Jersey Channel 10. The Mel-O-Chords performs two annual concerts, a cabaret and many hired private gigs. They can be found singing throughout the tri-state area for civic organizations, fund-raising events, assisted-living facilities, summer concert series, and anywhere fine music can be heard.
Soprano:
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Michele Granger
Audrey Jantzen
Jennifer Kitchin
Bebe Landis
Anne Martin
Anna McLaren
Katie Trella-Zinsmeister
Crista Trippodi-Murphy
Alto:
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Julie Arts
Ellen Blankfein
Laura Heyman
Erika Insana
Panny King
Helene Reiffe
Cathy Solomon
Tenor:
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Norton Babson
Susan Gorman
Mac King
Peter Landis
David Travis
Bass:
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Bob Bockstiegel
Richard Carson
Pat Cutaneo
Bob Ewing
Steve Libin
Jay Pumphrey
Frank Quattromini
Marty Tuzman
Vince Peterson - Artistic Director
Vince Peterson holds both Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Composition as well as a Master's Degree in Choral Conducting and a Certificat de Stage au Composition from the European American Musical Alliance at La Schola Cantorum in Paris, France. He has studied at The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he was a pupil of celebrated composer Conrad Susa and David Conte as well as Prof. Sonja Neblett. He also attended Mannes College, The New School for Music in Manhattan where he studied under Prof. David Loeb and New York critically acclaimed choral conductor, Dr. Mark Shapiro. Upon graduation, Peterson was the 2007 recipient of The Associated Music Teacher's League Award. He is equally active as composer and conductor.
Mr. Peterson has toured around the world as both singer and choral accompanist, having performed concerts in Italy, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, The Philippines, Canada, France and throughout the United States. He has enjoyed performing in some of the world's greatest concert halls including The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, Davies Symphony Hall, The Church of St. Severin in Paris and San Francisco's Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. At age fifteen, he was given the privilege of singing at an audience for Pope John Paul II and playing the organ for high mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. At home in San Francisco, he spent two consecutive seasons as principal accompanist and assistant director of The Golden Gate Men's Chorus under the direction of two time GRAMMY award- winning conductor Joseph Jennings, a position that Jennings appointed him to in 2003. He has since returned to this ensemble on occasion as guest accompanist.
As a composer, Vince Peterson has received numerous awards and recognitions for his music. He has written concert music, theater and pop. His choral works, in particular have received numerous performances and awards around the country and abroad. His piece "House to House", a setting of Federico Garcia Lorca and his setting of "Ave Maria" were both winners in the rigorous San Francisco Conservatory Choral Composition Contest on two separate occasions. In pop music, he was a founding member as well as lead singer and pianist for The Red Shoe Collection, for whom he also served as executive producer for a full length album titled "Oh, This Life!" and an EP "Far Away Love". Both recordings are now sold on Apple iTunes, AOL and MSN Music as well as several other mainstream distributors. His most recent major compositions include a groundbreaking setting of Whitman's "I Sing the Body Electric" for Chorus, Soloists and Chamber Ensemble as well as a song cycle called "Arizona DooWop" with incredible texts by emerging creative writer and choreographer, Emily Keeler. In theater, Peterson conducted the world premiere of "Between Dirt and Sky", a new musical about the life and work of César Chavez as well as the San Francisco Premiere of Jason Robert Brown's "The Last Five Years".
Brad Whiteley - Accompanist
Brad Whiteley is a Brooklyn based pianist, organist and composer. He recently graduated from the Indiana University School of Music with a Master's degree in jazz studies and classical piano. His major teachers at IU included David Baker, Luke Gillespie and Edward Auer. He was honored with a Performers Certificate upon graduation, a rare occurrence in the music school.
In the summer of 2005 Brad was selected as one of 2 pianists at the Henry Mancini Institute held at UCLA. During this full scholarship program he was able to perform with Christian McBride, Maria Schneider, Peter Erskine and Alan Silvestri among many others. He also took invaluable lessons from Billy Childs, Bill Cunliffe, Alan Pasqua and Mike Melvoin.
In 2004 Brad received a Student Music Award from Downbeat Magazine for his role in the combo Monk by 5. This quintet later performed at the 2005 IAJE Conference in Long Beach California.
In the summer of 2003 he was selected and awarded a scholarship to attend the Banff International Jazz Workshop led by Dave Douglas. The faculty also included Jason Moran, John Abercrombie and Mark Turner.
That same summer Brad was on the faculty of the Interlochen Music Festival as instructor of Jazz Piano and director of the High School Big Band. The guest on the final big band concert was Bob Mintzer. His teaching career continued at IU where he was an assistant to Luke Gillespie and taught overflow piano students.
Brad has performed an incredibly diverse range of music. He has performed Gershwin and Shostakovitch concertos with orchestras, accompanied singers such as Sylvia McNair and performed in Masterclasses for artists as diverse as Fred Hersch and John McCabe.
He was a member of The Dick Dickinson Jazztet, and Triology Organ Trio, both of which had weekly gigs at Indianapolis jazz clubs the Chatterbox and the Jazz Kitchen. He has attended classical music festivals in Flaine France and Aspen Colorado. He has been a member of numerous bands including Quintessence (neo-soul), Goza (funk), Kapow (rock), Proyecta Herencia (latin jazz) and Palaka (electronic).
© 2008 The Mel-O-Chords |
