SOPRANOS
Angela
Ahıskal (Frasquita (Sunday)): Soprano Angela Ahıskal, is a graduate of the University at Buffalo and was brought to the Hartford area for Masters coursework at the Hartt School. While in Buffalo, Ms. Ahıskal was awarded several awards and was the advanced division winner of the 2003 NATS competition. She was the director of the University at Buffalo's Royal Pitches, and her voice can be found on all three of their recordings. Ms. Ahıskal has had roles in The Magic Flute, Handel's Joshua, and with the Simsbury Light Opera Company as Aline in The Sorcerer. Ms. Ahıskal is equally at home on the concert stage, performing as a solo artist with the Cheektowaga Community Orchestra and the Orchard Park Chorale. Her choral engagements have included The Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, St. Joséph Cathedral Choir. Currently she is a section leader and soloist at Center Church in Hartford and a new member of CONCORA
Phred
Mileski (Frasquita (Friday)): Soprano Phred Mileski has performed throughout Connecticut as well as in New York and Boston. Her vocal repertoire ranges from the medieval to the modern. She recently returned to her alma mater, Connecticut College, to study composition and has also sung new works by contemporary composers during Connecticut College's Arts & Technology Symposium and the college's Women in Music concert series. She is currently the principal soprano soloist at St. John¹s Church in Essex. In addition, she is a classical recitalist, a cabaret performer, and a member of the Anglican Singers, artists-in-residence at St. James Church, New London, as well as Connecticut Choral Artists (CONCORA), a New Britain-based professional vocal ensemble. She also teaches voice privately.
Stella
Dayrit Roden (Marguerite (Cover)): Soprano Stella Dayrit Roden
is recognized in southern New England as a vocal artist of both classical
and contemporary music. She has performed as a featured soloist with the Hartford
Symphony Orchestra, New Britain Symphony, The Connecticut Virtuosi and numerous
Connecticut chorales. Ms. Roden's stage roles range from Violetta in La Traviata
and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, to 'Eleanor of Aquitaine' in the one-woman
opera Flower and Hawk by Carlisle Floyd. Currently, a doctoral student at
the UCONN School of Music and part-time faculty for the Women's Studies Program,
Ms. Roden holds a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the New
England Conservatory in Boston, a Bachelor of Music Education from James Madison
University, Harrisonburg, VA. She has a number of awards from the National
Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS), and was a finalist in the 2002
Austin Lyric Young Artist's Voice Competition and 2002 NATSAA New England
Regional Competition.
Jurate
Svedaite (Micaëla, Rosina (Sunday), Marguerite):
Soprano Jurate Švedaite is the grand-daughter of one of Lithuania's most revered traditional composers and arrangers, Jonas Švedas, and received her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Opera and Vocal Performance from the Lithuanian Music Academy while also attending the Detmold Music Academy in Germany. Ms. Švedaite has performed throughout Europe and the U.S. with the Lithuanian National Chamber Orchestra, the European Baroque Festival Opera, Kaunas Chamber Orchestra, Vilnius University Chamber Orchestra, Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, the Lithuanian National Ensemble "Lietuva," and Salt Marsh Opera, among others. Her opera roles include Marguerite in Faust, Adina in l'Elisir d'Amore, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin, Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Speranza in Orfeo, as well as Micaela in CLO's Carmen and Rosina in CLO's Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Ms. Švedaite now resides in Southeastern Connecticut.
