Metropolitan Opera star , currently appearing in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, will be the featured artist. The acclaimed soprano will perform classic arias of Puccini and Verdi, as well as jazz showstoppers by Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, accompanied by the university orchestra and jazz band. 

Burnett says she鈥檚 鈥渢hrilled to be joining EMU for the gala,鈥� and is bringing some of her favorites to the occasion, including “Sempre Libera” from Verdi鈥檚 La Traviata, the jazz selection “Almighty God” from Duke Ellington鈥檚 Sacred Concerts followed by 鈥渁 hot rendition鈥� of “How High the Moon.”

鈥淢s. Burnett鈥檚 presence makes this a concert event unlike any we have ever had at EMU,鈥� said Professor David Berry, who chairs the music department and will perform as well. 鈥淲e鈥檙e fortunate to have a musician of her caliber sharing her immense talents on the same stage with our student musicians.鈥�

Beginning her professional performance career as Mim矛 in Baz Luhrmann鈥檚 presentation of Puccini鈥檚 La Boh猫me on Broadway, Burnett received tremendous acclaim winning the Los Angeles Stage Alliance鈥檚 鈥淥vation Award鈥� with a record 82 consecutive sold-out shows. She joined the Metropolitan Opera in 2008 for their productions of Carmen and La Boh猫me, and has since returned for Parsifal, Le Nozze di Figaro, La Rondine, The Enchanted Island, Iphig茅nie en Tauride, Elektra and Manon. She recently sang in a revival presentation of the opera Voodoo by the prolific Harlem Renaissance composer, Harry Lawrence Freeman.

Berry was an undergraduate student at the Eastman School of Music when Burnett was in graduate school. The friends also performed together in New York City with the Harlem Chamber Players.

WMRA public radio鈥檚 will host the evening, which includes a full slate of talented professional musicians on faculty, as well as many student musicians and others from the local community.

Professor James Richardson, baritone, will perform music from Mozart鈥檚 Don Giovanni and the University Choir will present John Rutter鈥檚 hauntingly beautiful 鈥淩equiem.鈥� Berry, on the piano, and the EMU Wind Ensemble will conclude the evening with a rousing presentation of Gershwin鈥檚 Rhapsody in Blue.聽

The concert is sponsored by BB&T.

More on Janinah Burnett

Currently making appearances as 鈥淐arlotta Giudicelli鈥� in the iconic musical theater masterpiece Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, Burnett made her MET debut as Bianca in La Rondine. In addition to Voodoo, recent performances include singing in Victory Hall Opera鈥檚 inaugural presentation of Der Rosenkavalier as Sophie, for which she was featured on the cover of the Arts and Style section of the Washington post. 

Performances on operatic stages internationally and domestically in various starring roles include: theTh茅芒tre du Ch芒telet in Paris; the Teatro dell鈥橭pera di Roma; Spoleto Festival U.S.A.; the Michigan Opera Theatre; with operas in Arizona, Baltimore, Manitoba, Cleveland, Nashville and Columbus and in concert with The Israel Symphony Orchestra in Tel Aviv and Rishon LeZion with Mo. Asher Fisch.

She has performed in solo musical performances with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in their opening gala; Leonard Bernstein鈥檚 Mass with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra; debuting the role of Harriet Tubman in the World Premier presentation of Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed that Road to Freedom with American Opera Projects and singing Marguerite in Faust with Opera Toledo.

Burnett was named Artist of the Year at Syracuse Opera for her revered role debut as Le茂la in Les P锚cheurs de Perles which she later reprised at Opera Carolina. A former member of the sister group to Three Mo鈥� Tenors entitled Three Mo鈥� Divas, Burnett gave two performances of her own jazz arrangements with her band entitled The Janinah Burnet Quartet at the Cell Theater in NYC and gave a self titled, sold out solo jazz show at the Metropolitan Room. She is a featured singer in the Spike Lee film Red Hook Summer, has performed on the Tony Awards, and is featured on the La Boh茅me on Broadway cast recording. 

Burnett is currently producing performances of her own writings with art songs, freedom songs and spirituals entitled I, Too Sing America: A Lament for the Fallen which seeks to provide quality performances rooted in education, activism, committed artistic expression, and healing. 

With thanks to major sponsor

Selah Shenk, a music major from Newport News, Va., and Leah Risser, a liberal arts major from Greencastle, Pa., will perform solos and duets on the theme, “Live, Laugh, Love.” Their program will draw from a Spanish, classical and musical theater repertoire, with composers ranging from Schubert and W.A. Mozart to Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.

Benjamin (Ben) Bergey, a senior vocal performance and church music major from Perkasie, Pa., will provide piano accompaniment.

Risser, a soprano, is a member of the EMU Chamber Singers and has been extensively involved in theater productions. She is a member of the Marion (PA) Mennonite Church.

Shenk, a mezzo-soprano, has been involved in musical theater productions and intramural sports during her years at EMU. She is a member of the Warwick River Mennonite Church, Newport News.

Admission to the program is free.

Kniss, a baritone, will perform Italian arias by Mozart and Puccini, Brahms’ “Four Serious Songs” and Vaughan Williams’ “Songs of Travel,” a nine-piece song set.

Benjamin P. (Ben) Bergey, a senior vocal performance and church music major, will provide piano accompaniment.

Kniss is a member of the EMU Chamber Singers, a select student choir, and has appeared in numerous EMU Theater productions.

Admission to the recital is free.

Dr. Joan Griffing, professor of music, and senior music student Ben Bergey will share conducting responsibilities in Hector Berlioz’ famous “Symphonie Fantastique,” in which the composer vividly portrays his
obsession with his beloved through music.

Three EMU students were selected to perform as soloists with the orchestra in the biannual concerto/aria competition. Heidi Bauman, soprano, will perform an aria from “The Magic Flute” by Mozart; Phillip Martin, pianist, will perform the finale from Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A Minor,” and Meg Smeltzer, violinist, will perform the first movement of Mozart’s “Violin Concerto in D Major.”

Admission to the concert is free. Donations are welcomed for the EMU music scholarship fund.

Bergey, a vocal performance and church music major, will perform Baroque and modern music from the “B’s” – J.S. Bach’s aria “Frohe Hirte” from his Christmas Oratorio and his chamber cantata (BWV 157), “Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn” with six other musicians; as well as Samuel Barber’s “Despite and Still” cycle; and Benjamin Britten’s Irish Folksong arrangements.

Phillip Martin, a sophomore environmental science and music performance major from Mount Joy, Pa., will provide piano accompaniment. Other musicians assisting Bergey are Jenny Hochstetler, Matthew聽 Hunsberger, Janelle Dean, April Miller, Kaitlin Heatwole and Briana Eshleman.

Bergey sings tenor with the EMU Chamber Singers and is co-president with Michael Spory of the Student Government Association (SGA). He is a member of Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite Church and a 2007 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, Lansdale, Pa.

Admission to the program is free. Donations will be accepted toward a European tour that Bergey, Phillip Martin and Steve Kniss are planning to different Mennonite Churches in Germany, Netherlands and the Alsace region in May.

锘�

‘Hahna’ members are (l. to r.): Joshua Dean, Lena Risser, Eojin Lee and Ben Bergey. Photo by Jim Bishop

“Hahna” is a Korean word meaning “an all-encompassing unity.”

The four-member group will be at Sonnenberg Mennonite Church, Kidron, Ohio, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15; Columbus (Ohio) Mennonite Church 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 16; and at Pinto (MD) Mennonite Church 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16.

Members are Joshua Dean, a senior business major from Harrisonburg; Eojin Lee, a church music major from Daejeon, South Korea; Lena Risser, a senior vocal performance major from Greencastle, Pa., and Benjamin Bergey, a sophomore music performance and church music major from Perkasie, Pa.

Three EMU faculty members will assist “Hahna” on the program – James Richardson, assistant professor of music; Lynne Mackey, associate professor of music; and Joan Griffing, professor of music.

The ensemble’s program will center around a theme of “love” – of friends, romantic love, music and God. They will sing hymns, Broadway tunes and classical selections, both acapella and with instrumental accompaniment on violin, viola and octave violin.

The program is open to the public. A free-will offering will be taken to help support Hahna’s program tour being planned for South Korea next summer.