Belmont University School of Music
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2026
7:30 P.M.
MCAFEE CONCERT HALL
Belmont University School of Music
Faculty Concert Series
presents
Angela Yoon, soprano
Savanna Sokolnicki, soprano
Museop Kim, baritone
Quel sguardo sdegnosetto Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
Angela Yoon, soprano Jason Terry, piano
Goethe-Lieder
Franz Schubert
yž mne stará matka zpívat učívala, Op. 55, No. 4 (1841-1904)
기다리는 마음 (“A Waiting Heart”) Il-Nan Jang
신고산타령 (Singosan Taryeong) (1916-1990)
Museop Kim, baritone Laura Benavides, piano
from A Sarah Binks Songbook
1. Reflections While Translating Heine John Greer
2. Hi, Sooky, Ho, Sooky (b. 1943)
Savanna Sokolnicki, soprano Alessandra Volpi, piano
Give Me Jesus
arr. H. T. Burleigh (1866-1949) arr. Jason Terry*
About the Performers
Colombian pianist Laura Benavides is a sought-after collaborative pianist based in Nashville. She has been the Opera Pianist at Belmont University since 2024, after joining as a Collaborative Pianist in 2022. She has performed across the United States, frequently appearing at the Sphinx Competition in Detroit and collaborating with ensembles like Vocal Arts Nashville, Nashville Bel Canto Foundation, Rejoice Ballet, Centennial Performing Arts, Blair School of Music, among others.
Benavides earned the Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from Louisiana State University, under the guidance of Dr. Ana Maria Otamendi, and a Performance Diploma from Indiana University, where she was an Associate Instructor. A valedictorian graduate of Valle University (Colombia), she has won multiple competitions and participated in renowned festivals in Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and the United States.
She has also worked with esteemed artists like Martin Katz, Anne Epperson, Nathan Gunn, Paul Groves, and Kathryn Lewek.
Museop Kim is a Grammy-nominated baritone recognized in New York and beyond for his warm yet masculine vocal timbre and commanding stage presence. A graduate of the Juilliard Opera Center, he has performed with Los Angeles Opera in roles including Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette), Schaunard (La bohème), Marullo (Rigoletto), and the English Ambassador in the West Coast premiere of The Ghosts of Versailles, while also appearing in the world premiere of Daniel Catán’s Il Postino.
His other engagements include performances at Spoleto Festival USA and the creation of the title role in Jocelyn Hagen’s Song Poet with Minnesota Opera. Kim has also appeared with Seattle Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, the Aspen Music Festival, and Juilliard Opera in a wide range of repertoire from Mozart to contemporary opera. Currently, he teaches classical voice at Belmont University.
Paulo Oliveira is a Brazilian-born guitarist, composer, and educator based in Nashville, Tennessee, where he serves as Coordinator of Guitar Studies at Belmont University. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts from University of Colorado and maintains an active international career as a performer and teacher, appearing in festivals, concerts, and masterclasses throughout the Americas Asia and Europe. Highlights include the Aspen Music Festival in the United States and the Campos do Jordão International Winter Festival in Brazil.
Equally at home in classical, Brazilian, jazz music, Paulo is also an active chamber musician and collaborator. He has appeared as a soloist with ensembles such as the Missouri Symphony, the Belmont Symphony, and the Nashville Praise Symphony, and regularly performs with vocalists and instrumentalists in both traditional and contemporary repertoire. His work is marked by stylistic versatility, and a strong commitment to musical dialogue across genres.
Savanna Sokolnicki is an internationally sought-after soprano whose career spans opera, concert, and recital work across North America, Europe, and Asia. Among her recent international highlights are her appearance as the American representative soprano soloist for the opening of the Maria Callas Museum in Athens, Greece, and performances of Bel Canto repertoire at the Orfeo Summer Festival in Vipiteno, Italy.
Recent performances include appearances with Nashville Opera’s Opera on Wheels outreach program, as well as mainstage productions with Nashville Il Pagliacci, Les contes d’Hoffmann, and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Additional credits include the world premiere of Ron Beckett’s The Wide Waters with Arcady Opera, Alessandro Melani’s Concerto for Trumpet and Soprano, Brahms’ Requiem, and collaborations with the York Symphony Orchestra.
Sokolnicki is Assistant Professor of Classical Voice at Belmont University, where she also directs the opera theatre. She holds the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kentucky and undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Eastman School of Music.
Pianist Jason Terry has given performances throughout North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. His performances have been heard on multiple NPR stations, K-Pop recordings, and pop-culture videos.
He has been affiliated with Interlochen Center for the Arts since 2019 and maintains dual roles as piano instructor for Interlochen Arts Camp and the curriculum creator for their three keyboard courses offered through Interlochen Online.
Terry, a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, is on the music faculty of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee and serves simultaneously as a global Fulbright Specialist.
Ela Tokarska is an internationally active violinist, violist, and pedagogue with performance experience spanning Europe, the United States, and Asia. She performs regularly as a soloist, chamber musician, recitalist, and orchestral musician, appearing at venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City and major philharmonic halls throughout Poland, Italy, and Japan. Tokarska has collaborated with renowned artists and performed with orchestras across the Southeastern United States. Equally dedicated to education, she has taught at universities, preparatory divisions, and community outreach programs in both Poland and the United States, fostering the artistic and technical development of the next generation of musicians. In addition to her academic and concert activities, Tokarska is an active studio musician in Nashville, regularly recording for films, television series, and video games.
Italian pianist Alessandra Volpi began her piano studies at age four and holds degrees and artist diplomas from the Milan and Florence Conservatory, Utah State University and the Liszt Academy in Hungary.
Ms. Volpi’s versatile career includes orchestral performances in the U.S. and Italy, world premieres with Nashville Ballet, chamber music collaborations and studio recordings.
A prizewinner in numerous national and international competitions, she has performed as soloist and collaborator at prestigious venues including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Pritzker Pavilion, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Teatro Animosi, and Palazzo Tornabuoni.
Ms. Volpi serves as Pianist and Coach at Belmont University School of Music, faculty member of the Nashville Bel Canto Foundation, and faculty at the Opera Lucca Festival, where she teaches Italian diction, style, and bel canto traditions.
Coloratura soprano Angela Yoon is known for her expressive, expansive voice and her ability to bring text vividly to life through music. A winner and finalist in numerous competitions, she has appeared as a soloist and guest artist in recitals, concerts, and operatic and oratorio performances throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, France, South Korea, and Egypt, and her work has been featured in broadcasts and recordings.
Beyond traditional performance, Yoon is committed to creating interdisciplinary and engaged musical experiences. Her recent projects include Broken Harmony:
Reconstructing Art, Colorful Harmony: Melodies from Near and Far, and Songs of Hope: Unveiling Darkness, a program marked her Carnegie Hall debut.
Yoon serves on the voice faculty at Belmont University as the Coordinator of the Vocal Pedagogy Program. In summer 2026, she joins the faculty of American Voices, continuing her commitment to global musical engagement and education.
Upcoming Concerts and Events
Join Belmont University’s College of Music and Performing Arts for Sounds of Belmont: The 36th Annual President’s Concert & Reception on Saturday, April 25th in the Fisher Center at Belmont University. Experience an evening of stories and songs to support our talented students. The concert will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a festive dessert reception for all guests and performers. The purchase of a ticket to this concert and reception will benefit endowed music and theatre scholarship funds for students in the college. Premier works from the College of Music and Performing Arts Fall 2025-Spring 2026 performance season will be showcased. This concert and reception is celebrating its thirty-sixth year (formerly the President’s Concert and Reception).
Reserve your tickets here.
For more information on upcoming concerts and events, please visit www.belmont.edu/cmpa or “like” Belmont University School of Music on Facebook.
