THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MUSIC Presents
HOUSEWRIGHT VIRTUOSO SERIES: “A Vocal Mosaic” Voice Faculty Showcase Featuring Katie Barr, Collaborative Piano André Chiang, Baritone* Alisa Hauser, Vocalist Tiffany Reneé Jackson, Vocalist Evan Jones, Baritone Marcía Porter, Soprano Todd Queen, Tenor* Natalie Sherer, Collaborative Piano Thursday, September 10, 2026 7:30 PM | Opperman Music Hall Thursday, September 24, 2026 7:30 PM | Historic Asolo Theatre, FSU Ringling Museum Friday, September 25, 2026 7:30 PM | Charlene A. Gordon Theater, University of Tampa Ferman Center of the Arts *Central Florida performances only
ng i t r o p p u S e Arts th
850-894-8700
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Thursday, September 10, 2026 7:30 p.m. | Opperman Music Hall PROGRAM Sing For Your Supper from Boys from Syracuse
Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart (1902–1979)/(1895–1943)
Alisa Hauser and Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalists; Marcía Porter, soprano Katie Barr, piano Adelaide’s Lament from Guys and Dolls
Frank Loesser (1910–1969)
Sky
Abramson/Hauser Alisa Hauser, vocalist Katie Barr, piano
La ci darem la mano from Don Giovanni
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Marcía Porter, soprano; Evan Jones, baritone Katie Barr, piano Secrets
B.E Boykin (b. 1989)
Melodia Sentimental
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959)
Little David
Margaret Bonds (1913–1972) Marcía Porter, soprano Katie Barr, piano
Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour from Les contes d’Hoffmann
Jacques Offenbach (1819–1880)
Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalist; Marcía Porter, soprano Katie Barr, piano
Please refrain from talking, entering, or exiting while performers are playing. Food and drink are prohibited in all concert halls. Please turn off cell phones and all other electronic devices. Please refrain from putting feet on seats and seat backs. Children who become disruptive should be taken out of the performance hall so they do not disturb the musicians and other audience members.
Phantasie über Motive aus der Oper Carmen for piano four hands
Georges Bizet (1838–1875) arr. Otto Singer
Katie Barr and Natalie Sherer, piano Come Sunday from Brown, Black and Beige
Duke Ellington (1899–1974)
Vocalise-Etude in forme de Habanera
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)
I’m Leaving You from The Life
Cy Coleman/Ira Gasman (1929–2004)/(1942–2018) Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalist Natalie Sherer, piano
And This is My Beloved from Kismet
Robert Wright/George Forrest (1914–2005)/(1915–1999)
Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalist; Evan Jones, baritone Natalie Sherer, piano This nearly was mine from South Pacific
Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (1902–1979)/(1895–1960)
Largo al factotum from Il barbiere di Siviglia
Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) Evan Jones, baritone Natalie Sherer, piano
A Grand Night for Singing
Rodgers/Hammerstein II
Alisa Hauser, Tiffany Reneé Jackson, Marcía Porter, and Evan Jones Natalie Sherer, piano
Thursday, September 24, 2026 Historic Asolo Theatre, FSU Ringling Museum Friday, September 25, 2026 Charlene A. Gordon Theater, University of Tampa Ferman Center of the Arts PROGRAM Sing For Your Supper from Boys from Syracuse
Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart (1902–1979)/(1895–1943)
Alisa Hauser and Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalists; Marcía Porter, soprano Katie Barr, piano Adelaide’s Lament from Guys and Dolls
Frank Loesser (1910–1969)
Sky
Abramson/Hauser Alisa Hauser, vocalist Katie Barr, piano
This Can’t Be Love from Boys from Syracuse
Rodgers/Hart
Alisa Hauser, vocalist; André Chiang, baritone Katie Barr, piano Dust and Ashes from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Aprite un po quelgli’occhi from Le nozze di Figaro
Dave Malloy (b. 1976) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
André Chiang, baritone Katie Barr, piano La ci darem la mano from Don Giovanni
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Marcía Porter, soprano; André Chiang, baritone Katie Barr, piano
Secrets
B.E Boykin (b. 1989)
Melodia Sentimental
Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887–1959)
Little David
Margaret Bonds (1913–1972) Marcía Porter, soprano Katie Barr, piano
Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour Jacques Offenbach from Les contes d’Hoffmann (1819–1880) Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalist; Marcía Porter, soprano Katie Barr, piano Come Sunday Duke Ellington from Brown, Black and Beige
(1899–1974)
Vocalise-Etude in forme de Habanera I’m Leaving You from The Life
Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) Cy Coleman/Ira Gasman (1929–2004)/(1942–2018)
Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalist Natalie Sherer, piano And This is My Beloved from Kismet
Robert Wright/George Forrest (1914–2005)/(1915–1999)
Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalist; Evan Jones, baritone Natalie Sherer, piano This nearly was mine from South Pacific
Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein II (1902–1979)/(1895–1960)
Largo al factotum from Il barbiere di Siviglia
Gioachino Rossini (1792–1868) Evan Jones, baritone Natalie Sherer, piano
Agony from Into the Woods
Stephen Sondheim (1930–2021) André Chiang and Evan Jones, baritone Natalie Sherer, piano
Lily’s Eyes from The Secret Garden
Lucy Simon (1940–2022)
Todd Queen, tenor; André Chiang, baritone Natalie Sherer, piano A Grand Night for Singing
Rodgers/Hammerstein II
Alisa Hauser and Tiffany Reneé Jackson, vocalists; Marcía Porter, soprano Todd Queen, tenor; André Chiang and Evan Jones, baritone Natalie Sherer, piano
TRANSLATIONS Tutto è disposto… Aprite un po’ Everything is set… Open your eyes Everything is set: the hour should be near; I can hear people... it is her! It’s nobody; The night is dark... and I am just beginning to practice the stupid work of being a husband... Ungrateful! While remembering my ceremony he was enjoying that reading: And while I was seeing it, I was laughing at me without knowing it. Oh, Susanna! Susanna! What a great suffering you cost me! With your ingenuous face, with your innocent eyes, who would imagine it? Ah, that it’s foul to trust in a woman. Open your eyes, you incautious and stupid men Look at these women
Look what they are! These you call goddesses with deceived senses, to whom the weak reason tributes incenses. They are witches who enchant only to make us pain, Sirens who sing to draw us, Owls who attract to take out our feathers Comets who shine to take our light away, they’re thorny roses they’re charming foxes they’re benign bears, malign doves, masters in cheating friends of worries who pretend, lie, don’t feel any love, don’t feel any pity, no, no, no, no, no! I don’t tell all the rest, Everybody knows that. – from opera-arias.com
La ci darem la mano There we will hold hands Italian source: Lorenzo Da Ponte Translation © Jennifer Rushworth There we will hold hands, There you will say yes to me: You see, it’s not far, Let’s go, my dear, from here.
Come, my lovely delight! Masetto takes pity on me. I will change your fate. Quickly… I cannot resist any longer. Let’s go! Let’s go!
I would like to and I would not like to, My heart trembles a little, It’s true that I would be happy, But he can mock me still!
Let’s go, let’s go, my love, To redeem the sufferings Of an innocent love.
Melodia sentimental Sentimental melody
Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour Beautiful night, oh night of love
from Floresta do Amazonas Text: Dora Vasconcellos
Beautiful night, oh night of love, Smile on our enchantment; Night sweeter than day, O beautiful night of love!
Awaken, come see the moon Sleeping in the dark of night Shining so beautiful and white Spilling forth sweetness A clear, silent flame Kindling my dreams The wings of night emerge And race through the deep expanse Oh, sweet beloved, awake Come lend your warmth to the moonlight I long to call you mine In this calm and serene hour The shadow entrusts to the wind The limits of waiting When, deep in the night, It calls out for your love Awaken, come gaze at the moon Shining in the dark of night Dearest, you are lovely and gentle To feel your love and to dream
Time flies, and never to return, Carries away our tender moments; Far away from this blissful haven, Time flies, never to return. Burning zephyrs, Shower us with your caresses, Burning zephyrs, Give us your kisses! Ah! Beautiful night, O night of love, Smile on our enchantment; Night sweeter than day, O beautiful night of love!
Largo al factotum Make way for the factotum Make way for the city’s servant. Off to the shop soon. It is already dawn. Ah, what a beautiful life, what lovely pleasure For a barber of quality! Ah, worthy Figaro! Worthy, superb! Most fortunate for sure! Ready to do anything, night and day, Always around and about. A better world for a barber, A nobler life, there is none. Razors and combs, lancets and scissors Are all here at my command. There is also resourcefulness, in the trade, With the young lady, with the young man.
Everyone asks for me. Everyone wants me: Women, boys, the elderly, girls. Here this wig; quickly this beard; Here this bleeding, quickly this note; “Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!” etc. Alas, what a fury! Alas, what a crowd! One at a time, for charity’s sake! “Hey, Figaro!” Here I am! Figaro here, Figaro there, Figaro up, Figaro down. Swift, swifter, like lightning I am. I am the city’s servant. Ah, worthy Figaro! Worthy, superb; Fortune will not fail you. I am the city’s servant! – Translation by Robert Glaubitz
ABOUT THE ARTISTS Acclaimed for her sensitive and expressive collaborations, pianist and vocal coach Katie Barr is pleased to join the faculty at Florida State University as a Visiting Instructional Specialist in Vocal Coaching. In May 2025, Barr was chosen as a collaborative piano intern for the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Intern Program. Barr worked previously as a staff pianist at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and as music director and vocal coach with Boston Opera Collaborative. Recent credits include répétiteur for Bay View Music Festival’s Gianni Schicchi and Suor Angelica; A Little Night Music and City of Angels with Lyric Theatre @ Illinois; Die Fledermaus with MassOpera; Hansel und Gretel with Boston Lyric Opera’s Education Programs; Albert Herring, La Clemenza di Tito, Turn of the Screw, Hydrogen Jukebox, Die Lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Alcina, and La traviata with Boston Conservatory Opera. Barr is an accomplished recitalist of art song literature, including Schubert’s Die Winterreise, Copland’s Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson, the complete Canticles of Benjamin Britten, and, most recently, “An Evening with Ricky Ian Gordon,” performing alongside the composer with students from Lyric Theatre @ Illinois. She has spent previous summers on faculty at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Manitoba
Underground Opera, and Vancouver International Song Festival. Barr earned the B.S. in Music Education from Duquesne University and the Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from The Boston Conservatory. She is currently a DMA candidate in Vocal Coaching and Accompanying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Baritone André Chiang has been described as “vocally command (Oregonian), “handsome of voice” (Opera News), and lauded with “let’s hear more from this singer” (Washington Post). Chiang’s recent engagements include Ping (Turandot) with OperaDelaware, Gianni Schicchi (Gianni Schicchi) with Opera Mississippi, Marcello (La bohème) and Captain Corcoran (H.M.S. Pinafore) with Opera Las Vegas, and Wáng Yuè/Nephew/Snakehead (Stuck Elevator) with Knoxville Opera. Previous highlights include Young Galileo/Salviati (Galileo Galilei) and Ford (Falstaff) with Portland Opera; Anthony Hope (Sweeney Todd) with Virginia Opera; Lancelot in the Young Artist Matinee of Camelot at the Glimmerglass Festival; Dandini (La cenerentola) with Dayton Opera; and Escamillo (Carmen) with Mobile Opera. Chiang has also been seen with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Philadelphia, the Atlanta Opera, New Orleans Opera, Portland Opera, Virginia Opera, and other American opera companies. Competition honors include Regional Finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and Winner of the 59th National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) 2017 Biennial Young Artist Award and the 45th National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards Competition (NATSAA). His Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall debut came as the Baritone soloist in the World Premiere of Martin Palmeri’s Gran Misa. Chiang has also been seen in concert with the Louisiana Philharmonic, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Rapides Symphony, and Missouri Symphony in recent seasons singing the solos in Handel’s Messiah, Orff ’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem, and many others. As an educator, Chiang was a 2018 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Intern, designated a 2019 “National Center for Voice and Speech trained Vocologist”, featured at the 2020, 2022, and 2024 NATS National Conference, and a part of the first cohort of Pan American Vocology Association – Recognized Vocologists (PAVA-RV) in 2022. He also attended the CCM Institute at Shenandoah Conservatory focusing on contemporary vocal techniques. His research has been seen at national and international conferences for the National Opera Association (NOA), NATS, PAVA, and College Music Society (CMS). Chiang is an Assistant Professor of Voice at Florida State University, an Instructor of Voice at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, and maintains a private online and in-person studio teaching acoustic and amplified styles. He was formerly an Assistant Professor of Voice at Emory University, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as Oklahoma State University; and he is a frequent contributor to Classical Singer magazine. His debut art song album, Choice Pages: Songs by Sterrs-Howard, Thompson, Malhotra, and Trần, released in
August 2024, on Spotify | Apple Music, and he can be heard on the commercial recording of Philip Glass’ Galileo Galilei. Alisa Hauser holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Masters in Voice Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College/Rider University. Teaching experience includes positions at Michigan State University and Westfield State University as well as being on the voice faculty of the Brattleboro Music Center and Music Theatre of Connecticut. She holds a Level 3 certificate in Somatic Voicework – The LoVetri Method™ and teaches a functional approach to voice training specializing in contemporary commercial music. As a performer, Alisa appeared on Broadway in the original cast of Thoroughly Modern Millie (Alice), Grease! (Frenchy), and in the original cast of Disney’s Beauty and The Beast (Silly Girl). Some of her favorite regional and stock roles include Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street at Theatre-By-The-Sea, Judy in A Chorus Line at Stages St. Louis, and Her/Barb in Romance/ Romance at the Fulton Opera House. Other theatre credits include shows at Paper Mill Playhouse, Seven Angels Theatre, Music Theatre Wichita, and the Goodspeed Opera House. In 2014 Hauser was nominated for a national primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for the song “No Trouble” from A Christmas Carol – The Concert (PBS). With music by Bob Christianson, she wrote the book adaptation and lyrics for this symphonic retelling of the Dickens classic. Also for television she has written lyrics with composer Stephen Sislen, for the Disney Channel’s Johnny And The Sprites. For the theatre she has collaborated with award winning composers including David Mallamud, Philip Palmer, and Sam Davis. Her cabaret songs have been heard in various venues around the country including the Kennedy Center, Ars Nova, and Joe’s Pub. She is a proud member of Actors Equity Association, SAG-AFTRA, and The Dramatists Guild. Tiffany Renée Jackson is an internationally recognized singer, vocal pedagogue, scholar, composer, and interdisciplinary artist whose career spans opera, symphonic performance, jazz, arts entrepreneurship, and higher education. A native of New Haven, Connecticut, she has appeared on major stages throughout the United States and Europe, earning distinction as a versatile performer, innovative educator, and arts administrator. Jackson holds degrees from the University of Michigan, Yale School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and the University of Connecticut, where she earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree. She began her professional
opera career as a member of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, where she performed roles including the Countess in Le Nozze di Figaro, Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann, Mercédès in Carmen, the Priestess in Aida, Annina in La Traviata, the Sandman in Maurice Sandek’s Hansel and Gretel, and La Speranza in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo. During this period, she also debuted the role of Marmee in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, one of the most frequently performed American operas of its generation. She worked extensively with the late director Edward Berkeley, whose mentorship helped shape her early artistic development. Her professional operatic debut was Eurydice in Darius Milhaud’s Les Malheurs d’Orphée (The Misfortunes of Orpheus), and at the Aspen Opera Theater Festival she performed two of Mozart’s most compelling heroines, Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. Her concert career has brought collaborations with distinguished conductors and musicians including Christoph Eschenbach, Patrick Summers, Chelsea Tipton II, and Roger Vignoles. Performing Haydn’s Paukenmesse in Carnegie Hall, she appeared as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”) with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 marked her New York debut at Town Hall, in addition to Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, and Verdi’s Requiem. She has performed with the National Philharmonic, Aspen Symphony Orchestra, and the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and Choir, touring extensively throughout Europe, including appearances in Lithuania, Macedonia, Slovenia, Germany, Norway, and other countries across the region. A recipient of a Metropolitan Opera Study Grant, Jackson made her European recital debut with the Bath Festival Trust, performing Russian art songs and African American song literature with renowned pianist Roger Vignoles. She has also appeared at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Aspen Opera Theater Festival, and Tanglewood Music Festival. Jackson’s artistry has also reached national and international audiences through media and cultural diplomacy. In 2003, she traveled to South Africa with The Oprah Winfrey Show, performing for students at a Zulu school in Carisbrook and participating in a transformative cultural exchange that included meetings with Oprah Winfrey and the late President Nelson Mandela. In 2011, she gained national recognition as the “opera-singing bodybuilder” on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, where her performances of Schubert’s Ave Maria and Bizet’s Habanera introduced classical singing to millions of young viewers and reflected her longstanding commitment to expanding perceptions of what an opera singer can be. While firmly rooted in the classical tradition, Jackson’s artistic work increasingly explores the intersections of jazz, spirituals, and contemporary performance. An Ellingtonian at heart, she is a passionate interpreter of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, with particular interest in Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, the jazz ballad tradition, and the rich connections between French Impressionism and jazz. Her recordings, including A Balm in Gilead and Sweet Perfume in an Alabaster Jar, reflect her commitment to genre-crossing artistic expression and collaboration.
As a composer and arranger, Jackson continues to create work that bridges traditions while speaking to contemporary audiences. Her arrangement of Elijah Rock, published by Alfred Music, has sold more than 10,000 copies and is performed by choirs nationwide. She is also the creator of Rising of the Necessary Diva, an autobiographical multimedia work that integrates opera, jazz, storytelling, and social commentary. An accomplished teacher and mentor, Jackson has worked with singers from diverse musical, cultural, and stylistic backgrounds, helping students develop technical excellence, artistic versatility, and entrepreneurial skills. She is a frequent presenter on branding, entrepreneurship, and portfolio careers for emerging artists and is widely recognized for preparing students to navigate the evolving landscape of the performing arts. Jackson is the Founder, Program Director, and Artistic Director of The Paris Performance Experience, an innovative two-week international performing arts intensive designed for emerging artists seeking a global and multidisciplinary perspective on artistic careers. Unlike traditional European study programs, The Paris Performance Experience emphasizes sustained mentorship, meaningful artist engagement, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Participants work closely with distinguished faculty and guest artists—including 2022 Guggenheim Recipient Guthrie Ramsey and Grammy-nominated recording artist Avery Wilson—while developing professional networks that extend well beyond the residency itself. Jackson brings to Florida State University a uniquely broad artistic perspective shaped by international performance, creative scholarship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a lifelong commitment to the transformative power of singing. Baritone Evan Thomas Jones has established a reputation of excellence in both performing and teaching. Jones enjoys a diverse performing career in concert, opera, and musical theatre. He has performed with the Tanglewood Music Festival, Ravinia Festival, Opera Memphis, Opera Naples, Berkshire Opera Company, Compañía Lírica Nacional de Costa Rica, the Rochester and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestras, and the Memphis and Helena Symphonies. An active performer of new works, he was the soloist on the premiere recording of Randol Bass’ Passage Into Spirit, and for the premiere performance and Naxos label recording of Dohnányi’s Orchesterlieder with the FSU Symphony Orchestra. In 2014, Jones won an “Emerging Leader” award from the National Association of Teachers of Singing as one of the nation’s most promising young teachers. His current and former students have won awards at competitions such as the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and have performed in major opera houses, on national equity tours and Broadway, and in television and film.
A proud FSU alum, Jones previously served on the voice faculty of the University of Memphis. He received his Doctorate from the Eastman School of Music, where he was rewarded for excellence in both performing and teaching by winning first place in the Friends of Eastman Opera Competition and as the first recipient of the William McIver Memorial Award in teaching. He previously served as a district director for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and is a member of NATS, NAfME, and ACDA. Award-winning soprano Marcía Porter made her New York solo recital debut in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2005. An active recitalist, the soprano has performed in numerous venues throughout the United States, Italy, Brazil, and the Czech Republic. Porter has sung at such prestigious international festivals as the Prague Proms, Piccolo Spoleto Festival, the Ravinia Festival, and the Ameropa International Chamber Music Festival. She has performed with such national and international organizations as the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, Beijing International Symphony Orchestra (Beijing, China) and the Camerata Filarmonica Bohemia (Prague, Czech Republic). Porter has also performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Chautauqua Opera, Dayton Opera, and Chicago Opera Theatre. Porter’s discography includes the 2011 world premier recording of Requiem für Mozart, works for soprano and orchestra by Antonio Rosetti, which was released by the German record label Ars Produktion, and the 2013 recording, Open Thine Heart, a recording of contemporary American vocal works released by Albany Records. A Fulbright Scholar and Rotary International Cultural Ambassadorial Scholar, Porter has won several other awards and honors including the 2004 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Artist Award Competition, the NATS Intern program, finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Central Regional Competition, Jessye Norman Graduate Fellowship in Voice, Opera Carolina Young Artist Recital Program Award, and the Farwell Award. In 2011-2012 Porter was a Fulbright Scholar to Brazil. Her research was entitled “Bridging boundaries through musical collaboration and cultural exchange: a lecture and recital series of contemporary classical Brazilian and African American vocal literature.” During her residency at the Universidade de São Paulo, she presented numerous recitals, lectures and masterclasses in cities throughout Brazil including São Paulo, Campinas, Alphaville, Ribeirão Preto and Brasilia. Porter is a Professor of Voice at the Florida State University College of Music. She is a much sought after clinician and has presented masterclasses throughout the mid-western and southeastern US. She has served on the faculty of Ameropa International Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic and as a visiting Professor of Voice at Universidade de São Paulo. Porter, a graduate of the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in voice performance from Northwestern University and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in performance from The University of Michigan, where she
studied with world-renowned Metropolitan Opera singer Shirley Verrett. Previous teachers include Margaret Harshaw, Carmen Mehta, and Kathleen Kaun. M. Todd Queen serves as Dean of the College of Music at Florida State University, an appointment he has held since January 2021. Queen previously served as Dean and Penniman Family Professor of Music at the LSU College of Music & Dramatic Arts (CMDA), a position he held from 2014 – 2021. In his first year at FSU, Queen led representative faculty, staff, students, and community members in a strategic visioning exercise that resulted in an identification of the College’s core values and strategic focus areas for the future. As a result of the new Strategic Vision, the College announced the establishment of the Ruth and Les Akers Endowed Chair in Community Music and the faculty are developing curriculum for a new BA in Community Music. Queen has also overseen several major renovation projects in the College, including the Florence Ashby and Laird Anderson Mezzanine, a new Office of Student Success, renovations to the 4th floor practice rooms in Kuersteiner Music Building, new seating in Opperman Music Hall, and the Dorothy Flory Holroyd Rehearsal Room. Queen is recognized as a national thought leader on modernizing curriculum to meet the needs of the 21st century artist, having given multiple invited presentations at NASM and CMS over the last decade. Those national conversations resulted in curricular reform both at LSU and at Colorado State University, where he served as voice professor and Director of Opera since 2001 and Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance from 2009-2014. In 2012, Queen was the catalyst for the formation of the LEAP (Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Arts Advocacy and the Public) Institute for the Arts at Colorado State, an interdisciplinary academic unit that houses both an undergraduate minor and graduate program in Arts Leadership and Administration. A passionate fundraiser, Queen works closely with donors who believe in investing in the arts to help students and faculty achieve their maximum potential. At LSU, Queen developed and led the CMDA in a comprehensive fundraising campaign, which included a $4M opera naming gift in 2018, the largest gift in the college’s history. Additional significant gifts at LSU included two new endowed chairs, the lead gift for a recital hall renovation, and multiple new endowed scholarships. During his time at CSU, Queen established ten new endowed scholarships for the department and endowed the Charles and Reta Ralph Opera Center at CSU. Queen works regularly with Academic Impressions, a professional development firm for higher education, where he developed an interactive video curriculum “Fundraising for Department Chairs” and has participated in webinars for deans looking to further develop fundraising skills.
Queen earned the DMA and MM degrees from the Eastman School of Music after completing his undergraduate degree at Brigham Young University. Queen served as Artistic Director of Opera Fort Collins from 2004-2011. Under his leadership, the company tripled the number of season productions, significantly increased fundraising efforts, and brought in high-level artists from around the world to sing in Fort Collins. Queen is also a strong advocate for international study and has traveled to Asia on multiple occasions to forge a partnership with East China Normal University in Shanghai, where he was named Visiting Professor. He has spent over a dozen summers in Italy, working with Opera Orvieto and Operafestival di Roma, where he served as Executive Director. Throughout his professional career, Queen has produced and directed more than 60 opera and musical theatre productions. His performing career included faculty and guest recitals, master classes, and solo engagements with international and regional opera companies, orchestras, choruses, and concert series. Dynamic pianist Natalie Sherer thrives in collaboration with singers and instrumentalists alike. She began her role as Assistant Professor of Vocal Coaching & Collaborative Artist at Florida State University in 2022. Sherer made her Carnegie Hall debut as a performer in SongStudio 2024. Sherer was a performer for CollabFest 2023, the annual conference for the International Keyboard Collaborative Arts Society (IKCAS), and in 2022, Sherer was a Brown Loranger Fellow at SongFest and an emerging artist in Sparks & Wiry Cries’ NYC SongSLAM Festival. After joining the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) 2020 Intern Program, she performed in multiple presentations at the NATS 2022 National Conference. She recently premiered “Sorrow & Ecstasy: The Complete Songs of Henri Duparc,” a semi-staged musical narrative following four characters’ journeys of love and lament. Sherer hosts the CollabPiano Podcast which celebrates art song and the collaboration between pianists and singers. Season two was supported by FSU’s First Year Assistant Professor Grant. A frequent recitalist, she has recently performed in events and master classes taught by Graham Johnson, Jake Heggie, Nicholas Phan, and Thomas Hampson. In 2019, Sherer performed at the Prague Summer Nights Festival and was a Vocal Chamber Music Fellow for the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC). Sherer earned a DMA in Collaborative Piano, studying with renowned pianist Martin Katz, from the University of Michigan, and completed BM and MM degrees in Piano Performance through studies at Manhattan School of Music, Wheaton College, and Roosevelt University.
HELLFIGHTERS & HERITAGE Yaniv Dinur, Conductor Zlatomir Fung, Cello
SIMON
Hellfighters’ Blues
DVOŘÁK
Cello Concerto in B Minor
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 RUBY DIAMOND TICKETS: TALLAHASSEESYMPHONY.ORG
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UNIVERSITY MUSICAL ASSOCIATES 2026-2027 Dean’s Circle Les and Ruth Ruggles Akers Dr. Pamela T. Brannon Richard Dusenbury and Kathi Jaschke Albert and Darlene Oosterhof
Bob Parker Paula and Bill Smith Margaret Van Every
Gold Circle Joyce Andrews Drs. Charles and Sharon Aronovitch Louie and Avon Doll Patrick and Kathy Dunnigan Ron Erichson/Beth Frederick Kevin and Suzanne Fenton Wallace W. Floyd Ken Hays Andrew and Karen Hoyt Jayme and Tom Ice Alexander and Dawn Jiménez
Howard Kessler and Anne Van Meter Jim Lee William and Susan Leseman Bob and Linda Lovins Mary Anne Price Todd and Kelin Queen Jim and Betty Ann Rodgers Karen and Francis C. Skilling Stan Whaley and Brenda McCarthy Bret Whissel Sustainer
Kathryn M. Beggs Karen Bradley Steve and Pat Brock Suzi and Scott Brock Brian Causseaux and David Young Bonnie and Pete Chamlis Glenn and Mary Cole Carol J. Cooper Sandy Dafoe Floyd Deterding and Kelley Lang Diane and Jack Dowling Aaron and Caroline Ellis Joy and James Frank William Fredrickson and Suzanne Rita Byrnes Edi Gay Michael and Marsha Hartline Melanie Hines and Dudley Witney
Dottie and Jon Hinkle Todd S. Hinkle The Jelks Family Foundation, Inc. Emory and Dorothy Johnson Gregory and Margo Jones Dennis G. King, Esq. Annelise Leysieffer Robert and Patty McDonald Tom and Kathleen Moore Walter and Marian Moore Joel and Diana Padgett Ann W. Parramore Almena and Brooks Pettit David and Joanne Rasmussen Mark and Carrie Renwick Ann and Michael Riley Lawrence and Lisa Rubin Scott and Andrea Smith
Sustainer cont’d Greg Springer and Jonathan Jackson Dr. James and Ruth Anne Stevens Richard Stevens and Ron Smith Ma’Su and William Sweeney
Martin Kavka and Tip Tomberlin Steve Moore Watkins and Karen S. Brown David and Jane Watson Kathy D. Wright Patron
Mary S. Bert Debra Billard Marcia and Carl Bjerregaard Larry and Sara Bourdeau Malcolm A. Craig Rochelle Davis William H. Davis Larry Deeb Geoffrey Deibel Pamala J. Doffek Judith Flanigan John S. and Linda H. Fleming Ruth Godfrey-Sigler Sue Graham Jerry and Bobbi Hill Madeleine Hirsiger-Carr Sally and Dr. Link Jarrett Judith H. Jolly Judith Page Jolly Arline Kern Blaire K.S. Koerner Elna Kuhlmann
Eric and Francee Laywell Donna Legare James J. Logue Dr. Lynne Y. Lummel Patrick Malone Victoria Martinez Stephen Mattingly Ann and Don Morrow Edward Reid Jill Sandler Scott Scearce Annette Schwabe Jeannette Sickel Judy and Mike Stone George Sweat Anne Swerlick Marjorie Turnbull Ed Valla Sylvia B. Walford Diana Wang Jeff Wright Associate
Patricia C. Applegate Grace Atkins Bonnie Bailey Michael and Megan Bakan Marty Beech John and Sarah Bender Susan Berube Beverley Booth The Boyette Family Hillman and Lin Brannon David and Carol Brittain Michael Buchler and Nancy Rogers
Brian and Judy Buckner Kasia Bugaj and J. Renato Pinto Joe Calhoun Cherie Came Darren and Peyton Cassels Chuan Dr. and Mr. Clevenger Sarah Hess Cohen Linda D. Davey David and Julie Detweiler Daniel and Katie Elliott Sarah Eyerly
Associate cont’d GRC ARCHITECTS Gene and Deborah Glotzbach Donna Heald Carla Connors and Timothy Hoekman Matt and Holly Hohmeister Jane A. Hudson Louise B. Jones William E. and Dee Jones Felecia Jordan Jackson Steve Kelly John Mac Kilgore Paige McKay Kubik Keith and Mary Ledford Jane LeGette Eric Lewis Charlotte Malone Arunima Mandal Patricia Martin Jeanmarie Perri Morton
Lealand and Kathleen McCharen Landon and Amber O’Connell Dr. Jeanne O’Kon Drs. L. O’Neil and S. Alston Thomas Parrish Becky Parsons Michelle Peaceman Jeff Poole Maria Rodas Sanford A. Safron Kim and Randy Shively Sue Sokoll Sudarat Songsiridej and Mary Schaad Susan P. Stephens Anne Stevenson Fernando Roberto Teson C. Richard and Phrieda L. Tuten Janie W. Weis Karen Wensing
Lifetime Members Willa Almlof Florence Helen Ashby Mrs. Reubin Askew Tom and Cathy Bishop Nancy Bivins Ramona D. Bowman André and Eleanor Connan Russell and Janis Courson J.W. Richard Davis Ginny Densmore Carole Fiore Patricia J. Flowers Hilda Hunter Julio Jiménez Kirby W. and Margaret-Ray Kemper Patsy Kickliter
Anthony M. Komlyn Fred Kreimer Beverly Locke-Ewald Cliff and Mary Madsen Ralph and Sue Mancuso Meredith and Elsa L. McKinney Ermine M. Owenby Mike and Judy Pate Laura and Sam Rogers Dr. Louis St. Petery Sharon Stone Donna C. Tharpe Brig. Gen. and Mrs. William B. Webb Rick and Joan West John L. and Linda M. Williams
Corporate Sponsors Beethoven & Company Business Sponsors WFSU Public Broadcast Center
The University Musical Associates is the community support organization for the FSU College of Music. The primary purposes of the group are to develop audiences for College of Music performances, to assist outstanding students in enriching their musical education and careers, and to support quality education and cultural activities for the Tallahassee community. If you would like information about joining the University Musical Associates, please contact Kim Shively, Director of Special Programs, at kshively@fsu.edu or 850-645-5453.
The Florida State University provides accommodations for persons with disabilities. Please notify the College of Music at 850-644-3424 at least five business days prior to a musical event if accommodation for disability or publication in alternative format is needed.