6th OPERA CONCERT
“Giacomo Puccini ”

July 16, 2006
(4:30 p.m. cocktails - 5:00 p.m. concert)

Kathleen Halm - Soprano, Stephanie Sabin - Soprano,
Aleksandr Agamirzov - Tenor, William Nolan - Baritone
Timothy Todd Simmons - Piano

PROGRAM – JULY 16th 2006

This is the sixth concert of the season 2006 organized by Galerie D'Art International. Every third Sunday of each month from February through December 2006.

August 20: Romantic Opera
September 17: Verisimo
October 15: Operetta
November 19: Spanish Opera
December 17: Christmas Gala Concert

Because of limited seating we invite you to reserve tickets ASAP.
Ticket with advanced reservation and payment $12.00 at the door $15.00
2006 Season Tickets Series of 6 concerts $90.00
For information please call (858) 793-0316- Fax (858) 793-241
E-mail: galartint@abcglobal.net

Kathleen Halm - Soprano
Soprano Kathleen Halm has an extensive repertoire including the title roles in Tosca, Manon Lescaut, Madama Butterfly, Aïda, Anna Bolena and Norma, Mother in Amahl, Desdemona in Verdi's Otello, Leonora's in both
Il Trovatore and La Forza del Destino, Violetta in La Traviata, Gilda in Rigoletto, Contessa in Le Nozze di Figaro, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, and Fiordiligi in Così Fan Tutte. Starting her career in musical theatre, she performed many roles including the title role of Evita, Christine in Phantom of the Opera, and both Eponine and Fantine in Les Miserables. Most recently she added the roles of Princess Ida and Anna in The King and I, both with Lyric Opera San Diego. Also an avid concert artist, Ms. Halm has performed the solo roles in Verdi's Requiem, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis, Mendelssohn's St. Paul, Orff's Carmina Burana, Faure's Requiem, Bach's Christmas Oratorio, Rossini's Petite Messa Solenelle, Respighi's Laud to the Nativity, and Vivaldi's Gloria and Magnificat. Her education includes theater, voice, piano, dance and acting. She has been awarded 1st place in 2000, 1998, and 1997 at the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions San Diego District. Her reviews include: “Kathleen Halm has a beautiful voice with a range and intensity that expands as the role demanded. She uses her vocal instruments to its best ability and accompanied the huge sound with believable, powerful actions. ‘Wow!' was heard throughout the room.” (Wellington Town-Crier) Upcoming events for Ms. Halm include opening the 2006 International Summer Organ Festival, the role of Magda in Lyric Opera San Diego's 2007 production of La Rondine, Norma with South Florida Opera in 2007 and a guest recital with the 2007 Ventura Music Festival.

Stephanie Sabin - Soprano
Stephanie Sabin, soprano, is excited to return to the Gallerie d'Art International concert series! Additionally, she is pleased with her award of Second Place in the Soprano division in the California Opera Association's Vocal Competition this past December. She has enjoyed singing roles such as Micaela and Frasquita in Bizet's Carmen and Paquette in Bernstein's Candide, as well as Laurie, (The Tender Land), Shandel, (Fiddler on the Roof), Lo-Tsen, (Lost Horizons), Euridice, (Orfeo ed Euridice), and Ida (Die Fledermaus). Other engagements have included Bach's Coffee Cantata with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, and A Night at the Opera with the Inland Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Sabin has been Soprano Soloist for Vivaldi's Gloria, Bach's Magnificat, Ralph Vaughn Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem, Mozart's Exultate, jubilate and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Brahms' Requiem, and Handel's Messiah. Ms. Sabin performs many concerts and recitals in the San Diego area, several with the San Diego Opera, including their 2005 Season announcement where she dazzled listeners with Musetta's “Quando m'en vo” (La Boheme), Adele's
“Mein Herr Marquis” (Die Fledermaus) and Despina's “Una donna a
quindici anni” (Cosi fan tutte).

Aleksandr Agamirzov - Tenor
Tenor Aleksandr Agamirzov has appeared with opera companies throughout the Europe including Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, Finland, Spain, Netherlands and Russia. His operatic performance experience includes roles as Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata, Kanio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, Count Almaviva in Rossini's Barbiere di Sevilija, Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Edgardo in Donizetti Lucia Di Lammermoor, Eric in Wagner's Der Fliengende Hollander, Nemorino in Donizetti L'Elisir D'Amore and Lensky in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. Aleksandr also enjoys concert and oratorio performances. He has appeared as a tenor soloist in Mozart's Mass in C Minor and Requiem with La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, in operatic concert with Small Opera of San Diego, San Diego Lyceum Theater, Santa Barbara Theater, in Orff's Carmina Burana and Beethoven's Letzer Satz der Neunten Simphonie with The State Symphony Orchestra of Lithuania and Spain Symphony and in Verdi's Requiem with Amsterdam Concertgebouw. He received his MA in Vocal Performance and Vocal Pedagogue from Mikhail Glinka's Conservatory of Music In Russia and made his debut as Lensky in Gorky Opera House. Agamirzov was a finalist of 2004 Vocal Competition in The New Jersey Alliance of Performing Artists and a 2nd place winner in International Vocal Competition San Francisco Concerto Orchestra 1998.

William Nolan - Baritone
Baritone William Nolan has sung principal supporting roles with San Diego Opera in Faust, Madame Butterfly, and The Passion of Jonathan Wade, Fidelio, The Merry Widow, and Boris Godunov. He has appeared frequently with Lyric Opera San Diego, Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista, and Christian Community Theatre on Mt. Helix, performing leads in shows such as Kiss Me Kate, Die Fledermaus, Man of La Mancha, South Pacific, Sound of Music, Camelot and 42nd Street. Concert performances include Szymanowski's Stabat Mater and the Faure Requiem with La Jolla Symphony, Elijah with Mira Costa College Orchestra, and Orff's Carmina Burana with Grossmont College Orchestra. He studied voice privately while attending Harvard University and the University of Iowa College of Law. An attorney in private practice in La Mesa, he is cantor and bass soloist at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Pacific Beach, where he works under the direction of his wife Jensine, who is organist, choirmaster and music director.

Timothy Todd Simmons - Pianist
Conductor Timothy Todd Simmons just closed his eighth season as the Chorus Master at San Diego Opera. In 1998, Mr. Simmons was appointed Director of Music at Mission Hills United Church of Christ. He made his debut the Summer of 2003 with PACEM conducting Mozart's Mass in C minor. Mr. Simmons recently conducted Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors, Vivaldi's Gloria and Haydn's Theresienmesse for Music Hills United Church of Christ. Mr. Simmons graduated with honors with his Bachelor of Music degree from Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, where he majored in Vocal Performance and minored in Piano. He also has Master of Music degree from Indiana University, while minoring in Vocal Performance and Opera Coaching. At Indiana University Mr. Simmons also taught for two years as a Music Theory Assistant Instructor and served for one year as an Opera Coach/Rehearsal Pianist for the Indiana University Opera Theatre. He was also very active as a recital accompanist and vocal coach. While maintaining a private coaching studio at IU, Mr. Simmons was a vocal coach and accompanist at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, for two years. He also served as vocal coach and assistant conductor with the Des Moines Metro Opera. Mr. Simmons is a member of Phi Kappa Phi—Honorary Academic Organization; Pi Kappa Lambda—National Music Honor Society; Phi Sigma Iota—International Foreign Language Honor Society; and Alpha Psi Omega--National Dramatic Arts Fraternity.