George Frideric Handel, composer

Born: February 23, 1685 in Halle

Died: April 14, 1759 in London

Education: as a young man, studied organ, theory and composition with the organist of the Lutheran Marienkirche; attended law school at the urging of his father; left after one year to take a position as violinist and harpsichordist at the Hamburg Opera House; two years later his first two operas were premiered there

Change of venue: In 1712 Handel moved to England, where he became a favorite of royalty. The Coronation Anthems he composed for George II’s coronation in 1727 have been performed at every subsequent British coronation.

Prodigious output: 42 operas, 29 oratorios, more than 120 cantatas, trios and duets, numerous arias, chamber music, odes and serenatas, and 16 organ concerti

Most popular works: Messiah, Water Music, Israel in Egypt, Music for the Royal Fireworks

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer

Born: January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria

Died: December 5, 1791, in Vienna

Education: first taught by his father, the controlling and exploitative Leopold Mozart; spent all but four of his first 17 years being paraded about Europe as a child prodigy; studied under Johann Christian Bach, Padre Martini and received occasional advice and critique from Franz Josef Haydn’s younger brother, composer Michael Haydn

Assignments: in the service of the notoriously impious Archbishop of Salzburg on-and-off between 1774 and 1781; received a commission for the opera Idomeneo in 1781 from the Elector of Bavaria; essentially a “freelancer” after 1782 with the exception of occasional commissions

Best known for: a storied, almost legendary compositional technique and output; very likely never wrote out finished, fully developed music from beginning to end, note by note; despite a reputation for being fiscally irresponsible, all debts were settled before his death

Interesting fact: as a youngster in Italy, accomplished an unusual musical feat by writing out, from memory, the nine-voice, 12 minute-long motet Miserere mei Deus after just two hearings of the work

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Deborah Mayhan

Voice part: Soprano

Seasons with the Chorale: 9

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Previous Chorale solos: Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Harmoniemesse and Lord Nelson Mass, Mozart’s Coronation Mass, Louis Andriessen’s City of Dis

Education: Bachelor Degree in voice from California State University, Northridge

Opera performances: Marguerite in Gounod’s Faust with West Bay Opera, Clorinda in Rossini’s La Cenerentola with Opera Santa Barbara, The Voice in Beaumarchais’ The Guilty Mother with Long Beach Opera

Guest appearance as a soloist: Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Julian Kuerti, Santa Rosa Symphony conducted by Jeffrey Kahane, Opera a la Carte, Santa Barbara Choral Society, Pacific Chorale, New West Symphony, Claremont Chorale, Pasadena Pops Orchestra, Los Robles Master Chorale, Cuesta Master Chorale, Mendocino Music Festival

Recordings: As soloist in John Biggs’ A Vocal Bouquet and A Choral Bouquet; her solo voice also appears in Disney Channel’s made-for-TV movie The Proud Family and in the film The Virgin of Juarez

Awards and honors: Metropolitan Opera Western Regional Finalist, Winner of the Los Angeles Artist of the Future Contest, Scholarship Participant at Israel Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv

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Tracy Van Fleet

Voice part: Mezzo Soprano

Seasons with the Chorale: 10

Hometown: San Marino, CA

Previous Chorale solos: Haydn’s Heilig Mass, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Duruflé’s Requiem, Händel’s Messiah, Maestro Dinner

Education: BM and MM in vocal performance, University of Southern California

Opera performances: Carmen in Bizet’s Carmen; Flora in Verdi’s La Traviata, Tisbe in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, Lola in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana, Witch & Mother in Humperdink’s Hänsel und Gretel, Katisha in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado, Ruth in Pirates of Penzance, Buttercup in HMS Pinafore, Duchess in The Gondoliers

Has appeared as a guest artist with: Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, San Diego Opera, Opera Pacific, Pacific Symphony, Opera Colorado, San Diego Symphony,

As a soloist: Naples Philharmonic, Los Angeles Bach Festival, Pasadena Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena Pops Orchestra, USC Symphony & Chorus, USC Contemporary Music Ensemble, Santa Monica Symphony, Santa Barbara Choral Society, Lyric Opera San Diego, Colorado Gilbert & Sullivan Festival, Opera A La Carte, Arapahoe Philharmonic (Colorado)

Recordings: Steve Reich’s You Are (Variations) on Nonesuch; Vignettes: Ellis Island; James Newton’s Mass; Donald Crockett’s The Face

Film/Television credits include: Lady in the Water, Click, For Colored Girls

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Jon Lee Keenan

Voice Part: Tenor

Seasons with Chorale: 3

Hometown: Carson City, NV

Previous Chorale solos: Haydn’s Theresienmesse, Handel’s Messiah, Charpentier’s Messe de minuit pour Noël, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.

Education: BM in Vocal Performance, Music Education, and Jazz Studies from UNLV; MM in Choral Conducting from CSULA (coursework completed); MM in Vocal Arts from USC; currently pursuing a DMA in Vocal Arts at USC

Opera Performances: Antonio and Luzio (cover) in Wagner’s second opera Das Liebesverbot (USC Thornton Opera), Fenton in Falstaff (in Cagli, Italy)), Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia (USC Thornton Opera), Tamino in The Magic Flute with Opera Nova (Santa Monica), Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Camille in The Merry Widow, Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi

Recordings: Featured soloist with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale on Christmas in Santa Fe

Also known as: an accomplished jazz bassist

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Steve Pence

Voice part: Bass

Seasons with Chorale: 6

Hometown: Costa Mesa, CA

Education: BM from Chapman University and two MM degrees from New England Conservatory

Previous Chorale solos: Bach’s Christmas Oratorio; Handel’s Messiah; Haydn’s Creation Mass, Lord Nelson Mass, and Theresienmesse

Opera Performances: Sciarrone in Tosca, Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro, and Nonancourt in Nino Rota’s Il Cappello di Paglia di Firenze

As a soloist: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at UCLA’s Royce Hall with the American Youth Symphony, Britten’s War Requiem with Cypress Masterworks, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast and Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem with the Cuesta Master Chorale, Bach’s B Minor Mass with the Los Angeles Bach Festival, Mozart’s Grand Mass in c-minor with the Orange County Catholic Chorale, Mendelssohn’s Elijah with Lark Society

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