10 Annual Concerts to Help At-Risk Children 2007-2017
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Artistic Director/Co-Founder
    • Benefit Chair/Co-Founder
    • Mary Figueroa
    • Why This Camp?
    • Success Stories
  • Our Partners
    • The Church of Saint James the Less (SJtL)
    • Children's Aid Society (CAS)
    • Westchester Reform Temple (WRT)
    • Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS)
  • Our Concerts
    • 10th Annual April 2017
    • 9th Annual April 2016
    • 8th Annual March 2015
    • 7th Annual January 2014
    • 6th Annual March 2013
    • 5th Annual November 2011
    • 4th Annual November 2010
    • 3rd Annual November 2009
    • 2nd Annual November 2008
    • 1st Annual October 2007
  • Guest Artists
    • Silvia Careddu - Vienna Philharmonic
    • Sky Ingram - Royal Opera Covent Garen
    • Ariana Chris - Canadian Opera Company
    • Julianne Gearhart - Seattle Opera
  • Contact

10th Annual Children's Benefit Concert

"Celebrating our 10th with the 9th"
​Beethoven's Iconic Symphony No. 9
Sunday, April 30 6pm ​
SUNY Purchase Recital Hall
​735 Anderson Hill Road Purchase, New York
The Choirs of  
​The Church of St. James the Less, Christ Church Rye,Irvington Presbyterian Church
The Edward Williams School of Mount Vernon
Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church of Mount Vernon

100% of ticket sales will go to send as many children as possible from the WJCS’s Amazing Afternoons Program at the Edward Williams School to CAS Wagon Road Camp in summer 2017.


Soloists

Amy Shoremount-Obra, Soprano

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Amy Shoremount-Obra was recently hailed as “Incredible! Another vocal highlight of the evening. She performed with a tone steeped in longevity, endurance, and agility… This is a voice of true substance.” (Boston Music Intelligencer) She recently made her Metropolitan Opera début as First Lady in Julie Taymor’s acclaimed production of Die Zauberflöte. Since, she returned for productions of Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, Norma, and will return again this season for productions of Nabucco, Die Zauberflöte, and Don Giovanni. Also, this season, she performed a concert tour throughout the Hawaiian Islands with violinist Eric Silberger as part of the inaugural season of the Hawaii International Music Festival, which Ms. Shoremount-Obra herself co-founded.  More information about the festival can be found at www.himusicfestival.com. Ms. Shoremount-Obra will also be performing two roles in Opera America’s New Opera Showcase, a solo performance in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle with the New Choral Society, a performance for the Sherrill Milnes Gala at The Harmonie Club in New York City, a recital for the Wagner Society of New York, and a fundraiser concert for the Hawaii International Music Festival at The Old Church. Ms. Shoremount-Obra will also be filming this season for her first major motion picture début as an opera singer named Norma in Untouchable which is set to be released in 2018.
Following her “electrifying” portrayal of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Venture Opera, she was featured in the Sound Bites article of the May 2016 issue of Opera News. Other recent engagements have included Leonore in Fidelio with Grand Harmonie Orchestra; the role of Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Opera Las Vegas, and the Savannah Voice Festival; the Soprano Soloist in Schubert’s Mass in G Major at Carnegie Hall; the Soprano Soloist in Verdi’s Requiem with National Chorale at Lincoln Center; and a recital with the Savannah Voice Festival. Additional notable roles include Ifigenia in Händel’s Oreste with the Spoleto Festival in Italy; Marchesa in Verdi’s Un giorno di regno with Odyssey Opera of Boston; and a role début as Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte with Annapolis Opera. Ms. Shoremount-Obra collaborated with composer Mikael Karlsson and librettist Elle Kunnos de Voss on the one-woman monodrama The Echo Drift which was written for her and premièred at the house of Sweden in Washington DC in 2014. As a concert artist, Ms. Shoremount-Obra has appeared in Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with the Scarsdale New Choral Society, and as the Soprano Soloist in Fauré's Requiem and Brahms' Requiem, both at Carnegie Hall.
She performed in several prominent venues throughout the world including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, David H. Koch Theater, the Oslo Konserthus and the Oslo National Gallery in Norway, The Tanglewood Institute, and The Sheldon in St. Louis. She has been a featured performer representing The Metropolitan Opera at the Annual Viennese Opera Ball in New York City for seven consecutive years, and has performed with The Met at the 92nd St. Y in a tribute to librettist J.D. McClatchy. She made her début with the New York City Ballet in 2009 performing the role of First Fairy in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Ms. Shoremount-Obra also finds success in the realm of contemporary and new music. Starting with her cover of John Zorn’s La machine de l’être - a one-woman monodrama, with New York City Opera, she has gone on to perform two workshop performances (and world premières) of Grammy Nominated Composer Tarik O’Regan’s monodrama The Wanton Sublime with American Opera Projects. She was also featured in the world première of Paola Prestini’s new opera De Deo in the role of Beattrice with New York City Opera VOX and was a resident artist with American Opera Projects’ “Composer and the Voice” Program, premièring new works all season for a team of up-and-coming composers.
She has been named a National Semi-Finalist and the New York Regional Winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, a Finalist in the George London Competition, a Finalist in the Giulio Gari International Vocal Competition, and a Semi-Finalist in the Competizione dell’Opera in Dresden. Additionally, she was awarded two consecutive career grants from the Metropolitan Opera National Council’s Education fund. 
She is featured on two operatic world-première Recordings on Albany Records: as Jenny on the recording of Robert Ward’s Roman Fever and as Nina in Thomas Pasatieri’s The Seagull. Amy is a native of New Jersey, and currently continues her vocal studies with Diana Soviero. She is a graduate of The Manhattan School of Music and The Juilliard School.

Sahoko Sato Timpone, Mezzo-Soprano

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Mezzo-soprano Sahoko Sato Timpone made her Carnegie Hall debut in Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner and narrated by Christopher Plummer, and has since appeared in opera and concerts throughout North America, Asia and Europe.
Her 2016/17 season includes Zita in Gianni Schicchi and Opera Gala Concert with the Opera Camerata of Washington, concert at the American Musicological Society Conference in Vancouver, appearance in the New York premiere of Carlisle Floyd’s new opera, Prince of Players, with the Little Opera Theatre of New York and revival of critical acclaimed ¡Figaro 90210! as Sun-Yi Nam (Marcellina in Le nozze di Figaro).
During the 2015/2016 season, she made her Off-Broadway debut in ¡Figaro 90210! and as Mercédès in Carmen with PORTOpera.
Her previous engagements in the United States included Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Syracuse Opera, Nevada Opera Theater, New Rochelle Opera and Opera Camerata of Washington, Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with Syracuse Opera and West Virginia Symphony, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte with Baltimore Opera, Miss Todd in The old maid and the thief with Berkshire Opera, Pitti-Sing in Mikado, Maddalena in Rigoletto and Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Chautauqua Opera and Lucretia in The Rape of Lucretia at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. As a concert soloist, she appeared with Seattle Symphony, Oregon Symphony and Chautauqua Symphony, sang in Verdi’s Messa di Requiem with the New York Choral Society and with the New York Symphonic Ensemble she has performed at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the United Nations and Carnegie Hall.
She has often been invited to her native Japan to perform under Seiji Ozawa. She made her debut with Tokyo Opera Nomori in Elektra, performed Cherubino at the Saito Kinen Festival, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with the Seiji Ozawa Ongaku-juku Opera and participated in their China – Japan tour. Other appearances in Japan included guest soloist with Sapporo Symphony and as Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos with Der Verein Japanisch-Deutscher Musikfreunde at the New National Theater in Tokyo. Additionally, Sahoko performed with the Singapore Symphony in Handel’s Messiah and the world premiere of The Other Wise Man by Stefania De Kennessey. She returned to Southeast Asia in 2004 and 2006 to teach masterclasses and to perform solo recitals and Baba in The Medium in Bangkok, Thailand.
A native of Tokyo who grew up in Germany and the United States, Sahoko is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory and received her Doctor of Musical Arts Rutgers University. She is also the recipient of the Nomura Cultural Foundation Grant, the Mary Wolfman Award at the NATS Competition in Boston and the Studio Artist Award from Chautauqua Opera. She will be appointed as the Assistant Professor of Voice at Florida State University in August.

Noah Baetge, Tenor

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​​Tenor Noah Baetge is a frequent artist on the Metropolitan Opera roster and will mark his sixth season with the company. During the 2016–2017 season, he will perform the roles of the High Priest in Idomeneo, First Armored Man in Die Zauberflöte, and Third Jew in Salome. His responsibilities extend to covering the role of Melot in Tristan und Isolde and the title role of Idomeneo. 
In 2017 Mr. Baetge begins a rewarding relationship with Vashon Opera, with whom he is slated to make three role debuts: Cavaradossi in Tosca (spring 2017), Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor (autumn 2017), and the title role of Les contes d'Hoffmann (2018). He makes his debut with the Princeton Festival as Florestan in Fidelio in the summer of 2017, and joins the roster of Dallas Opera in February 2018 to cover the leading tenor role of Wilhelm in Korngold's rarely performed domestic comedy Der Ring des Polykrates. In the spring of 2018, Mr. Baetge makes yet another Puccinian role debut as Calaf in Skagit Opera's production of Turandot.
Highlights of the 2015–2016 season, a particularly brilliant one for Mr. Baetge, include his appearances under the auspices of the Caramoor Music Festival. He joined the Orchestra of St. Luke's and Collegiate Chorale in a performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony for the Festival's 75th opening night and immediately thereafter performed the role of the Chevalier de la Force in Caramoor's production of Dialogues des Carmélites. He went on to perform Walther von der Vogelweide in the Metropolitan Opera's Tannhäuser, his most substantial MET role to date. 
Mr. Baetge has joined the rosters of the Santa Fe Opera as Remendado in Carmen and Florestan in Fidelio, the Opera Orchestra of New York as Arvino in Verdi's I Lombardi alla prima crociata, and recently made his role debut as Manrico in Il trovatore with New Rochelle Opera.
An alumnus of several distinguished young artist residencies, Mr. Baetge has joined the Caramoor Music Festival as the Royal Herald in Don Carlos (1883 four-act version in French), Henri in Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes, and Baldassare in the American premiere of Rossini's early opera Ciro in Babilonia, Pittsburgh Opera as the Male Chorus in The Rape of Lucretia and Remendado in Carmen, Seattle Opera as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, Fenton in Falstaff, and Don José in La tragédie de Carmen, and Music Academy of the West as Rodolfo in La bohème. 
As a concert soloist, Mr. Baetge has performed Bruckner's Te Deum with the Spoleto Festival USA and the St. Cecilia Chorus & Orchestra, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Allentown Symphony and Peninsula Music Festival, and Mozart’s Requiem with Symphoria (Syracuse, NY) and Stamford Symphony. As a frequent soloist for the Verdi Requiem, he has appeared with the Fort Wayne Symphony, Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Monmouth Civic Chorus, Erie Philharmonic, and the St. Cecilia Chorus & Orchestra on the occasion of his Carnegie Hall debut. In the spring of 2017 he reprises Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Canadian Chamber Orchestra of New York City at the Recital Hall of SUNY Purchase under the baton of Justin Bischof.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Baetge earned his Artist Diploma in Opera Studies from the Juilliard School, where he graduated with the Richard F. Gold Career Grant from the Shoshanna Foundation. He earned his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Pacific Lutheran University, where he was awarded the Mary Baker Russell Music Scholarship. A 2009 Grant Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, Mr. Baetge has gained both the first prize and the Upcoming Wagner Singer prize in the Gerda Lissner Foundation Vocal Competition, the Kirsten Flagstad top prize in the George London Foundation Vocal Competition, and prizes from the Liederkranz Foundation, Licia Albanese–Puccini Foundation, and the Loren L. Zachary Foundation.

Hans Tashjian, Bass

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​Hans Tashjian, a young bass described as having "a firm, resonant instrument and a gravid stage presence", has recently appeared as Dr. Grenvil in La traviata and the title role of The Mikado with Chautauqua Opera, Second Prisoner in Fidelio and Second Boyar in The Golden Cockerel with Sarasota Opera, as Sarastro in Die Zauberflöte at Carnegie Hall with Manhattan Opera Studio, and as Biterolf in Tannhäuser with Apotheosis Opera. In the autumn of 2016 Mr. Tashjian joined St. Petersburg Opera (Florida) to cover Ferrando in Il trovatore, and in May 2017 he returns to the company as Luther and Crespel in Les contes d'Hoffmann. During the winter of 2017 Mr. Tashjian returns to Sarasota Opera to perform the Imperial Commissioner in Madama Butterfly and both the 2nd Commissioner and 1st Officer in Dialogues des Carmélites. He will also cover the principal role of Mustafà in the company premiere of L'italiana in Algeri. In December   2016, Mr. Tashjian developed and performed the role of Donald in the New York workshop of The Nefarious, Immoral but Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke & Mr. Hare. This new opera by Mark Campbell and Julian Grant is a collaborative effort between Boston Lyric Opera and Music Theatre Group.
As a Young Artist with the Caramoor Music Festival, Mr. Tashjian performed Gazella in Lucrezia Borgia and the Usciere in Rigoletto. Further operatic credits include the Verdian roles of Banco in Macbeth and Wurm in Luisa Miller, the Strauss roles of Baron Ochs in Chautauqua Music Festival's production of Der Rosenkavalier and Truffaldin in dell'Arte Opera Ensemble's Ariadne auf Naxos, Seneca in L'incoronazione di Poppea, also with dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, Méphistophélès in Faust, Daland in Der fliegende Holländer, and King René in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta.
A frequent concert soloist, Mr. Tashjian has appeared as featured soloist with the Chelsea Symphony, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the Bach Chorus of Pittsburgh, the Bach Music Festival of Canada, the Canadian Chamber Orchestra of NYC, in concert at New York University's La Maison Française, and as basso profondo and soloist with the New Jersey Conservatory's performance of the Rachmaninoff Vespers. In the spring of 2017 he will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 with the Canadian Chamber Orchestra of New York City at the Recital Hall of SUNY Purchase under the baton of Justin Bischof.
Mr. Tashjian is an alumnus of the Manhattan School of Music and Carnegie Mellon University, where he received the Derdeyne Award in Voice. He has fulfilled young artist residencies with Sarasota Opera (where he was awarded the Scheininger-Reznick Scholarship and the 2017 Outstanding Returning Studio Artist Award), Chautauqua Opera, and the Caramoor Music Festival.

Copyright © 2015
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Artistic Director/Co-Founder
    • Benefit Chair/Co-Founder
    • Mary Figueroa
    • Why This Camp?
    • Success Stories
  • Our Partners
    • The Church of Saint James the Less (SJtL)
    • Children's Aid Society (CAS)
    • Westchester Reform Temple (WRT)
    • Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS)
  • Our Concerts
    • 10th Annual April 2017
    • 9th Annual April 2016
    • 8th Annual March 2015
    • 7th Annual January 2014
    • 6th Annual March 2013
    • 5th Annual November 2011
    • 4th Annual November 2010
    • 3rd Annual November 2009
    • 2nd Annual November 2008
    • 1st Annual October 2007
  • Guest Artists
    • Silvia Careddu - Vienna Philharmonic
    • Sky Ingram - Royal Opera Covent Garen
    • Ariana Chris - Canadian Opera Company
    • Julianne Gearhart - Seattle Opera
  • Contact