Penn Square Opera's 2024-2025 Season

Voices in Sacred Song

Sunday, May 19, 2024 - 4pm
First United Methodist Church
29 East Walnut St., Lancaster, PA

*The concert is free to the public. A freewill offering will be taken

Voices in Sacred Song

Come hear talented local singers present traditional timeless church music to create a captivating and uplifting atmosphere. You may even hear your favorite hymn! The concert is free to the public. A freewill offering will be taken.

Cast

Erin
Biles

Erin Biles

B.S. Music Education and B.A. Vocal Performance, Lebanon Valley College. M.M.Ed. Music Education and Vocal Performance, West Chester University. Erin has been the choral director and music teacher at Solanco High School for 13 years where she has directed theater, currently coaches students in the PMEA festival circuit and co-advises the International Thespian Society Troupe #1004. Erin has performed with several local theater companies and is a soloist, choir member and a vocalist in the worship band Ahava at Mellingers Lutheran Church in Denver, PA.

Bio

Jonathan 
Walker-VanKuren

Jonathan Walker-VanKuren

African American tenor and educator, Jonathan Walker-VanKuren has dedicated himself to delivering the highest level of musicianship and storytelling on and off the operatic stage performing works of jazz, musical theatre, art song, and opera. Mr. Walker-VanKuren is an avid recitalist focusing on delivering African American Spirituals and promoting their inclusion in the classical music repertoire. Mr. Walker-VanKuren is currently an Assistant Professor of Voice and Artist Teacher of Studio Voice and Music Theatre at Lebanon Valley College. Students who have studied with Mr. Walker-VanKuren have gone on to graduate programs in voice pedagogy/ performance, the music education field, and performance working in community theatre, regional opera, Broadway National tours, etc.).

Bio

Mark
Naimoli

Mark Naimoli

Mark Naimoli directs all the choral music ensembles at Lebanon High School, including the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, and Show Choir. In addition, he directs the LHS Spring Musical. Mark is also the co-chair of the K-12 music department in the Lebanon School District, where he is in his 14th year. Mark holds a B.S. in Music Education as well as a B.S. in Elementary Education from Lebanon Valley College, where he studied under Dr. Mark Mecham, as well as an M.M. in Choral Conducting from West Chester University studying under Dr. David P. DeVenney. Mark currently studies voice at LVC with Jonathan Walker-VanKuren. A graduate of Lancaster Catholic High School where he studied with Penn Square Opera’s own Scott Drackley, Mark currently resides in East Petersburg with his wife Katy and their dogs JoJo and Harper. 

Bio

Kristin
Sims

Kristin Sims

Kristin Sims has appeared as a soloist with orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States. Ms. Sims received her B.M. and M.M. in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Ms. Sims has sung leading operatic roles with Opera Lancaster, the Harrisburg Symphony, Bel Canto Lyric Opera and Trinity Opera Theatre. Kristin appeared as Mimi in Opera Lancaster’s performance of La Bohème and Nedda in Pagliacci, Rosina in The Barber of Seville in Philadelphia and as Sister Constance in The Dialogues of the Carmelites in Cincinnati. Kristin made her European debut in the world premiere of Three Thoughts, for soprano, clarinet, and piano. Ms. Sims appeared with Allegro Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mahler’s 2nd Symphony. Ms. Sims performed as the soprano soloist with the Franklin & Marshall Chorale and Lancaster Symphony Chorus in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Mozart Requiem, the premiere of John Carbon’s Soldiers of Remembrance, Horatio Parker’s Hora Novissima, and Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo. Kristin is a professor of vocal studies at The Tell School of Music at Millersville University, where she teaches voice and directs opera and musical theatre productions.

Bio

John
Darrenkamp

John Darrenkamp

John Darrenkamp started his long career as soprano soloist in a boys choir at age 13. After serving three years in the Marine Corps, John returned to his home in Lancaster where he joined the Lancaster Opera Workshop and sang with them for nine years. He was accepted into the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and after completing four years of study, was signed by the New York City Opera Company and sang with them for seven years. John joined the Metropolitan Opera Company in 1980 where he sang nearly 500 performances over a 22-year career. He was heard in many broadcasts and several “Live From the Met” telecasts. John was an adjunct professor at both York College in Pennsylvania and Vassar College in New York. He received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Mercy College in New York. He also taught in Lancaster at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music. When affiliated with Opera Lancaster, John performed and directed in numerous operas and concerts, He currently enjoys singing for local churches and the annual Lemonade Concert series.

Bio

Matthew A.
Robinson

Matthew A. Robinson

Baritone Matthew A. Robinson has established himself as one of the most talented singers in the Greater Central Pennsylvania region. With his rich voice, musicality, and commanding presence, he has become one of the most sought after vocalists in the region in opera, operetta, oratorio, musical theater, and as a recitalist. Mr. Robinson has extensive performance credits and recognition as a musical theater actor. In demand as an oratorio soloist. As a recitalist, Matthew has both coordinated and performed in recital throughout Central Pennsylvania. Alongside collaborative pianist Daniel L. Dorty, they will be joined in recital with tenor Christyan Seay and soprano Nina Cline this summer 2024 in Carlisle, PA, Hershey, PA, and Harrisburg, PA. Mr. Robinson consistently contributes to the enhancement of worship at local churches weekly throughout the area. He attended Boiling Springs High School in Boiling Springs, PA and Messiah University in Grantham, PA, extensively studying vocal performance under Dr. Damian Savarino.

Bio

Kendra
Bigley

Kendra Bigley

Kendra Bigley is a versatile collaborative artist and respected pedagogue. She earned a BMus in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music and an MMus in Collaborative Piano/Vocal Coaching from Temple University. Through her assistantship with Temple Opera, Ms. Bigley collaborated with Joseph Mechavic, Michael Sakir, and Ben Robinson; opera coaching was under the tutelage of Christopher Turbessi; and collaborative recitals were coached by Lambert Orkis.
Ms. Bigley has built a career as a collaborative pianist at the Trust Performing Arts Center performing with such artists as Amy Owens, Doris Hall-Gulati, Christopher Dylan Herbert, Samantha Hankey, Jennifer Aylmer, Thomas Meglioranza, Timothy Long, and Christopher Shih.
Ms. Bigley has also enjoyed working as a music director, conductor, vocal coach, and accompanist at The Fulton Theatre, Prima Theatre, Opera Lancaster, Florida International University, Servant Stage Company, The Ransom Everglades School, Temple Opera, Boyer College of Music and Dance, and Lancaster Bible College, where she is on faculty. Her favorite shows as music-director/conductor include “Cinderella”, “Working”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown”, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”, “Little Women”, “My Fair Lady”, “The Music Man”, and “Titanic: the musical”, for which she won the Regional Broadway Music Award for Best Music Director. Ms. Bigley lives in Lancaster City with her conductor/singer/actor husband, Dr. Robert Bigley.

Bio