The Stars of our Orchestra - Orchestra Nova San Diego

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Concerts
Coast-to -coast — then back to
the Midwest — for this soprano
Virginia Sublett grew up in Kansas City,
Kansas, where her love of music was
nurtured by parents who loved classical
music and where, as a teenager, she was
encouraged
by friends and
teachers to
develop her
vocal talent.
Today, she’s back
in the Midwest,
where she is on
the faculty of
North Dakota
State University,
teaching applied
voice, opera
theatre and
voice-related academic subjects. She
is renowned for her warm, expressive
soprano voice and clear diction that
brings the music to life.
But that’s only half the story — she has
spent a great deal of time on the east and
west coasts, performing as a principal
artist with the New York City Opera and
other opera companies across the country
and in Europe. She lived in San Diego
for 24 years and received her graduate
degrees in music from the University
of California, San Diego. This is her fifth
appearance with our orchestra.
His heart is in San Diego
John Polhamus grew up in Pacific
Beach when it was mostly lemon
groves, slowly turning into pavement
— and he still calls Pacific Beach
home. “I am very parochial regarding
San Diego…making music here is
more important to me than making
music anywhere else, even if it means
I’m not making headlines, “ he says.
“My earliest memory of music is my mother’s singing and hearing
Bach played at St. Brigid’s. My dad would hold me on his shoulder
so that I could look backwards at the choir-loft to see the organist.
A scienti c research pro at home on the stage
Katherine Lundeen says, “I always knew that music was
something I couldn’t do without.” Growing up in Colorado with
musical parents, she remembers listening to Messiah sung by
the church choir and thinking, “that’s what I want to do.”
Although majoring in the sciences in college, she was studying
piano when her teacher heard her sing and immediately took
her to a vocal professor. And so Katie became “bi-vocational.”
While she was winning international vocal competitions, she
was publishing scientific papers in prestigious journals. “I’m able to sing enough to satisfy my
soul and at the same time have a career that satisfies the analytical side of my brain,” she says.
She is the alto section leader and soloist with the Village Presbyterian Church in Rancho
Santa Fe, the director of four children’s choirs and co-president of the San Diego Chapter of
the Choristers Guild, which extends musical opportunities to kids in San Diego County.
One song changed his life
Robert MacNeil has been praised by the Los Angeles
Times for possessing a voice that is “clarion and clear.” That
statement is even more poignant when you consider where
he “found his voice.”
He says, “I never sang in my youth, growing up in a small town
in the central valley of California. I was a history major in college
(Chapman University) and had to take a required fine arts class.
I signed up for a class on George Gershwin and at the end of
the semester, each student had to sing one song. I sang my song and the university’s choir
director happened to be at the presentation. He offered me a scholarship on the spot —
he actually matched and surpassed the history department award. The next year, faculty
members suggested that I change majors to voice. Little did I know what would happen.
From there, I went to USC and then to the National Finals of the Metropolitan Opera, to
Carnegie Hall, San Francisco Opera and the Los Angeles Opera.”
MacNeil has performed as a soloist with orchestras and opera companies in Asia,
Australia and Europe in addition to the United States.
Later, one of my favorite music memories occurred when I was
a 20-year-old San Diego Opera chorister and heard Dame Joan
Sutherland sing Verdi’s “Carlo vive” — that’s when I really came to
know what the heroism of the performer was all about.”
John has founded two music organizations during his varied
career, the Tomás Luis de Victoria Choir (first professional
polyphonic vocal ensemble in San Diego) and the Chorus Breviari,
a Gregorian Chant Study and Liturgical Group.
Valerie Scher, Arts and Entertainment Editor at San Diego New
Network (SDNN), recently described his performance of Handel’s
Theodora, “Bass John Polhamus, a native San Diegan, brought
expressive fervor to the role of Valens, the Roman villain.”
Pops at the Center
Fun and engaging concerts at the California Center
for the Arts, Escondido.
Wish Upon A Star: Disney’s Greatest Hits
Jung-Ho Pak, artistic director and conductor
Nicole Werner, soprano
Joey Landwehr, tenor
Caleb Goh, tenor
Francis Parker Children’s Choir
Sunday, September 13, 2009 – 4:00 p.m.
Making music fun is a hallmark of Orchestra Nova, formerly
the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, for the past 26 years…
whether it’s the Classics Series or the Pops Series.
Nowhere is that more evident than the Pops at the Center series,
generously sponsored by Bob and Jean Will.
Toes are guaranteed to tap and concertgoers will have a hard time refraining from singing along
as they experience the “best of the best” from the world of Disney. One supercalifragilistic concert!
From Snow White through Beauty and the Beast, the concert will feature music from the classic
era (Mary Poppins, Pinocchio) through the hits of today (Little Mermaid, Aladdin).
Whether re-living favorite moments or sharing this special concert with favorite young friends,
this is one concert not to be missed!
Martinis and Tikis: Cool Music and Hot Nights
Jung-Ho Pak, artistic director and conductor
Nicole Werner and Dave Scott, vocal stylists
Holly Hofmann, jazz flutist
Elena Rodriguez and partner, award-winning
ballroom dancers
Saturday, April 24, 2010 – 4:00 p.m.
In what promises to be the hippest and most sophisticated evening in the area, Orchestra Nova
will perform the cool and sensuous hits of the 50s and 60s in this Pops concert — unforgettable
gems from Henry Mancini (Moon River, Charade, Pink Panther) and other Hollywood and jazz
favorites, including Frank Sinatra songs and famous Latin bossa nova classics by Jobim.
It will be a cool party — shaken with a twist!
Nicole Werner Joey Landwehr
Caleb Goh
Dave Scott
Elena Rodriguez Holly Hofmann
Tickets available through California Center for the Arts, Escondido
800-988-4253 or www.artcenter.org
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