Full Program - George Mason University School of Music

MEEt thE DIRECtORS
A renowned American tenor, John Aler is one of the most acclaimed and admired singers
on the international stage. A consummate artist, he has been a frequent performer
with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland and Philadelphia
Orchestras, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the symphony orchestras of Boston, Chicago
and San Francisco. He has sung in Europe with the Berlin Philharmonic, Leipzig
Gewandhaus, Orchestre Nationale de France, and the BBC Symphony, among many
others, appearing with the world’s most respected conductors, including James Conlon,
Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, Kurt Masur, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Simon Rattle,
Michael Tilson Thomas, Herbert Blomstedt, and Leonard Slatkin, to name a few. He has
performed at the major opera houses of the world, including the Royal Opera Covent
Garden, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Salzburg, Hamburg, Geneva, Madrid,
and Brussels, as well as the New York City Opera, the Washington Opera, and Santa Fe.
He is a regular performer at the major American summer festivals, including Ravinia,
Aspen, Chautauqua, Newport, and Grant Park.
Mr. Aler has an extensive concert repertoire and is featured on three Grammy
Award-winning recordings: in the role of Jupiter in an all-star recording of Handel’s
Semele with John Nelson and the English chamber Orchestra for DGG, which won
“Best Opera Recording;” Bartok’s Cantata Profana with Pierre Boulez and the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra, also on DGG, which won “Best Classical Album;” and the Berlioz
Requiem with the Atlanta Symphony on Telarc, which won for “Best Vocal Soloist.”
A native of Baltimore, John Aler is an alumnus of the Catholic University in
Washington, DC and the Juilliard School.
Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano and music educator, PAtriciA Miller, is a
graduate of Boston University, the New England Conservatory, and as a Fulbright
Scholar, received her Artists’ Diploma in Performance from the Accademia di Santa
cecilia in Rome. Ms. Miller has also completed advanced vocal studies at the International
Schubert Institute in Baden-bei-Wein, Austria and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg.
Ms. Miller has appeared with leading opera companies and orchestras, and in concert
and recitals, throughout Europe, North and South America, Canada, Australia, Russia
and Japan. Highlights from her extensive performance career include concert performances
at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the title role of
Carmen with the New York City Opera. Miller is also a highly respected Voice teacher
and master class clinician. She has served as professor on the faculties of the University
of Missouri, Oberlin Conservatory and George Mason University. She is the recipeint
of numerous awards, including the Soujourner Truth Award from African-American
Studies and Women’s Studies at George Mason University, Who’s Who among American
Teachers, the Teacher of the year Award from the Northern Virginia Opera Guild
(2010) and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Lambda Sigma Honor Society
(2011). Miller has been a guest artist teacher at conservatories, universities and international
music festivals in Italy, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France and Korea. She has
been invited to Leipzig, Germany and Beijing, China as a visiting guest professor in
2012. Professor Miller was awarded the title of “University Professor” by the Board of
Visitors, the highest rank given to faculty members at George Mason University.
MAureen codelkA, Opera Stage Director, is a former Associate Professor in the B.T.
Rome School of Music at the Catholic University of America and founder and former director
of the Music Theatre program. She also served as director of the CUA Singers and
musical director/conductor of most musicals presented at the University and many of