"Opera to Broadway - an American Journey" is the theme for the Ohio Valley Opera Guild's spring concert to be held April 18 at St. Florian Hall, Wintersville.
The choral arrangements are being coordinated by Judith Lynn DeStefano Presents Inc. of New York City and George Melhorn, professor of music at Franciscan University of Steubenville and director of music at Covenant Presbyterian Church.
The evening will begin with a social at 6 p.m. with dinner starting at 6:30 p.m.
DeStefano is the wife of the late Filippo DeStefano, a Follansbee native, who staged and produced "Madama Butterfly" in 2003 and "LaBoheme" in 2004. Judith DeStefano starred and sang in major supporting roles in those productions.
Those events inspired the group of indivuduals who later formed the opera guild.
Although retired from professional singing, the DeStefanos had been teaching and coaching soloists of all ages in the New York area for 10 years. After Filippo's death in 2006, she continues to provide lessons and mentoring for singers advancing their careers in opera.
In addition to arranging the spring program, she will accompany two of her students, Yelka Milanova, soprano, and Harold Brand, baritone.
Milanova is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music at Antofagasta, Chili, where she laso learned classical and modern ballet and Spanish dance. She studied voice with Judith Lynn and at the Israel National Theater and studied privately with the late Giampalo Bracali of the Manhattan School of Music. Her operatic roles include Contessa in "The Marriage of Figaro," Santuzza in "Cavalleria," the lead role in "Suor Angelica," Guiletta in "Les Contes, Leonara in "Fidelio" and "Il Trovatore" and the title role in Puccini's "Tosca" with several New York companies.
She also has sung in opera halls in Europe and South America and has been featured on radio and television in Chile and the United states. She resides in New York with her husband.
Brand has been singing since the age of 10. He and his brother, Gary, the Brand Brothers, sang on radio and on albums of religious music and sang with choirs accompanying New York City cantors before turning to rock music in their teens. Brand formed a band that played throughout Israel during his college years then returned to New York where he formed a rock/jazz group, serving as its oloist and bass guitarist and composing and arranging much of its material.
He began studying vocal training with an emphasis on opera and classic broadway shoe tunes with Filippo DeStefano. He continues his vocal studies with Judith Lynn and is a cantor at a number of New York synagogues.
Judith Lynn has sung for American, European and South American audiences in opera, concert, radio and television and has a repertoire of more than 37 operas.
She has sung roles in opera companies in New York City, Israel, Philadelphia, the Hague, Venezuela and Connecticut.
Her roles have included leading soprano roles in "Lucia di Lammermoor," "La Traviata," "Rigoletto" and "Rigoletto."
Melhorn has served as either pianist, organist or conductor for numerous musical performances in the Washington, D.C., area and the Ohio Valley and is accompanist for Steubenville Public Schools. He has a bachelor's degree in music education from Baldwin Wallace college and a master's degree in education for the American University in Washington, D.C.
Tickets for the concert can be purchased at the Center of Music and Art, (740) 263-3111; any board member, including Kathy Antinone, 317-3826; Barb Wilinski, 282-2161; or Geno Morelli, 264-1299; or obtain a form at the guild Web site, uovog.org and send with payment to UOVOG, PO Box. 1258, Wintersville, OH, 43953.
Tables of eight can designate seating preference. Names of those who will be seated at a designated table should be included.
