AT HOME WITH MIA

Thursday, March 11, 2010    6:00 pm

Mia Hall Savage    10 guests    $125

Pacific Youth Choir Director Mia Hall Savage has quite an evening planned for you in her lovely Council Crest home. The dinner will be cooked by the exceptionally talented Cathryn Majeran, with Bill Crane assisting both in the kitchen and on the piano. Angela Niederloh, acclaimed by the New York Times as a "charismatic mezzo soprano," will join Pacific Youth Choir member and soloist Cara Gabrielson in songs and arias with Bill Crane accompanying. Bravo!

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Angela Niederloh has been acclaimed by the New York Times as "a charismatic mezzo soprano." Angela is happy to be back with Portland Opera, where she was last seen as Melibea in Il viaggio a Rheim. A recent participant in the Houston Grand Opera Studio, Ms. Niederloh was last seen as Meg Page in Falstaff, Karolka in Jenufaand, Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Other roles include Flora in La Traviata, Rosette in Manon and Olga in The Merry Widow. Other operatic engagements for the American artist include Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte (San Francisco Opera Center) The Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors (Opera Omaha), Annio in La Clemenza di Tito, Mrs. Slender in Salieri's Falstaff (Wolf Trap Opera). Equally at home on the concert stage, Ms. Niederloh's solo credits include performances with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Camarata Pacifica, Oregon Symphony, Boston Baroque, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Columbia Symphony, Choral Arts Ensemble, and Choral Crossties. An active participant in many of the nation's most respected competitions, Ms. Niederloh was a National Finalist in the 2000 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, winner and audience favorite in the Eleanor Lieber Award Competition, second place in the MacAllister Vocal Competition, second place in the Dallas Opera Guild Vocal Competition and finalist in the McCollum Vocal Competition. Ms. Niederloh is also actively sought after nationally for music clinic workshops for choirs and individuals and currently serves as a faculty member at Portland State University.

Cara Gabrielson is an 18 year old soprano who attends Beaverton High School. She currently studies with Angela Niederloh, and is a member of the Pacific Youth Choir. She has previously studied voice with Mia Hall Savage and piano with Dennis Burbank. Currently, Cara is a national finalist for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts Competition and will go on to compete in Miami. Last year, Cara placed 3rd nationally and 1st regionally at Classical Singer Magazine's High School Voice Competition. For the past two years, she has placed 1st for soprano voice at the Oregon State Solo/Ensemble Competition and has been a three time winner at the district level. Recently, she's performed in the Rising Stars! Performance Series with Carol Rich, with the Oregon Symphony as a MetroArts Young Artist Winner, and was a featured soloist with the Beaverton Chamber Symphony and Trinity Episcopal Music. This past summer she sang Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte at Interlochen Arts Camp. Upcoming engagements include the First Fairy in Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream with the Oregon Ballet Theatre, and the soprano soloist for Poulenc's Gloria with Portland Youth Philharmonic and Pacific Youth Choir.

With more than 20 years of choral education experience, Mia Savage is known for her excellence in choral artistry, along with her enthusiasm and passion for conducting young people. She has received numerous recognitions from national and international conductors for her work with youth choirs. Before founding the Pacific Youth Choir, Mia was director of the Oregon Repertory Singers Youth Choirs, gaining regional and national recognition. She led a highly successful youth choir program at First Presbyterian Church, as well as having taught all levels at Oregon Episcopal School. In addition to being Artistic Director of Pacific Youth Choir, Mia directs the Coventry Singers at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, has an active voice studio, and is a popular adjudicator and clinician.