The Lake Geneva Chapter of the Lyric Opera of Chicago will present “Music From the Heart” at noon Feb. 9 at Geneva National Golf Club, 1221 Geneva National Ave. South, Lake Geneva.
This musical performance features soprano Kimberly Jones, mezzo-soprano Julie Ann Miller, tenor Cornelius Johnson and pianist Celeste Rue. Featured artists are professional members or graduates of the Ryan Center, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s professional artist development program.
Johnson’s tenor voice is described as “refreshing, sparkling and exciting” as well as “expressive and soaring.” He has performed in Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas, Racine, and internationally in Dublin, Opera Bastille in Paris, La Scala in Milan, and Bunkamura Theater in Tokyo.
His roles include Tamino in “The Magic Flute,” Rodolfo in “La Boheme,” Goro in “Madama Butterfly,” Don Basilio in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Don Jose and El Rememdado in “Carmen,” Elder Hayes in “Susannah,” King Kaspar in “Amahl and the Night Visitors” and several roles in “Porgy and Bess.”
A native of Chicago, Johnson received his master of music degree from Northwestern University and his bachelor of arts degree from Morehouse College.
Miller is a first-year member of the Ryan Opera Center. A native of Sacramento, Calif., she has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Ravinia Festival, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Marin Symphony, Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra, Sugar Creek Festival, Festival Opera and Sacramento Opera. Miller completed her graduate studies at the Bard College Conservatory of Music and studied at California State University in Sacramento. This season at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Miller appears in “Otello,” “La traviata” and “Die Fledermaus.”
Jones is an alumna of Lyric Opera’s Ryan Center and has performed at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Symphony Center, Grant Park Music Festival and Ravinia Festival. She often sings the National Anthem for the Chicago Bulls. She also participates in Lyric’s Meet the Neighborhood operas, where an abbreviated opera is presented at schools in English and full costumes. Jones has been showcased in Lyric’s Meet The Artist, where she presents her one-woman show to students, discussing her life as a singer, her start, her travels, plans and dreams. Jones performed in the Houston Grand Opera’s international tour of “Porgy and Bess” at La Scala in Milan, Opera Bastille in Paris and Bunkamura Theatre in Tokyo. She teaches vocal music at Columbia College in Chicago.
Rue works with the Ryan Opera Center, Grant Park Music Festival and Chorus, Chicago Symphony Chorus, Chicago Opera Theatre, Music of the Baroque, Light Opera Works, Hush Opera, Ars Musica, the Apollo Chorus, the Chicago Children’s Choir and Music By The Lake in Williams Bay. She is the music director for our Lake Geneva Chapter.
The mission of the chapter is to educate, promote and advance opera in the community and support and raise funds for Lyric Opera of Chicago. The chapter produces five events annually, four featuring professional opera artists who perform well-known opera arias and show tunes. Performances are held at local country clubs, homes of members and for many years at the Richard H. Driehaus Estate. Member contributions provide funding for the chapter’s education outreach programs. Over the past three years, the chapter has sponsored more than 300 seventh-grade students from Fontana, Reek, Sharon and Walworth elementary schools to attend an opera performance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
With more than 150 dues-paying members, each chapter event attracts 80 to 140 people, including voice students from George Williams College and Aurora University with their instructor Christine Flasch as a guest.
Tickets are $80 for members and $100 for guests and cover a buffet and performance. Cash bar is also available. Registration starts at noon, buffet at 12:30p.m., and performance at 1:30 p.m. RSVP by Jan. 30 as space is limited. For tickets and information about the chapter and membership, contact Marv Herman at 740-1705.
