Soloists, Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
Performing on April 2, 2011 on A Grand Finale
Jenni Till, soprano
Captivating, thrilling, and endearing…these are the words that define the quality of Jenni Till's voice and the message she conveys through song. Jenni was born into a musical family and started her career by singing in the choirs and ensembles of Dallas' First Baptist Church, where her father was Minister of Music. Since those early years, she has developed a multi-faceted music ministry which has taken her around the world.
She has distinguished herself on three continents in leading roles of the major choral works including Handel's Messiah, Dubois' The Seven Last Words of Christ, Mendelssohn's Elijah and Hymn of Praise, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion and Magnificat, Haydn's Creation, Mozart's Requiem, Solemn Vespers, Exsultate, Jubilate and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Among the eminent conductors with whom she has appeared are Sir David Willcocks, with whom she performed Mozart's Solemn Vespers in Coventry, England's famed cathedral, and Laszlo Heltay, with whom she collaborated on the same work on the stage of Dallas' celebrated Meyerson Symphony Center. She has made highly regarded appearances with numerous orchestras, including the New Japan Philharmonic in Tokyo, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, the Gold Coast Symphony of Florida, and the orchestras of Plano, Irving, and Richardson, Texas, the Orchestra of New Spain, and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra.
Further indication of Jenni's artistic versatility are her popular musical comedy and musical theatre presentations entitled The Life and Music of Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, and Rodgers and Hammerstein LIVE!
As a leading artist in sacred music, Jenni has sung for countless thousands in churches, denominational gatherings and conferences throughout the United States and Canada, Japan, and Korea. She has been featured soloist at Billy Graham Crusades, the Gaither Praise Gathering, and Robert Schuller's Hour of Power. Her additional television credits add yet another dimension to her multi-faceted career as a performer and communicator and include The Coral Ridge Hour, The Joy of Music, and Art Linkletter's Gloria.
Her discography includes inspiring recordings of sacred classics, hymns, gospel and Christmas favorites and unique Biblical story songs. She maintains a limited schedule of teaching gifted vocalists in the Dallas area. A summa cum laude graduate of Southern Methodist University, Jenni received both the Bachelor's and Master's degrees in vocal performance and was inducted into the honorary Pi Kappa Lambda society.
Jenni and her husband, Dr. Robert Rasberry, a professor at Southern Methodist University, have two sons, Paul Michael and John Robert, and reside in Dallas, Texas.
Laura Mercado-Wright, mezzo-soprano
Mezzo soprano Laura Mercado-Wright most recently performed the role of the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Santa Fe Concert Association. Ms. Mercado has also appeared in performance with the Fort Worth Opera, Fort Worth Symphony, Voices of Change, The Chamber Music Society of Fort Worth, Cliburn at the Modern, Utah Festival Opera, and as a Guest Artist of the Janiec Opera Company at Brevard Music Center. Operatic roles include Meg Page in Falstaff, Kara in Frau Margot, Suzuki in Madama Butterfly, 3rd Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Flora in La Traviata, Sesto in Giulio Cesare, Rosina in Il
Barbiere di Siviglia, Niklaus in Les Contes D'Hoffman, Amastre in Xerxes, Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, the title role in L'Enfant et les sortileges, and both Meg and Jo in Mark Adamo's Little Women. From 2005-2007, Ms. Mercado was member of the Fort Worth Opera Young Artist Studio.
She holds degrees from the University of North Texas and the University of Maryland Opera Studio. Upcoming engagements include a recital with Dallas' Voces Intimae, and a summer contract with Tanglewood Music Festival.
Alex Bumpas, tenor
Blake Davidson, baritone
Blake Davidson made his international debut in concert at the Tokyo Opera House, preceded by
a presentation at AliceTully Hall in New York as a part of his Bellini Competition Award (Italy). He has returned to Carnegie Hall since then to sing solo concerts in Weill Hall. Auckland Philharmonia featured Davidson as Tonio in I Pagliacci, with Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting. Davidson joined Sarasota Opera to sing the title role in Verdi's Macbeth for a student performance, covering other performances (original and traditional versions), and was called upon to step in for
a performance. Additionally he covered the baritone lead, Manfredo, in Montemezzi's L'amore
dei Tre Re. He made his Dallas Opera debut in their production of Fidelioand sang Schaunard in
La Boheme with Anchorage Opera. He also recently sang the role of Morales in a Dallas Symphony concert version of Carmen at the Bravo Vail! music festival.
Mr. Davidson's expansion into opera is preceded by extensive musical theatre performances including Casa Mañana and Dallas Summer Musicals. With a flair for musical theatre, this led to symphonic Broadway concerts including Dallas Symphony Orchestra's 2000, 01, and 02 Broadway! concerts, about which Punch Shaw of the Fort Worth Star Telegram said, "Blake Davidson stood out from the pack with a ringing, glorious baritone. He displayed exceptional power even in his highest notes and a consistently gorgeous tone." Other pops concerts include the 1998, 2000, and 2004 Christmas at the SuperPops concerts and the headliner artist for the 40th anniversary concert of the Irving Symphony. 2004 also included a Pops concert with The Florida Orchestra performing in Tampa , St. Petersburg , and Clearwater , about which John Fleming of the St. Petersburg Times said "Davidson…has a tour de force in 'Soliloquy'." Soon thereafter he made his Fort Worth Symphony debut under the baton of Miguel Harth-Bedoya in a Broadway concert, then a Sondheim concert. This return to musical theater continued recently in a production of Evita in which Mr. Davidson played the role of Juan Peron to rave reviews. John Garcia of talkinbroadway.com said, "As Juan Peron, Blake Davidson provides the best singing voice of the evening - a colored, sturdy, and booming baritone voice that you never get tired of hearing. Davidson's portrayal of Peron is smashing!"
The Dallas Symphony presents Mr. Davidson as the baritone soloist on their CD entitled "A Dallas Christmas Gala", under Andrew Litton's baton, released on the Delos label, about which Scott Cantrell of the Dallas Morning News said, "The high points...are Blake Davidson's solos, his baritone as warm and rich as plum pudding." His many appearances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra include Bravo! Vail, where he partnered with Sylvia McNair. They again collaborated in a Highlander Concert Series (Dallas) recital in 2002. He has become a favorite also with the University of Virginia choral program, soloing with them in the Brahms Requiem in 2004 and being asked to come back in 2005 for Vaughan Williams' Dona Nobis Pacem. He is in demand with many orchestras for a full range of repertoire. With his versatility and love of connecting with audiences, he admired for his gala appearances, recitals, concerts, and informal programs.
In Fort Worth Davidson sang Zaretsky and the Captain while covering the title role in Fort Worth Symphony's production of a semi-staged Eugene Onegin. In October of that same year Blake performed in one of Ned Rorem's quintessential works,Evidence of Things Not Seen, a cycle of thirty-six songs for four solo singers and piano. "Modern at the Modern by Cliburn " series, performed at the Modern Arts Museum of Fort Worth, presented a tribute concert celebrating the eighty-first birthday of composer Ned Rorem, who was in attendance. This concert series had Davidson return to perform excerpts from Mark Adamo's Lysistrata, with the composer directing the production.
