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DEVON CASS the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, the Charles Drew Health Center( Omaha), the Center Against Spouse Abuse in Tampa Bay and the Museum of Fine Arts, as well as the Academy Preparatory Center, both in St. Petersburg, FL. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the Board for the Raymond James Charitable Endowment Fund and as national ambassador for the nonprofit World Pediatric Project, headquartered in Richmond, VA, which provides children throughout Central America and the Caribbean with critical surgical and diagnostic care.
A native of Norfolk, VA, Thomas Wilkins is a graduate of the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He resides with his wife Sheri-Lee in Florida. They are the proud parents of twin daughters, Erica and Nicole.
Thomas Wilkins last appeared with the BSO in February 2006, conducting " A Night in Havana."
Alison Buchanan
Praised for her musical versatility, her luscious voice and her ability to communicate with an audience, British soprano Alison Buchanan is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music in London and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Buchanan is the winner of the Kathleen Ferrier, the Luciano Pavarotti, the Washington International and the Maggie Teyte competitions.
As a young artist with San Francisco Opera, Buchanan made her debut with the company as Mimi in La bohème during her time in the Adler Fellowship Program. She was invited to the L. A. Opera to sing Nedda in Pagliacci, working with Placido Domingo and Franco Zeffirelli. Buchanan has performed with New York City Opera as Bess in Porgy and Bess and as Elvira in Don Giovanni with Opera Philadelphia, Michigan Opera and Wexford Opera. She has performed under the batons of Sir Colin Davis, Sir Simon Rattle, David
Robertson and Donald Runnicles, among others, and with orchestras such as the Royal and Philippines philharmonics; the London, BBC and Boston symphony orchestras; and the Israel Kibbutz Orchestra.
In recent seasons, Buchanan made her Carnegie Hall debut; returned to New York City Opera for Margaret Garner, an opera by Richard Danielpour and Toni Morrison; performed at Sadler’ s Wells Theatre in London for Pegasus Opera in Koanga by Frederick Delius; joined Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra for performances and a recording of Britten’ s Peter Grimes; and gave recitals in Madison( GA), Oakland( CA), Jacksonville( FL), Montenegro and Gibraltar. Buchanan made her debut singing the role of Tosca at the Festival de Sédières in France and performed at the Tanglewood and Ravinia festivals. In addition, she joined the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for Porgy and Bess, conducted by Marin Alsop, and made her Linbury Studio Theatre debut at the Royal Opera House in the opera YES, composed by Errollyn Wallen, returning for the ROH2 initiative Exposure Opera, championing the works of emerging opera composers.
More recently, Buchanan joined Alsop for performances in Brazil with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra;
returned to the Boston Symphony Orchestra to perform in Porgy and Bess; gave recitals in St. Louis, Washington, D. C. and Jacksonville; performed the role of Janthe in Der Vampyr with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall; performed concerts with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; and gave a recital at National Sawdust in Brooklyn. Buchanan recently released a recording of the songs of Dr. George Walker, accompanied by the composer, for Albany records; sang Barber’ s Knoxville Summer 1915 at the Kennedy Center with the Apollo Orchestra; and joined members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for the Classical Pops Festival in Barbados.
Alison Buchanan last appeared with the BSO in July 2010, performing Porgy and Bess: in Concert, Marin Alsop, conductor.
The Baltimore School for the Arts Chorus
The Baltimore School for the Arts Chorus has been wowing audiences with its sublime, passionate music since its founding in 1980. Under the baton of conductor Dr. Mark Hardy, the BSA Chorus has performed with leading institutions such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Lyric
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