Gulf Coast Symphony at the MACC with Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers: Haydn Lord Nelson Mass

In her performance career, Penelope Shumate has been described as having a “voice with power” and a “welcome fire” on stage. The New York Times praised her recent performance as the Soprano Soloist in Messiah for her David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher Hall) debut at Lincoln Center, stating she “sang the soprano solos with appealing bell-like clarity and surpassing sweetness.” For her return to David Geffen Hall, she performed as a soloist in Carmina Burana; a work that also marked her Carnegie Hall debut and return engagements. Additional Carnegie Hall soloist appearances include performances in Messiah, St. Nicolai Mass, Coronation Mass, Requiem (Verdi and Mozart), and Stabat Mater (Mealor). Also in New York City, she performed the title role in Naughty Marietta in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

Her 2023-2025 engagements include her 19th soloist appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York City in Messiah and returning for One World (Jenkins) with Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY). Returning to David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, she performs Mozart’s Requiem the world premiere of Kindness (Hayes) with DCINY. Her soloist debuts include appearances with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Messiah, Paducah Symphony Orchestra in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, Lansing Symphony Orchestra in Carmina Burana, Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra in Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass, Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten, BWV 202 by Bach, Opéra Louisiane in the role of Hélène in Hell’s Bell (Le timbre d’argent), and in Nashville Opera’s “Opera on Wheels,” and return performances with the Gateway Symphony Orchestra in Zelenka’s Gloria and La Pasión según San Marcos by Golijov, Muddy River Opera Company in the role of Violetta in La Traviata, and with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra in Carmina Burana. She performs her “Bach to Broadway” recital in downtown Chicago at the Fourth Presbyterian Church Concert Series, and in Clarksville, TN, at the Roxy Regional Theatre and at the First Presbyterian Church.

2020/21, 2021/22, and 2022/23 season performances included appearances in both contemporary and traditional operas, concerts, orchestral works, and album recordings. Returning to Carnegie Hall in New York City, she performed as the soprano soloist in Carmina Burana and Messiah with Distinguished Concerts International New York. Her debut and return engagements with the Gateway Chamber Orchestra included performing as the soprano soloist in Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 , La Pasión según San Marcos by Golijov, and Bach’s Magnificat. Opera roles with the Muddy River Opera Company included Adina in L’Elisir d’Amore and the world premiere of the new opera Helen in the roles of the Aunt and Annabella. Returning to the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association, she performed as the soprano soloist in Te Deum by Dvořák. She recorded the title role in the new opera Kassandra, released by Parma/Navona Records and was the soprano soloist on the recording, “as the fireflies watched . . . chamber music of James M. Stephenson,” released by Klavier Records. She also returned to the Galesburg Community Chorus and Knox-Galesburg Symphony Orchestra as the soprano soloist in the Fauré Requiem.

Her 2019-2020 season included debuts and return appearances. She debuted with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London for a CD recording of Messiah at Abbey Road Studios. She was the First Place Winner of the Oratorio division in The American Prize for Vocal Performance. For her debut with Opera in the heights, she performed the title role in the world premiere of the new opera, Kassandra. She was complimented in the New York Concert Review for her performance in Messiah at Carnegie Hall presented by DCINY; “bright, clear sound, excellent diction, real emotional involvement, and spot-on coloratura,” and also performed this work with the Downers Grove Choral Society and the Morton Community Chorus and Orchestra.

Often hailed as a true Mezzo Soprano, Holly Sorensen is known for her rich, colorful, and expressive timbre. A gifted singing actor with great versatility, Ms. Sorensen was described as having, “a grand time!….dispensing attitude with relish and producing some impressively chilling tones” – Opera News. Most recently, The Tampa Bay Daily Loaf wrote,” a creamy mezzo that soars lusciously and is breathtaking in her cruelty”, following her debut as Dalila in Samson et Dalila with St. Ptersburg Opera. Ms. Sorensen performs a wide variety of repertoire, ranging from dramatic leading mezzo roles, to comic Rossini. Some of her other stage credits include, the title role in Carmen, The Mother – Hansel and Gretel, Suzuki – Madame Butterfly, La Prima Donna – Salieri’s Prima la Musica poi le Parole, Pitti Sing – The Mikado, The Secretary – The Consul, Sorceress – Dido and Aeneas , Prince Orlofsky – Die Fledermaus, The Princess Aunt – Suor Angelica, and Giovanna – Rigoletto . Highlights from various scenes programs include Isabella – L’Italiana in Algeri, Augusta – Ballad of Baby Doe, Charlotte – Werther, Mallika – Lakme, Mrs. Lovett – Sweeney Todd, and Mrs.Grose – Turn of the Screw. Some of her operatic Performance venues include, Utah Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Bronx Opera, Utah Lyric Opera, Connecticut Grand Opera, Opera in the Ozarks, Ardamore Chamber Opera, Opera Company of Brooklyn, Dicapo Opera, Boston Classical Orchestra, and The Greenwich Pops Symphony.

Ms. Sorensen has also been lauded for her concert and oratorio work, as a mezzo with “luscious tones” – Greenwich Times and “glamorous and beautiful to see and hear” – Greenwich Citizen. She most recently made her Avery Fisher Hall debut singing as mezzo soloist in Mozart Requiem with DCINY; where she was hailed as, “radiant” by the New York Concert Review. She has also performed Mendelssohn’s Paulus with the Oratorio Society of New York in Carnegie Hall. Other performances include, Handel’s Messiah, Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, the Yizkor Requiem and Bach’s St. John Passion. Ms. Sorensen performed the Mozart Requiem and Vivaldi Gloria in Venice, Italy with Dicapo Opera Summer Tour. This year she was the featured mezzo soloist with the Salt Lake Choral Artists in performances including the Bach B Minor Mass, and “The Armed Man”, by Karl Jenkins. She has performed frequently with the Greenwich Choral Society and Greenwich Symphony in Connecticut. Other oratorio engagements include solo work with the Allentown Symphony, Norwalk Symphony, and First Congregational Church of Greenwich Orchestra. She has also been applauded for her recent recital repertoire including works by Mahler, Manuel de Falle, Schubert, Schumann, Barber, and spirituals by HT Burleigh. Ms. Sorensen was the featured mezzo soloist with Connecticut Grand Opera’s “Champagne and Arias” Gala.

Ms. Sorensen was the winner of the 2011 Nico Castel International Mastersinger Competition at Carnegie Hall. She was a finalist in the Oratorio Society of New York Competition, and winner of the Mendelssohn Competition with Norwalk Symphony. Additionally, she was awarded Second Prize at the Eugene Opera Belle Voci National Competition, Second Prize at the Classical Singer Convention in New York, and was a semi-finalist in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition.

Branch Fields, whom Opera America describes as “a bass of resonant richness” and The New York Times declared to be “a gifted young bass,” is delighting audiences and critics alike, whether it be in opera, concert or musical theater.

A frequent guest of the Gulf Coast Symphony, Mr. Fields has sung many performances with the Symphony over the past two decades.

He has sung with Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Carolina, Michigan Opera Theatre, Utah Opera, Opera San Jose and many other regional companies throughout the U.S. In concert, Mr. Fields has performed with the Munich Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Symphony, Colorado Springs Philharmonic and the American Symphony Orchestra. His versatility as a singing actor led to his Broadway debut in South Pacific, understudying the role of Emile de Becque in the Lincoln Center Theater production, which won seven Tony Awards.

Mr. Fields was engaged by Opera in Williamsburg as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor, and by Virginia Opera as 2nd Soldier in Salome. In December, he was asked to be the guest artist for the Williamsburg Community Chapel Christmas Concerts, attended by 8,000 people, and he performed the bass solos in Handel’s Messiah at the Williamsburg UMC and at the Sandler Center with Symphonicity. He began 2015 with the Mozart Requiem, again with Symphonicity, and Verdi’s Requiem in Ft. Myers with the Gulf Coast Symphony. He reprised Sarastro for Anchorage Opera’s Magic Flute; and was Father Truelove in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress with Utah Opera. The season ended with a reprise of Raimondo at Opera Fort Collins. Mr. Fields spent the summer close to home in a 34 performance run of his critically acclaimed portrayal of Emile de Becque in South Pacific for the Virginia Repertory Theater. He has been nominated for a 2015 RTCC Artsie Award in the “Best Actor in a Musical” category for his performance of Emile de Becque for Va. Rep.

Mr. Fields’ 2013-14 season included a live European radio broadcast of Candide from Leipzig, Germany with Mitteldeutcher Rundfunk (MDR), led by Kristjan Järvi. He made his Canadian debut as the 5th Jew in Salome at the Edmonton Opera, and a return to Carnegie Hall with the American Symphony Orchestra in R. Strauss’ Feuersnot. He reprised Emile de Becque for Piedmont Opera in March, and then was part of the April Cutting Edge Concert at Symphony Space in NYC, presenting new scenes from Victoria Bond’s Clara, portraying Robert Schumann. Mr. Fields helped organize Williamsburg Symphonia’s Opera Night, joining Metropolitan Opera artists Audrey Luna and Lauren McNeese for the gala. He also sang Elijah in a performance of Mendelssohn’s oratorio at the newly opened Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. In the summer, he sang 42 performances of Emile de Becque for Drayton Entertainment in Drayton and Grand Bend, Ont., with Broadway/Stratford Festival star Chilina Kennedy as Nellie and was at Opera North through August playing Frank in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene and Alfred P. Doolittle in My Fair Lady. He also returned to Martha’s Vineyard for a vocal-ensemble arrangement of Goldberg Variations #26 and #31 as part of the art exhibit “Still Point” by Claudia Miller, with Wendy Taucher Opera and Dance.

Mr. Fields is a native of Texas, born in San Antonio at Lackland Airforce Base. He spent his youth in Little Rock, Ark., then moved to Williamsburg, Va., which is the place he now calls home with his wife and three children. His talent for singing was discovered at Virginia Tech, while he was doing undergraduate work in chemistry. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, Mr. Fields was accepted into the Master of Music program at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he was awarded the Cole and Kate Porter Memorial Scholarship, and he studied voice with the great Metropolitan Opera bass, Giorgio Tozzi. Mr. Fields was a member of The Singing Hoosiers, through which he garnered the attention of Maestro Erich Kunzel during their concerts and recordings with the Cincinnati Pops. He can be heard on the Cincinnati Pop’s album “Puttin’ On the Ritz” (TELARC). He later was granted a coveted spot at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, a full scholarship institution, where he studied with Met baritone Louis Quilico and participated in summer opera programs in Chiari, Lucca, and Rome, Italy.

In New York City, he was placed in the studio of bass specialist Armen Boyajian, voice teacher of Samuel Ramey and Paul Plishka. He won 1st prize in the Bel Canto Vocal Scholarship Competition, 2nd in the NJAPA Vocal Competition and was a prize winner in the Liederkranz Foundation Competition.

Matt Koller is the Artistic Director of the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers and the City of Palms Youth Choir. Choirs under his direction have performed several masterworks, world premieres, and have appeared in Carnegie Hall, Barbara B. Mann PAH, and other prestigious venues. He has conducted at Florida Gulf Coast University Opera, Gulfshore Opera, and Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra. Matt is an adjunct professor of voice at Florida SouthWestern State College.

Matt has been teaching private voice lessons for over 25 years. His students have appeared in lead roles on Broadway, national tours, television, film, and work in fields such as music education, sacred music, theater, dance, casting, and arts administration. He is a graduate of Westminster Choir College where he sang in the Westminster Choir and studied with Joseph Flummerfelt and James Jordan, and is a current member and soloist of The Same Stream Choir in Philadelphia. As a tenor, Matt has performed throughout the United States and Italy in numerous operas and concert works.

Matt is also a drummer and musical directs for local theaters. Florida Rep credits include Beehive, Beguiled Again, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Let’s Fall in Love, Broadway’s Best!, Tenderly, Alway…Patsy Cline, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Gulf Coast Symphony credits include Forever Plaid, Nunsense II, and Route 66.

Under the direction of Matthew Koller, the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers is a 100+ -voice ensemble of vocal musicians that enjoys a reputation of musical excellence and innovative programs. The group perform six to eight concerts each season, providing an opportunity for experienced singers to perform a wide range of choral music with strong emphasis on the masterworks, thereby promoting and enhancing the choral art form in the Southwest Florida community. Selection of music is intended for the enrichment and growth of the singer as well as for the enjoyment of audiences, so encompasses a variety of music for both large and small audiences in sacred and secular settings. Learn more at www.mastersingersfm.com.