2012 Adjudicators
Mitra Sadeghpour Soprano
Elizabeth Pétillot, Mezzo-soprano
Mark Mowry, Tenor
Kenneth Pereira, Baritone
Alan Rieck, Choral Conductor
Mitra Sadeghpour, Soprano
Mitra Sadeghpour, soprano, joined the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the fall of 2002 as an Assistant Professor of Music. Her duties include teaching Applied Voice, Introduction to Singing for non-majors, and co-directing the Opera Workshop Ensemble. She previously taught on the voice faculty of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Dr. Sadeghpour, a graduate of Luther College, holds a masters degree from Indiana University and recently completed her doctoral degree also at Indiana University after presenting her doctoral document and lecture-recital on "The English Songs of Charles Gounod: Songs from the London Years, 1870-1874." A frequent recitalist, Ms. Sadeghpour has also performed numerous opera and musical theatre roles, ranging from Frasquita in "Carmen," to Lily in "The Secret Garden." Her other special music interests include American music, the melodie of Charles Gounod, and 19th century German lieder.
Elizabeth Pétillot, Mezzo-soprano
Contralto Elizabeth Pétillot enjoys an active and versatile career as an engaging performer in opera, oratorio, chamber music, and recital. Most recently she performed as the alto soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, in recital at the Cedarhurst Center for the Performing Arts in Mt. Vernon, IL, and as Mamma Lucia in Cavalleria Rusticana with Winter Opera of St, Louis, MO. Upcoming engagements include chamber music recitals in Southern France and Madrid, Spain, a residency at Fredonia University in upstate NY, and a concert tour and residency at the mid-west ACDA conference with the Grammy nominated chamber choir Conspirare.
Dr. Pétillot is a champion of new music and has premiered many works including art song, chamber music and works for chamber choir by numerous composers. She is a founding member of the Chiaroscuro Trio, which has recently commissioned song cycles from composers Dr. Rob Deemer of Fredonia University, Dan Welcher of the University of TX at Austin, and Graham Reynolds – renown composer of film music and founder of the Golden Arm Trio. Her trio will perform in various locations in 2011-2012 including Cincinnati, OH, El Paso, TX and Eau Claire, WI and will finish the season with the release of its first CD featuring traditional and premiere repertoire. In addition to chamber music, Elizabeth is particularly dedicated to contemporary Italian art song and is working to compile an anthology of songs for publication.
Dr. Pétillot often performs as an ensemble musician with the internationally acclaimed chamber choir Conspirare directed by Craig Hella Johnson. She has also had the privilege of recording and performing under the direction of Maestros Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival, Richard Buckley at the Austin Lyric Opera, Paul Hillier and the Pro-Arte Ensemble, Dan Welcher in a premiere performance of his own one acts operas, Peter Phillips and the Houston Chamber Choir and Gerhardt Zimmermann at the University of Texas.
Elizabeth is excited to join the faculty at the University of WI – Eau Claire where she will teach voice and intro to singing. Before moving to WI, Elizabeth taught voice, diction, music appreciation, and class piano at the University of TX at Austin, Rend Lake College, and John A. Logan College. Elizabeth speaks Italian and French fluently and has studied voice at Indiana University Bloomington where she received her Bachelors degree in vocal performance, and with Prof. Rose Taylor of the University of Texas at Austin where she completed both her Masters degree and her DMA.
Tenor Mark Mowry has performed a diverse range of opera, concert, and recital repertoire which reflects his broad musical interests. He has sung leading roles in such operas as Britten's Albert Herring, Curlew River, and The Turn of the Screw, Handel's Acis and Galatea, Mozart's Così fan tutte and Idomeneo, Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges, Smetana's The Bartered Bride, and Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress. In 2000 he sang the role of Enrico Carouser in the world premiere of Edwin Penhorwood's opera Too Many Sopranos. As concert soloist he has been heard in the music of Bach (Magnificat, St.John Passion, St. Matthew Passion), Britten (Rejoice in the Lamb, St. Nicolas, War Requiem), Handel (Messiah), Haydn (Creation), Mendelssohn ( Elijah ), Mozart (C Minor Mass, Coronation Mass, Requiem, Solemn Vespers), Sir John Stainer (Crucifixion), and Vaughan Williams (Hodie), among others.
An advocate of the song genre, Mowry has participated in numerous master classes devoted to the subject and led by such noted musicians as Graham Johnson, Roger Vignoles, and Håkan Hagegård; his own recital appearances have occurred both at home in the U.S. and, more recently, in the United Kingdom-first at Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh, England, for the 2001 Aldeburgh Festival, and then for his debut recital at London's Wigmore Hall in 2002, for which Graham Johnson was pianist. In addition, Mowry's various musical activities have taken him to the cities of Chicago, Dublin, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New York, Salzburg, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C.
Mowry received a Doctor of Music degree from Indiana University in 2006, where he studied with Virginia Zeani, James King, and James McDonald; Master of Music degree from Northwestern University in 1995; and Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in 1993.
Baritone Kenneth J. Pereira’s repertoire encompasses opera, oratorio, art song, musical theater and the Great American Songbook. His operatic roles include Puccini’s Marcello in La Bohème, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, the title role in Gianni Schicchi, and Mozart’s Il Conte Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro and Guglielmo in Così fan tutte among others. Mr. Pereira has appeared regularly as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Raymond Leppard in works by Beethoven and Haydn. He is also a featured soloist on that orchestra’s 2008 recording of classical and traditional Christmas music. Mr. Pereira has also performed in concert opposite internationally acclaimed sopranos Sylvia McNair and Carol Vaness.
Born and raised in northern California, Mr. Pereira graduated Magna cum Laude from California State University, Stanislaus. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where he also completed a Master of Music Degree in Voice. During his time at IU, Mr. Pereira was an Associate Instructor of Voice, teaching studio voice and served as the teaching assistant for the graduate and undergraduate opera workshops. He has studied with Joaquina Calvo Johnson and Andreas Poulimenos.
Alan J. Rieck, Assistant Professor of Music, conducts the Women’s Concert Chorale, Symphonic Choir, Women’s Chorus, and teaches courses in music education. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Rieck served as Assistant Director of Choral Studies and professor of music education at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona where he taught courses in conducting, current issues in music education, and music education teaching methods; and conducted the Men’s Chorale and Women’s Chorale. While in Flagstaff he also served as assistant director of the Master Chorale of Flagstaff, was the founding director of the Children’s Chorale of Flagstaff, and during the 2000-2001 school year served as the NAU Director of Choral Studies. Prior to moving to Arizona, Dr. Rieck taught and conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, conducted the top performing groups of the Madison Children’s Choir, and served as chorus master for the Madison Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Dr. Rieck taught for six years in the public schools in West Allis, Wisconsin and is an active member of the American Choral Directors Association and Music Educators National Conference. He holds a B.M. degree in Music Education, M.M. degree in Music Education, and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
