Roderick George, Tenor

Tenor Roderick George enjoys a diverse career as a performer and an educator.  He most recently made his role and company debut with Opera Theater of Pittsburgh as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess and his role debut as Gérald for the Missouri premier of Leo Delibes’ Lakmé with Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis. He has also delighted audiences in the roles of Rodolfo (La Bohème), Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Tamino in (Die Zauberflöte), Alfredo (La Traviata), Ferrando (Cosí fan tutte), Albert (Albert Herring), Camille de Rosillon (The Merry Widow), Ralph Rackstraw (HMS Pinafore), Benedict (Beatrice and Benedict), Aaron (Different Fields), and David (I was looking at the Ceiling and then I saw the sky).   As a concert artist, he is heard regularly as a soloist in major concert and oratorio works, including Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C Minor, Bach’s Magnificat, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Rossini's Stabat Mater and Gounod's Messe Solennelle. He has also recorded and toured regularly throughout the United States and Spain as a soloist with the acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble.  He made his European solo debut in a series of orchestral concerts in Austria, including a benefit concert for Doctors without Borders and a gala concert celebrating the operettas of Austrian composer Robert Stolz.  In competition, he was named a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, Southeastern Regional Finalist in the NATS Artist Awards, and a finalist in the Mobile Opera Competition, Florida Suncoast Opera Guild Competition, National Society of Arts and Letters Competition, and the Orpheus National Competition. He balances an active performance career with a faculty appointment at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama.  He holds degrees, including the Doctor of Music degree in voice performance, from the Florida State University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and Stillman College.  He received advanced training in opera at the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, and was an Artist in Residence with Amarillo Opera and an Apprentice Artist with Des Moines Metro Opera.

Leah Dexter, Mezzo Soprano

American mezzo-soprano and Detroit native, Leah Dexter, is a performer of broad musical experience. Having spent years studying the violin, cello and ballet she went on to earn a Bachelor and Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan, receiving the Willis Patterson Diversity Award upon her graduation. Leah has performed operatic roles with several companies including the Brevard Music Center, Toledo Opera, Motor City Lyric Opera, New Opera Festival of Rome, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis and the Michigan Opera Theatre, at which she has been a frequent performer. Most recently she was heard as Suzy/Lolette in La Rondine and Annina in La Traviata with the Michigan Opera Theatre in spring of 2008. Leah has also sung the role of Annie in New York Harlem Productions european tour of Porgy & Bess in the years 2007-2009, performing in opera houses in the countries of Italy, Germany, Spain and Switzerland.Just as comfortable on the concert stage, Leah has been heard in performances of Handel’s Messiah, Vivaldi’s Gloria, alto soloist in Let My People Go with Rackham Symphony Choir, alto soloist in Mozart’s Requiem with the University of Michigan Choral Union and soloist in Bach’s Magnificat. Leah is also the lead vocalist of the Ann Arbor based Dodworth Saxhorn Band which performs throughout the state of Michigan.  Leah enjoys the recital stage and in fall 2007 first performed the recital “Songs and Sonnets of the Americas,” at both Stanford University and Eastern Michigan University with her collaborator, pianist Kathryn Goodson. This recital was again performed this past spring at Oakland Community College and for the Chicago Cultural Arts Center Recital Series, broadcasted on WFMT radio.

Recent engagements included Porgy & Bess with Lyric Opera of Chicago, fall of 2008, in which she covered the role of the Other Woman. In the winter of 2009, Leah sang a second salon recital for Christ Church Cranbrook. Recently, she performed as alto soloist in Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man with Rackham Symphony Choir, of which a DVD recording of the work was produced, and alto soloist in Jenkins’ Stabat Mater with the Metropolitan Detroit Chorale. This past summer Leah joined the Young Artist Program of Opera North and sang her first performances as the title role in Carmen.  For the upcoming year, Leah will continue to perform with the Dodworth Saxhorn Band, reprise her role as the Waiting Woman in The Goose Girl with Motor City Lyric Opera and travel to Europe for more performances as Annie in Porgy & Bess.

Karl Van Richards, Pianist

Karl Van Richards is a consummate artiste gifted in music, dance and theater.  An extraordinarily talented pianist, arranger, composer, conductor and choreographer, Karl Van Richards has captured the hearts of audiences with his virtuosic performances, endearing personality and beautiful smile.

As a pianist, he made his orchestral debut at age 17 playing the Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor after having won the Victoria M. Griffith Concerto competition, and since then, he has appeared as a soloist and in orchestral performances in such venerable places as Leopoldskron Castle and in esteemed halls and theaters in his native Jamaica, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, The Cayman Islands, The United States, South Africa and Austria.

Mr. Richards has received Certificates of Distinction from the Royal Schools of Music, London, England.  He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Miami where he studied with Ivan Davis and in his undergraduate years he received full music scholarships including the WTMI Radio Music Scholarship and the Provost Award for study in Salzburg, Austria; he also holds a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from Lynn University in Boca Raton under the direction of Dr. Roberta Rust where upon graduation he was bestowed the Most Outstanding Performer’s Award.  He has premiered works for the Society of Electronic Music and has recorded chamber music by local composers.  He was a featured performer on National Public Radio (NPR) where he presented works by Chopin and has performed in Steinway Pianos Concert Tours.

As a choreographer, his works have been featured in performances at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts including a 2006 performance of “Impossible Dreams” His music composition “Kaleidoscope” was used for the culminating presentation at the Miami Dade Dance Teachers Association concert at the Lowe Art Museum in Coral Gables.

He is currently the Professor of Piano at Parkway School of The Arts and also serves as Minister of Music and Director of Worship Arts at Mount Hermon African Methodist Episcopal Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.   

Ronda Johnson, Dancer

Ronda Johnson was born and reared in West Palm Beach, FL. She has many years of training from reputable establishments such as the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts and the well renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre of New York. This training has enabled Ronda to pursue her commitment to the art of dance. Over the years she has had experiences which include teaching, choreographing and performing. Ronda has choreographed award winning routines for her students, including the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts award and many of her students have been recipients of various arts scholarships awarded by the community. Ronda became a member of the Jubilee Dance Theatre of Ft. Lauderdale Florida in 2007 and more recently joined the Dario J. Moore Dance Project of Orlando Florida in which she currently performs and works with. Ronda holds a Bachelors of Science degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University and is currently a graduate student in the school’s M.B.A program. As a faculty member at the A.W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts, she teaches Modern Dance and Dance Career Prep. Ronda has established a working rapport with various dance schools in the surrounding communities, as her long term goal is to inspire youth to develop a life-long interest and love for the art form of dance as she has.

Landres Bryant, Tubist

A fourth year student of Fritz Kaenzig's at the University of Michigan, Landres Bryant is from West Palm Beach Florida and attended Bak Middle School and Dreyfoos School of the Arts. He has played under conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Peter Oundjian, Gerard Schwarz, Frederick Fennnell, and H. Robert Reynolds.  A diverse musician, Landres has also performed with jazz trombonist Jiggs Whigham, drummer Steve Houghton, the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, and has worked with current and former members of The Count Basie Orchestra, Tower of Power and the Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson big bands. He has also been a fellow at the prestigious Music Academy of the West and principal tuba in the Sphinx and Adrian Symphonies.

Erin Thomas, Vocalist (Student)

Erin Thomas is a Senior Vocal Major at the Alexander W. Dreyfoos High School of the Arts under the direction of Arlene Sparks. She has been singing since Elementary School in hopes of becoming an Elementary or Middle School Choral Director. She has performed at many events including the Links White Rose Gathering, the Star Spangled Banner for Senator Jeff Atwater, and at the My Teacher, My Hero event at the Palm Beach Convention Center. She also enjoys playing guitar and spending time with friends in her spare time.

Daniel Cochran, Vocalist

Daniel Cochran is a native of West Palm Beach and graduated from Forest Hill High School where he was awarded the Second Place Vocal Music Pathfinder Award. He has performed with Fortissimo, a nationally renowned men's barbershop quartet that place in the top 5 three times in the Barbershop Harmony Society's International Collegiate Competition. Daniel is also involved with the Palm Beach Opera, the Barbershop Harmony Society and The Ebony Chorale of the Palm Beaches. Daniel was recently named the Palm Beach Pops Orchestra's 2008 PopStar winner and earned the privilege of performing with Judy Collins and the Palm Beach Pops Orchestra. Daniel is now also one of the eight singers in the first Professional NFL A cappella singing groups for the Miami Dolphins, The Dolphins Voices.