Skip links

Uprising/Rising Up

Lawrence Brownlee, tenor & Lehrer Vocal Institute Fellows

THE VOICE UNLEASHED

Inspired by his Grammy-nominated album “Rising”, LAWRENCE BROWNLEE leads LEHRER VOCAL INSTITUTE fellows in a program of songs that explores our search, discovery, and celebration of the human spirit.

“‘Rising’ traces an ancestral link among Black composers by focusing on the common inspiration of Harlem Renaissance-era poetry” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

Program

duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes / no intermission

AMY BEACH

“I Send My Heart Up to Thee” from Three Browning Songs, Op. 44

Xuyue Qing, tenor, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

NADIA BOULANGER

“C'était en juin, dans le jardin” from Les heures d'après-midi

Lydia Rae Brown, mezzo-soprano, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

UNDINE SMITH MOORE

Love let the wind cry...How I adore thee

Matthew Cerillo, tenor, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

FRANZ SCHUBERT

“Kriegers Ahnung” from Schwanengesang, D. 957

Dongwei Shen, baritone, Deven Shah, piano

IVOR GURNEY

In Flanders

Teo Munteanu, baritone, Deven Shah, piano

SAMUEL BARBER

“I hear an army” from Three Songs, Op. 10

Dongwei Shen, baritone, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

NADIA BOULANGER

Soir d'hiver

Lydia Rae Brown, mezzo-soprano, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

EDVARD GRIEG

“Zur Rosenzeit” from Six Songs, Op. 48

Meg Brilleslyper, mezzo-soprano, Deven Shah, piano

H. LESLIE ADAMS

“Prayer” from Nightsongs

Lydia Rae Brown, mezzo-soprano, Deven Shah, piano

JOEL THOMPSON

Supplication

Matthew Cerillo, tenor, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

PYOTR IL’YICH TCHAIKOVSKY

“Tears” from 6 Duets, Op. 46

Meg Brilleslyper, mezzo-soprano, Emily Margevich, soprano, Deven Shah, piano

Richard Strauss

“Ruhe, meine Seele!” from Four Last Songs, Op. 27

Matthew Cerillo, tenor, Deven Shah, piano

Henri Duparc

Testament

Emily Margevich, soprano, Deven Shah, piano

HARRY THACKER BURLEIGH

"Worth While” from Five Songs of Laurence Hope

Matthew Cerillo, tenor, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

BEN MOORE

On Music

Teo Munteanu, baritone, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

DAMIEN L. SNEED

The Gift to Sing

Xuyue Qing, tenor, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

JOSEPH MARX

“In meiner Träume Heimat” from Verklärtes Jahr

Meg Brilleslyper, mezzo-soprano, Deven Shah, piano

TRADITIONAL

Arr. Steven Mark Kohn

Ten Thousand Miles Away

Teo Munteanu, baritone, Deven Shah, piano

HENRI DUPARC

L'invitation au voyage

Dongwei Shen, baritone, Deven Shah, piano

kurt weill

Youkali

Lydia Rae Brown, mezzo-soprano, Tzu Kuang Tan, piano

Ernest Chausson

“La Nuit” from 2 Duos, Op. 11

Meg Brilleslyper, mezzo-soprano, Emily Margevich, soprano, Deven Shah, piano

Ben Moore

“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” from 14 Songs

Xuyue Qing, tenor, Deven Shah, piano

RICKY IAN GORDON

“A Horse With Wings” from A Horse With Wings

Artists

avatar

Emily Margevich

soprano

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
28
Birthplace
Chicago, Illinois
School
Academy of Vocal Arts
Compeers
Linda Seltzer Yawitz
Scholarship
Gina Jannotta Endowed Scholarship

Emily recently earned her Artist Diploma from the Academy of Vocal Arts, where she studied with Sally Wolf and Nicole Cabell. She won District Winner in the 2024 Met Opera Laffont Competition and placed second at the 2021 Jensen Foundation Vocal Competition. Notable roles include Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, whom she has played for both Opera Baltimore and Heartbeat Opera, and Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni.

View Full Profile
avatar

Meg Brilleslyper

mezzo-soprano

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
22
Birthplace
Colorado Springs, Colorado
School
Rice University
Compeers
Ashley and Kyle Hollister
Scholarship
Thomas Perakos Scholarship

Meg is earning her master’s degree from Rice University Shepherd School of Music in the studio of Robin Rice. She placed first in the 2023 Jessie Kneisler Lieder Competition and earned the Houston District Encouragement Award at the 2024 Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Recently, Meg sang Bianca and Lucretia (cover) in the Rape of Lucretia, Filipyevna (cover) in Eugene Onegin, and Ruggerio in Handel's Alcina. In Houston, she also sings with St. Martin's Episcopal Church.

View Full Profile
avatar

Lydia Rae Brown

mezzo-soprano

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
22
Birthplace
Upland, California
School
University of Southern California
Compeers
Meaghan Yolles
Scholarship
Phyllis Grace Mozilo Endowed Scholarship

Lydia earned her bachelor’s degree at University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in the studio of Rod Gilfry. She also has studied with Melena Kitíc. Lydia won the 2019 grand prize in The Music Center’s Spotlight Awards and was a finalist in the 2021 Opera Viva! Roberto de Simone Memorial Aria Competition. She has recently performed in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance as a cover for Ruth, as the Stewardess in Jonathan Dove’s Flight, and as Dorabella in Mozart's Cosí fan tutte. Residing in Los Angeles, she has also sung with the Pacific Opera Project and with workshops for Beth Morrison Projects.

View Full Profile
avatar

Xuyue Qing

tenor

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
30
Birthplace
Tongling, Anhui, China
School
Eastman School of Music
Compeers
Bobby Woods
Scholarship
Leni Fe Bland Endowed Scholarship

Xuyue is earning his doctoral degree at the Eastman School of Music in the studio of Anthony Dean Griffey. He performed as the Chevalier de la Force in Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Poulenc. There, he serves as a graduate teaching assistant. At the 2019 S. Livingston Mather Scholarship Competition, he won the Albert Rees Davis Award. He also won first prizes at the 2019 National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition (Ohio Chapter).

View Full Profile
avatar

Matthew Cerillo

tenor

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
26
Birthplace
Freehold, New Jersey
School
Mannes College of Music
Compeers
Rena and Steve Brawer
Scholarship
Barbara Smith-Sherrill and Marshall Sherrill Endowed Scholarship

Matthew earned his master’s degree at the Mannes School of Music as a student of Arthur Levy. Currently, he studies with Jonathan Beyer. He recently performed in Puccini's Turandot as Pong and debuted his own cabaret show, An Evening with Matthew Cerillo. He has participated in several opera productions including Bizet's Carmen, where he performed as El Remendado and covered Don Jose, Mozart's Die Zauberflöte as Tamino, Le nozze di Figaro as Don Basilio, Purcell's The Fairy-Queen as Demitrius, and John Gay's The Beggar’s Opera in the roles of Dianna Trapes, Filch, and Ben Budge. Matthew has also performed in international events such as Ukranian Artists Music, Music in the Alps, and the Oyster Bay Music Festival. With the St. Petersburg Opera and Portland Opera, he acted as Resident Artist in 2024 and 2022, respectively. He has performed in and collaborated with Missy Mazzoli in workshops for her new opera, The Listeners.

View Full Profile
avatar

Dongwei Shen

baritone

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
30
Birthplace
Taizhou, Zhejiang, China
School
The Juilliard School
Compeers
Mari Warner
Scholarship
Anne and Richard De Rosa Endowed Scholarship

Dongwei is earning his Artist’s Diploma from The Juilliard School, where he studies with Elizabeth Bishop and Leah Crocetto. He recently completed his DMA at the University of Texas at Austin, where he performed roles in Ullmann's Der Kaiser von Atlantis and Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore. He also recently performed in Cavalli’s Erismena at the Joye in Aiken Festival.

View Full Profile
avatar

Teo Munteanu

baritone

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
27
Birthplace
Alb Iulia, Transylvania, Romania
School
Indiana University
Compeers
Bobby Woods
Scholarship
Bobby Woods Scholarship

Romanian born baritone Teo Munteanu began taking voice lessons at the age of 16 at the advice of his high school choir teacher. His mentors,  Gail Dubinbaum & John Massaro, coached him and nurtured his love for music. After developing his technique and expanding his repertoire, he started competing in various vocal competitions and began receiving offers from conservatories in both the US and Europe.

 

At Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music, Teo studied under the tutelage of Andreas Poulimenos and was cast in several productions there, making his professional debut with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as a freshman in the 2016 production of Carmen. Continuing his studies in Europe, he performed in various recitals & concerts throughout Italy, Germany, Romania, Ukraine, & Russia before returning to the United States.

 

He performed the titular role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with the Rossini Opera Festival Orchestra in Pesaro, Italy, and later reprised the role in Chicago under the direction of Viktoria Vizin before coming to Santa Barbara to participate in Music Academy of the West's prestigious Lehrer Vocal Institute program. 

 

Teo loves meeting new people whenever he performs in a new city, creating lasting friendships and partnerships. He loves attending events and exploring the local scene - starting with the coffee shops, museums, & hidden gems that his new friends recommend! 

View Full Profile
avatar

Deven Shah

piano

ABOUT
Fellow
2024
Age
23
Birthplace
Erie, Pennsylvania
School
Indiana University
Compeers
Ashley and Kyle Hollister
Scholarship
Walter and Holly Thomson Foundation Scholarship

Deven recently earned his master’s degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in the studio of Kevin Murphy. There, he served as a teaching assistant in collaborative piano. He has collaborated on numerous operas such as Gounod's Roméo et Juliette with the Tel Aviv Summer Opera Program and Cedar Rapids Opera's production of Puccini's Tosca. With the Indiana University Opera Theater, he collaborated in productions of Roméo et Juliette, Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, and the world premiere of Shulamit Ran's Anne Frank. Deven currently resides in Erie, Pennsylvania.

View Full Profile
avatar

Tzu Kuang Tan

piano

ABOUT
Fellow
2022, 2024
Age
28
Birthplace
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
School
University of Texas, Austin
Compeers
Mari Warner
Scholarship
Walter and Holly Thomson Foundation Scholarship

Tzu Kuang is a returning 2022 Music Academy alum who is earning a doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin in the studio of Tamar Sanikidze. He was named winner of the 2022 Marilyn Horne Song Competition alongside Joanne Evans, whom he still performs with. In 2023, he participated in Carnegie Hall's Song Studio and Cincinatti Song Institute's Fellowship of Song. He has also served as coach for University of Texas productions of Tan Dan's Tea: A Mirror of Souls and Poulenc's La voix humaine.

View Full Profile

All Festival Events Template

SUMMER FESTIVAL TICKET OFFICE

Series subscriptions on sale Apr 10 / Individual tickets on sale May 1

CARSEY TICKET OFFICE
805-969-8787 
HOURS: 10 AM-5 PM
BY PHONE ONLY: Weekdays APR 1 – JUN 4
OPEN IN PERSON: Weekdays JUN 5 –AUG 2

Questions? Please email TicketOffice@musicacademy.org

If you are unable to attend, call the Ticket Return Hotline at 805-565-5400 at least 24 hours prior to the event to donate your tickets back as a tax-deductible contribution.

ORDER ONLINE any time at staging.musicacademy.org

View all available subscription packages and special events at staging.musicacademy.org/subscriptions

EARLY TICKET SALES ACCESS is a benefit for members of the Vivace Donor Society.  Learn more at staging.musicacademy.org/support

Share This Page
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Email

SUBSCRIBER EARLY ACCESS

{{EVENT_TITLE}}

One of the most valuable benefits of subscribing is early access to our signature special events.
You must be logged into your account to gain early access.

Once logged in, if you have access to book the subscriber early-access event below, you will be prompted to choose your seats. Otherwise, you will be able to book this event on the single ticket on-sale date.