KIRBY BURGESS, SOPRANO
Soprano Kirby Burgess’ interest in singing came from a fascination with sound itself, and the innate expressivity of the human voice. A student in Bard College Conservatory’s Graduate Vocal Arts Program, where she studies with Lorraine Nubar, Ms. Burgess has recently worked on projects such as Kurtág’s Kafka-Fragmente, Weill’s Seven Deadly Sins, and Menotti’s The Medium. Past stage credits include the role of Amalia in She Loves Me and The Dew Fairy in Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, both with Furman University Opera Theater. In 2020 she was set to portray the title role in Cendrillon, but alas, COVID intervened. With Furman Singers and the South Carolina Bach Choir, she has performed as a soloist in Haydn’s Creation, Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Requiem, and Mozart's Missa Brevis. Ms. Burgess looks forward to finding ways to bring the thoughtfulness and intentionality cultivated by a year of socially-distanced performances to post-pandemic audiences.
MELANIE DUBIL
Mezzo-Soprano
Mezzo-soprano Melanie Dubil strives to contribute to experiences in which the world of opera can be relatable, accessible, and cathartic. She has explored this through operatic scene work including Le Nozze di Figaro, Cendrillon, Falstaff, Der Rosenkavalier, Carmen, L'Etoile, The Beggar's Opera. Most recently, Melanie sang fragments of Kurt Weill’s 7 Deadly Sins as Anna I, and Menotti’s The Medium as Ms. Nolan. Melanie is also recognized for her work in musical theatre, and was recently awarded an Emerging Artist Award in the 2020 Lotte Lenya Competition. She also recently starred in a virtual production of 110 in the Shade with the Chautauqua Institute of Music. A graduate of Manhattan School of Music, Melanie is completing her master’s degree from Bard College Conservatory’s Vocal Arts Program.
SAMANTHA MARTIN, SOPRANO
Samantha Martin is a second-year soprano at Bard Conservatory’s Vocal Arts Program. Samantha is an avid supporter of new music and has recently appeared in a performance of Georgy Kurtág’s Kafka-Fragmente with the VAP, and previously as well as a soloist in concert with the Crane Wind Ensemble performing a work by James Mobberly. She has also performed works by Julianna Hall, John Musto, Michael Csányi-Wills, Libby Larsen as well appearing in the world premiere of Tom Cipullo’s Mayo as Miss Goodrich and Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Additional opera credits include Monica in Menotti’s The Medium in 2021, Lauretta in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Buoso’s Ghost by Michael Ching and Laurie in Copland’s The Tender Land. Recently she was named the winner of Bard Conservatory’s 2020 Concerto Competition and was a featured recitalist at the 2021 Bard Music Festival’s Nadia Boulanger series: Nadia Boulanger and Her World.
CHEWON PARK, PIANO
Pianist Chewon Park is a collaborative piano fellow at the Bard College Conservatory of Music. She has been playing and performing piano since age three. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music from Yeungnam University , where she studied with Gyula Kiss Junie Cho and Vladimir Shakin, as well as a second Master’s degree and Graduate diploma from New England Conservatory, where she pursued advanced study of chamber music and collaboration with Pei-Shan Lee, Lisa Saffer, Bradley Williams and Ayano Ninomiya. During her NEC years, she performed at the 150th Anniversary Chamber Gala, and was chosen for the outstanding Piano Trio. She was also invited to the Annual Fenwick Tribute Concert as well as to the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and a staff pianist at Conservatory Audition Workshop. She got invited as a full scholarship piano student for SongFest and Tokyo International Vocal Arts Academy.