KERA Arts Story Search




Past Events

Mu Phi Epsilon Concert: Celebrating Afro-American Legends Through Song


Dallas Public Library - J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, Fine Arts Division

Mu Phi Epsilon Concert: Kimla Beasley, soprano and Walteria Bethea, mezzo-soprano with Erik Barnes, piano
J. Erik Jonsson Central Library Auditorium, 1515 Young St., Dallas TX  75201
www.muphiepsilondallas.org

Kimla Y. Beasley, soprano, a native Texan, is a product of the Houston Grand Opera's Opera Studio.  She received a BME from Stephen F. Austin State University and a MM from Louisiana State University where she studied with Soprano, Martina Arroyo.  - http://www.kybsongs.com/classical.html

Her opera and concert appearances have included performances with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra and at the Ecole Normale Conservatory in Paris.  Ms. Beasley has also appeared with Naomi Music Productions And Recordings concert presentation of "Voices of the New Millennium II" at The Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall as well singing the role of Marcellina in concert with the International Lyric Academy in Italy.  Major roles include Monica in The Medium, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Despina in Cosi fan Tutte, Sister Genvievre in Suor Angelica, Mercedes in Carmen, Sally in Carmen Jones, Helene in Hin und Zuruck, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, Clara in Porgy and Bess,  Pamina/ Papagena in The Magic Flute, Monica in The Medium and Giulietta in I Capuleti e I Montecchi.

Ms. Beasley also extends her talents to Broadway theater and film, completing a Broadway National Tour of Sunset Boulevard, appearing as Lou Wright in Power Play, Sis Laura in The Member of the Wedding, Liza in My Husband's Gone Mad, Treemonisha/Freddie in Tin Pan Alley Rag, Deena Jones in Dreamgirls, and Benson in Of Thee I Sing.  Film:  Betty in A City Called Heaven.  She has worked with directors Carroll Freeman, Eileen Morris, Dr. Robert Henry & Thomas Carey.  In addition, she has worked with coaches/conductors such as Bob Cowart, Kathy Olsen, Joshua Greene, John DeMain, Vjekoslav Sutej, Christopher Wilkins, Ward Holmquist, Peter Jocoby, Timothy Muffit and Stefano Vignati.

Ms. Beasley currently sings with the Opera On Tap North Texas chapter, is a member of the Mu Phi Epsilon Dallas chapter and appears frequently at Classical Open Mic.  Ms. Beasley desires to keep creating and performing great music and encourage younger generations to do the same.

----
Walteria Bethea has been a professional piano and voice teacher for over 10 years. She has received her Bachelors degree in Music Performance at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and participated in Masters Studies in Vocal Performance from Mercer University. Walteria has also taken additional enrichment courses including special education and music education studies for continuing education in both North Carolina and Georgia. Throughout her music educational career she has won competitions in both the US and Europe, scholarships, and is a member of the professional music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon.

Walteria (Bethea) Caldwell is a professionally trained mezzo-soprano and music educator who tours around the country and abroad. In college, Walteria played professional piano gigs, sang roles in opera scenes, and performed as a lead soloist in the US premiere of "Changed My Name", as well as being one of the soloists for her alma mater's Chancellor's Installation Service. After receiving a Bachelor of Music Performance degree at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (one of the leading music universities in the US), Walteria became a music educator and continued as a church pianist while harvesting a performance career. With successful teaching experience for over 15 years, some of her voice and piano students have branched off into their own careers performing professionally from Las Vegas to New York, winning auditions, roles, and talent competitions in the US with other accolades in under her instruction. Walteria later received music graduate studies from Mercer University, and received extensive knowledge on vocal pedagogy.

Performing in the United States and in Europe (France and Italy) as a classical singer, Walteria has traveled as a frequent concert soloist with various choirs/orchestras for oratorio works such as Bach's Mass in D Minor, Handel's Messiah, Mozart's Mass in C Minor, Bach's Christmas Oratorio Weihnachts-Oratorium, Théodore Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ, and John Rutter's Feel The Spirit. In the field of opera, Walteria has been in several productions as the Mother in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors as well as Hansel and the Gingerbread Witch from Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel. She has performed both of the roles of Carmen and Mercedes from Bizet's Carmen. From Verdi's repertoire, Walteria has sung Azucena from Il trovatore (The Troubadour), Ulrica in Un ballo in maschera (The Masked Ball), Meg Page from Falstaff, and will be performing Amneris in an upcoming concert version of Aida. As a Rossini bel canto singer, Walteria has performed in opera scenes as Rosina from Il barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) and Hedwige from Guilaume Tell (William Tell). From Mozart's operas, she has been featured as Cherubino in Le Nozze di FIgaro (The Marriage of Figaro), in scenes as Zerlina from Don Giovanni, and in staged viewings as both 3rd Lady and 3rd Spirit in Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute). Other roles include scenes as Prince Orlofsky from Strauss' Die Fledermaus, Augusta from The Ballad of Baby Doe, and Dido from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

In concert, Walteria has performed numbers from Handel's Rinaldo, Gerswhin's Porgy and Bess, Marian Anderson for education promotion in history, and Voices Before Mine (tribute to African American women in classical music). She debuted the role of Sylvia in the opera Wading Home (libretto by Rosalyn Story, composed by Mary Alice Rich) which is based off of the successful novel bearing the same title. She is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon and is head of the non-profit foundation  Diversità Opera Company.


----
Erik Barnes began playing piano at the age of six, in Buffalo New York.  He studied with the late Fred K. Hoeffler who was a local musician specializing in current Broadway hits and popular music.  Erik's first paid "gig" was with an inter-racial band named the "Mixed Emotions" in 1967, playing mostly rock and motown hits. At 13 Barnes began more serious studies with Victor Smiley after moving to Seattle.  These studies were purely classical and ultimately led to the succession of degrees in this area, namely B.A. from Yale College 1978 (studies with Ian Hobson), M.A. from Washington State University 1980, and finally doctoral studies at University of North Texas as a teaching fellow with Joseph Banowetz. Eschewing the ivory towers, Mr. Barnes opted for the open ended and sometimes precarious life of a local gigging musician - fifteen years of school was simply enough.  Shortly after 2000, Mr. Barnes decided to try his hand at saxophone.  He says, "If one lives long enough, there is enough time for at least two true loves…."  

Notable performances include a major tour of the United States after college (sponsored by BAWA), appearances with the Symphony of New Mexico, Big Spring and San Antonio, Dallas Summer Musicals, as well as jobs with some of the most accomplished musicians on the planet.

Mr. Barnes lives in Dallas with his wife, Lisa and soon to be teen, Zoey. Together they provide him with the true reason for living, working and playing.


---
Mario E. Sprouse has been active in the arena of music, theater and film for over 50 years. Recently he has been involved with cataloging the massive music/media collection of the for late, legendary, modern Renaissance man Gordon Parks, for whom he was the musical assistant for over 20 years. Mr. Sprouse performed at Mr. Parks' funeral at The Riverside Church in 2006 and at the first Gordon Parks Foundation Fundraising Dinner in 2007. In addition, Mr. Sprouse was the Music Supervisor for three of Parks' films: "Moments Without Proper Names", "Martin - a film ballet" and the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary "Half-Past Autumn: the Life and Works of Gordon Parks." In this latter capacity, Mr. Sprouse worked with late veteran African-American documentary film maker St. Claire Bourne. He also produced Gordon Parks' first CD of original classical music created to accompany his new book "A Star for Noon." Mr. Sprouse is a member of the Board of Directors of the Gordon Parks Foundation.

Mr. Sprouse has provided musical arrangements for several short films, including "Beer Nuts," directed by Lynn Ancona, "Mr. Dangle," directed by Mary Gregory, and "The Bally Master," directed by Gary Beeber. Clips of "The Bally Master," winner of the 7th Annual Coney Island Film Festival for Best Documentary Short, can be seen on YouTube.

Mr. Sprouse has been musical director for a number of theatrical events, including "Black Nativity - a Gospel Song Play" by Langston Hughes (Obie Award winner) - directed by Jesse Wooden Jr., "Lena Calhoun Horne - the Civil Rights Journey of a Negro Woman" - written by Wendi Franklin, directed by Lillie Marie Redwood (2003) and Micki Grant (2011). (Invited to the 2003 and 2011 National Black Theater Festival in Winston-Salem, N. C.) and "The Dark Star from Harlem" - a tribute to Josephine Baker at La Mama Theater in New York City - directed by Glynn Borders. In addition, he arranged and orchestrated the Off-Broadway musical "Take It Easy" written by Raymond Fox and performed at the Judith Anderson Theater. He also produced the original cast album. In 2005 Mr. Sprouse won an award for as the Best Musical Director from Spotlight On Productions for the play with music "…from the front porch" written and performed by Renee Flemings.

Carmen McRae, Hubert Laws, Cornell Dupree, Buster Williams, Freddie Hubbard and Grover Washington, Jr. are some of the jazz artists who have recorded his musical arrangements. Orchestrations and original songs written by Mr. Sprouse have been performed live by Gregory Hines and Phylicia Rashaad.

Currently Musical Director for the blues, jazz and Caribbean band Circular Time. http://www.circulartime.com

PROGRAM:
"Celebrating Afro-American Legends Through Song"

Barcarolle from "Contes d'Hoffman" by JacquesOffenbach    
Kimla Beasley/Walteria Caldwell

Una Voce Poco Fa from the opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Gioacchino Rossini
    In honor of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield    
Walteria Caldwell

Re dell'abisso, affrettati from Un ballo in maschera by Giuseppe Verdi
Der Tod und das Mädchen by Franz Schubert
    In honor of Marian Anderson    
Walteria Caldwell

Dat's Love- Music by Georges Bizet, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
    In honor of Dorthy Dandrige
Walteria Caldwell

Whatever Lola Wants by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler
    In honor of Sarah Vaughan    
Walteria Caldwell

INTERMISSION

Lia's Aria from L'Enfant Prodigue by Claude Debussy
    In honor of Jessye Norman    
Kimla Beasley

"Songs Of A Prodigy" by Mario Sprouse, poetry by Phillis Wheatley    
    Ode To Neptune
    On Being Brought From Africa To America
    Hymn To The Evening 
   
Kimla Beasley

Oh Didn't It Rain African American Spiritual arranged by H. T. Burleigh    
Scandalize My Name African American Spiritual arranged by Sylvia Lee    
    Kimla Beasley/Walteria Caldwell

Premiering a new work by Mario Sprouse on the poetry of Phillis Wheatley - http://www.kybsongs.com/wheatley

Official Site  

Price
  • FREE!


FB ATTENDING HERE
1515 Young Street, 4th Floor · Dallas, TX 75201


SHARE