On Thursday, May 6, Heritage Presbyterian Church and Aldersgate United Methodist Church sponsored a benefit concert for United Community Ministries. The concert featured performances by internationally acclaimed vocalists Robert Hale, Julie Davis and pianist Ovid Young.
Hale has blazed a career as one of the most esteemed heroic baritones of this decade, specializing in larger than life roles such as Wotan, leader of the gods in Richard Wagner's Ring series, and the Dutchman in "The Flying Dutchman." Considered the Wagnerian bass baritone of choice in European opera houses, where he sings regularly at Vienna State Opera, London's Covent Garden, La Scala Milano, Theatre du Chatlet Paris, Munich State Opera, Deutsche Oper Berlin, The Bolshoi Moscow and Hamburg State Opera. He returns to the United States for performances in such venues as New York's Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Cleveland's Severance Hall and the Hollywood Bowl.
Texas native Davis, a lyric soprano, has an active concert and stage career, performing with regional orchestras and opera companies. In 2009, she won the Naftzger Young Artist Competition, hosted by the Wichita Symphony. In 2008, she was selected as a finalist in the Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition and named Singer of the Year at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Conference in Oklahoma City. In 2007, Davis placed first in the MET Tulsa Competition, the Benton-Schmidt Scholarship at the University of Oklahoma, and the Voice Division of the Wichita Symphony Naftzger Young Artist Competition.
<i>Publishers of 15 weekly newspapers in Suburban Washington:
Alexandria Gazette Packet, Arlington Connection, Burke Connection, Centre View North, Centre View South, Great Falls Connection, Fairfax City Connection, Fairfax Station/Laurel Hill/Clifton Connection, Herndon Connection, McLean Connection, Mount Vernon Gazette, Potomac Almanac, Reston Connection, Springfield Connection, Vienna Connection</i>