Connecticut Master Chorale

In a recent Messiah concert, the Monadnock Ledger of New Hampshire reviewed; "Soprano Louise Fauteux shone. Her technique allowed her to float on a glorious high note and then turn up to an even higher embellishment without strain or forcing or losing the very musical line. She showed a strong concept of the text and music or her airs, which she communicated beautifully." Ms. Fauteux has been in demand for many concerts over this past year such as Mozart's Coronation Mass, Dvorak's Te Deum, and Rutter's Mass of the Children (Connecticut Master Chorale), arias from Faust (CT Concert Opera), Bach's St. John Passion (New Haven Oratorio Chorale), Handel's Messiah (Arcadia Players, Monadnock Chorale) and Haydn's Creation (New Haven Chorale). She recently completed a year as Resident Artist for Dicapo Opera in New York City, understudying the role of Violetta. Last summer she toured Venice with Dicapo as their soprano soloist for several concerts of the Vivaldi Gloria and Mozart's Requiem.

While preparing her Master's Degree at Westminster Choir College, Louise Fauteux was a featured soloist at Lincoln Center in Peer Gynt with Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic. Awards and honors include a fellowship with the Carmel Bach Festival, national semifinalist for the MacAllister Awards, semifinalist in the Bethlehem Bach Competition, and the Highwood Scholarship from the Connecticut Opera Guild.

Colleen Callahan, mezzo-soprano, recently performed the role of the Woodpecker in Jancek’s The Cunning Little Vixen at the Wheeler Opera House, Aspen, CO, under the direction of Federico Cortese. Ms. Callahan has also performed such roles as Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro (UCONN Opera), Hansel in Hansel und Gretel (UCONN Opera), Rosine in Signor Deluso (UCONN Opera), and Pitti-Sing in The Mikado (Mansfield Opera). In concert, Ms. Callahan had performed in Schubert's Magnificat in C at the Quick Center for the Arts, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms with the Fairfield Chorale, and Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass with Con Brio. Ms. Callahan was also a featured soloist in a lecture given by Alan Forte, Yale University, on American standards. Ms. Callahan has been a winner in the Amici Vocal Competition sponsored by Opera Theater of CT, and the Connecticut NATS vocal competition. During the summer of 04’ and 05’, Ms. Callahan has been a performer at the Aspen Music Festival where she studied with Edward Berkley and Kenneth Merrill, both from the Julliard School, and Suzanne Mentzner from the Metropolitan Opera. A resident of Fairfield, CT, Ms. Callahan received her Bachelors and Masters degree in voice from the University of Connecticut.

Richard Slade, tenor,conductor, and teacher, is a versatile artist, equally at home on concert and operatic stages. As a member of The Western Wind, America's pre-eminent a cappella vocal ensemble, he tours extensively and is featured on their new Public Radio special and CD, "Holiday Light." His conducting career is flourishing, with his new appointment as Music Director of The Sound Shore Chorale in New Rochelle joining his existing positions directing the choirs of the First Unitarian Society in Hastings and Sutton Place Synagogue in New York City.

He has sung Tamino in The Magic Flute across New York state, from the Smith Opera House in Geneva to a tour with the Long Island Philharmonic. He has been a regularly featured singer at the Caramoor Festival, with appearances in La gazza ladra, Lucrezia Borgia, and Il pirata. He participated in the Samuel Barber festival at the Kaye Playhouse and was featured on the McGraw-Hill Young Artists Showcase on WQXR. He has performed in rare revivals of important works such as Donizetti's Gianni di Parigi and Martin y Soler's Una cosa rara at the Vineyard Opera, and in Opera Manhattan's productions of Fauré's Pénélope, Hahn's Le Marchand de Venise, and Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites. In the 150th anniversary performance of The Bohemian Girl at the Kaye Playhouse, he sang the role of Thaddeus. He made his Town Hall debut in Paisiello's La molinara, and his Bronx Opera debut as Eisenstein in Fledermaus.

In the world of operetta he has performed in Iolanthe, Princess Ida, and Utopia, Limited with New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, and a duet cabaret show, Oh Love, True Love! or The Lass That Lov'd a Tenor, with his wife, soprano Cynthia Reynolds. His concert appearances include the title role in Händel's Judas Maccabeus, and the tenor solos in Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Dvorak's Stabat Mater, as well as Händel's Messiah and many of Bach's cantatas. For the 2003-04 season he was artist-in-residence with the Long Island Choral Society, singing as soloist on all of their concerts. Mr. Slade is very much at home on the recital platform—not only does he sing a wide range of classical art songs, but he specializes in the parlor repertory of the Victorian era. In June of 2000 he saved the show at the Caramoor festival by learning and performing Schumann's Spanisches Liebeslieder on three hours' notice, substituting for an indisposed colleague. He maintains a private voice studio, teaches at Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY, and specializes in imparting the almost forgotten arts of florid singing.

Mr. Slade received his BA from Yale University and his MM from New England Conservatory. He was an apprentice with the Des Moines, Sarasota and Maine Opera companies. He has toured the U.S. and Europe with the Yale Whiffenpoofs, the New York Ensemble for Early Music, the New York City Opera, and the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players.

Kevin Grace, baritone, is becoming a familiar presence on the regional opera and oratorio stages. In the past year, Mr. Grace has performed eight roles with a variety of opera companies. Recently, Mr. Grace made his New York City Opera debut as Happy in their production of La Fanciulla del West. His other most notable roles are Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia) Delaware Valley Opera, Ben (The Telephone) New Rochelle Opera, and Morales (Carmen) Boheme Opera and Bellayre Music Festival. The River Reporter described Mr. Grace as “a rich baritone who sailed through the famous role of Figaro.” In addition to his opera experience, Mr.Grace is equally at home on the concert stage. In recent history, he has performed such works as Carmina Burina with Middletown City Chorale, Faure’s Requiem with both The Stonewall Chorale and The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, and Durufle’s Requiem with Ars Musica Chorale. Mr. Grace’s upcoming roles include Schaunard (La Boheme) with New Rochelle Opera, cover for Marchese/Barone (La Traviata) at the Caramoor International Festival, and Elder Ott (Susannah) with Boheme Opera in the spring of 2006. Mr. Grace is Currently studying voice with Marlene Delavan.