Ensemble Calandra
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SARAH MOULTON FAUX is an accomplished opera singer and concert soloist who, “sings with agility and thoughtful shape to her phrases” – Courier Post. She has a particular affinity for Baroque and Contemporary repertoire. In December 2010, Sarah made her debut with the Symphony in C Orchestra as the soprano soloist in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater opposite Anthony Roth Costanzo, counter-tenor under the baton of Rossen Milanov. She recently formed the early music group Ensemble Calandra with Christa Pehl, traverso and Wendy Young, harpsichord. Other concert soloist credits include, Handel’s Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day with Ton Koopman and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at Zankel Hall, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater for the Holy Apostles Sacred Music Series, understudying Julianne Baird in the U.S. Premier of Zelenka's Missa Votiva with Crescendo Berkshires, Vaughn William’s Mass in C Minor with Westminster Symphonic Choir, and Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate at the historic St. Mauritius Church in Zermatt, Switzerland on New Year’s Eve, 2009.
This love of early music extends to the operatic stage. In March 2011, Sarah sings Oberto in Handel’s Alcina with Pocket Opera of New York. Prior credits include Almirena in Handel’s Rinaldo with New York Opera Forum, Rosine in Les Jeux de l’Amour a compilation piece including music by Lully and text by Moliere sung with the McGill Baroque Orchestra, Octavio in Campra’s L’Europe galante and 1st Witch in Dido and Aeneas with the Amherst Early Music Festival.
Sarah made her New York City Opera debut in April 2008 as the Pink Sheep in Candide. Her contemporary credits include two workshop performances with American Opera Projects (The Judgment of Midas and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead), soprano soloist for the U.S. Premier of James Whitbourn’s Son of God Mass with the Westminster Symphonic Choir, Elisa in Hector Armienta’s River of Women, as well as numerous collaborations and premiers with the esteemed composer and performance artist, Tristan Perich.
A graduate from Barnard College in East Asian Studies (magna cum laude/departmental honors), Sarah holds a Master of Music in Vocal Performance & Pedagogy from Westminster Choir College. She currently studies voice with Nova Thomas and coaches with Julianne Baird, Daniel Beckwith and Ted Taylor.
NICHOLAS TAMAGNA is a countertenor, phonetician, and voice pedagogue from New York City. Tamagna won the Nico Castel International Mastersinger Competition in New York in the male category in Feburary 2011. He was seen as Giulio Cesare in Giulio Cesare in Egitto with Bel Cantanti Opera in Virgina and Baltimore, where his singing was described by Opera Brittania as “a sexy English male alto.” He made his debut performance as Orpheus in Orfeo ed Euridice with Brooklyn Repertory Opera and reprised this role with Opera Memphis in January 2010. Opera Now described him in the role of Orpheus as “exquisite, combining perfect tonal quality with substantial power. His voice soared with piecing [sic] sadness and soothed with a silky beauty, giving a glimpse, perhaps, of why castrati voices became the divos of the Baroque era.” He also created the role of Billy in A Game of Poker, by composer Richard Burke, DMA at the Danny Kaye Playhouse, NY in 2009. Mr. Tamagna performed in the premiere staging performance of A Hunger Art by Jeff Meyers with Center City Opera, PA and was an invited guest performer for Melissa Dunphy’s media-splash modern oratorio The Gonzales Cantata in its Philly Fringe Festival debut in 2009; both pieces he performed again at The Burning Bayreuth Festival at Bard College in 2010 under the direction of Timothy Nelson. He was requested by Nelson to be in the Opera London production of Giulio Cesare in Egitto later that year starring Drew Minter in London, Ontario. Tamagna broke the gender-barrier as the first countertenor to perform the role of Ulrica in Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera with Brooklyn Repertory Opera and with Edgar & Friends in concert version. He has been an invited performer with One World Symphony, singing “Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen” from Mahler’s Rückert lieder. Nicholas Tamagna performed a special New Year’s All-Bach Concert 2010 as the alto soloist in cantata 11 with the Amor Artis Chamber Orchestra and Choir. Nicholas Tamagna performed in December 2010 for the Fairfield Chorale’s performance of Handel’s Messiah as the alto soloist under the baton of maestro Johannes Somary. He was also an invited 2010 young artist with Canadian Operatic Arts Academy in London, Ontario in collaboration this year with Opera London and Maestro Timothy Vernon of Pacific Opera Victoria. He most recently performed a series of educational versions of Humperdink’s Hansel and Gretel with Amore Opera as the witch, and their mainstage run of Die Fledermaus as Prince Orlofsky. Nicholas Tamagna maintains a private voice studio in Manhattan, and is the longtime musical director of Summer Theater Institute in residence at the Juilliard School of Music. He also is the CEM of Counterpoints Publishing LLC, established in 2010, to provide important information, services and products for countertenor voice, career, and repertoire. See counterpointspublishing.com and thecountertenorvoice.com.
To learn more about Nicholas Tamagna, visit www.nicholastamagna.com.
Ensemble Calandra was formed earlier this year through a chance encounter between Mr. Tamagna and Mrs. Faux. On March 18, 2011 they shared the stage at Pocket Opera of New York’s production of “A Night of Baroque Opera,” where they first sang the duet “Io t’abbraccio” from Handel’s 1719 opera, Rodelinda. Almost instantaneously, they realized they had a strong performance connection, based not solely on matching vocal dynamic, but also on musical and dramatic interpretation. Their path was clear. They needed a means to share their passion for the Baroque period with more audiences and to increase general awareness and appreciation of this incredibly rich musical style with its nuances, harmonies and rippling melodies that so inspire them.
Calandra is a name that resonated with both of them as, according to its Greek origin, it means “lovely” or “singing bird.” It is also the name of a type of lark, treasured throughout history for its mellifluous song as it greets the dawn. With Ensemble Calandra they hope to continue researching and performing less well-known repertoire of the Baroque period.
Sarah: Not only do Nicholas and I connect well on stage, but we also share an intellectual curiosity for the Baroque period. I’m truly looking forward to working with him on this project.
Nicholas: Sarah and I have a harmonious blend of passion, vocal instinct, vocal color, dramatic intention, and curiosity for this ornate and intricate period in western music. She is a wonderful partner and I look forward to our work together in Ensemble Calandra’s endeavors.
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