FIONA CHEN, Soprano

Biography

Fiona Chen was born in Sabah and graduated from Trinity College of Music, London with a GTCL Honour Degree, where she studied with the renowned vocal specialists Elizabeth Hawes and the late Morag Noble. Currently she studies with Patricia Hamilton (Professor of Vocal at Huddersfield University ) and Iris Dell'Acqua (Vocal Consultant for the renowned Decca Record Company).

She has sung the roles of Belinda in Dido and Aeneas (Ariya Opera, Battersea Arts Centre); Singer 1 in John Cage's Europera 5 (Dartington International Music Festival '96) and Adele in Die Fledermaus (All Souls' Opera, Halifax.) Her operatic chorus work included Madam Butterfly and Aida for Raymond Gubbay Ltd at The Royal Albert Hall and tours in the UK . Fiona recently sang the role of Valencienne in The Merry Widow and won 2 nd prize for Vocal Recital at Mrs Suntherland Music Festival 2003. She has made appearances with various choirs singing oratorio solos such as Faure's Requiem; Handel's Messiah ; Bach's Magnificat and St. John Passion ; Vivaldi's Gloria and Pergolesi's Stabat Mater.

Fiona has appeared in master classes given by Richard van Allen, Jill Gomez, Victor Morris, Patrick McGuigan and Caroline Crawshaw. She has performed in various concerts in Britain and in Malaysia , including singing in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales and the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Mahatir.

Fiona is also actively involved in the community music scene in Britain whereby she is a performer for The Council for Music in Hospitals and the ‘Live Music Now!' scheme, which was founded by the late Lord Yehudi Menuhin.

SYLVESTER CHE, Baritone

Biography

Sylvester Che is a graduate of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts where he obtained an Advanced Diploma, a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours degree in voice performance and a Professional Diploma in electronic music. During his period of study, Sylvester also obtained FTCL and LRSM diploma in singing performance and L Mus TCL and LRSM in music theory. He also obtained a Master of Arts degree from The Hong Kong Baptist University in composition.

Sylvester has appeared in many concerts, and many opera productions presented by the Academy, the Provisional Urban Council, the Provisional Regional Urban Council, the Hong Kong Art Festival and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, including Der Rosenkavlie, La Cambiale de Matrimonio, Die Fledermaus, La Vie Parisienne, Le Nozze di Figaro, La Traviata, Rigoletto, Turandot, La Boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Macbeth and the contemporary Chinese chamber opera Night Banque, The Divorce, The Lamp of Everlasting Light.

At present, he teaches music theory at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Programme

Soprano: Fruhlingsglaube by Schubert
Soprano: Les filles de Cadix by Delibes

Baritone: Gia il sole da Gange by Scarlatti
Baritone: An die Musik by Schubert

Duet: Londonderry Air

Soprano: Endless Pleasure (from Semele by Handel)
Soprano: Quando me'nvo (from La Boheme by Puccini)

Baritone: Non pui andrai (from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart)
Baritone: Eri tu (from Un Ballo in Maschera by Verdi)

Duet: La ci darem (from Don Giovanni by Mozart)

15 mins interval

(2nd half)

Duet: It's a Grand Night for Singing (from State Fair by Rodgers &
Hammerstein)

Baritone: If I Love you (from Carousel by Rodgers & Hammerstein)
Baritone: Fair House of Joy (by R. Quilter)

Soprano: Someone to Watch Over Me (from Crazy for you by Gershwin)
Soprano: I Could Have Danced All Night (from My Fair Lady by Loewe)

Duet: All I Ask of You (from The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Weber)

Baritone: (Homeland)
Baritone: (Blessed Calm)

Soprano: (River Chang Jiang)
Soprano: (Forgotten)

Duet: (The Song of Promise)

Date: 30th July 2004
Venue: Mini Theatre, Sabah Trade Centre, Likas
Time: 7:30p.m.

For further information:
Pang Piano Sales and Service Centre (088) 266670
Music Mart (088) 232629
Helen Tseu (088) 437322, [email protected]

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