2010-2011 Season Guest Artists
Frederick Hodges, pianoforte
Hailed by the press as one of the best ragtime pianists in the world, Frederick Hodges is sought after by today‘s foremost orchestras, festivals, conductors, and collaborative musicians. His artistry, virtuosity and charisma have brought him to the world‘s most renowned stages, leaving audiences around the globe captivated.
Classically trained as a concert pianist, Frederick Hodges has established a reputation as a truly versatile artist equally sought after as soloist, singer, guest soloist with the California Pops Orchestra, and dance band pianist with Don Neely‘s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra. His extensive repertoire includes all the best ragtime, stride, and novelty piano solo pieces. He has appeared on national television, radio, and in several Hollywood films. He is also a much sought-after silent film accompanist for both live performances and on DVD. He performs regularly at the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum.
Frederick has participated in many prestigious festivals including in Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, the WestCoast Ragtime Festival, The Blind Boone Festival in Columbia Missouri, the Templeton Ragtime Festival at Mississippi State University, the El Segundo Ragtime Festival, and the Sedalia Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival. His website is: www.frederickhodges.com.
Ann Fontanella, violin
Ann Fontanella began the study of violin at the age of six. Shortly after her tenth birthday, she debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of David Zinman and began private studies with the renowned artist, Erick Friedman. At the age of 14, Ann was one of the youngest artists accepted to the MM/Certificate program at Yale University. Currently, she is an artist with Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, a Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation program.
In addition to her recognition as a virtuoso performer, Ann is also known as a commissioned composer. In 2001 and 2002, she was an award recipient in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Competition. Ann was also featured in a Symphony Magazine article about young composers ("Born to Compose", May/June 2003). Her style has been described as early Romantic by Jung Ho Pak, conductor of the New Haven Symphony, and appeals to a wide range of audiences.
Ann has received numerous awards in violin performance from widely recognized organizations, including the Albert Greenfield Competition, Davidson Institute, and the Virtu Foundation. Recently, she was an invited guest on cable television's "Connecticut Images", on CN8's program "Real Life", and can be heard on PRI/NPR with concert pianist Christopher O'Riley. Her recording of "Wellenspiel" was released in May 2004, on "Palimpsest" (a Yale University publication). Performing in recitals and as a featured soloist with orchestras throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, Ann's repertoire includes all standard works for violin. She has recorded the Beethoven Romances and the Violin Concertos by Tchaikovsky, Max Bruch and Erich Korngold
Ann plays on a 320-year-old Grancino violin with Heifetz's own custom-engineered mute that he used for four decades. Ann is currently writing and developing a new album and studies musicology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is engaged and lives in Philadelphia, PA.
Michelle Todd, soprano
Award-winning soprano and actress Michelle Todd was born in England and studied music at Sheffield University, postgraduate voice and opera at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, and at The Banff Centre, Canada.
As a member of the multi award-winning ensemble Cantamus, she recorded and sang in Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Hungary and Bulgaria. She made her prize winning London recital debut in the Purcell Room followed by solo performances in The Queen Elizabeth Hall and has been guest soprano with numerous ensembles including The Hans Eisler Ensemble and guest ”star singer“ for BBC's Friday Night is Music Night. Her major roles in London theatres include H.M.S. Pinafore, Little Me with Russ Abbott, The Sound of Music with Petula Clark, Twelfth Night and the honour of working with Stephen Sondheim and Dame Diana Rigg on the acclaimed production of Follies. Internationally she has been soprano soloist in the major sacred works of Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, Faure, Resphigi. and most recently Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man. Her operatic performances include Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, Marriage of Figaro, Handel's Xerxes, Gretry's The Jealous Lover and numerous contemporary chamber music theatre works.
After moving to Alberta in 1988, her versatility continued in Canadian theatres with leading roles at The Shaw Festival, The Citadel Theatre Edmonton, Persephone Theatre Saskatoon and Stage West. Favorite leading roles include My Fair Lady, Oklahoma, Cinderella, Master Class, Side by Side by Sondheim, The Guardsman and Move over Mrs. Markham.
She has performed across Canada with the voice and harp duo Amata, is featured voice for numerous commercials and sound tracks, was profiled for Bravo! Television, and is frequently heard on CBC and CKUA radio. As performer, adjudicator and master class voice teacher she represented Canada twice at the Cantai Festival in Taiwan with Ensemble Resonance. Recent seasons include conducting choral performances in Philadelphia, concerts in Kerala India, Dubai, & Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., a recital at Handel House, London and her debut with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in sold out concerts of The Andrew Lloyd Webber Experience.
Her latest recording of sacred arias titled ”Grace Notes“ was nominated for a 2008 Covenant Award. The 2010/11 season includes concerts in Denmark and Rome, her third appearance with the Scarborough Spa Orchestra, England and singing The Tales of Beatrix Potter Suite with orchestra at the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham. In Canada she will perform three concerts with Vancouver Island’s Palm Court Orchestra in February and Paul McCartney’s Ecce Cor Meum with Calgary’s Festival Chorus in April.
For more information and video clips please visit www.michelletoddsoprano.com
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