Seraphic Fire

Musicians

Seraphic Fire is a national “All Star” ensemble of professional singers chosen for their exceptional talent. Seraphic Fire flies these renowned artists to South Florida for intensive rehearsals followed by engaging performance tours.

James Bass, bass-baritone, is Director of Choral Studies in the School of Music at Western Michigan University. He has prepared or assisted in the preparation of choirs for Sir Colin Davis, Sir David Willcocks, Jahja Ling, Michael Tilson-Thomas, and Robert Shaw. As a bass soloist, he has performed with The Florida Orchestra, The New World Symphony, The Calvin Oratorio Society, and the Miami and Kalamazoo Bach Festivals. He has been soloist and performer with Ton Koopman at Carnegie Hall, at Winchester Cathedral in London, sung three world premieres of major works, and appears on CD recordings on the Albany label. Bass is a bass soloist and chorus master for Seraphic Fire, the Miami-based professional choir, and was recently appointed choirmaster for the Classical Music Festival in Eisenstadt, Austria.

Cameron Beauchamp, bass, is in demand throughout the country as a soloist and a chamber musician. He appears this concert season with Boston’s Exsultemus, Austin’s Grammy nominated ensemble Conspirare, Orpheus Chamber Singers of Dallas, Atlanta’s New Trinity Baroque and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. Based in Boston, Cameron also performs regularly with Boston Secession, Schola Cantorum, and at the Church of the Advent.

Misty Leah Bermudez, mezzo-soprano, is a native of Miami, FL, received her Master’s Degree in Voice Performance from the University of Miami. She has performed as a soloist in such works as Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Durufle’s Requiem, and Schubert’s Mass in E flat. Operatic roles include the Katisha in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado and The Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Ms. Bermudez has been a soloist for various arts organizations in South Florida, including the Masterworks Chorale of W. Palm Beach, the Vero Beach Chorale and the Southwest Florida Symphony. Professional choral appearances include performances with Seraphic Fire and Conspirare.

Derek Chester, tenor, is in demand as a performer of opera and oratorio all over North America and Europe. He received his B.Mus. from the University of Georgia, his M.Mus. from the Yale School of Music, and was a recipient of a Fulbright Grant to study in Germany. He is in his fifth season singing with Seraphic Fire, is on the roster of the American Bach Soloists and is a Toulouse Doctoral Fellow at the University of North Texas where he is completing his DMA.

Joshua Copeland, baritone, is in his third season of engagements with Seraphic Fire.  A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Joshua completed his B.Mus. in Church Music at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, before earning his Masters Degree in Voice at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, as well as an Artist Diploma in Opera at the Yale School of Music.  He maintains an active international career as a soloist and chamber musician based in New Haven, Connecticut.  Recent engagements have included annual concerts with the American Bach Soloists, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, a 2009 summer residency as a Britten/Pears Young Artist at the Aldeburgh (UK) Festival, as well as recital and oratorio performances at Carnegie Hall.

Vincent Davies, tenor, received his B. Mus. from the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Vincent is returning for his seventh year of performing with Seraphic Fire. A versatile soloist in both oratorio and opera, his past roles have included Nanki-Poo in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado, and Runuccio in Pucini’s Gianni Schicci with the University of Miami Opera Theater.

Bryon Grohman, tenor, has received international recognition for his performances in opera, oratorio, and concert repertoire.  Mr. Grohman has been a lead performer with Glimmerglass Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Circle of Cleveland, Opera Boston, Opera Europa, Monte-Carlo, the Tanglewood Music Festival and Longwood Opera, Boston.  As a concert soloist, Grohman has performed with the Boston Symphony, the New World Symphony, the Bloomington Early20Music Festival, the Weil Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, the Calvin Oratorio Society, and the Masterworks Chorus of the Palm Beaches.  An accomplished ensemble singer, Mr. Grohman has also been heard with the Handel and Haydn Society and the Santa Fe Dessert Chorale. He holds a doctorate in Vocal Performance and Literature from Indiana University and currently serves as Assistant Professor of Voice and Vocal Pedagogy at Palm Beach Atlantic University.  Mr. Grohman is a native of Hazleton, PA.

Sara Guttenberg, soprano, teaches voice and conducts Concert Choir at Southern Utah University. Sara is also a tenured member of the Organ Bach Festival chorus. Past solo performances include Messiah, St. John Passion, and Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and of Experience.

Suzanne Hatcher, soprano, is a versatile singer who has sung with Seraphic Fire since Season 2.  She holds music degrees from California State University, Stanislaus and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University where she was the recipient of the Cecelia Bartoli Scholarship for Vocal Excellence, as well as having completed the coursework for the DMA from the University of Miami.  Having been on the faculties of several colleges and having performed as a recitalist, chorister, and orchestral/opera singer in over 15 states as well as Scotland and England, Suzanne is currently a freelance artist based in Kansas City.

Abigail Hayes Lennox, soprano, completed her master’s degree in voice at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music in 2007. In addition to participating in master classes with Martin Katz, Stephen Layton, and David Daniels, she has performed as soloist in Bach’s St. John Passion and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri under Simon Carrington, Mozart Vespers with Sir David Willcocks and again with Sir Neville Marriner, Bach’s Magnificat in E-flat Major with Helmuth Rilling, a program of French Baroque music with the Ensemble Européen William Byrd, Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with Apollo’s Fire and Bach’s Weihnachts Oratorium and B minor Mass and Handel, Laudate pueri with the American Bach Soloists. In addition to pursuing a solo career, Lennox enjoys teaching in the NYC area, where she now lives, and engaging in collaborative projects with fellow artists.

Gitanjali Mathur, soprano, was born in India, and immigrated to the United States at the age of 8. She finished her Bachelor, Master, and Performer Diploma degrees in Voice Performance at Indiana University, Bloomington, along with minors in Mathematics and Computer Science. She is fluent in Indian Classical Vocal Music as well. In May 2009, Ms. Mathur was honored to be nominated in the “Best Singer” category for the Austin Critics Table Awards. Ms. Mathur teaches private voice lessons. Along with music, her passion is dance, most recently in the form of salsa and an Indian folk/bollywood dance troupe “Texas Tadka”.

Reginald L. Mobley, countertenor, spent his formative years singing baritone, the tonor before making the switch to alto. Since then, he has performed as a soloist in such works as Carmina Burana, Messiah, Judas Maccabaeus, Dixit Dominus, St. John Passion, many of the catatas of J.S. Bach, and performed the role of Paris in the Florida premiere of John Eccles’ Judgement of Paris under the direction of Anthony Rooley and Evelyn Tubb. He is currently pursuing a degree in voice from Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Stefanie Moore, soprano, has a voice of rare purity and warmth. Her performances have been hailed as “Standout” (San Antonio Express News), “Soothing and lovely” (Austin American Statesman), and “Graceful” ( Santa Fe New Mexican). She currently resides in Baltimore, MD and travels constantly as a concert/oratorio soloist and as a member of Grammy nominated choral group Conspirare.

Kathryn Mueller, soprano, delights audiences in both concert and operatic performances. She has appeared as a soloist with the Washington Bach Consort, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Firebird Orchestra, Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, New Trinity Baroque, and Tucson Chamber Artists. She recently toured Indonesia on a musical Peace Tour with the Swara Sonora Trio. An accomplished ensemble singer as well, Kathryn has sung with the Handel and Haydn Society, the Oregon Bach Festival Chorus, and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale. Kathryn holds music degrees from Brown University and The University of Arizona, and now happily makes her home in Tucson, Arizona.

Stefan Reed, tenor, received his Bachelor of Arts in music from George Mason University and his Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory in voice performance. Mr. Reed is enjoying an active performance schedule as a promising young tenor in Boston, MA. Recent solo engagements include a leading role in an Opera Boston production of Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins, Zadock in Handel’s Solomon and Jonathan in Handel’s Saul both with the Marsh Chapel Choir & Collegium, der Jüngling in Schumann’s Paradise and the Peri and with the Back Bay Chorale, among other appearances. This is Mr. Reed’s third season with Seraphic Fire and he is honored to be a part this tradition of inspired choral performance.

Sam Spears, tenor, is Assistant Professor of Music at Fairmont State University in Fairmont, WV, where he directs the choral ensembles and teaches voice.  He graduated from the University of Miami in 2009 with a DMA in Choral Conducting.  Sam is proud to be one of the original members of Seraphic Fire.

Darrin Stafford, tenor, has been singing with Seraphic Fire for several years now. After teaching elementary school music for nearly 6 years in the Miami area, he went back to school in 2006. He received his Master’s degree in Jazz Vocal Performance at the University of Miami in May of 2008. He’s recently relocated to the Los Angeles area to pursue his career as a singer/songwriter, and is enjoying the west coast immensely. He is honored to have the chance to come back and sing with this wonderful group of musicians again.

Gabrielle Tinto, soprano, received her B.Mus. from Northwestern University, and her M.Mus. from the University of Miami.  Most recently, Ms. Tinto appeared as a soloist with the New World Symphony in a performance of Steven Reich’s Daniel Variations. Gabrielle has been with Seraphic Fire from the beginning contributing to both the artistic and administrative success of the organization.