Join us for our spring concert featuring Dvorak’s Te Deum!
Saturday, May 18
5:00pm
IMMANUEL ADULT CHOIR
STEPHANIE MEKONEN, DIRECTOR
SHERRY GRAVESON, ORGAN/piano
NATE BUTTRAM, BARITONE
COLLEEN DALY, SOPRANO
JOHANNA HENKE, PIANO
SASHA KANDYBIN, VIOLIN
EMMA STEWART, TIMPANI
Immanuel Lutheran Church
1801 Russell Road
Alexandria, VA 22301
Duration ~ 60 minutes
Parking on Russell Road and surrounding streets
No admission charge; Donations gratefully accepted
PROGRAM
Estrellita (M. Ponce, arr. Heifetz)
Czárdás (V. Monti)
Cantique de Jean Racine (G. Fauré)
Nunc Dimittis (C. V. Stanford)
Magnificat (C. V. Stanford)
Concertino for Two Pianos in A Minor, Op. 94 (D. Shostakovich)
Te Deum, Op. 103 (A. Dvorak)
MEET THE ARTISTS
Nate Buttram is originally from Camdenton, MO (Lake of the Ozarks) and now lives in the greater Washington D.C. area with his wife Emily and daughter Ada. Nate completed his Bachelor of Music-Vocal Concentration in 2014 from Truman State University and received a Masters of Music-Vocal Performance and Literature at the University of Illinois in 2017. He is now a member of the United States Navy Band with their premier chorus the Sea Chanters. Nate has performed several operatic roles, the most recent of which include: Sid in Albert Herring by Benjamin Britten, Nerone in L’incornazione di Poppea by Giancarlo Monteverdi, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Benjamin Britten, Claudio in Beatrice et Benedict by Hector Berlioz, and Gregorio in Romeo et Juliet by Gounod. He has had experience as a soloist in L’enfant du Christ by Hector Berlioz, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, Mozart’s Mass in C minor KV 427, and Bach’s Cantata KV 728. Nate is the primary baritone in the Schola at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria and sings with other choruses in the area as well, including the National Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Choral Society, and Chantry. Nate was a finalist in the Middle Atlantic region for the MET Competition in 2019. He has also been the recipient of many awards including an encouragement award from the Chicago region of the MET Competition in 2016 and multiple awards from the NATS competitions including several 1st place awards in various divisions. Nate was also a National semi-finalist in the NATS competition in 2014.
Hailed for her “mezzo-tinted lower register rising to a wonderful warm top," (The Washington Post) American soprano Colleen Daly skillfully balances engagements on both the concert and opera stages. Recent engagements include Britten’s Turn of the Screw with Opera Baltimore, Mozart’s Così fan tutte with Opera Delaware, Baker’s Wife in Annapolis Opera’s Into the Woods, and joining Baltimore Choral Arts for Carmina Burana. Upcoming this season, she joins the National Philharmonic Chorale (Washington, D.C.) for Beethoven’s C Major Mass, and Annapolis Opera for Cipullo’s Glory Denied.
Widely recognized for her masterful concert performances, in recent seasons she has appeared as the soprano soloist for both Dvořák’s Stabat Mater (Vancouver Symphony) and his Te Deum (Cathedral Choral Society at the Washington National Cathedral), both Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis and Brahms’ Requiem with New York’s Trinity Wall Street, Verdi’s Messa di Requiem with Santa Barbara Symphony and the Bozeman Symphony, Martin’s In Terra Pax with the Grant Park Music Festival, and both Orff’s Carmina Burana and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony with the Washington Chorus at the Kennedy Center. Ms. Daly debuted internationally with the Calgary Philharmonic as Madeline in Philip Glass’ setting of The Fall of the House of Usher and was immediately reengaged for Mahler’s Symphony No. 8.
Colleen’s extensive experience with the concert repertory includes the Requiems of Mozart, Verdi, Fauré, and Brahms; Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Mahler’s Symphonies No. 2 and No. 8; Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony; Poulenc’s Gloria, Vaughn-Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, Rossini’s Stabat mater, and Gorecki’s Symphony No. 3.
An avid recitalist, Colleen presents a wide range of repertoire from sacred song to contemporary works. Colleen was named the winner of Vocal Arts DC’s 2014 Discovery Competition, leading to her presentation of a program curated and inspired by the permanent Phillips Collection Works at the Kennedy Center. Highly regarded in Washington, D.C. circles as a go-to soloist, Colleen has performed for governors, ambassadors, and senators across both aisles. She has also been fortunate enough to perform in private engagements with the Irish, Italian, Austrian, Colombian, and Bulgarian embassies, as well as for religious ceremonies and dignitaries from Argentina and Poland. She has been especially honored to sing for President Joseph R. Biden, Pope Francis, and various members of the Kennedy family.
Equally at home on the operatic stage, recent role credits include the title role in Floyd’s Susannah (Baltimore Concert Opera), Micaëla in Bizet’s Carmen (Tulsa Opera), and Countess in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro (Annapolis Opera). An artist passionate about new opera, Colleen has worked with Beth Morrison Projects in their Prototype Festival, Boston New Music Festival, Urban Arias for a workshop of Cipullo’s Glory Denied, and joined White Snake Projects for the world premiere of Rev. 23. Colleen has enjoyed working under the auspices of Des Moines Metro Opera, Intermountain Opera Bozeman, Maryland Opera, Delaware Opera, Washington Concert Opera, and Charlottesville Opera, and has joined both Washington National Opera and New York City Opera as a cover artist. Her engagements have included a wide repertoire of roles ranging from Mozart to contemporary opera and musical theater, with a special affinity for Romantic repertoire.
Other repertoire credits include: Musetta and Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème; Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni; Leonora in Verdi’s Il trovatore; Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata; Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, and the title roles of Massenet’s Thaïs and Strauss’ Arabella. Ms. Daly looks forward to flexing her chops in both Russian and Czech, with roles from Eugene Onegin, Iolanta, and Katya Kabanova.
Colleen is an avid educator, in demand as a voice coach and teacher for both classical and music theater repertoire. She is the studio manager of Red Bridge Studios at Historic Savage Mill and has taught at several renowned organizations, including Young People's Summer Stock and Young Artists of America. Ms. Daly’s diverse skills in the arts are also demonstrated in her leadership positions, including serving as the Artistic Director of the St. Louis Church Concert Series. Appointed in 2020, Colleen has shepherded the Series through the past two seasons, programming both digital and in-person events to great acclaim, while supporting her local artistic community during the global pandemic.
Sherry Graveson’s passion for music has existed her entire life. She began her piano studies at age five, organ at age ten, and landed her first organist position in her home church at the age of fourteen. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Organ Performance and Music Education from West Virginia University and then furthered her studies at Peabody Conservatory. She is a Colleague of the American Guild of Organists. Sherry joined Immanuel as interim organist in 2018 and full time in 2021. She has been involved, however, in the music program for Immanuel Lutheran School for many years while her children (Matthew and Timothy) were students at Immanuel. Her youngest, Abigail, is a current student at ILS.
Mrs. Graveson enjoys giving solo recitals, professional accompanying, and teaching. She has performed at National City Christian Church (Music at Midday), Washington Civic Symphony, The Master Chorale of Washington, Levine School of Music, Catholic University, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College, M Institute for the Arts as well as numerous military band recitals, and local school systems. Sherry has maintained church organist positions throughout her career. She currently serves as organist, piano and organ teacher at Immanuel Lutheran Church and the associate organist at the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria. Previously she was the organist at First Baptist Church of Alexandria for over twenty years.
Johanna Henke is a Management Analyst with the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. She received her Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University. Prior to attending college, Johanna performed and competed in classical piano for ten years. She made her international debut in France at the age of 15 and has performed with ensembles and symphonies in the United States. She is a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria.
Having his international solo debut at the age of 12, violinist/conductor Sasha Kandybin has been praised as a performer with “soulful bliss and charisma”, Cremona Nazionale. As a winner of numerous competitions including the Cremona International Violin Competition and the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra Competition, among others, he also performed Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto with the Manhattan School of Music Philharmonic Orchestra as a winner of their concerto competition.
Sasha has always been passionately involved in chamber music performance having participated and performed in prestigious chamber music festivals including the Manchester Music Festival as a fellowship performer. In 2019 he attended the National Art Center’s (of Canada) Young Artists Program working and performing intensely with Pinchas Zukerman. He
also participated in the Music@Menlo chamber music festival where he performed with musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Throughout his undergraduate years at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Sasha was part of the Advanced String Quartet Seminar in the Elara Quartet, where they were invited to the prestigious McGill International String Quartet Academy as well as the Juilliard String Quartet seminar and performance series. During his high school years, Sasha received weekly tutelage and collaborated with the Emerson and Escher String Quartets. At MSM, he was part of an award winning piano quintet and performed at Carnegie Hall.
As an orchestral performer, Sasha has been invited as a fellow to the Aspen Music
Festival and the Music in the Mountains festival where he was concertmaster of the chamber
orchestra. His role as a concertmaster extends throughout many ensembles including the
Manhattan School of Music Symphony and Philharmonic, and Rice University’s Symphony
Orchestra. Sasha was also concertmaster for New Jersey Youth Symphony when they won the Summa Cum Laude International Orchestral Competition, performing Rimsky-Korsakov’s
Scheherazade, and Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture without a conductor. He has performed in
venues throughout the world such as David Geffen Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, all three stages of Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.,
Smetana Hall in Prague, the Musikverein in Vienna, the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Bela Bartok Hall in Budapest, and many others.
Also an accomplished and aspiring conductor, Sasha studied orchestral conducting and
orchestration with Jonathan Strasser at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-college, and served as an assistant conductor to the Pre-college Symphony under Nell Flanders. He continued his experience with mentorship and tutelage from Larry Rachleff and Donald Schleicher at Rice University, conducting in workshops with them throughout the country. In the summer of 2022, Sasha received a Festival Prize at the Monteux Festival for conducting a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony. Starting in the 2024/2025 season, he will be an assistant conductor under Maestro David Neely at the University of Maryland and earn his masters degree in conducting.
Sasha attended Rice University where he received a masters in violin performance
studying with Paul Kantor, and received his bachelor degree in violin performance from the
Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with William Preucil, then concertmaster of The
Cleveland Orchestra followed by Phil Setzer of the Emerson String Quartet and Jessica Lee of
TCO as well.
Emma Stewart is a percussionist and pianist currently studying at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She is pursuing a Bachelor’s in Percussion Performance with a minor in Arts Management.
As a performer, Emma currently holds the position of principal percussion with the George Mason Symphony Orchestra. She also performs with the Mason Percussion Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Symphonic Band, Opera Pit, and Steel Pan Ensemble. Outside of the university, Emma performs with the Brass Band of Northern Virginia, American Festival Pops Orchestra, Capital Wind Symphony, and gigs around the Northern Virginia area. She also has an upcoming performance in May with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. Emma’s current percussion studies are led by John Bisesi of the President's Own Marine Band, with prior instruction by John Spirtas and John Kilkenny.
Emma works as a music librarian and school of music ambassador at George Mason. She is also a private lesson teacher, an intern for a non-profit organization called Sound Impact, and an Emerging Artist of the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion.