Even more exciting is the opportunity to hear the Chorale perform at two different venues. On Friday evening (7:30 p.m.), November 13, we will sing at Catalina United Methodist Church. Then on Sunday afternoon (4:00 p.m.), November 15, we’ll sing at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Mezzo-soprano Kristin Dauphinais is highly regarded for her artistry and versatility. She has worked in a variety

of genres including musical theatre, opera, concert, oratorio, chamber music and solo recitals. Her performing career has taken her throughout the United States as well as internationally with tours in Italy, China, Australia and additional concert performances in Germany, Spain, Austria and Luxembourg. As an orchestral soloist, Dr. Dauphinais has been often featured in works by Manuel de Falla including Siete canciones populares Españolas, El amor brujo and El sombrero de tres picos with orchestras such as the Phoenix Symphony, Tucson Symphony the Southern Arizona Symphony, and the Catalina Chamber orchestra. Additional performances as a featured soloist with orchestra include Alban Berg’s Sieben Frühe Lieder with the Arizona Symphony, Mozart’s Exultate, jubilate with the Apperson Strings and again with the Cadillac Symphony Orchestra, and Easy to Love – a review of Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Jerome Kern with the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra as well as Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Requiem, Mendelssohn’s St. Paul, Haydn’s The Creation, and Handel’s Messiah, narrations with chamber orchestra in William Walton’s Façade, and Stravinsky’s A Soldiers Tale.

On the operatic stage, her recent roles include Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Hänsel in Hänsel und Gretel, Mrs. McLean in Susanna, Zweite Dame in Die Zauberflöte, Farnace in Mitridate Re di Ponto, the title role in Handel’s Xerxes,  and the role of Ottone in the American professional première of Vivaldi’s Ottone in Villa for the 2007 Arizona Vivaldi Festival.

Ms. Dauphinais graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a BFA in musical theatre performance from the Lee Harvey Honors College at Western Michigan University, and earned Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in vocal performance from Arizona State University. She has served on the voice faculty of the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS) in Graz, Austria and currently serves on the voice faculty at the Saarburger Serenaden-International Music Festival in Germany and is the chair of vocal studies at of the University of Arizona.

Upcoming performances for Ms. Dauphinais include The London Song Festival, The Tucson Song Festival, Carneggie Hall, Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, Saarburg Serenaden (Germany) and the Oaxaca Opera Festival (Mexico).

Paula Fan and Rex Woods, keyboard

Concert I: Saturday, October 17, 4:00 p.m., Crowder Hall, $Free
Berio: Opus Number Zoo (Arizona Wind Quintet)
Adams: Road Movies (Joanna Park, violin)
Bernstein: Arias and Barcarolles (Kristin Dauphinais, mezzo-soprano; Andrew Stuckey, baritone; Rex Woods & Paula Fan, piano)

Liz is a regular soloist with Austin Opera, The Austin Symphony, Austin Chamber Music Center, Austin Classical Guitar Society, and Chorus Austin.  Each year, Ms. Cass travels to Guatemala City and Antigua, Guatemala to perform Handel’s Messiah.  Dignitaries from all over the world come together for these events in which proceeds benefit various educational efforts throughout Guatemala.

Ms. Cass founded LOLA – Local Opera Local Artists in 2014 with Artistic Producer, Rebecca Herman.  LOLA is a professional opera company dedicated to keeping the art form alive by utilizing local Austin, Texas talent in new and innovative productions.  LOLA’s first opera was the first ever all-female version of Puccini’s La Bohème titled La Femme Bohème.  LOLA has been nominated for and has won 3 Austin Critics Table Awards for La Femme Bohème.  For more information visit LOLAaustin.org.

Liz’s Recent engagements include the role of Carmen in LOLA’s production of Cabaret de Carmen, and Marcello in LOLA’s production of La Femme Bohème.  Liz recently sang the alto solos in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with Chorus Austin, and was the soloist in Manuel de Falla’s El Amor, Brujo with the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to her return to Guatemala for Handel’s Messiah, Ms. Cass’s upcoming schedule includes The Damnation of Carmen with Lawrence Opera Theatre, Austin Opera Gala Concert featuring works by Wagner and Strauss, Handel’s Messiah with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and a remounting of La Femme Bohème with LOLA.  Liz has concert engagements on the horizon with Carla McElhaney of Revel and Patryce King.  Ms. Cass will be performing the premier of an opera centered on the life of Pancho Villa written by award winning composer, Graham Reynolds. This opera will be performed in Marfa, Texas in the fall of 2016.

Liz Cass is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music.  She began studying with Inci Bashar at UMKC in 1997, and continues studying with her to this day.