Dazzling Divas

Upcoming performance:

Wednesday March 17th, 2010

at the Bateau Ivre 7-9pm.

with pianist Hadley McCarroll

Le Bateau Ivre Restaurant, 2629 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704 (map)

The Dazzling Divas

San Francisco Bay Area sopranos Eliza O’Malley and Pamela Connelly and Mezzo Soprano Kathleen Moss perform great arias, duets and trios from operas by Bellini, Bizet, Puccini, Verdi, Delibes and more with Conductor Robert Ashens or Pianist Hadley McCarroll at the piano.

Eliza O’Malley founded the Dazzling Divas a couple of years ago when she was asked to perform at the Bateau Ivre in Berkeley for their special music nights.  She gathered her favorite singers and produced a show that delighted the Bateau Ivre patrons.  The Dazzling Divas have since become popular regulars at the Bateau Ivre and are expanding their performances to other venues.

Available for parties and special occasions.

Contact elizaomalley@prodigy.net for rates.

Kathleen Moss, Eliza O'Malley, Pamela Connelly

Moss, O'Malley, Connelly

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES:

Eliza O’Malley

San Francisco Bay Area soprano Eliza O’Malley has performed leading roles throughout Northern California.  Over the past two years, she has performed the roles of Violetta in La Traviata, Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro, Antigone in Mark Alburger’s Antigone, as well as Nedda in Pagliacci.  She also enjoyed giving the premiere of Peter Josheff’s new chamber opera Inferno last June.  She looks forward to singing the role of Suor Angelica in the coming months as well as a one-act opera by Jeff Meyers and an improvised opera by William Crossman.  Companies with whom O’Malley has sung roles include Goat Hall Productions/San Francisco Cabaret Opera, Verismo Opera, The Santa Cruz Chamber Orchestra, Oakland Opera Theater, Berkeley Opera, Solo Opera, BASOTI and Capitol Opera Sacramento.

www.elizaomalley.com

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Kathleen Moss

Kathleen Moss, mezzo soprano, has been recognized as a singer with a “great voice and projection, and a dramatic ability seldom seen on the opera stage.” (San Francisco Classical Voice)

In 2009 Ms. Moss appeared as Carmen in Pocket Opera’s Carmen and Dorabella in North Bay Opera’s Cosi fan tutte. In 2008 Ms. Moss appeared as Judith in Berkeley Opera’s Bluebeard’s Castle, Mrs. Grose in San Francisco Lyric Opera’s production of The Turn of the Screw, and as Maddalena in Rigoletto with Opera San Jose. She also appeared a soloist in the world premiere of Divide Light, a new opera based on the poems of Emily Dickinson.

Other recent credits include: Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Opera San Jose, Polina in Pique Dame with West Bay Opera, Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte, Bianca in The Rape of Lucretia & Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni with San Francisco Lyric Opera, Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro & Suzuki in Madama Butterfly with Cinnabar Opera, Mad Margaret in Ruddygore & Ruth in Pirates of Penzance with The Lamplighters, Boulotte in Bluebeard & Maddalena in Rigoletto with Pocket Opera, Hansel in Hansel and Gretel with Opera a la Carte & covered the role of Anna Hope in The Mother of Us All with San Francisco Opera.

On the concert stage, Ms. Moss appeared most recently as the Angel in The Dream of Gerontius with the Sacramento Choral Society & Orchestra. She has performed as a soloist in the Messiah with the Stockton Symphony and as a featured soloist in the San Francisco Earthquake Centennial Concert, broadcast live on National Public Radio.

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Pamela Marie Connelly

Pamela Marie Connelly has been wowing audiences for over 25 years.  A native of San Francisco, she began her career as a child model.  By her teens, Pamela was an experienced instrumentalist and vocalist, working with a plethora of ensembles in all genres of music; playing saxophone, clarinet, piano, percussion, voice and guitar.  The voice quickly stood out for Pamela, as she was heralded as: “…a voice that is effective and beautiful…” (The San Francisco Chronicle), “Pamela Connelly shines, adding spice and exoticism, playfulness and mysticism…” (The Petaluma Argus Courier), “The high-watt verve of Pamela Connelly…” (The Press Democrat).

Today, Ms. Connelly holds a Master’s degree from The Manhattan School of Music, and a Bachelor’s degree from The San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  She has sung throughout Europe and America with many prestigious opera companies, which include:  New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Santa Fe Opera, San Diego Opera, Los Angeles Opera, and the San Francisco Opera.  Other performing experiences include:  Off broadway productions of Amadeus, comedic and dramatic roles, concert solo engagements, and church work as soloist, cantor, music director and conductor.  Pamela has also received numerous awards,  which include being a three-year regional award winner of The Metropolitan Opera National Council Awards.

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Hadley McCarroll-PIANIST

Known in the US and internationally as a collaborative pianist hailed for her “…lively and exhilarating…” pianism (SF Classical Voice), pianist Hadley McCarroll has worked with the Royal Danish Opera, Utah Festival Opera, SFOpera, and Festival Opera. Under Kent Nagano Hadley prepared  premieres of operas by Elliott Carter and Phillipe Manoury. As a member of the vocal-instrumental trio The Mirage Ensemble, she taught chamber music master classes at Northwestern University, and has taught piano at the San Francisco Community Music Center since 1997. She currently performs chamber music with cellist Monica Scott as part of martha & monica.


Robert Ashens

PIANIST

San Francisco — Bay Area based musician Robert Ashens, whose distinguished career as pianist and conductor has brought him to many world capitols, returns from Vienna and the Czech Republic for this concert.  He concluded six seasons as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Eugene Opera, garnering tremendous critical acclaim for thirteen productions on the Hult mainstage, especially his innovative Hansel and Gretel, creating an unusual realization with Toni Pimble and Eugene Ballet Company. Also of note, his lively lectures and touring production of Little Red Riding Hood were extremely popular, as well as informative.   Newly appointed Artistic Director of Pacific Repertory Opera, he recently founded Opera Oregon, a touring special-projects company, travelling in Oregon and throughout the West Coast.  With a repertoire of over one hundred operas, he has conducted to great acclaim for Regional companies throughout the United States and in many major cities of Europe, especially in Italy.  He has also accompanied many opera luminaries in concert.  Ashens is in constant demand as a lecturer, accompanist and program director for concerts and recitals nationwide. As an educator for over thirty years, Ashens’ unique style and commitment focuses on inspiring people of all ages and backgrounds through his dynamic, energetic and lively presentations of this exciting art form. His lively wit and humor continue to enthrall opera audiences wherever he is.