Maryland Concert Opera

For its third and final concert of the 2007-08 season, the Maryland Concert Opera presents the husband-and-wife singing duo, mezzo soprano Deidra Gorton and tenor William Gorton, with Noel Lester at the piano, in an afternoon of Romantic opera arias and duets. 

The first sample is from “Alfredo! ah tu il vedesti…Parigi, o cara” from La Traviata, Act III (Giuseppe Verdi, 1813-1901)

The second sample is from “Ah! mon courage m’abandonne!...je t’aime!” from Werther, Act III (Jules Massenet, 1842-1912)

The third sample is from  “C’est toi!...c’est moi!” from Carmen, Act IV (Georges Bizet, 1838-75)

The concert, entitled “Falling in Love,” will feature operatic favorites by Bizet, Rossini, Massenet, St. Saëns, and Verdi on Sunday, June 8 at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary of Grace United Church of Christ, 25 E. 2nd St. in Frederick.  Tickets are $20 general admission and $10 for students and seniors; 50% of the ticket proceeds will benefit Grace Church’s ministries to the hungry and homeless.  Corporate sponsors for the event are Brewer’s Alley of Frederick and Noelker and Hull Associates, an architectural firm in Chambersburg, PA.

 Deidra Palmour Gorton has earned popular and critical acclaim as one of America’s finest interpreters of lyric mezzo roles, including Cherubino in “Nozze di Figaro,” Orlovsky in “Die Fledermaus,” and the title roles in “Carmen” and “La Cenerentola.”   She has appeared with such American companies as Washington National, Houston Grand, Dallas Opera, Cleveland Opera, Baltimore Opera, Greater Miami Opera, and many others and, internationally, has been heard in Nice, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and elsewhere.  She has also sung a number of soprano roles, to great acclaim, including the title role in “Salome,” Brünnhilde in “Die Walküre,” and the Chrysothemis in “Elektra.”  As a concert soloist, she has appeared with the major symphony orchestras of Washington, Houston, Baltimore, Atlanta, and others, and has sung in Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls at Lincoln Center, and Philadelphia’s Academy of Music.  An active pedagogue, as well, Ms. Gorton has taught at Baylor University, the AIMS Vocal Institute in Graz, Austria, Hood College, and, for five years, the Peabody Conservatory of Music.  She has recorded for Koch International Classics and Centaur Records.

William Gorton, tenor, has performed extensively on the West Coast and in numerous engagements throughout the USA and Europe.  He has appeared with Opera Pacific, Festival Opera, Sacramento Opera, Orchestra X of Houston, Opera Santa Barbara, and the Opera Center of the San Francisco Opera.  His roles have included Don José in “Carmen” and Pinkerton in “Madama Butterfly.”  He has recorded with the Russian National Orchestra.  As an oratorio singer, he has performed the tenor solos in Handel’s “Messiah,” the Verdi and Mozart “Requiems,” Beethoven’s “Missa Solemnis,” and Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion.”   Gorton is also a skilled conductor and composer.  He currently serves as Director of Music at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church in Ashland, Virginia, as well as the Artistic Director of the Central Virginia Masterworks Chorale.  His compositions include numerous art songs for voice and piano as well as liturgical works.  Deidra and William Gorton make their home in Montpelier, Virginia.

Pianist Noel Lester is a Professor of Music at Hood College, as well as being the Artistic Director of the Maryland Concert Opera and Director of Music at Grace UCC Church in Frederick, MD.  He has had an international career as a concert pianist, including performances in Carnegie Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the Los Angeles County Museum, and numerous college and university series.  He has toured Europe numerous times, including performances in Paris, Hamburg, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Krakow, Maastricht, Tokyo, and many others.  A Peabody trained pianist, he has recorded more than a dozen CDs for the Centaur, Elan, Koch International, RWYA, and Sonora labels.  Lester is the Artistic Director and pianist for the Hood College Summer Chamber Music Festival, which will soon begin its 24th season in July.

The Maryland Concert Opera, founded in 2006, has presented several complete operas, as well as a young artists concert and an all-Mozart program.  Next season’s offerings include an all-Verdi concert and “Die Fledermaus” in concert.  A unique feature of the company is that it donates at least 50% of its proceeds to Grace Church to support their humanitarian efforts , including Advocates for Homeless Families, Habitat for Humanity, the Soup Kitchen, the Linton Cold Weather Shelter, and City and County Food Banks.  To date, the MCO has donated more than $3,000 towards this end.

For further information about the Maryland Concert Opera or the concert on June 8, please call 301-694-6041 or email Noel Lester at nlester@hood.edu.