Jessica Pray Patel, soprano, has been noted for her "exquisite control and warm vocal timbre" (Jacksonville News) and her "indomitable spirit" and "sweet, clear quality" (The Day). Jessica earned a Master of Music in Opera from the Yale School of Music and a BM in Voice from the University of Iowa, performing with the Jacksonville Symphony, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, Yale Symphony Orchestra, and at Carnegie Hall and the Royal College of Music. After two years as a Young Artist with CROT, Jessica had her first lead role as Zerlina in Don Giovanni in 2015 at the Paramount Theatre. In recent years with CROT, she debuted the role of Nan Wood in Strokes of Genius: The Grant Wood Operas and sang Polly in The Threepenny Opera. 2024 performances included the soprano soloist in Elijah with the Iowa City Chamber Singers, the soprano soloist in Elena Kats-Chernin’s Wild Swans Concert Suite with Orchestra Iowa, and a soloist in CROT’s Cabaret Sing-Along. Jessica was also a guest artist in cellist Anthony Arnone’s fall recital, performing Respighi’s Il Tramonto. In December, she will join Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale for Messiah as the soprano soloist. Jessica owned Patel Voice Studio for five years and is currently pursuing her Juris Doctorate at the University of Iowa College of Law.
Jessica Pray Patel
Lauded for her “theatrical magnetism” and “her big, rich voice,” American mezzo-soprano Olivia Vote first joined the roster of the Metropolitan Opera in the 2018-19 season for the first time for productions of Die Walküre, Suor Angelica, and her debut as Countess Ceprano in Rigoletto. She returned to the Met in the 2019-20 season for their production of Akhnaten and was scheduled to cover the role of Charlotte in Werther. Further performances in the season include Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro for Hawaii Opera Theatre. In the previous season, Vote made multiple house and role debuts, beginning with the Inland Northwest Opera as Cherubino followed by the role of Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos with Cincinnati Opera. Recent appearances include her debut with The Atlanta Opera as Mary in a new production of The Flying Dutchman, her role debut as Adalgisa in Norma with Opera Southwest, and her company debut with North Carolina Opera as Maddalena in Rigoletto. On the concert stage, she was heard in Rossini’s Stabat Mater with The Choral Arts Society of Washington, D.C. under the baton of Antony Walker, and in Durefle’s Requiem at The Kennedy Center. Other recent debuts include appearing with Sarasota Opera as Mère Marie in the Dialogues des Carmélites and Nicklausse in Les contes d'Hoffmann with Hawaii Opera Theater. The 2020-2021 season would have seen Ms. Vote as the 2nd Lady in a new production of The Magic Flute and covering Fanena in Nabucco for The Metropolitan Opera. In the 21-22 season, Ms. Vote made her Florentine Opera debut as Maddalena in Rigoletto (rescheduled from 20-21), returned to The Metropolitan Opera to reprise her role as Neferneferuaten in Akhnaten, and to cover and sing one performance as Komponist. In the current season, she joined the Metropolitan Opera for Medea, stepping into the role of Neris for two performances. She will also sing Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. With Santa Fe Opera and Opera Philadelphia Ms. Vote worked on Jennifer Higdon's exciting premiere of Cold Mountain. Also with Santa Fe Opera she participated in the workshop of the upcoming premiere of The (R)evolution of Steven Jobs, by Mason Bates and Mark Campbell in San Francisco. She sang the role of his wife, Laurene Powell. Olivia joined the world renowned Hugo Wolf Quartet from Vienna and performed Respighi's Il Tramonto and selections from Wolf's Italienisches Liederbuch in Massachusetts and New York. She then collaborated with pianist Brain Ganz performing multiple song recitals and later went on to win second place at the esteemed Fort Worth McCammon Opera Guild Competition and first place at the Partners for the Arts, Inc. competition in Virginia. Ms. Vote returned to Opernhaus Zürich to sing Dryade in Ariadne auf Naxos with Fabio Luisi and Flora in a new production of La traviata under Maestro Armiliato. She first came to Switzerland from 2012-2014 for the Internationales Opernstudio at Opernhaus Zürich. Highlights of her performances during this period included singing Fidalma in Il matrimonio segreto, Philomene in Martinů's Zweimal Alexandre, and as a soloist in Hans Neuenfels's new production, Wie ich Welt wurde, a co-production with the Zürich Shauspielhaus about the life of Richard Wagner. In addition, she performed roles in Rinaldo, La traviata, Meistersinger, Salome, and Rigoletto and covered roles in Madame Butterfly, Alcina, La Straniera, and Falstaff. Prior to beginning her time in Zürich, Ms. Vote participated as a Filene Young Artist with the Wolf Trap Opera Company. There she gained critical acclaim for her portrayal of Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni directed by Tomer Zvulum. She also covered the same role for the Los Angeles Philharmonic earlier that spring.
Carey Bostian is the Artistic Director of Red Cedar Chamber Music and cellist in its core ensemble. As an educator and performer, he sees himself as a storyteller, and presents music - new and old - in an innovative cultural and historical context whenever possible. Having premiered and commissioned hundreds of new works, he is committed to promoting the music of living composers. Carey received a BM from The Ohio State University and continued his studies at the University of Iowa, earning a DMA in cello performance w/Charles Wendt, and an MFA in orchestral conducting as the last student of James Dixon.
Carey has been the conductor of the Iowa City Community String Orchestra since 1998 and serves on the Preucil School faculty as a conductor. He also is the conductor of Sinfonia Nolte, the orchestra for the annual production of theNutcracker produced by the Nolte Academy and the Englert Theatre. As the former Principal Cellist of Orchestra Iowa (22 years), Carey left the position in 2015 to pursue his true passion of chamber music as co-director of Red Cedar with his wife, violinist Miera Kim.
Carey came to Iowa in 1993. His first public performance was the premiere of Jerry Owen’s Suite of Colors, a three-movement work for cello and piano. Over the years he has continued to collaborate with Jerry and has programmed his works with many local arts organizations. Carey feels honored and grateful to be part of this special event honoring Jerry, whose boundless love of music and support for other composers and musicians has had such a significant impact on our arts community.
Abbie Brewer is an active pianist and travel enthusiast based in Cedar Rapids. She began studying the piano at the age of 8 in Nebraska. After moving to Iowa in junior high, she began performing as a collaborative pianist and continued this pursuit through high school and three college degrees and to her current position as Velma J. MacMillan Assistant Professor of Music at Coe College. She has been praised for her thoughtful playing as well as for her confident, direct approach to teaching. Abbie is in demand as a pianist in the Cedar Rapids area and maintains a private piano studio.
Thaddeus Ennen, baritone and General Director of Cedar Rapids Opera, holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Louisiana State University, a Master of Music degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Simpson College. He has performed on stages across the country, including Santa Fe Opera, Des Moines Metro Opera, Central City Opera, Pensacola Opera, Knoxville Opera, Fayetteville Opera, Opéra Louisiane, and many others. Notably, Thaddeus was a soloist on the Grammy Award-winning Best Opera Performance of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Mason Bates and Mark Campbell. His recent roles include Germont in La traviata, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte, and the title role in Gianni Schicchi. Beyond opera, Thaddeus maintains a busy concert and recital schedule, while also running a vibrant vocal studio in Cedar Rapids.
Thaddeus Ennen
Miko Kominami
Pianist Miko Kominami is a graduate of the Juilliard School, and she currently enjoys a varied career as a soloist, faculty member at Luther College, and as Principal Keyboardist of Orchestra Iowa. She has concertized extensively throughout North America, including performances in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston, Washington D.C., and Toronto, both as a soloist and a collaborator with other artists. As a concerto soloist, she has been featured repeatedly with Orchestra Iowa, Danbury Symphony, Kishwaukee Symphony, Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra, Symphony of the Potomac, and the Luther College Symphony.
Ms. Kominami gave her New York Solo Debut Recital at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 1996, as a result of winning the Artists International Award. She was acclaimed by New York Concert Review as “both a virtuosic and a musicianly performer.” Other awards include a Canada Council Arts Grant, and First Prize at the 1996 Concerto Soloists’ Competition in Philadelphia. She has performed live on WFMT Chicago, as well as Maine and Iowa Public Radio Stations.
In addition to her solo engagements, Ms. Kominami is a founding member of the Murasaki Duo, a cello/piano ensemble. The Duo has toured Scandinavia, as well as Israel, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. It regularly performs on chamber music series throughout the nation, and has released recordings on the Centaur Records, Delos, and Montgomery Arts House labels. Its recording Duo Virtuoso won the Violoncello Foundation’s Fourth “Listeners’ Choice Award” in 2016. Ms. Kominami can be heard on other recordings released by Delos, Innova, and Fleur de Son Classics.
Olivia Vote
Carey Bostian
Abbie Brewer
Rose Bishop
International prize-winning flutist Rose Bishop enjoys a career as an orchestral musician, pedagogue, and teacher in Iowa. A Trevor James Flute Performing Artist, she has performed across the United States, as well as internationally in Canada, Peru, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia.
She serves as Principal Flute of the Southeast Iowa Symphony, Quincy Symphony Orchestra (IL), Sinfonia Nolte, and was recently appointed Acting Second Flute with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. Equally comfortable in front of the orchestra, Rose has been a featured soloist with more than a dozen orchestras and wind ensembles throughout the Midwest and internationally. She recently commissioned and gave the World Premiere of Alan Theisen’s Concerto for flute and wind ensemble (March 2024).
Equally committed to music education, Rose is the Instructor of Flute at St. Ambrose University, Coe College, Cornell College, and Kirkwood Community College. She is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Eastern Iowa Flute Workshop and the Cornell College Summer Flute Camp. She has performed and presented workshops as a guest artist at multiple National Flute Association Conventions, the Kansas Wesleyan International Music Festival, the Mid-Atlantic Flute Festival, among others.
Rose was recently a featured artist on the Radio Nacional de Peru for the 39th Annual Festival Internacional de Flautistas Lima, Perú. She joined the roster as a Trevor James Alto Flute Artist in 2020, serves on the National Flute Association's Career and Artistic Development Committee, and is the National Flute Association's CREATE Competition Coordinator.
Daniel Kleinknecht
Daniel Kleinknecht is Founder, Artistic Director and Conductor of Cedar Rapids Opera. As founder of CRO, he has led the company in over 70 performances of major operatic repertoire, and under his leadership the company has received eleven National Endowment for the Arts grants, received the Governor’s Award for Excellence, and has established a nationally recognized Young Artist Program that has hired over 800 graduate and undergraduate singers for the program. The company has commissioned several new works -- Too Many Sopranos, Frankenboy, Strokes of Genius: The Grant Wood Operas, and Peggy and Jackson.
Kleinknecht was an associate professor of music at Mount Mercy University where he led the Choir on more than 15 national and international tours; he still teaches several classes there each year. He holds degrees from Oberlin College, Indiana University, and the University of Iowa. He has been on several adjudication panels for the National Endowment for the Arts. Kleinknecht’s articles can be found in the American Choral Review and the Choral Journal.
Kleinknecht has conducted the Long Bay Symphony, Evansville Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Opera Illinois, Orchestra Iowa, Opera Ithaca, Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Singers, the Fort Dodge Symphony, the Hunter Symphony and Hunter Opera Theatre, where he led the New York premiere of Too Many Sopranos at the Danny Kaye Playhouse, New York Chamber Orchestra, and the Iowa City Community Orchestra, and several national tours of Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. The Peoria Journal wrote, “with Kleinknecht at the podium, the sound was wonderfully hall-filling and alive with exceptional power and grace.” The Myrtle Beach Press said “what was most impressive was Kleinknecht…he controlled every aspect of the music.” Live performances have been broadcast regularly on Iowa Public Radio. Productions of Salome and Madama Butterfly have been telecast on Iowa Public Television, and the Salome has been viewed by over 45,000 patrons on the CRO Youtube channel.
