Opera Night

On April 19 at 7:00, historic St. Ann Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, will present a concert featuring mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh, baritone William Stafford, and the Contrast Duo. This performance will include four arias from 3:16, a new opera.

“3:16 is an inspirational story of redemption and transformation, loosely based on the real-life experiences of a United States Army chaplain. The young Mary Raven runs away from a harsh and unloving father, only to discover that the outside world is even crueler. She grows up to be Lieutenant Mary James — steely on the outside but unable to overcome her intense anger and guilt… until she has a miraculous experience that changes everything.

“The opera is full of the sheer beauty, lush harmonies, and emotional depth of Romantic-era music but also has a breathtaking style all its own. The music is a collaboration among some of today’s most exciting composers — including esteemed opera composer Theodore Christman; military veteran and award-winning composer Gary Vincent Koda; accomplished mezzo-soprano and composer Vita Koreneva; award-winning composer Akihiro Masuda; acclaimed orchestral composer Stéphane Tesan; and Jeff Shankley, not only a brilliant composer but also a legendary actor who performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered roles in Cats and other musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Each composer has something special to offer, and all of their music comes together to form the arc of a story with a joyous ending that will lift your eyes to hope.”

—Susan Conti, librettist

Ms. McIntosh, Mr. Stafford, and the Contrast Duo will perform additional arias, instrumental music, a duet, and musical settings of four Bible passages. The living composers whose music will be featured are:

Theodore Christman
John J. Lucania
Akihiro Masuda
Hugo Antonio Miranda
Patricio Molina
Jeff Shankley
Harrison Sheckler
Stéphane Tesan

Admission is free, but donations will benefit the church.

Historic St. Ann Catholic Church
310 North Olive Avenue
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401

About the performers:

Praised for her “prodigious vocal skills” (Voce di Meche) and “abundant vocal and dramatic technique, with no shortage of soaring high notes and flexible roulades” (OperaWire), Madison Marie McIntosh made her Carnegie Hall mainstage debut as the mezzo-soprano soloist in Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living. She won The American Prize in 2020 and has performed roles with opera companies such as Caramoor, the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Teatro Nuovo, Sarasota Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, and the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice. Later this season, she will perform in Florida Grand Opera’s concert Zarzuela por el mundo.

Baritone William Stafford has performed leading operatic roles with such prestigious companies as The Palm Beach Opera, The Gold Coast Opera, The Greater Miami Opera, The Young Patronesses Of The Opera, and The South Florida Opera Company. He has also sung the major bass/baritone oratorio solos with The Columbus Symphony, The Virginia Symphony, Virginia Pro Musica, The Delray Beach Chorale, The Bel Canto Singers, The Greater Palm Beach Symphony, and The Port St. Lucie Chorale and Orchestra.

The Contrast Duo (violinist Yasa Poletaeva and pianist Darren Matias) is a renowned and critically acclaimed ensemble based in the United States with a growing international concert career spanning four continents. They recently won 1st prizes at Liszt-Garrison International Music Competition, the Lyric Chamber Music Competition, John Oliveira String Competition, became finalist at the Carnegie Hall Fellowship, and have received grants from private donors in South Florida and the National Society of Arts and Letters. Their growing artistic pursuits have yielded to performance art collaborations with various artists and musicians. The Contrast Duo is about exploring the depth of humanity and spirituality through music. Their ongoing projects have been supported by individuals with the intent to innovate recital experiences and music education.