Guest
Narrator
November
13, 2011
Michael Dixon
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Michael
Dixon has been the host/commentator for the Arizona Opera radio network
since the first broadcast of the 1994-95 season. He has
anchored the
live PBS television broadcast of the San Francisco Opera’s
“Opera in
the Park” with featured guest Placido Domingo, performed with
Peter
Schickele (“PDQ Bach”), and hosted several
television specials with the
San Francisco Symphony. As a narrator, he has performed with
the
Arizona Opera, Phoenix Symphony, Symphony of the Southwest, and the ASU
Symphony.
The son of
a composer, and grandson of a conductor
from whom he received his first conducting lessons, Michael went on to
study both orchestral and choral conducting at the University of
California, and opera direction under John Stone Porter at Arizona
State University. He has conducted the UCR
Symphony, Collegium
Musicum, the High Desert Symphony in its first performance of
Handel’s
Messiah, and both staged and conducted Menotti’s Christmas
opera Amahl
and the Night Visitors. And has served as the Principal
Conductor of
the Scottsdale Symphony.
Most
familiar to Arizona audiences from his work in broadcast media, Michael
enjoys a truly international career. From Phoenix to Fiji, from radio
and television to print, audiences have enjoyed his easy and
informative style in interviews with artists, business leaders,
scholars, and political figures. He has been honored ten
times by the
Arizona Associated Press, and twice by the Arizona Governor’s
office.
Currently,
Michael is the film critic for both Fox 10 television and 92.3 KTAR
radio in Phoenix, where also serves as a news anchor, and host of the
weekly financial program The Smart Investor, and the travel program
Around the World in 60 Minutes. Nationally, he regularly
broadcasts to
44 states and Canada over CBS radio, and he often appears on PBS
television in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and KAET-TV in Phoenix.
Apart
from his public life, Michael holds a Doctorate in Pastoral Theology,
serves on the Ethics Advisory Board of Hospice of Arizona, and holds a
commercial/instrument pilot’s certificate in single and
multi-engine,
land and sea aircraft.
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Guest Artists
December 18,
2011
Ken Goodenberger
West Valley Chorale
The West Valley Chorale is
celebrating its 28th year of providing outstanding choral music to the
area.
A
vibrant community vocal group, the Chorale has been in existence in
the Sun Cities area since 1983.
It was
first formed under the direction of the late H. Ward Bedford as
the Sun Cities Symphonic Chorus, an adjunct to the Sun Cities Symphony
Orchestra Association The chorus became an independent entity in 1989.
Twenty-eight years after its
inception, the Chorale consists of 80
talented singers from the West Valley, many with extensive vocal
training and choral experience. A large number of the members have also
been teachers and professors of music during their varied careers. Some
still work in that capacity. Chorale members are dedicated to providing
beautiful and elegant choral
experiences for the enjoyment of their audiences. All share a love of
music and a delight in being part of the musical instrument that is a
“well tuned chorus.”
West Valley Chorale Artistic Director Ken Goodenberger has been a
prominent member of the musical scene in Phoenix for over 25 years. He
is a well-rounded musician, who is active as a conductor, choral
clinician, voice teacher, actor and singer. All of his musical
endeavors are dedicated to making music of the
highest caliber accessible to students, choirs and audiences.
In addition to his role with the Chorale, Mr. Goodenberger currently
serves as Director of Music at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist
Church in Sun City West, and directs the Shir Ami Choir for Temple Kol
Ami High Holidays. Ken is also an experienced children’s director
and was the ariZoni winning Musical Director of Disney’s Beauty
and the Beast at Theater Works. He has been the director of The Theater
Works’ Youth Works Choir, The City of Phoenix Children’s
Chorus, and the Arizona Elementary All State Choir. As the Music
Director for Showcase Concerts, Ken directs the Royal Renaissance
Singers and OperaTunity.
Ken is also well known to Valley audiences as a singer and in addition
to his abundant performances with OperaTunity and the Royal Renaissance
Singers, Mr. Goodenberger performs The Ken and Brenda Show at Theater
Works, Arizona Broadway Theatre and many other venues on a regular
basis. He sings with the Southwest Palestrina Singers and often solos
with the St. Thomas Aquinas Schola.
Ken has been the featured
Soloist with The Grand Salon Orchestra. He
has been featured tenor with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and the
West Valley Symphony as well as being a featured vocalist for the
Phoenix Sister Cities Chengdu Earthquake Relief Fund Benefit at the
Orpheum Theatre.
In 2002 he recorded Ramirez’ Misa Criolla with Khenany and the
Grammy Award Winning Phoenix Boys Choir, and is an Arizona District
Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Competition. Ken has been a frequent
soloist and narrator with the Phoenix Symphony and was the featured
tenor for the Phoenix Symphony’s first ever sold out weekend of
performances with the magnificently reviewed Broadway Showstoppers. Ken
is currently in rehearsals to play the Narrator and the Mysterious Man
in Into the Woods. He most recently received rave reviews as King
Arthur in Camelot and he was nominated for an ariZoni as Judge Turpin
in Sweeney Todd (all at Theater Works).
Ken maintains a private voice studio and lives in Glendale with wife
Brenda and their eight children.
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Guest Artist
February
12, 2012
Walter Cosand
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Walter Cosand,
pianist, Keyboard Area Coordinator and Professor of
Music at Arizona State University, studied at Eastman School of Music
with Cecile Genhart and Barry Snyder. He also studied with Joerg Demus
in Europe.
He has won several significant awards including the Eastman Concerto
Competition, the grand prize from the International Piano Recording
Competition, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts. He
has been favorably reviewed in the New York Times, the San Francisco
Chronicle, the Arizona Republic, and several music periodicals. He was
the subject of a featured interview in International Piano Korea in
2007.
An experienced recitalist and chamber music performer, he has also
performed thirty different concertos. He has commissioned new works
from William Albright, William Bolcom, David Diamond and Rodney Rogers.
In addition to playing throughout the United States he has performed in
Australia, China, Korea, Canada, Central America, Russia and Europe. In
2004 he played in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City.
He taught classes at Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China in
2006. In May 2008 he served as Visiting Professor at the Universidad
Nacional Autonoma de Honduras.
In summers he is on the faculty of MasterWorks Festival, Winona Lake,
Indiana. He can be heard on ACA Digital, Advance, ARF, Canyon, Centaur,
DPS, JIGU, Koch and Summit recordings. Mr. Cosand is a member of the
international roster of Steinway artists.
More information is available at www.waltercosand.com.
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