Rebecca Hellbom, soprano, was born and raised in Västerås, Sweden. She moved to Albuquerque in August 2008, and is currently a student at the University of New Mexico, pursuing a major in vocal performance under the direction of Jacqueline Zander-Wall. She also plays on the UNM Women’s Golf Team, and the Swedish National Golf Team. She has been singing ever since she was little and done various solos. However, singing got more passionate when she got accepted to Fryxellska School of Music for elementary school, which is one of Sweden’s best music elementary schools. With the UNM Opera Studio Rebecca has performed the roles of Dorabella from Mozart’s Così fan tutte, and Marcellina from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro. Besides singing she enjoys travelling, socializing with friends, and listening to music – preferably J. S. Bach, Händel, Diana Damrau or Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. After college she would like to attend Graduate school, and in the future join an opera company. Her dream roles are the Queen of the Night in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and Konstanze in Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio. Rebecca is excited and looking forward to her first Summer Solstice season with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Sarah Ihlefeld, mezzo-soprano, has been hailed as a young singer of great promise. She recently earned her Master of Music degree from Rice University after completing her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California. Ever a champion of early music, Ms. Ihlefeld has performed with the Oregon Bach Festival, Houston Bach Society, Aspen Music Festival and the Salem Chamber Orchestra. Recent operatic roles include Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Santa Fe Symphony, Ramiro in Mozart’s La Finta Giardiniera, Mélisande in scenes from Debussy’s Pélleas et Mélisande, Olga in Weill’s Street Scene, and Eustazio in Händel’s Rinaldo. Ms. Ihlefeld also realized the role of Margaret Truman in the world premier performance of Primiani’s Truman Project for OPERA America. A resident of Santa Fe, Ms. Ihlefeld regularly solos with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Santa Fe Symphony, Polyphony, and Holy Faith Episcopal Church.

Rebecca Knack, soprano, is currently a senior at the University of New Mexico. She is currently studying voice with Jacque Zander-Wall toward the completion of a Bachelor’s in Music Education degree. As a local soloist, Rebecca has had the pleasure of performing at many churches and other venues around Albuquerque. She is excited to have the opportunity to travel to Italy for a second time with Professor Bradley Ellingboe and singers from UNM in May 2010. After graduating in December, she plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Music. She is currently a member of both the UNM Concert and Jazz choirs. This is Rebecca’s debut season with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Renée Motteler, alto,  is a Grammy ® Award winning member of the Los Angeles Chamber Singers & Cappella, who received the award for Best Small Ensemble in 2006 for the album Padilla: Sun of Justice.  She recently moved to Albuquerque from Southern California and is a section leader for the Cathedral of St. John Episcopal Choir. Renée received her Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies with a concentration in vocal performance from California State University, Long Beach in 2006.  Renée has performed all over the world with jazz choirs and as a soloist at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Ozone Jazz Festival, Neuchatel Jazz Festival, IAJE, Cuesta College Jazz Festival, and the Berkeley Jazz Festival, among others. In California, she was the cantor, alto section leader, and assistant conductor at St. Cyprian Catholic Church in Long Beach for 15 years. Renée has been a classroom teacher from elementary up through college age students, teaching vocal jazz, beginning music, choir, band, orchestra, and private voice lessons. She was also a lead/back up singer with the rock groups Gregg Young and the 2nd Street Band and the Gypsy Beggars. Renée has appeared in television commercials and has worked in the studio recording demo tapes for composers of classical, show tunes, jazz, and rock music, as well as recording jingles used commercially. This is Renée’s fifth Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Danielle Myers, soprano, has always been singing. Her musical experience began in music/choir classes from elementary school clear into high school when she decided to make music more than a hobby. She started singing in her church’s choir at 13, and was enthusiastically involved in the choir program at Cibola High School for three years. She sang in the All-State Treble Chorus in 2008. Danielle is currently a sophomore at UNM studying for her degree in Music Education. She sings in Las Cantantes, the only collegiate women's choir in the State of New Mexico, and is very excited about singing her first season in Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Sarah Weiler, alto, is a resident of Santa Fe and performs with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Pro Musica, Canticum Novum, and the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus. Recent solo performances include Bach's Cantata 106 with Canticum Novum, Vivaldi’s Gloria and selections from Beethoven’s Mass in C with the Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus. Other performances include Duruflé’s Requiem, Vivaldi’s Dixit Dominus, and John Corigliano’s Fern Hill. In addition to her singing career, Sarah currently works in development for the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and received a masters degree in Arts Administration from Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati.

Monica Whitaker, soprano, began singing in an Episcopal church choir as a teenager in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She graduated with a B.A. degree in Vocal Performance from Kalamazoo College and later attended Bay View Summer Music Conservatory (Michigan) as a scholarship recipient. Ms. Whitaker earned a M.Mus. degree in Vocal Performance and a M.A. degree in Theatre Management from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor. She has performed with the Portland’s Choral Arts Society, Albuquerque’s Soli Deo Gloria and Opera Unlimited – a small touring troupe which brings children’s opera to schools throughout New Mexico. For more than a decade, Ms. Whitaker has served as a soloist and member of the Cathedral Choirs of St. John. Ms. Whitaker is a charter member of Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico and serves as Treasurer on its Board of Directors.

Meredith Wilder, alto, graduated from Eldorado High in 2007 and is currently attending the University of New Mexico. As a member of Faith Lutheran Church, Meredith has spent some time working with the church choir and praise band. Ms. Wilder was in the New Mexico All State choir three years in a row, which gave her a true appreciation for the inner workings of a choir and the choral sound. At UNM, she sings in the women’s choir, Las Cantantes, and is working toward a degree in music education. Outside of school, Meredith is a singer/songwriter and performs her music around Albuquerque. This marks her fourth Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

 

Bryan Butler, tenor, has been singing since youth in church and school choirs of all kinds. He is currently employed as a staff astronomer at the Very Large Array in Socorro, most recently as a software manager for the Expanded Very Large Array project. His research interests are in radio wavelength observations of planets, moons, asteroids, and other bodies in the solar system. He received his doctorate in planetary science from the California Institute of Technology, and while there he sang in the Men's and Mixed Glee Clubs, the Chamber Choir, and the madrigal group Cantores Atri Mortis. Since residing in New Mexico he has sung in the New Mexico Tech Chamber Choir and Concert Chorus and spent several years singing with the Rennaissance group Quodlibet. This is his debut season with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Jay Hill, tenor, holds an undergraduate degree in voice performance from Baylor University, where he graduated from the Honors Program with Distinction. He also holds a law degree from Duke University and maintains a private practice with the Albuquerque firm of Vogel Campbell & Blueher, P.C. He first appeared with the Desert Chorale in 1990 and has sung a number of winter seasons and for portions of various summer seasons. Earlier this year, he returned as a featured performer on the Friends of the Desert Chorale’s popular Music & More series presenting a program of patriotic and political songs entitled Politics! Politics! Other recent solo engagements include a performance of Beethoven’s Mass in C at St. James Cathedral, Chicago. In addition to the Desert Chorale, Mr. Hill appears frequently with Santa Fe Pro Musica and as a chorister and soloist at The Cathedral of St. John, Albuquerque. He also has appeared with Música Antigua de Albuquerque, Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico, and the Santa Fe Opera. In June, 2009, he will join Desert Chorale veteran David Farwig as a guest of Albuquerque Baroque Players. Other future plans include a program featuring Benjamin Britten’s Abraham and Isaac cantata with countertenor Robert Isaacs, to be presented both locally and in New York. He is pleased to be singing his third Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

 

Christopher Ihlefeld, bass-baritone, received his undergraduate degree in vocal performance from Rollins College. He began his professional singing career early with the Orlando Opera Company in the soprano role of “Shem” in Benjamin Britten’s oratorio Noye’s Fludde. Christopher has performed several major choral works with Santa Fe Pro Musica, Canticum Novum, Coro de Cámara, Sangre de Cristo Chorale, Cara Musica, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, and New Mexico Pro Coro. This is his twelfth year as cantor and bass section leader at Holy Faith Episcopal Church in Santa Fe. When Christopher is not singing, you’ll find him managing municipal bond portfolios at Thornburg Investment Management Company. This marks his third Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

 

Nick Jones, baritone, is a senior at St. Pius X High School. He plays a variety of instruments including guitar and piano, but his instrument of choice is voice. He has participated in choir since his freshmen year of high school under the direction of Mr. Aaron Howe .He has auditioned for and made the last three years of New Mexico Allstate Choirs. He had a part in ALT’s High School Musical, and has had parts in many school musicals in the past few years. He currently is taking music classes at SPX where he sings in the Show Choir, Breath of Heaven and the Advanced Vocal Ensemble. He is attending EMSU, majoring in Music Performance and Education. This marks his third Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

 

Stephen Lewis, bass, is a recent transplant to Albuquerque. Born in the tiny northeastern Tennessee town of Erwin, he moved to Amarillo, Texas with his family at the age of five. After graduating from Amarillo High School, Stephen matriculated to Dallas Christian College where he completed a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Church Music. Heading back to the paradise of west Texas, Stephen enrolled in a graduate choral conducting program at the outstanding Texas Tech University. There in Lubbock, he studied conducting with Drs. John Dickson, Pamela Elrod, Gary Lewis and John Hollins; studied voice with Karl Dent and Gerald Dolter; and sang in the Texas Tech University Choir, the Lubbock Chorale and Madrigal Singers. In Lubbock, Stephen caught the music theater bug and performed roles in West Side Story, The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast, Annie Get Your Gun, and finally, Oklahoma! After four years in Lubbock, Stephen moved to the renaissance hill town of Asolo, in northern Italy, to study business. Completing his MBA last summer, Stephen then found his way to the gorgeous desert climate of Albuquerque. Currently, Stephen works as a banker for Wells Fargo Bank and sings in the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and also as a bass section leader in the Cathedral of St. John. This marks his third Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

  

Eric Parker, tenor, is a native of Albuquerque. He began singing at the age of seven, when he and his twin brother were badly miscast as “angels” in a Christmas pageant. He studied voice with Bradley Ellingboe at the University of New Mexico as an undergraduate before moving to the east coast where he completed his PhD in chemistry at Cornell University in 1996. Eric has been a member of the Choir at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral since 1996, where he has been both a section leader and a soloist. He has performed under the baton of Sir David Willcocks, Music Director Emeritus of King’s College Choir Cambridge, and has appeared as a soloist with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra under Roger Melone. Eric has been a member / singer / soloist / section leader of the New Mexico Symphony Chorus for 8 years where he has sung works ranging from the Mozart Requiem to Broadway musical choruses. Eric has performed with choral groups of varying sizes all over the United States and in Europe at venues such as Canterbury Cathedral in England, the Muisikverein in Vienna, and at Carnegie Hall in NYC. This is Eric’s first appearance with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Nicholas Prior is currently in his senior year at the University of New Mexico earning his undergraduate degree in Vocal Music Education. He studies under Sam Shepperson and sings tenor for both the Concert Choir and Jazz Choir at UNM. His vocal studies have taken him all around New Mexico, Colorado, Australia, and twice to Italy. Nick is also a professional choreographer whose work has taken him to many cities in New Mexico, Texas, California, Illinois, Missouri, Nevada, and Ohio teaching choreography and clinics on movement. He is very excited to begin his first season with all of the talented voices in Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Lee J. Rickard, bass, is an astronomer by trade, and is currently the Executive Project Director for the Long Wavelength Array, working out of the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University of New Mexico. He has a Ph. D. in astrophysics from the University of Chicago. He began singing in the choir at St. Andrew Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia, about 15 years ago. Until his move to Albuquerque last year, he also sang with the Master Chorale of Washington (originally the Paul Hill Chorale) and studied with Anne Hurley. This marks his third Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

  

Gilbert Sanchez is going to be a junior at UNM, where he is studying Musical Theatre under Kathleen Clawson. Gilbert has been in numerous community theatre productions and was last seen on stage as Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Other favorites include Tom Collins in Rent and Mareb in Aida. This is Gilbert’s second summer with Polyphony!

Michael Stokes, tenor, is a junior at the University of New Mexico. He is currently studying under Jacqueline Zander-Wall, mezzo-soprano, in pursuit of a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Performance. Recently, he played the role of flamboyant Frenchman Triquet, in the UNM Opera Studio production of Eugene Onegin. Also, he was recently named the state representative for the MTNA Young Artist Competition. Currently he is organizing a tribute concert to the heritage of Gabriel Fauré in French art song, and plans on donating the proceeds to a worthy musical cause. While his studies at UNM keep him busy, Michael also finds time to record original music. He has published three full-length recordings of all-original material, one of which is currently available on iTunes. He was awarded an honorable mention in the International Songwriting Contest in 2006. He would like to thank his mother and father for their constant support and guidance, and Jacque for her wisdom and tutelage. He would also like to thank Polyphony for their dedication to the production of beautiful and enchanting music. This is Michael’s second Solstice concert with Polyphony: Voices of New Mexico.

Tony Zancanella is an Albuquerque native and has studied singing since he was 16. He is graduating this year with a B.M. in Vocal Performance from the College of Fine Arts. He will be attending the University of Cincinnati this fall in pursuit of a Masters in Arts Administration. He is a founding member and treasurer of The 505 Chorus, a young men's a cappella chorus, and is treasurer of the Board of Directors of Opera Southwest."