Sunday afternoon concert on Oct. 7 will include famous solos and duets


TACOMA, Wash. – Dawn Padula, mezzo soprano, and Richard Kosowski, tenor, will perform a series of arias, art songs, and duets in a joint voice recital at University of Puget Sound on Sunday, Oct. 7, at 2 p.m.

The afternoon concert, with piano accompaniment by Russell Young, will take place in Schneebeck Concert Hall. Everyone is welcome to attend. Ticket information is below.

Padula and Kosowski will perform solos and duets from Israel in Egypt, a choral tour de force by George Frideric Handel that depicts the story of Exodus; Gioacchino Rossini’s heroic and vocally demanding opera Tancredi, a story of Byzantine war and honor; and Camille Saint-Saëns’ grand opera Samson and Delilah, based on the Old Testament story. In addition they will present works by influential French composer Gabriel Fauré.  

Both vocal artists studied and mentored with Joseph Evans, a leading tenor and international performer, while they were doctoral candidates at the Moores School of Music at University of Houston. Young, the pianist, is a longtime collaborator with both Evans and Kosowski.

Prior to the Sunday performance for the public, Kosowski will offer a vocal master class for Puget Sound students on Saturday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. The free event, which is open to the public, will be held at the School of Music building in Room L6.

Richard Kosowski is assistant professor of music at the Townsend School of Music, Mercer University (Ga.). Previously he was a teaching fellow and affiliate artist at University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, and he served on the voice faculty at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Kosowski appeared in the New York premieres of the Stephen Paulus operas Summer and The Postman Always Rings Twice with the Center for Contemporary Opera. He debuted in Idomeneo at Avery Fisher Hall and in La Fille du Régiment with the New York City Opera National Company. He has many opera and operetta performances, as well as recordings, to his credit.

Dawn Padula, director of vocal studies at Puget Sound, has performed many of the major operatic roles for mezzo soprano, presented solo concerts, and read and recorded sessions with major music organizations, such as the Houston Grand Opera, Amarillo Opera, and Moores Opera Center. Praised for her tone quality, musical interpretations, and characterizations, she has performed as a concert soloist with the Houston Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Houston Masterworks Chorus, Alamo City Men’s Chorale, Sons of Orpheus, Bay Area Chorus, and Foundation for Modern Music, among others. Prior to joining the faculty at Puget Sound in 2009, Padula was assistant professor of voice and director of opera workshop at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas.

Russell Young is associate professor of opera and musical theater at Kennesaw State University’s School of Music in Georgia. A vocal coach, accompanist, and conductor, he has played in concert with many notable artists and coached at operas and universities in the United States and overseas. He is co-director of the Miami Chamber Ensemble, which has performed throughout the United States. Prior to his appointment at Kennesaw, Young served as the program director and conductor for opera theater at University of Miami, where he premiered one-act operas by Thomas Sleeper and Luigi Mancinelli.

For tickets order online at http://tickets.pugetsound.edu, or call Wheelock Information Center to purchase with a credit card at 253.879.6013. Admission is $12.50 for the general public; $8.50 for seniors (55+), students, military, and Puget Sound faculty and staff. The concert is free for current Puget Sound students with Puget Sound ID. Group ticket rates are available for parties of 10 or more by calling 253.879.3555 in advance. Remaining tickets will be available at the door.

For directions and a map of the campus: www.pugetsound.edu/directions

Press-quality photos of Richard Kosowski and Dawn Padula can be downloaded from: www.pugetsound.edu/pressphotos

Photos on page: Top right: Samson and Delilah, by Rembrandt (circa 1628); Above left: Richard Kosowski; Above right: Dawn Padula (photo: Ross Mulhausen)

Tweet this: Voice recital Richard Kosowski, from @merceryou, & Dawn Padula @univpugetsound. Sun. Oct. 7, 2 p.m. http://bit.ly/RIlLfR

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