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Featured Messiah Soloists and Orchestra

Meghan McCall - Soprano

Praised for her "bell-like clarity and fine control" and "radiant full-bodied voice" by The Washington Post, American soprano Meghan McCall is establishing herself as one of the finest young artists of opera today. She has been hailed for possessing a "beautifully and flawlessly operatic voice" The West Highland Press. In her recent interpretation of Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro "Meghan McCall made a superlative Susanna on the opening night and was consistently the most outstanding voice in all combinations" All Arts Review, and was "a blooming, vivacious and confident Susanna" The Washington Times.

The young soprano's career has already taken her to stages both in the United States and Europe. Ms. McCall has performed the roles of Fatime in Carl Maria von Weber's Abu Hassan, Fiordiligi in Cosi Fan Tutte, Madame Altina in La Divina (Pasatieri), Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, Musetta in La Bohème, Adina in L'Elisir d'Amore, Gilda in Rigoletto, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, Marie in La Fille du Régiment, Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, The Princess in Conrad Susa's Transformations, Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor and Miss Jessel in Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw.

Upcoming engagements include Giulietta in I Capuleti e I Montecchi (December 2007), Gretel in Hansel and Gretel (December 2007), Blondchen in Die Entführung aus dem Serail (February/March 2008) with Bel Cantanti and as a soloist in Opera Lafayette's production of The Genesis of Don Giovanni (March 2008).Visit her website at www.meghanmccall.com.

Jessica Renfro - Alto

Jessica Renfro, mezzo-soprano, has been an active performer in the Baltimore/Washington opera community since her arrival in 2001. Sought out for her "winning characterizations and vivid phrasing" (Tim Smith, Baltimore Sun), she has been described as "simply marvelous" with "deliciously playful comic timing" (Mark J. Estren, The Washington Post) and a "sparkling voice" (T.L. Ponick, The Washington Times). Her opera credits include Dorabella in Così fan tutte, Marcellina and Cherubino in Le Nozze di Figaro, Ramiro in La finta giardiniera, Cenerentola in La Cenerentola, Der Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos, Nancy in Albert Herring and many more with such companies as Opera Vivente, Bel Cantanti Opera, Portland Opera Performing Institute, Bay Area Summer Opera Theatre Institute, and Peabody Opera Theatre. Her concert work includes Mozart's C Minor Mass and Requiem, Bach's Magnificat, Duruflé's Requiem, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Handel's Messiah and Mahler's Rückertlieder.

She holds a Master's Degree and Graduate Performance Diploma in Opera from the Peabody Conservatory, where she worked with acclaimed soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson. Her upcoming engagements this season include Romeo in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, and Hansel in Hansel und Gretel for Bel Cantanti Opera, Sarah in Tobias and the Angel and Diana in Orpheus in the Underworld for Opera Vivente, and the Alto soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

Alvaro Rodriguez - Tenor

This Messiah marks Alvaro's debut with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming engagements for the Mallorca native tenor include the role of Edoardo in Verdi's Un giorno di Regno in Philadelphia, PA and Rodolfo in La boheme in a full production with George Mason University, VA.

2007 engagements include a Zarzuela Anthology gala with Zarzuela Di Si in Washington, DC, a French Opera gala with Opera Camerata of Washington, DC, the role of Leandro in Sorozabal's La tabernera del puerto with Zarzuela Di Si, his first Rodolfo in Puccini's La boheme with Amici Opera in Philadelphia, another recital with Opera Camerata in a presentation at the residence of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in Washington, DC, and performances of Roberto with OTNV/Teatro de la Luna in the Spanish zarzuela Bohemios.

2006 highlights include the role of Paolino in Cimarosa's Il matrimonio segretowith the Maryland Opera Studio, the role of Don Luis in Barbieri's El barberillo de Lavapies presented by Zarzuela Di Si at the Interamerican Development Bank, the cabaret/bolero Latina Lovers with the In Series, the tenor solo in Ramirez's Misa Criolla/Navidad Nuestrawith The Manchester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale, the role of Tebaldo in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi with the Chamber Opera of Washington.

In addition to his singing pursuits, Alvaro is a 2002-03 Vilar fellowship recipient at the Kennedy Center, the former (2003-04) executive director of the Vocal Arts Society and the founder of the service VoxPage1.com, which helps singers around the world.

Alvaro was born in Palma de Mallorca and currently resides in Washington, DC. He is a student of soprano Carmen Balthrop.

Matthew Osifchin - Baritone

Mr. Osifchin is quickly establishing as one of the most promising young talents in the country. This past season he made a number of notable debuts. He recently debuted with the Washington Opera as Guccio in the critically acclaimed production of Gianni Schicchi, directed by William Friedken, the academy award winning director of The Exorcist and The French Connection. Mr. Osifchin also had the privledge of sharing the stage with legendary Bass-Baritone Samuel Ramey, who starred as Gianni Schicchi. In January of 2007, Mr. Osifchin appeared on Japanese telvision in a concert of Duets and Arias in Tsukuba, Japan. He has also been successful in numerous competitions including, finalist in the NSO Young Soloists competion, 3rd place in the Marie E. Crump vocal competition and 1st place in the Gretchen Hood competition. Mr. Osifchin's repetoire includes, among others, Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, Enrico in Lucida di Lamermoor, and Belcore in L'Elisir d'amore. Mr. Osifchin holds a BM degree from the Indiana University and an MM from the University of Marland.

THE MID-ATLANTIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Julien Benichou - Music Director

A native of France, Julien Benichou brings broad experience to the podium as a conductor of orchestral, choral and opera literature. Maestro Benichou completed his second Season as the Music Director of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (MSO). He is now presenting his third MSO Season Program. He is currently the Music Director of the Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is also a regular guest conductor for Towson New Music at Towson University.

Beyond his guest conducting appearances, Maestro Benichou founded and directed the Montpellier Young Orchestral Ensemble in France; he was music director of numerous choirs in France, including the Martigues Choir and Montmartre Choir in Paris.

Beginning his studies in the conservatories of Marseille, St. Maur and Rueil-Malmaison, as well as the Schola Cantorum in Paris, he continued at Northwestern University, Yale and the Peabody Conservatory, receiving his graduate degree in conducting. His teachers have included Roland Hayrabedian, Jean-Sebastien Bereau, Pol Mule, Georges Boeuf and Pierre Doury in France. During his studies in the United States, his teachers included Victor Yampolski, Lawrence Leighton Smith, Markand Thakar and Gustav Meier. Maestro Benichou has actively participated in Masterclasses with Yuri Temirkanov, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, Marin Alsop, Kenneth Kiesler and Larry Rachleff.

Previously, Maestro Benichou was an assistant conductor with the Hopkins Symphony, the Columbia Orchestra, the Baltimore Opera, the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Peabody Singers, and associate conductor of the Hot Springs Music Festival.

He served as Music Director of the Pre-College Chamber Orchestra at the Juilliard School in New York. He is the recipient of the Prix de la Sacem in musical analysis and has recorded world premieres of Rudolf Haken’ works for Centaur Records.

Maestro Benichou resides with his wife Daphne, an accomplished violist who performs with several symphony orchestras, and their two children in Baltimore, Maryland.