Narrator, Performer
While still a teenager in his western Nebraska hometown Jeff Spurgeon’s radio career had what might be called a providential beginning: He was giving announcements in church, and one congregant– who owned a local radio station — heard him and offered an audition.
Since then, Jeff has worked on the radio as an announcer, a news reporter, a newscaster, an interview, and a producer. He got his first New York radio position in 1989. Jeff became a member of the WQXR news department in 1997 and in 1999 was named the station’s Mid-day Host. In 2006 Jeff became WQXR’s Morning Show Host.
One of Jeff’s proudest accomplishments has been his work as a schoolteacher. He recently developed and taught a course in broadcast journalism for Townsend Harris High School one of New York City’s top public schools.
Jeff is also a singer. He has performed with several New York City � based choruses and church choirs, and is a member of a cappella quartet whose repertoire ranges from music of Renaissance masters to original arrangements in modern styles.
Jeff lives Brooklyn with his wife Judy, a high school English teacher.
Performer, Vocalist
A recent NYC transplant from Minnesota, Mr. Silsby appeared as Richard Dauntless in Ruddigore with the Village Light Opera Group. In Minneapolis, MN, he performed with the Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company as Strephon in Iolanthe and Marco Palimieri in The Gondoliers.
Christopher holds his B.A. in Theatre from Carleton College, where he received honors with distinction for performing, along with two fellow theatre majors, all three roles in Yasmina Reza’s play Art on sequential nights in six different permutations.
He has also studied in Russia at the Moscow Art Theatre. Christopher has performed numerous musical theatre roles with various theaters in Minnesota, including Migaldi in Evita, Marvin in Falsettos, Zangara in Assassins, and both Pirelli and Sweeney in two different productions of Sweeney Todd.
On the non-musical side of things, he has performed as Sebastian in Twelfth Night; The Chorus in Iphegenia at Aulis; Jim, the Gentleman Caller, in The Glass Menagerie; Brodie in The Real Thing; and Madame Chandebise in the French farce A Flea in Her Ear.
Currently a graduate student in College and Community Educational Theatre at NYU, he is appearing at the Provincetown Playhouse as Oscar Wilde in Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde from February 23 to March 4.
Performer, Vocalist
Scott Murphree is a distinguished singer of the concert, recital and opera stage.
As a featured soloist, he appeared in Handel’s “Saul” for the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. Paul Griffiths of The New York Times reported that he “gave an excellent performance as Jonathan, radiant and expressive, completely in command,” as well as declaring his opening aria as “one of the musical high points… [which] gave everyone a lift.” His other solo concert engagements include appearances with the Eos Orchestra of New York, the Newberry Consort of Chicago, the Friends and Enemies of New Music, the Mirror Visions Ensemble, the Symphony of Southeast Texas, the Holy Trinity Bach Foundation and Bachworks.
He has been a featured soloist in concerts of Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s Mass in B minor. He also has appeared in concerts at several summer music festivals, including the Cape May Music Festival, the Music Festival of the Hamptons, the Aspen Music Festival as well as the Pacific Music festival in Japan.
In Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Mr. Murphree gave a solo recital of songs commissioned by the late Alice Esty. He also has appeared at Alice Tully Hall, the 92nd Street Y and Town Hall, singing the songs of Ned Rorem with the composer at the piano.
He has worked closely with other composers such as Robert Beaser and Richard Hundley, and has premiered works written especially for him by Yehudi Wyner, Christopher Berg, Tom Cipullo and Richard Pearson Thomas. Mr. Murphree often gives song recitals and has been heard in New York at Florence Gould Hall, Cooper Union and the Kosciuzsko Foundation among others. In addition, he has given recitals abroad in Paris, London, Edinburgh, Amsterdam and Stockholm.
Mr. Murphree has participated in several world premieres of operas. This spring he sang the role of Percy Bysshe Shelly in the premiere of Allan Jaffe’s opera, “Mary Shelley,” at the Ethical Culture Society. He also sang the role of Arviragus in the premiere of “Cymbeline” by Christopher Berg, and he sang the title role for the premiere of Tina Davidson’s “Billy and Zelda” with Opera Delaware. Furthermore, he has sung roles in the acclaimed productions of Britten’s “Paul Bunyan” with the Glimmerglass Opera, and in Jonathan Miller’s staged version of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Among his honors, he was given the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Award, and was selected as finalist for both the Joy in Singing Award and the PoulencPlus! Centennial Competition.
He received his education at the University of North Texas, Yale University and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
Performer, Vocalist
Karen Leah Mason is a graduate of the University of Colorado and continued her musical studies in Tampa Florida before moving to New York. She has sung leading roles with the Village Light Opera, Encompass Theatre, 1010 Players, Sylvan Opera and Masque Theatre.
Favorite roles include Mad Margaret in Ruddigore, Elsie in Yeomen of the Guard, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, Yum-Yum in The Mikado, Annie Oakley in Annie Get Your Gun and Susan in Home and the River — a world premiere performance.
An interesting sideline in her career has been the opportunity in a marketing venture for Ada Core Technologies portraying Lady Ada Lovelace in musical productions and recitals in London, Sweden, Spain, Berlin and throughout the USA.
Narrator, Performer, Vocalist
Nathan is not only a well-known Baritone in the New York opera world, but is a favorite amongst children as well, having appeared as Silas Barnaby in Babes in Toyland with the Little Orchestra Society at Avery Fisher Hall.
With the Bronx Opera, he has sung Sgt. Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard and Bartolo in The Barber of Seville. Mr. Hull is a frequent performer at the Amato Opera. This season alone he is performing Marcello in La Bohème, the four villains in The Tales of Hoffmann, Father in Hansel and Gretel and Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro.
Favorite recent New York roles include Figaro in both The Barber of Seville and Le Nozze di Figaro, Escamillo in Carmen, Papageno in The Magic Flute, and both Guglielmo and Don Alfonso in Cosi fan tutte. Mr. Hull has also appeared as a soloist with the Broadway Bach Ensemble in Tubby the Tuba.
Mr. Hull has made something of a specialty of Gilbert and Sullivan. Recently, he was seen as the Sergeant in the Village Light Opera Group’s The Pirates of Penzance, and as Captain Corcoran in Amato Opera’s H.M.S. Pinafore. With VLOG, he has also been seen in many other roles such as Wilfred in The Yeomen of the Guard, the title role in The Mikado, both Lord Mountararat and Pvt. Willis in Iolanthe, and both Don Alhambra and Giuseppe in The Gondoliers. Mr. Hull has also performed Giuseppe with the Blue Hill Troupe.
He has also made an occasional foray into musical theatre, such as his appearance as Emile de Becque in the British American Light Opera production of South Pacific.
Mr. Hull works extensively as a director. This season, he directed The Mikado for Morgan State University in Baltimore — a production he has also done at Indiana State University, Seaside Music Theatre in Daytona and for the Village Light Opera. His production of H.M.S. Pinafore is currently in repertoire at the Amato Opera, and his production of A Gilbert and Sullivan Victorian Valentine will tour the Midwest this spring.
In addition to his work in the opera world, Mr. Hull is a long-time professor at New York University.
Performer, Vocalist
Soprano SARA CLARK is a New York City local. She was born on Long Island and is no stranger to the performing arts in this great city.
She recently graduated with honors from The Boston Conservatory and received her bachelor of music in vocal performance. While studying in Boston, she enjoyed many roles including Peasblossom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Papagena in The Magic Flute, Ilia in Idomeneo, and Sor Isabel in With Blood, With Ink (a contemporary opera by Daniel Crozier and Peter M. Krask).
Upon moving back to New York City, Sara has performed with the Village Light Opera as Kate in Yeoman of the Guard and Rose Maybud in Ruddigore. She also got the chance to perform overseas in Buxton, England this past summer with the Actor’s Opera in productions of The Zoo and Trial by Jury.
Performer, Vocalist
Soprano Judith Bettina, hailed for her proficiency in a wide range of musical styles, has appeared as guest soloist with such orchestras as the Houston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Munich Philharmonic. She has appeared with chamber groups throughout the United States and Europe, including appearances with the Bach Chamber Soloists, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Continuum, Bard Music Festival, New York Philmusica, Parnassus, Speculum Musicae, The Geneva Music Festival, Ensemble 21, Boston Musica Viva, San Francisco Contemporary Chamber players, the Monadnock Music Festival, and the Library of Congress.
Highly acclaimed for her performances of contemporary music, Ms. Bettina has had works written for her by Mel Powell, Tobias Picker, Christopher Berg, Chester Biscardi, David Rakowski, Richard Karpen, and David Olan. She has premiered works by Charles Wuorinen, Milton Babbitt, Lori Dobbins, Richard Danielpour, George Tsontakis, and Vivian Fine. Ms. Bettina’s recent performances have included Tobias Picker’s Symphony No. 2: Aussöhnung and the premiere of Trest sonetos de amor, Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, and Edison Denisov’s La vie en rouge.
Her recordings with pianist James Goldsworthy of Chester Biscardi’s The Gift of Life, David Rakowski’s Three Songs on Poems of Louise Bogan, and a new release of songs by Otto Luening are on Composers Recordings, Inc. She has also recorded works by Milton Babbitt and Mel Powell on New World Records and Musicmasters, respectively. Ms. Bettina resides in Princeton Junction, New Jersey.
