Chatham Courier > News
Opera served a la carte at the Chatham House
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| The five members of Opera a la Carte, from left, singers Steve Dahlin, Jon Morrell, Amanda Boyd and Barbara Eckhaus and pianist Uel Wade. |
By Sesame Campbell
CHATHAM — Opera will be served a la carte at the Chatham House Friday, July 31 and will include arias from some of the world’s most beloved operas. Diners will savor the songs of Puccini, Verdi, Mozart and Gershwin sung by the five-member group Opera a la Carte, while enjoying an award-winning meal at one of the top 10 restaurants in the Hudson Valley.
The group is the brainchild of bass-baritone singer Steve Dahlin, founder and producer of Opera a la Carte. A builder by day and opera singer by night, he began his operatic career at the age of 40 in Seattle, Wash.
Now living in East Chatham, Dahlin moved from Seattle in October 2001 to be closer to his children. They are now grown, but Dahlin remained and his operatic career took off.
“I stayed here, got some good voice teaching, wandered down to New York City and did some opera singing with the New York Opera Forum,” he said.
He recently appeared in Capitol Opera’s inaugural production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” as Bartolo and Antonio. Dahlin has sung nine roles with New York Opera Forum since 2006, plus Preacher Blitch in “Susannah” and Balthazar in “Amahl & the Night Visitors” in Seattle in 2000. Locally, he has appeared as soloist with Octavo Singers, Columbia Festival Orchestra, Gwen Gold’s summer sings, Hudson Valley Choral Society, St. Paul’s Church in Albany, Cantilena Chamber Choir, Crescendo Choir and in several Columbia County musical theater productions.
Opera a la Carte is not a new concept. For many years it was a tradition in New York City’s Asti’s Restaurant and has been gaining in popularity in restaurants across Europe. Dahlin got his idea for Opera a la Carte from a restaurant in Seattle where the owners and singers provided guests with the soaring sounds of Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Delibes and Gershwin.
Members include soprano Amanda Boyd, mezzo-soprano Barbara Eckhaus, tenor Jon Morrell and Dahlin. Their credentials span opera houses and performance spaces ranging from Seattle, London, Rome, Paris to New York City, in addition to local venues such as the Hudson Opera House, Albany’s Troy Music Hall, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and PS/21 in Chatham.
Originally from London, Boyd started singing when she was 15 years old. She had been playing the violin since she was a child, much to the chagrin of her parents. One day, a teacher told her to sing a few scales and was shocked at what she heard.
“Her jaw dropped,” Boyd said. She recalled the story of how another girl in the choir tried to take credit for Boyd’s voice, but when the girl was absent the choir mistress found it was Boyd with the loud voice that soared above the rest. Boyd later moved to Italy, where she studied at Umbria.
Boyd and Morrell travel regularly back and forth from the United States to Europe for singing engagements. Hailed by critics as one of Britain’s “Rising Stars,” Boyd has had a diverse career. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she won the Susan Longfield prize and was supported by the Countess of Munster Trust. Boyd also trained at the National Opera Studio in London, where she was supported by Friends of Covent Garden and the Foundation for Sports and the Arts.
Born and raised in New York City, Morrell lived in Spain for more than a decade. His wife was also an opera singer, but now commutes daily to New York City for her career in the legal profession.
Morrell has been singing most of his life. His mother was a Broadway singer, so with little classical background, he took himself to the opera at the age of 14. It transformed his life.
“I was hooked from my first opera,” Morrell said. “When people ask me what a good opera for a child would be, I tell them that the more dramatic and murderous the story, the better!”
Morrell recently performed leading roles in “Peter Grimes,” “Salomé” and “Die Walküre” in London, Paris and Stuttgart. He will be singing in concert with the Royal Philharmonic in London at the end of September.
Eckhaus has been described as a “captivating performer, whose singing touches the soul.” She has performed for guests at the White House and in concert series throughout the eastern United States, in opera and in recital, where she has been heralded as a “complete artist.”
Eckhaus is in demand as an oratorio soloist, having performed with Boston Masterworks Chorale, Albany Pro Musica, Union College, North Carolina Symphony Chorale and as a featured soloist at summer music festivals. She has appeared on the concert stage with the Glens Falls Symphony, Columbia Festival Orchestra and PS/21 last year.
She enjoys working with the group and said that everyone is well-suited for each other. “I really hope this idea takes off here,” she said. “It seems to be a trend across Europe where restaurants that incorporate music while people are dining are catching on. We work well together and I’m very excited to see what happens.”
The group’s musical director and pianist, Uel Wade, has been playing piano since he was 4. Originally from Los Angeles and New York City, Wade moved to Columbia County with his wife (also an accomplished musician) after many years as a musical director, conductor and pianist on and off Broadway, in regional theaters and opera companies. He served as choral master for the Berkshire Opera and the music director for “The Face on the Bar Room Floor” at the Hudson Opera. Wade frequently plays chamber music with Bend the Knotted Oak and Capitol Chamber Artists and teaches students at his private studio in Chatham.
It is no wonder that Wade is also known for the Uel Wade Scholarship, which awards $6,500 annually to talented high school students in the region. For the last five or six years, the scholarship fund has raised enough money so that three students each year have been awarded prizes.
“We believe that high school students need to be subsidized,” Wade said. “We do a live concert for the final audition at the Spencertown Academy. We love doing this every year.”
Diners are encouraged to arrive by 8 p.m. and reservations are recommended. For menu or other information, call (518) 392-6600 or visit www.thechathamhouse.com.
The group is the brainchild of bass-baritone singer Steve Dahlin, founder and producer of Opera a la Carte. A builder by day and opera singer by night, he began his operatic career at the age of 40 in Seattle, Wash.
Now living in East Chatham, Dahlin moved from Seattle in October 2001 to be closer to his children. They are now grown, but Dahlin remained and his operatic career took off.
“I stayed here, got some good voice teaching, wandered down to New York City and did some opera singing with the New York Opera Forum,” he said.
He recently appeared in Capitol Opera’s inaugural production of “Le Nozze di Figaro” as Bartolo and Antonio. Dahlin has sung nine roles with New York Opera Forum since 2006, plus Preacher Blitch in “Susannah” and Balthazar in “Amahl & the Night Visitors” in Seattle in 2000. Locally, he has appeared as soloist with Octavo Singers, Columbia Festival Orchestra, Gwen Gold’s summer sings, Hudson Valley Choral Society, St. Paul’s Church in Albany, Cantilena Chamber Choir, Crescendo Choir and in several Columbia County musical theater productions.
Opera a la Carte is not a new concept. For many years it was a tradition in New York City’s Asti’s Restaurant and has been gaining in popularity in restaurants across Europe. Dahlin got his idea for Opera a la Carte from a restaurant in Seattle where the owners and singers provided guests with the soaring sounds of Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Delibes and Gershwin.
Members include soprano Amanda Boyd, mezzo-soprano Barbara Eckhaus, tenor Jon Morrell and Dahlin. Their credentials span opera houses and performance spaces ranging from Seattle, London, Rome, Paris to New York City, in addition to local venues such as the Hudson Opera House, Albany’s Troy Music Hall, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and PS/21 in Chatham.
Originally from London, Boyd started singing when she was 15 years old. She had been playing the violin since she was a child, much to the chagrin of her parents. One day, a teacher told her to sing a few scales and was shocked at what she heard.
“Her jaw dropped,” Boyd said. She recalled the story of how another girl in the choir tried to take credit for Boyd’s voice, but when the girl was absent the choir mistress found it was Boyd with the loud voice that soared above the rest. Boyd later moved to Italy, where she studied at Umbria.
Boyd and Morrell travel regularly back and forth from the United States to Europe for singing engagements. Hailed by critics as one of Britain’s “Rising Stars,” Boyd has had a diverse career. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where she won the Susan Longfield prize and was supported by the Countess of Munster Trust. Boyd also trained at the National Opera Studio in London, where she was supported by Friends of Covent Garden and the Foundation for Sports and the Arts.
Born and raised in New York City, Morrell lived in Spain for more than a decade. His wife was also an opera singer, but now commutes daily to New York City for her career in the legal profession.
Morrell has been singing most of his life. His mother was a Broadway singer, so with little classical background, he took himself to the opera at the age of 14. It transformed his life.
“I was hooked from my first opera,” Morrell said. “When people ask me what a good opera for a child would be, I tell them that the more dramatic and murderous the story, the better!”
Morrell recently performed leading roles in “Peter Grimes,” “Salomé” and “Die Walküre” in London, Paris and Stuttgart. He will be singing in concert with the Royal Philharmonic in London at the end of September.
Eckhaus has been described as a “captivating performer, whose singing touches the soul.” She has performed for guests at the White House and in concert series throughout the eastern United States, in opera and in recital, where she has been heralded as a “complete artist.”
Eckhaus is in demand as an oratorio soloist, having performed with Boston Masterworks Chorale, Albany Pro Musica, Union College, North Carolina Symphony Chorale and as a featured soloist at summer music festivals. She has appeared on the concert stage with the Glens Falls Symphony, Columbia Festival Orchestra and PS/21 last year.
She enjoys working with the group and said that everyone is well-suited for each other. “I really hope this idea takes off here,” she said. “It seems to be a trend across Europe where restaurants that incorporate music while people are dining are catching on. We work well together and I’m very excited to see what happens.”
The group’s musical director and pianist, Uel Wade, has been playing piano since he was 4. Originally from Los Angeles and New York City, Wade moved to Columbia County with his wife (also an accomplished musician) after many years as a musical director, conductor and pianist on and off Broadway, in regional theaters and opera companies. He served as choral master for the Berkshire Opera and the music director for “The Face on the Bar Room Floor” at the Hudson Opera. Wade frequently plays chamber music with Bend the Knotted Oak and Capitol Chamber Artists and teaches students at his private studio in Chatham.
It is no wonder that Wade is also known for the Uel Wade Scholarship, which awards $6,500 annually to talented high school students in the region. For the last five or six years, the scholarship fund has raised enough money so that three students each year have been awarded prizes.
“We believe that high school students need to be subsidized,” Wade said. “We do a live concert for the final audition at the Spencertown Academy. We love doing this every year.”
Diners are encouraged to arrive by 8 p.m. and reservations are recommended. For menu or other information, call (518) 392-6600 or visit www.thechathamhouse.com.
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