AN INTRICATE WAVE OF BEAUTIFUL VOICES The GO Divas

GO Divas is Gulfshore Opera’s exciting, new, all female, vocal group. Comprised of six beautiful young ladies with finishing degrees in music, they perform a variety of classical vocal ensembles featuring rich harmonies, with piano accompaniment. Their repertoire spans the centuries from sacred works to lovely opera duets and trios to a cappella Swingle Singers arrangements of Beatles songs. For the November concerts, we want to share the healing power of music – you will hear familiar songs like “You’ve got a Friend”, Lean on Me and With a Little Help from my Friends. These popular, feel-good melodies are interspersed with beautiful, classical vocal ensembles creating a memorable evening of fine vocal music.

The GO Divas were previously seen at Shangri-La Springs for a sneak preview concert. The group’s premiere concert was scheduled for March of 2020. Since the Covid-19 quarantine, the GO Divas have been rehearsing their program and preparing new repertoire for the Opera al fresco concert series.

The GO Divas will be hosting a variety of concerts including a Breezeway Series, Divas& Dinner, and Renaissance Christmas Carols. The Breezeway Series will highlight different members of the GO Divas and showcase their diverse repertoire. In December, the “Renaissance Christmas Carols” concert will feature early carols and Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols in Renaissance costume and candlelight.

MORE ABOUT THE GO DIVAS:

Lauren Davis, mezzo-soprano, is equally at home on operatic and concert stages. She enjoys singing chamber music, sacred masterworks, musical theatre, and jazz, and has been a featured artist with the Varna International Opera Academy, the Miami Summer Music Festival and Opera In The Ozarks. Ms. Davis obtained her master’s degree in music performance at Southern Methodist University before moving to Fort Myers, where she teaches voice lessons. Having sung with Gulfshore Opera during it’s very first season, Lauren is excited to be back with the company for the debut of the GO Divas!

 Lydia Howery holds a Master of Music degree in Voice Performance from The Boston Conservatory and a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education from Erskine College. Howery created the role of Daphne in Jordan Farrar’s opera The Day Boy and the Night Girl with the After Dinner Opera Company at Symphony Space in New York City. Previously, with the ADOC, she performed the role of the Wife in Seymour Barab’s Everyone Has to be Free, to NY Times acclaim. Howery has also performed such roles as the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Maddalena in Rigoletto, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni. Howery is equally at home on the concert stage, appearing as a guest soloist with the Edinboro Chamber Players, Erie Philharmonic Chorus, and Pennsylvania Chamber Symphony in various works, such as Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass and Handel’s Messiah.  Recently, Howery joined the adjunct voice faculty at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Bower School of Music, and is involved with Gulfshore Opera’s music outreach program as a Harmony Choir teacher at PACE Center for Girls.  Howery also holds a position as an alto core singer with the Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida. She is delighted to be a part of the GO Divas.

 Lauryn Kay, mezzo-soprano completed her apprentice artist residency with Gulfshore Opera where she sang the role of Flora in La Traviata, Maffio Orsini in scenes from Donizetti’s Lucrezia Borgia, and the notary in Don Pasquale. Most recently, she performed the role of the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors with Gulfshore Opera in which she received a glowing review: “Lauryn Kay…models both power and emotion in her voice, complemented by a mom style so solid we are sure she is going to whup her kid if he doesn’t start listening to her warnings about bedtime” (Naples Daily News). Additionally, in the 2019 season, Ms. Kay made role and company debuts of Berta in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Gulf Coast Symphony, and La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi and Nursing Sister in Suor Angelica with Opera Fusion. Miss Kay holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Florida as well as a Bachelor of Arts and Artist Certificate from Charleston Southern University.

Daniela Magura is a German-American mezzo-soprano who is home from New York, New York where she completed both her Masters of Music and Bachelors of Music at Mannes College of Music, The New School. She was a Young Artist with The Chautauqua Opera Company this season, which put together its first ever Virtual Season. Her recent operatic credits include performances of The Fox in Portman’s The Little Prince with the Savannah Voice Festival, Flora in Verdi’s La Traviata with the Northern Lights Music festival, as Olga in Mannes Opera’s Eugene Onegin, as Dorabella in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutti at Opera America and as an ensemble member in Mannes Opera’s The Rake’s Progress. Daniela is an avid recitalist, and is looking forward to performing with the GO Divas!

Venezuelan soprano, Erika Ramirez obtained her degree with honors in “Music Performance” at Universidad de Los Andes (Mérida- Venezuela) as a student of the famous Venezuelan baritone William Alvarado. She also studied in Spain with Montserrat Caballé and with René Morlóck at the Stuttgart Bach Academy. Erika made her opera debut as Giannetta in L’elisird’amore in 2005. Other opera role include Gilda in Rigoletto and Despina in Così fan tutte. On the concert stage, she has performed frequently with the main orchestras of Venezuela and a  recitalist in Spain, Italy, Panamá, Perú and United States. Her versatility has allowed her to cover a repertoire of different music styles; from Renaissance, Baroque, classical, Bel canto, Latin American music, Broadway musicals, and traditional Spanish song with guitar accompaniment. Erika recently established residence in Ft Myers, Florida and is part of Gulfshore Opera staff as a teacher for the Harmony Choir.

 Marie Talley, soprano, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Performance from the University of Florida. In 2000, she was the winner of the Central Florida Symphony Young Artist Competition. She has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Singers, the Charleston Christmas Special, and the One Voice (Gospel Show) at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA. She has enjoyed roles as Maria in West Side Story (Footlight Players, Charleston, SC) and Rosabella in The Most Happy Fella (Kentwood Players, Los Angeles, CA). Last season Marie was a member of the opera choruses of La Bohème and Amahl and the Night Visitors. Marie currently works as Production Assistant for Gulfshore Opera and as a PRN Chaplain with Avow Hospice, and is a member of the GO Divas. She and her husband, Trace, have three children and live in Estero, FL.

 Kelly Utterback is a well-known accompanist in Southwest Florida. She is the pianist for the Naples Brass, the Neapolitan Community Choir, the Marco Island Community Choir, and Barron Collier High School’s Choral Program. She loves working in the local schools and accompanying student musicians for Honor Choirs, Solo & Ensemble festivals, scholarship competitions, college auditions and student recitals. During season, she enjoys playing in a jazz trio, as well as collaborating with colleagues at Artis-Naples, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gulfshore Opera, The Music Foundation of Greater Naples, and many local churches. In her free time, she enjoys reading, rollerblading and the beach.

Scheduled GO Divas Concerts

November 1 – 4pm

Mercato Open Stage, Naples

Tickets- $45­­

Divas & Dinner

 

November 15 – 5:00pm

Carmelo’s Italian Ristorante, Punta Gorda

Tickets- $75

Songs of South America

 

November 19 12:00pm

Breezeway at St. Leo’s, Bonita Springs

Tickets- $25

Renaissance Christmas Carols with GO Divas

 

December 10 7:00pm

Breezeway at St. Leo’s, Bonita Springs

Tickets: $35 General Admission

Renaissance Christmas Carols with GO Divas

 

December 136:00pm

Salvation Army, Downtown Naples

Tickets: $35 General Admission

Make a reservation by visiting www.gulfshoreopera.org or calling 239-529-3925.

For more information or questions, contact Michelle Westley at 239-529-3925 or michelle@gulfshoreopera.org.

About Gulfshore Opera

Your regional opera company serving three counties, Gulfshore Opera presents the highest quality of opera theater and vocal music performances while maximizing accessibility for diverse audiences of all ages. Gulfshore Opera was founded with core values of a community based creative collaboration. The company also promotes community well-being through musical education programs. Its mission is to make opera accessible to the general public by maintaining affordable ticket prices, and a wide range of performance experiences suitable for diverse audiences.

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