21st Annual Handel's Messiah Sing-Along

Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 4 PM

Join us for the 21st Annual Handel’s Messiah Sing-Along, Sunday December 8, 2024, at 4 PM! This premier musical event is a highlight of the Christmas season in Northern Virginia that you don't want to miss with guest soloists Cassidy Dixon, soprano; Gregorius Valkenberg, countertenor; William Davenport, tenor; Fitzgerald St. Louis, baritone; Johann Sebastian Bach: Oboe d'amore Concerto in D Major, BWV 1053, Wesley Nichols, Oboe d'amore, The Amadeus Orchestra, and Sing-Along Chorus led by Fairlington’s Choir, under the direction of Dr. Louise Wilson. Admission to the Messiah sing-along and parking are FREE to all. You are invited to bring your own Messiah score or you may purchase a G. Schirmer edition for $9.00 at the door.

Cassidy Dixon

Soprano

Cassidy Dixon, soprano, is a graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Music with a Master of Music in Voice Performance and Pedagogy, and a graduate of the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. Recently, she made her role debut as Adina in Elixir of Love where she was praised for her “powerful vocal range and volume” by the Black River Journal. Other recent performances include Zorah in Ruddigore, Fiametta in The Gondoliers, and Edith in The Pirates of Penzance with the Young Victorian Theatre Company, Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with the Sotto Voce, Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro and Musetta in La Boheme with Opera Magnifico, and Elizabeth Bennet in the stage-premiere of Pride and Prejudice at Peabody Conservatory. Ms. Dixon has won many prizes and awards, including with the Friday Morning Music Club, the Sylvia Green Vocal Competition, Saltworks Opera, NATS, and the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Ms. Dixon has also done a variety of concert work with many regional orchestras, including the Annapolis Chamber Orchestra and Chorale, the Trinity Chamber Orchestra, and the Amadeus Orchestra.

Gregorious Valkenberg

Countertenor

Gregorius Valkenberg is a countertenor based in Baltimore, Maryland. 2023-2024 saw Valkenberg sing in a masterclass with Anthony Roth Costanzo, and appear in Duke Chapel’s Bach Cantata series as alto soloist for Bach’s Mit Fried und Freud (BWV 125) & Kuhnau’s Ich habe Lust abzuscheiden.

Ths February, Valkenberg will perform the role of Endimione in Cavalli's La Calisto with Peabody Opera Theater. Valkenberg was recognized as a semi-finalist in the 2022 CS Music Pre-professional competition in Chicago, Illinois. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he was a first prize winner in the Music of the Centuries online competition, in 2020. On the Operatic stage, Valkenberg has performed the roles of Tolomeo, in Handel’s Giulio Cesare, at The Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. in 2019. He also learned and studied the role of Mr. Jenks in The Tenderland, but performances were cancelled with the Covid-19 pandemic starting. In 2023, Valkenberg returned to the operatic stage with Chicago Summer Opera, performing the role of Narciso in Handel’s Agrippina. Valkenberg received his Bachelor of Arts from the Catholic University of America in 2021, having graduated Magna Cum Laude, and studied voice with Gustavo Ahualli. In 2023, Valkenberg began his Masters studies at Peabody, studying with Barry Banks.

William Davenport

Tenor

Acclaimed for his "huge vocal ability" by Italian critics following his debut as the Duke in Rigoletto, William Davenport has established himself as a formidable presence in the world of opera.

Mr. Davenport's impressive repertoire spans a wide range of roles and venues. He has captivated audiences as Nemorino in L'elisir d'amore at prestigious theaters including Valencia's Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, and Opera Delaware. His portrayal of Rodolfo in La bohème has graced the stages of Sarasota Opera, Opera Naples, and Teatro Comunale Potenza.

Other notable engagements include Ernesto in Don Pasquale (Opera Naples), the title role in Roberto Devereux (Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova), Arnold in Guglielmo Tell (Southern Illinois Music Festival), and Gennaro in Lucrezia Borgia (Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia Valencia). Mr. Davenport has also triumphed as Alfredo in La Traviata (Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova), Fritz in L'amico Fritz (Baltimore Concert Opera), and the Duke in Rigoletto (Sarasota Opera).

His versatility shines through performances as diverse as the title role in Les Contes d'Hoffman (Union Opera), Tonio in La Fille du Regiment (Sarasota Opera), Lensky in Eugene Onegin, Nencio in L'infedeltà delusa, and Tamino in Die Zauberflöte (Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica).

With each role, William Davenport continues to solidify his reputation as a rising star in the opera world, captivating audiences with his powerful voice and compelling performances.

Fitzgerald St. Louis

Baritone

Originally from the Caribbean island of Dominica, Fitzgerald is a graduate of the Middle Tennessee State University and The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Most notably he has performed Luciano Berio’s “Coro” with the Lucerne Festival Academy under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle. Past opera roles include Haly in l'itliana in Algeri, Henry in Street Scene, Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frédéric in Lakmé, Pandolfe in Cendrillon, Dulcamara in l'elisir d'amore, 2nd Commissioner in Dialogues des carmélites, Count Almaviva in le nozze di Figaro, Samuel in Pirates of Penzance and Jackie "Tiger" Brown in The Threepenny Opera; Fitzgerald has also been fortunate enough to premiere the roles of The Reverend in Stinney: An American Execution and Omani in Qadar. Fitzgerald currently resides in St Louis, MO where he is still actively performing and teaching voice professionally.

wes Nichols

Oboe

Wes Nichols, oboe, is a former member of the Springfield Symphony (Massachusetts), The Group for Contemporary Music and the New Music Consort (NYC). He is former principal oboist of the Arlington Symphony (now the Arlington Philharmonic), the Amadeus Orchestra, and Virginia Chamber Orchestra. He recently performed with the Paragon Orchestra and since moving to Florida has appeared with Palm Beach Symphony, Florida Grand Opera Palm Beach Chamber Festival. He is entering his second season as principal oboe of the Miami Symphony Orchestra.

Fairlington UMC

3900 King Street Alexandria VA 22302

(703)-671-8557 • office@fairlingtonumc.org