MUSICAL ENSEMBLE

Soloist JENNIFER LINDSAY – Soprano

Soloist – CATHERINE DEL RUSSO – Oboe

Soloist – MARINA MANUKIAN – Violin

Soloist – FILIPPO VOLTAGGIO – Bass/Baritone

ALAN BUSTEED – 1st Violin

ROBERT MATSUDA – 2nd Violin

TOM MCEVILLEY – Viola

CAROLINE COWARD – Cello

JEREMY GILIEN – Piano

JEREMY GILIEN

Jeremy Gilien was a founding faculty member of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and served as musical director of the music theater program until 2006, when he became director of music for the department of dance. He is the composer of three operas: The Magician, The Happy Prince, and Calcutta Rose (about Mother Teresa).

His Symphonice Suite from The Happy Prince was the winner of the 1997 Valley Symphony Composition Competition and received its premier under the baton of maestro Robert Chauls. His latest work for the stage is an operatic/political/circus farce entitled Civicus Dutius, which was premiered by the Cal State L.A.department of Theatre Arts and Dance.

He has been nominated for a Lester Horton Award for outstanding achievement in music for dance for his work with the choreographer Rudy Perez. Mr. Gilien has been director of music at Lynwood United Methodist Church, and currently serves as director of music of Downey United Methodist Church. He also serves on the music staff of University SDA church. He is currently staff accompanist at the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute of the Colburn School, the Colburn Dance Academy, and has played summer intensive training programs for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Joffrey Ballet, and Cecchetti U.S.A..

Mr Gilien received an MA degree in composition from California State University, Los Angeles, where he studied composition with Byong- Kon Kim and served as a repetiteur for the opera workshop.

JAY FIELDS

Jay Fields, M.A. E-RYT is a somatic educator, therapeutic coach and author of the book Teaching People, Not Poses. She has taught the principles of Awareness-Based Self-Regulation to individuals and organizations for 19 years. Her approach to helping people have their own back at work and in life is grounded, playful, empathic and intelligent. Jay received her BA in Psychosocial Health and Human Movement from the College of William and Mary and her masters in Integral Transformative Education from Prescott College. When not working with clients or facilitating trainings, you can find Jay riding her motorcycle in the mountains outside of Ojai, California where she lives.

LISA THOMAS is a Transformational Energy Healer, who works with talented people from all walks of life. She empowers individuals to reach their full potential, by removing inherited emotional blocks, such as fear of success, fear of failure, anxiety, procrastination, excess weight, fear of public speaking, false money beliefs, relationship drama and business stagnation.

Everyone deserves to be seen, heard and known for who they are. Lisa’s expertise in removing negative energy and inherited patterns empowers people to get their gifts, talents and ideas into the world, more confidently and in alignment with their Soul’s purpose.

Karen received her Masters’ Degree in Social Work from Columbia University and has worked in the areas of family therapy, eldercare and PTSD.

Acclaimed talk show host of Spouting Off

As a performer, she has toured the country in musical comedies, entertained on cruise ships and appeared in television and film. Her broadcast experience includes turns as a classical music radio announcer, news-caster, voice-over artist and of course, talk radio host. She lends her operatic voice to a variety of fundraisers and community events and has sung the National Anthem and God Bless America in numerous venues from State Legislatures to the New Jersey Nets.

Karen has trained people of all ages in public speaking, voice and diction, assertiveness and interpersonal communication. She taught communications at a Manhattan corporate training firm, the New School for Social Research, Parsons School of Design in New York, New Jersey’s Montclair State College, and Fairleigh Dickenson University, among others.

In politics, Karen has written numerous editorials and run for public office. She is passionate about freedom, equal justice and personal responsibility. You might have trouble pigeonholing her.

She enjoys encouraging people to think for themselves and to question everything.

Karen is the author of the awarding winning memoir, FATLASH! Food Police & the Fear of Thin, a memoir about her "stage mother on steroids" and her participation in child beauty pageants.