More to follow!
LLOYD ARRIOLA
A dynamic and powerful recitalist, a sensitive accompanist and an intelligent interpreter of contemporary music, Lloyd Arriola is a highly experienced pianist and conductor who has worked in a variety of musical genres on an international scale. Lloyd has appeared on the stage of New York’s Town Hall in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and with the One World Symphony of New York he performed Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G in another much-lauded performance. He has performed as an accompanist for distinguished singers such as Lucine Amara, among others. He has conducted West Side Story in the Semper Oper Dresden and Matsumoto Performing Arts Center of Japan, and the national tour of Philip David Stern’s Scrooge–The Musical. Lloyd can also be heard on the recording of Allen and Wallace Shawn’s “play-opera” The Music Teacher, on Bridge Records. And, as an orchestral pianist, Lloyd has worked with such important conductors as Kurt Masur, Jahja Ling, Richard Buckley, Joel Smirnoff, and many others.
As a teenager growing up in San Francisco, California, Lloyd began his career as a conductor for a local performance of Gian Carlo Menotti’s Amelia Goes to the Ball. He has continued to music direct and conduct operas ranging from Julius Caesar to La Boheme to La Serva Padrona and I Can’t Stand Wagner. Recently Lloyd was one of the pianists for the world premiere of the two piano version of William Bolcom’s opera A View from the Bridge with Vertical Player Repertory theatre. Lloyd continues to conduct and play works of the American musical theatre including Cabaret, Gypsy, Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar, Little Shop of Horrors, The Fantasticks, and dozens of others.
Lloyd Arriola studied at The Peabody Institute and at The Juilliard School, where he received his training from Yoheved Kaplinsky. Lloyd received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Piano from Juilliard in 2002, the first person of Filipino descent to receive his doctoral degree from that institution. He currently serves on the faculty of the Riverdale Country School as their Pianist-in-Residence, and is former faculty of Sarah Lawrence College, William Paterson University, and Montclair State University. Lloyd lives in New York City.
CHARLES CALHOUN - Concert Chorus Accompanist/Associate Concert Chorus Director
CHARLES CALHOUN's work as accompanist, coach, and instructor has taken place on four continents. His credits include the Edinburgh Festival, BBC Television, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, and the Instituto Superior de Arte of the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires. He has served on the Music Staff of San Francisco Opera, Opera San Jose and the Sacramento Opera Association, and has assisted in the preparation of performances of the San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose Symphony orchestras and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra. A respected educator, he has served as coach or lecturer to university and conservatory students at several Bay Area institutions. His present appointments include those of Music Director of the San Francisco Swedenborgian Church, Organist at Peninsula Temple Sholom, Burlingame and Director of the San Francisco Boys Chorus.
BENJAMIN MALKOVITCH
Benjamin Malkevitch, having coached and played for scenes at BASOTI in 2008, 2010 and 2011 is very pleased to return, now a legitimate resident of the Bay Area. He has coached and played scenes programs, recitals, and rehearsals for summer programs in Italy (The Professional Advantage), Salzburg (University of Miami), and New York (NYOS-Vassar). He has collaborated with conductors Louis Salemno (Suor Angelica) and James Caraher (Falstaff) and with directors Vernon Hartman, Marni Nixon, and Carol Castel. At Hofstra University, he served as chorusmaster for productions of Carmen and Dialogues of the Carmelites. Mr. Malkevitch is also seasoned in musical theater, having music directed productions of Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma!, and Songs for a New World, among others. He has particular interests in German lieder, American opera, Sondheim, Britten, Stravinsky, and contemporary music. He holds a master’s degree in collaborative piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studied with Virginia Weckstrom
DAN CROMEENES hails from sunny southern California where he studied
piano and voice at Biola University. He went on to achieve a master's
degree in accompanying at East Carolina University. Currently based in
San Francisco, Mr. Cromeenes works professionally as both accompanist
and singer. He has accompanied for the Biola Conservatory of Music,
Santa Clara University, Santa Clara Chorale, West Bay Opera,
Lamplighters Music Theatre, and as freelance accompanist and coach. As a
countertenor he has performed with various ensembles—including
Chanticleer, American Bach Soloists, and Clerestory—and as a soloist
with Bach Collegium San Diego, San Francisco Lyric Chorus, and SCU’s
Faculty Recital Series. Mr. Cromeenes is pleased to return for his third season with BASOTI.
SAM EMANUEL, New York City
Sam collaborated with BASOTI in 2011 and in 2012 is not only accompanying singers and operas, but he is also taking baton in hand and conducting several opera scenes.
Sam has collaborated with many singers in recent years. He says he has come to love the music of Richard Wagner and recently sat through 3 'Rings' at the Metropolitan!
Sam is pursuing his Master's Degree in Conducting at Indiana University.
MICHAEL GROSSMAN
An
accomplished jazz musician, MICHAEL GROSSMAN received his masters degree at the San
Francisco Conservatory of Music. Later,
he joined the faculty of the Conservatory as an opera coach / accompanist and
Musical Director for the Conservatory’s Musical Theatre program. A native of Los Angeles, Michael has been
living and performing in San Francisco and the Bay area for 20 years. When not touring as the Musical Director of Franc D’Ambrosio’s Hollywood, he works
with various Bay area training programs and artists. Michael has been a member of the BASOTI faculty since its founding in 1992.
Michael also performs in jazz venues in and
around the Bay area.
