Concert of Spiritual Masterworks of Italian Masters:
performed by the CHARTER OAK ENSEMBLE
of the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
Adrian Sylveen, artistic director

Il Tramonto............Ottorino Respighi
Stabat Mater.........Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

Soloists:
Caroline Christopher - soprano (Pergolesi)
Rebecca de Almeida - mezzo-soprano (Respighi & Pergolesi)

About the Soloists:
Caroline Christopher is a Connecticut-based soprano specializing in Early Music. She has appeared with ensembles in the US and Canada such as Arion
Orchestre Baroque, McGill Cappella Antica, Hartt Collegium Musicum, and the Amherst Early Music Festival. Caroline currently sings with the Schola Cantorum of the Cathedral of St. Joseph and the Treble Choir of St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church in Hartford. She holds a Master’s degree in Early Music from McGill
University and a Bachelor’s degree in Music History and Voice from The Hartt School.

Brazilian mezzo‑soprano Rebecca de Almeida began her musical life as an award‑winning pianist before transitioning to voice shortly before the pandemic. Her early achievements include top prizes in the Villa‑Lobos Museum Competition, the Latin‑American Rosa Mística Competition, and the “Jovem Destaque” National Piano Competition, supported by a multi‑year PIBEX scholarship. She has quickly become
one of Connecticut’s leading mezzos. She has appeared across the US, Latin America, and Europe in roles such as Carmen, Giulio Cesare,
Orfeo, Dorabella, and Count Orlovsky, noted for her “luscious voice” and “exhilarating presence.”

Award‑winning musician Adrian Sylveen maintains an active performing career in the United States and Europe. He is the founder and artistic
director of the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra Virtuosi OPERA, and the Greve Opera Academy & Chamber Music Festival, and appears
frequently with Teatro Lirico D’Europa and Camerata Gdynia and others. He has an extensive orchestral and oratorio repertoire, leading performances across the United States, Poland, Italy, Israel, Cuba, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and the former Soviet Union. A recipient of numerous awards, including the Primus Inter Pares distinction from the President of Poland, he holds a DMA from the Gdansk Music Academy and degrees from Yale University and the Paderewski Academy. A dedicated educator, he teaches with the Virtuosi Music Academy, Greve Opera Academy, and the Moniuszko Choir.

Spiritual Masterworks Concert

with the Charter Oak Ensemble