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Sandy Marks, our trombone soloist for "Stardust" is a charter member of Wolfgang. Sandy first
became interested in playing instrumental music in the third grade playing a plastic recorder. When his grammar school
music teacher announced the formation of a countywide grammar (Cannon County, TN) school orchestra, Sandy expressed an interest
in playing the tuba. His teacher, James Sabia, a trombonist, insisted that Sandy start with the trombone before moving
on to the tuba. In time, Sandy found he preferred the trombone and began studying privately with Mr. Noon when his family
moved to Evansville. Sandy now studies trombone with Mr. Lloyd Novak, and has the distinct privilege of being a section
player with his teacher.
Laura Ice Beck, soprano soloist, makes her second appearance with Wolfgang at this 2008 Christmas concert.
She joins fellow vocalists for the choral renditions of Handel's Messiah choruses and the alto recitative, "Behold, a Virgin
Shall Conceive." She will also be heard as Bizet's "Carmen" in this program. Laura has been singing most of her
life and credits her vocal training to her mother and father, the late Jim Hendrickson, Mr. Jerry Hoover, and Ms. Kathleen
Berry. An Evansville Native, she has performed in various venues and a variety of styles around the tri-state area including
the Evansville Philharmonic Master Choral, Old North UMC Chancel Choir, the band "Fool's Gold," and vocal ensemble "Serenade."
Laura is please to be singing for you again this evening.
Teddy Marks, our tenor soloist, joins us for a fourth straight season. Two of his four children
are members of the Wolfgang ensemble. Since its inception, Worlgang has had Teddy's full support. Tonight, along
with performing "Toreador" from Bizet's "Carmen," Teddy will reprise "Nessun dorma," an aria he first performed with Wolfgang
in the 2007 Christmas season. Teddy comments, "I think it should be noted that Wolfgang performed 'Nessun dorma' before
it was thrust into American pop culture as the winning performance in the 2008 season of 'America's Got Talent.' This
just demonstrates Mr. Noon's ability to recognize, score, and present good music. I had never heard the song before
Mr. Noon asked me to sing it."
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Teddy completed his vocal music performance degree at Christopher Newport College, Newport
News, Virginia, while working as an operational nuclear test engineer.
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Soprano Soloist, Leanna M. Thomas, a veteran ensemble singer and soloist, has been singing in Methodist
Church adulst choirs for over 50 years, following her parents' example. Lee's formal musical training is in classical
piano; but at a tender age she demonstrated the vocal ability which has resulted in her being a 25 year member of the Evansville
Philharmonic Chorus and a regular soloist in that group and in other classical and contemporary venues. Her vocal knowledge
has derived from many excellent directors in both churches and EPC, such as Robert Moody, Prof. Daniel Craig, Dr. Robert McIver,
and Dr. Robert Rapp. Lee has been a soloist in Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra concerts, including "Ring-Along Messiah,"
and is a member of Old North UMC Chancel choir. She performed the part of Golda in "Fiddler on the Roos," and the part
of Amahl's mother in "Amahl and the Night Visitors," both Methodist Temple productions. The Evansville Philharmonic
Chorus's most recent concert featured her as soloist in Schubert's Mass in G. Lee is appearing for the first
time with Wolfgang in this concert.
Oboe Soloist, Lea Vollmer, has been involved with music since the firth grade, playing clarinet until
the summer between her junior and senior year of high school when she was given the opportunity to learn and play the oboe.
In her words, "My band directore at the time, Mr. K.V. Bryant, handed me a cassette tape, a book and an oboe at the end of
the school year and asked me to learn to play it over the summer. I enjoyed plaing the oboe so much I hated having to
give the instrument back at the end of the year. Thirty years later, the desire to play music and participate in an
ensemble again emerged and, after finding a good used oboe, I gegan taking lessons from Mr. Noon. He was soon talking
about starting a wind ensemble and in 2006 the Wolfgang Classical Wind Ensemble was formed. I have been playing with
the group ever since and throoughly enjoy it. I hope someday to also learn to play the English Horn. I thank both
Mr. Bryant and Mr. Noon for having faith in me to learn and relearn to play this challenging instrument. I would also
like to thank my parents, Don and Nora Henness, for paying for all those music lessons years ago and enduring hours of squeaking
and squawking as I learned. The gift of music is a wonderful thing to give your child."
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| John Spradley, Asst. Conductor |
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