Featured Artists

Dana Lynne Varga • Soprano

Dana Lynne Varga is a sought-after soprano and an avid concert soloist. Her recent performances have included Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis with the Cantata Singers, Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass with Coro Allegro, the Fauré Requiem with the Springfield Symphony, Amy Beach’s Mass and Handel’s Israel in Egypt with the Commonwealth Chorale, and the Bach B Minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio with the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra. Past concert highlights include both Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony and Dona Nobis Pacem as well as the Brahms Requiem and the Dvořák Te Deum with the Metropolitan Chorale, Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Granite State Choral Society, Dubois’ Seven Last Words with Coro Allegro, the Bach Magnificat, Mozart Requiem and Mendelssohn St. Paul with the Choral Art Society, and Beethoven’s Mass in C at Tanglewood (Ozawa Hall).

Dana won first place in the 2016 Classical Singer National Competition, and second place in the 2016 Rochester Oratorio Society’s Classical Idol Competition. She has amassed accolades for her numerous operatic roles, which include Musetta in La bohème, Fiordiligi in Cosi fan tutte, Anna Maurrant in Street Scene, Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus, Micaëla in Carmen, Alcina in Alcina, Hanna Glawari in The Merry Widow and First Lady in The Magic Flute. She has performed with Boston Lyric Opera, Odyssey Opera, PORTopera, Opera Boston, Boston Opera Collaborative, PANopera, Connecticut Lyric Opera, Commonwealth Opera, Boston Baroque, the Aldeburgh (Britten-Pears) Festival, and the prestigious Caramoor Festival in New York. Upcoming performances include the Bach Magnificat with both the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra and the New England Classical Singers, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra and Haydn's Creation with the Polymnia Choral Society. For more information please visit www.danavarga.com.

Margaret Lias • Mezzo-Soprano

Mezzo-soprano Margaret Lias has been celebrated for her “warm,” “arresting,” and “rich-toned” singing. Since her Boston Symphony Hall debut in 2011 with Handel and Haydn Society (Handel, Israel in Egypt), Margaret has been a frequent soloist under the baton of Harry Christophers. In 2015, Margaret received praise for her Lincoln Center solo debut singing Mozart’s Requiem. Select solo appearances in 2018 and 2019 include Boston Baroque (Monteverdi, L’incoronazione di Poppea), Handel and Haydn Society (Bach, Mass in B Minor), Masterworks Chorale (works by Handel and Purcell), the Rhode Island Philharmonic (Handel, Messiah), Coro Allegro (Vivaldi, Gloria and Magnificat), Boston Cecilia (Corigliano, Fern Hill), 12 UMass Amherst Bach Festival (Bach, St. Matthew Passion), and Emmanuel Music (Harbison, The Supper at Emmaus).

A passionate supporter of Anglican liturgical music, Margaret has been a sought-after cantor for events such as bishop consecrations, priest ordinations, and Holy Week services in major cathedrals and churches in the US (St. John the Divine, New York, Trinity Church in Boston, and Cathedral of St. Philip, Atlanta) and abroad (Westminster Abbey (The Collegiate Church of St. Peter), London, and Coventry Cathedral, Coventry, England.).

Presently, Margaret is a core member of Emmanuel Music, ensemble-in-residence at Emmanuel Church, Boston, MA. Margaret’s versatility as a singer allows her the opportunity to collaborate with other soloists to perform master choral works at a very high level easily transitioning from medieval and baroque music to classical, romantic, and contemporary repertoire.

Margaret was a founding member of The Skylark Vocal Ensemble under Matthew Guard. She has performed frequently with Seraphic Fire under Patrick Dupré Quigley, Boston Baroque under Martin Pearlman, Voices of Ascension under Dennis Keene, Sacred Music in a Sacred Space under K. Scott Warren, Emmanuel Music under Ryan Turner, and Musica Sacra New York under Kent Tritle. Sought after for her administrative talents, Margaret was named chorus representative for Handel and Haydn Society in 2009 and served on the Board of Directors for Lorelei Ensemble. Additionally, Margaret is deeply honored to serve as Development Director for Emmanuel Music.