“Otherworldly” mezzo-soprano Clare McNamara brings her versatility to a wide variety of early and new repertoire throughout the United States and abroad. She has maintained affiliations as a soloist and ensemble member with groups such as Skylark (a 3-time GRAMMY nominee), Handel+Haydn Society, Cut Circle, Lorelei Ensemble, The Boston Camerata, and Boston’s Emmanuel Music. Clare’s “astonishing” voice is heavily featured in the recent “pathbreaking” release of Cut Circle’s one-to-a-part compendium of the works of Johannes Ockeghem (Gramophone Magazine). She was also hailed as “pure-toned” and “as good as they come” (MusicWeb International) for her solo Hildegard chant on the GRAMMY-nominated Skylark album “Seven” (2018). During her nine years with Lorelei, engagements included collaborations with A Far Cry (Kareem Roustom’s Hurry to the Light) and the Boston Symphony Orchestra/Andris Nelsons (Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Debussy’s Nocturnes, and George Benjamin’s Dream of the Song). The 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons have marked a gentle return to performance and studio recording, including four Skylark albums: "It’s a Long Way" (2021), "A Christmas Carol" (2021), "La Vie en Rose" (2023), and "Clear Voices in the Dark" (2024). During the pandemic, Clare recorded a solo recital and a program of women’s trios for Skylark’s digital subscription platform, Skylark+; she also co-founded a new vocal trio, Ourania. In January, 2021, Clare appeared as the vocal soloist (works by Michelle DiBucci and Gustav Mahler) for the United Nations’ Chamber Music Society’s concert for the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, which was globally broadcast on the UN’s YouTube Channel and on Facebook. Clare holds an A.B. in Music from Princeton University and an M.M. in Early Music Performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Her most recent appearance with Coro Allegro was earlier this year.
Taras Leschishin • Baritone
Mr. Leschishin, a native of Ohio, attended Baldwin-Wallace University with scholarships to pursue voice performance. After graduation with high honors, Taras performed with the Cleveland Opera Company as well as soloist for several local choral groups and bass soloist at Old Stone Church in downtown Cleveland. After one year, Taras continued his studies with scholarships at New England Conservatory in Boston. There he studied with Helen Hodam, renowned voice teacher from Oberlin Conservatory, and he also worked with John Moriarty, well-known in the New England Opera world. After receiving a Masters degree in Voice Performance, Mr. Leschishin began performing around the Boston area, including solos with the Boston Pops, Boston Cecilia, Chorus of the Arts, Coro Allegro and several other local music organizations. Recently, Taras sang the role of Manoah in a production of Samson at First Church in Cambridge with the Cambridge Chamber Ensemble to a great review from the Boston Intelligencer: “Taras Leschishin imbued Menoah, Samson’s father with tremendous sympathy in tones of a handsomely aged vintage wine.” Taras has been a member of the Handel & Haydn Society, the Cantata Singers, Coro Allegro and the Seraphim Singers. He has coached with Martin Katz, Phyllis Curtin and Stephen Lord. Taras’s musical experience has brought him to conduct the Hong Kong Philharmonic in Bali, Indonesia as well as be the soloist for the Geddy Wedding in Indonesia with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Mr. Leschishin has traveled throughout Europe and the Middle East as soloist with many choral groups. Taras has been a guest lecturer and professor of music for the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine. Taras lives in Roslindale, Massachusetts where he maintains his own home voice studio after retiring from over 30 years of teaching at Bridgewater State University.
Eugene Kim • Cello
Cellist Eugene Kim has given solo performances throughout Korea, England, Italy and his native United States, including such venues as Carnegie Recital Hall and Jordan Hall. His chamber music collaborations have included Raphael Hillyer, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Marc Johnson, Marcus Thompson, Gervase de Peyer and Mark O'Connor. An active Boston-area performer, he has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, and has been guest principal cellist with the Boston Classical Orchestra, and the Pro Arte Chamber Ensemble. Passionate about music education, Eugene is a faculty member at the New England Conservatory Preparatory Division and an Artist Affiliate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Eugene has also served as Artistic Director of Project STEP and Executive Director of the Foulger International Music Festival. He holds degrees from Harvard University and New England Conservatory.
Heinrich Christensen • Organ
A native of Denmark, Heinrich Christensen came to the US in 1998 and received an Artist Diploma in Organ Performance from the Boston Conservatory, in addition to degrees from conservatories in Denmark and France. He was appointed Music Director of historic King's Chapel, Boston, in the year 2000, after serving as affiliate organist under the direction of Daniel Pinkham during the final two years of Dr. Pinkham’s 42-year tenure at the church. Heinrich was a prizewinner at the international organ competitions in Odense and Erfurt and has given solo recitals on four continents; in the US in New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, and throughout New England. He has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Symphony Hall and at Tanglewood under the batons of Andris Nelsons, JoAnn Falletta, Thomas Adès, among others, as well as with Boston Ballet, Handel & Haydn Society, and numerous choruses in the greater Boston area. An avid proponent of contemporary music, he has premiered works by Daniel Pinkham, Carson Cooman, Graham Gordon Ramsay, James Woodman, and several others. He has recorded several organ and choral CDs, and Daniel Pinkham’s works for solo voice and organ with Florestan Recital Project.
