Opera Benefit At Chagrin Falls Church Set For April 8

St Martin's Episcopal Church: Saint Martin's Episcopal Church will host a recital event, LOVE, FAITH AND OPERA, a concert to benefit The Herren Project on Sunday, April 8; 3:00 p.m.at 6295 Chagrin River Road in Chagrin Falls. The program will include songs, arias, duets and ensembles from the romantic masters Stefan Barner, tenor, Rachele Schmiege, soprano and Renee Brown, piano. This benefit concert will support Stefan Barner on his 2018 Boston Marathon Run to benefit The Herren Project, a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides support, resources and wellness education to increase awareness and treatment of substance use disorder. For more details see www.theherrenproject.org.

Soprano Rachele Schiege, hailed for her “incredibly crystalline voice” and “absolutely thrilling” portrayals, performs a wide range of repertoire throughout North America. At home in both standard repertoire and new works, Ms. Schmiege consistently brings fine musicianship and a compelling dramatic presence to her work. Ms. Schmiege has been a Young Artist at such prestigious companies as Opera on the James, Cape Cod Opera, Nashville Opera, and Flagstaff in Fidenza, Italy. She was named First Place in the 2016 MetroWest Opera Competition (Boston, MA), Second Place, Emerging and Young Artist Division, at the 2016 Classical Singer Competition, Second Place in the Piccola Opera Competition (New Hampshire), Finalist in Connecticut’s Opera Idol Competition, and in the Orpheus Competition (Murfreesboro, Tennessee), and received Second Place in Connecticut’s Jenny Lind Competition. Ms. Schmiege earned her Bachelor of Music at Western Michigan University and her Master in Music from New England Conservatory.

Tenor Stefan Barner is a “vocal standout, with a vibrancy of tone and an exciting delivery that serve notice that he is a gifted lyric tenor with a big future ahead.” Recently making a role and company debut with Virginia Opera, Mr. Barner sang Beppe in I Pagliacci and the Younger Brother in Kurt Weill's Seven Deadly Sins. Other highlights from 2016 include singing Steve Hubbel in A Streetcar Named Desire with Tulsa Opera; Rudolph in Evangilne with The Longfellow Chorus; the title role in Faust with Boston Opera Collaborative and the title role in Idomeneo again with BOC, for which he was praised for his “masterful command of both style and technique.” In 2017, Mr. Barner sang the role of Algernon Moncrieff in Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest with Odyssey Opera and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi with Salt Marsh Opera.

St. Martin’s new organist Renee J. Brown is a well-versed musician specializing in piano, pipe organ, harpsichord, and percussion instruments. She is fluent in performing various musical styles from the Renaissance to Contemporary Christian. She is familiar with the Episcopal, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and AME Zion liturgies. She is also experienced in teaching, conducting and rehearsing vocal ensembles. Renee holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Roosevelt University, Chicago, where she majored in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. From 2011 through 2017 she was organist-choir director in Alban’s Episcopal Church, El Cajon, California. She is currently a Science Teacher in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Cleveland (Teach for America).

Donations of any amount are appreciated and checks can be made payable to The Herren Project and donations can also be made online by visiting www.theherrenproject.org/stefan-barner.

Saint Martin’s is located at 6295 Chagrin River Road, Chagrin Falls. For information about Saint Martin’s call the church office at (440)247-7406 or go to www.saintmartinschagrinfalls.com.

Image Via St. Martin's Episcopal Church