Alumni choir and soloists to perform at March 19 Musco Center opening

A truly happy homecoming awaits for nearly 80 Chapman University alumni who have been invited to perform in the Grand Opening concert in Musco Center of the Arts on March 19, 2016. The group spans seven decades of Chapman history and includes Musco grandson
Alex David ’09
as emcee, a 70-voice chorus, and eight exciting and accomplished soloists:

Ben Bliss ’08
, tenor, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award for 2016. In the Metropolitan Opera’s 2015-2016 season, Bliss performed as Belmonte in
Die Entführung aus dem Serail
, conducted by James Levine, and will make his European debut in the same role with Glyndebourne Festival on tour. He also recently returned to Los Angeles Opera, where he appeared as Tamino in
Die Zauberflöte
. On the concert stage, Bliss will debut with the New York Philharmonic singing Tony in Bernstein’s
West Side Story
with Alan Gilbert, Haydn’s
The Creation
and Cassio in
Otello
at the Cincinnati May Festival with James Conlon, and in holiday concerts with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Lexington Philharmonic. Bliss concludes the season with his company debut at Santa Fe Opera as Flamand in a new production of
Capriccio
directed by Tim Albery.

Deborah Domanski ’98

, mezzo-soprano, brings an extraordinary combination of scintillating musicality and captivating stage-presence to the opera world. Recent engagements include the role of Lazuli in
L’Etoile
with Austin Lyric Opera, the title role of
La Cenerentola
and
Cherubino
both with Opera Southwest. She has sung with Opera Hong Kong, Michigan Opera Theater, Tulsa Opera, New Orleans Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera. Concert appearances include those with The Santa Fe Pro Musica, Asheville Symphony, the Laredo Symphony, The New Mexico Philharmonic, and an engagement with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen in Mozart’s Requiem. In 2011 Deborah released her first album entitled
Arias & Songs
with Maestro Robert Tweten on piano. In January 2005, Deborah made her Weill Concert Hall debut as part of the Marilyn Horne Foundation’s
The Song Continues
. She holds degrees from Chapman University, Manhattan School of Music, and The Juilliard School.

Dennis Kelly ’67

, baritone, graduated from Chapman College and went directly to Melodyland Theater in Anaheim for a season of summer stock, then toured for five years with the Norman Luboff Choir. While living in New York City he performed with the Camerata Singers, Collegiate Chorale, Musica Sacra,
Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops, Leopold Stokowski and the American Symphony Orchestra, Robert DeCormier Singers and the Bach Aria Group. On Broadway, he was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award in the 1994 revival of
Damn Yankees
. He played Buffalo Bill in
Annie Get Your Gun
 starring Bernadette Peters, and Cinderella’s Father in
Into the Woods
starring Vanessa Williams. His national tours include
Jekyll and Hyde
,
Urinetown
, 
Anything Goes
and
Damn Yankees
. His television appearances include
The Dollmaker
, episodes of
Law & Order
,
Chicago
,
Lady Blue
,
Detroit 1-8-7
, as well as sketches on
Late Night with Conan O’Brien
.

John Nuzzo ’91

, tenor, is a Tokyo-born Japanese American. His first professional engagement was as soloist in Bach’s B minor Mass with the Master Chorale of Orange County. He joined the Vienna State Opera in 2000 and quickly established his career in Austria, appearing in Bernstein’s
West Side Story
at the Volksoper Wien and in Zemlinsky’s
King Kandaules
at the Salzburg Festival. In 2003, he made his Metropolitan Opera debut in Strauss’s
Ariadne auf Naxos
and Stravinsky’s
The Rake’s Progress
. In subsequent seasons he has returned for performances of 
Romeo and Juliette
,
Fidelio
,
Cosí fan Tutte
,
Don Giovanni
, and
Il Trittico
which was broadcast in HD around the world. He was awarded the 13th Idemitsu Music Award, and when he was invited to sing in Japan’s longest-running New Year’s Eve Concert on TV, his fame in Japan spread overnight. His first full album
Tenorissimo
was recently released from Universal Music.

Weston Olson ’04

, baritone, is a proud, enthusiastic 2004 alumnus of Chapman University. Having toured the U.S. and Canada with the 25th anniversary production of
Les Misérables
, he is currently on Broadway in the same production as an Enjolras cover and ensemble swing. Other credits: City Center Encores Presentation of
Where’s Charley?
, Geva Theatre Center’s production of
Sweeney Todd
, Squire Dap in
Camelot
for the PBS Broadcast of 
Live From Lincoln Center
in Avery Fisher Hall with The New York Philharmonic, The Hollywood Bowl production of
Les Misérables
, and Valentine in
Babes In Arms
at The Barnstormers Theater. Weston has also been a concert soloist for The Boston Pops and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in the West Coast premiere of 
The Lord of the Rings Symphony
.

Bruce Sledge ’94

 is one of today’s most in-demand
tenori di grazia
. He has made the Duke in
Rigoletto
and Paolo Erisso in
Maometto Secondo,
two of his signature roles with performances at The Santa Fe Opera, Vancouver Opera, Canadian Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera in the Parks. Sledge made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Almaviva in
The Barber of Seville
and went on to star in
The Magic Flute
,
Cosí fan tutte
, and Thomas Ades’
The Tempest
. His career has taken him to the stages of New York City Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles Opera, Paris Opera, La Fenice and beyond. His discography includes the role of the Fox in Janacek’s
The Cunning Little Vixen
for the BBC with Kent Nagano conducting. He can also be seen on the NBC sitcom
Scrubs
and heard on the soundtrack of the motion picture 
The Sum of All Fears
.

Mexican-American baritone 
Efraín Solís ’11
 is a recent graduate of the Adler Fellowship at San Francisco Opera. He made his Company debut as Prince Yamadori in 
Madama Butterfly
 and appeared as Christian in 
Un Ballo in Maschera
, Sciarrone in
Tosca
, and Dandini in
La Cenerentola.
 In the spring of 2013, he joined Opera Santa Barbara as a member of their Studio Artist Program, where he sang the role of Il Notario and covered Dr. Malatesta in
Don Pasquale
. As a participant of the 2013 Merola Opera Program, he sang Junius in
The Rape of Lucretia
and covered Count Almaviva in
Le Nozze di Figaro
. Chosen as a finalist for the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the 2013 Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition, Solís holds degrees from Chapman University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he performed the title role of
Don Giovanni
, Guglielmo in
Così fan tutte
, and the title role of
Gianni Schicchi
. Solís recently appeared as Mercutio in
Romeo and Juliet
with both Opera Carolina in January 2016 and Virginia Opera in February 2016.

Soprano 
Stacey Tappan ’95
 has distinguished herself as an exceptional musical artist in the United States and abroad. Recent engagements for Ms. Tappan have included starring roles in
A Streetcar Named Desire
,
La cenerentola
, 
Albert Herring
, and Krenek’s
Das Geheime Königreich,
all with the Los Angeles Opera. She also appeared in the world premiere of Adamo’s
The Gospel of Mary Magdalene
and Wagner’s
Ring Cycle
with San Francisco Opera. Ms. Tappan’s concert work has included appearances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic singing
Wing on Wing
, composed and conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mahler’s
Symphony of a Thousand
at the Hollywood Bowl, and Mendelssohn’s
Midsummer Night’s Dream
at Ravinia Festival. Ms. Tappan made her professional debut with Houston Grand Opera as Beth in
Little Women
, broadcast on PBS’ Great Performances and released on CD by Ondine and on DVD by Naxos.

Although concert-only tickets are sold out for the star-studded extravaganza, which includes performances by legendary tenor Plácido Domingo, soprano Deborah Voigt, and mezzo-soprano Milena Kitic, there are still tickets available for the special Gala package which includes orchestra-level concert seating, a champagne reception, and gala dinner with Domingo. Visit 
muscocenter.org/event/grand-opening/
 for more information or to order tickets.