PLATINUM LEVEL SPONSORSAnn & Jim Lindemann

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORSHarley Smith & Veronica HilyardMoneta Charitable Foundation

SILVER LEVEL SPONSORSJoe & Jeanene DuganJohn & Nancy Greene

Margaret Gilleo & Charles GuentherShannon Hart

Bill & Becky HaukRonald & Janet Moen

Ruth W. RangelAnne & Jim von der Heydt

PATRON TICKET BUYERS

PRESENTED BY

Gwen AdamsLester Anderson

Stephen & Rebecca BolenMichael Clear & Marie Bone

Barbara A. Brinkman & Gregory C. Finch

Dale DendtlerWilliam & Jane Doub

Catherine & Tad EdwardsCarolyn & Kevin FarrellKathy & Bob Fulstone

Jenni & Rick Gemberling

Jeannette HueyRoisin Hughes

Barry & Deborah KoenemannDavid & Teresa Schulz

Janice & Stephen SeeleDennis & Helene Sparger

Benjamin & Courtney StotlerJerry & Liz Von RohrThomas & Carol Voss

Nelson & Leslie WainwrightAndrew Wuellner

Honorary Committee

80th Season Gala Committee

EVENT CHAIR | Anne von der Heydt

Lauren BricklerCarolyn FarrellKathy Fulstone

Jenni GemberlingMiran Halen

Becky HaukJeannette R. Huey

Linda LeeJanice Seele

Gwen AdamsStephen & Rebecca BolenLauren & Matthew Brickler

Barbara A. Brinkman &Gregory C. Finch

Rick Burk & Darwin TanguiligSteven & Peggy CantrellJames & Erica Chalmers

Aaron Chickos &Morgan Boudreau

Michael Clear & Marie BoneWilliam & Jane Doub

Joe & Jeanene DuganKim Eberlein

Catherine & Tad EdwardsD’Arcy Elsperman

Carolyn & Kevin FarrellMegan Flaskamper

Keith FredlundKathy & Bob Fulstone

Jenni & Rick GemberlingMargaret P. Gilleo &Charles Guenther Jr.

John & Nancy GreeneMiran Halen

Shannon HartBill & Becky HaukJeannette R. Huey

Roisin HughesBarry Kirk & Andrew Martin

Doug & Joan KoubaLinda & Paul Lee

Ann & Jim LindemannDr. Stephen & Margaret Mager

Ronald & Janet MoenRuth W. Rangel

Deborah & Edward SchwarzJanice & Steve Seele

José SilvaGregory & Alayne Smith

Harley Smith & Veronica HilyardKenneth & Marjorie SmithDennis & Helene Sparger

Benjamin & Courtney StotlerEd & Mary Sumner

Anne & Jim von der HeydtJerry & Liz Von Rohr

Nelson & Leslie WainwrightDouglas & Jeanne Wilton

Andrew V. Wuellner

A Virtual Celebrat ion

Welcome Melissa Payton, Executive Director

Celebrating 80 Seasons Melissa Payton & Dennis Sparger, Artistic Director

Musical Performances & Guest AppearancesBach Society Gala Chorus

“S-Wonderful” George and Ira Gershwin, arr. David Blackwell

“Shenandoah” American folk song, arr. James Erb

Songs mein Grossmama sang Lloyd Pfautsch I. “Fraulein Bo-Peepen ben losen der sheepen” II. “Jack der Spratt ben liken lean” III. “Jack und Jill upwent das hill” IV. “Der smallisch Johann Horner ben gesitten in das corner”

Nathan & Julie Gunn“Polka Dots and Moonbeams” Jimmy Van Heusen, Text by Johnny Burke

“Recuerdo” John Musto, Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay

“Black Max” William Bolcom, Text by Arnold Weinstein

Bold Steps Onto The Virtual Stage

Why We Give

Nathan & Julie Gunn“If Ever I Would Leave You” Alan Jay Lerner & Frederic Loewe

Music Director and Conductor A. Dennis Sparger was critically acclaimed as “a conductor equipped with insight as well as craftsmanship” already in his second season. In the past three and a half decades he has received even more praise for his musical leadership with the Bach Society Chorus and Orchestra, conducting them in more than 175 performances of major works by Bach and other composers.

Under his leadership the Bach Society was presented with the Excellence in the Arts award by the Arts & Education Council of Greater St. Louis, the first chorus to be so honored. It was also a driving force in the Christmas Candlelight Concerts being hailed by BBC Music magazine as “one of the top 20 live Christmas events in North America.”

In 1989 he introduced a Young Artists scholarship program for singers under the age of thirty to cultivate future soloists. He also established a professional core of paid Principal Singers and designated a position for Composer-in-Residence to promote the creation of new works.

He was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting by the University of Illinois and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern Illinois University where he was named one of the 50 Outstanding Graduate Alumni of the Graduate School.

In 2013, in recognition of his work with the Bach Society, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement award by the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has also received awards from Cathedral Concerts, the St. Louis chapter of AGO, and the Illinois chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

Dr. Sparger is a member of the American Bach Society, American Choral Directors Association, Chorus America, the National Society of Arts & Letters, and is a past board member of Artist Presentation Society.

Dennis and his wife Helene have lived in Belleville, Illinois, since 1966, have three children in the St. Louis area, and four grandchildren. Summer vacations have long been centered around the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

A. Dennis SpargerMusic Director & Conductor

Photo credit: Kris Bueltmann

Nathan Gunn is widely acclaimed for his diverse performing career bridging the genres of opera, musical theatre, and recital. Gunn grew up in South Bend, Indiana doing what most Midwestern boys do: playing sports, working hard at school, and spending time with his family. His interest in music became a passion during his junior year of high school when he was introduced to Mozart’s opera, Die Zauberflöte. Consumed by a desire to learn more, Nathan attended the University of Illinois (the third generation in his family to attend the school) to study music.

As a performer, Nathan is respected as an artist, musician, and singing actor. He has performed many of opera and musical theater’s greatest roles on the world’s most prestigious stages. Nathan has

Nathan Gunn, baritoneJulie Gunn, pianist

Photo credit: Anna Longworth

also been seen and heard on television, radio, video, and live simulcast performances, including the first ever Met in HD broadcast (The Magic Flute), in which he sang Papageno, one of his signature roles. In addition to Papageno, Nathan has reinterpreted classic roles such as Billy Budd, Figaro, and Don Giovanni, garnering many awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording (Billy Budd) and the Metropolitan Opera’s first ever Beverly Sills Award.

Additionally, Nathan has been widely acclaimed for his ability to crossover into musical theater, including performances with the New York Philharmonic in Carousel and Camelot, as well as a televised celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday. Nathan has frequently collaborated with many stars of musical theater, including Mandy Patinkin, Kelli O’Hara, Audra McDonald, and Kristin Chenoweth.

Julie Gunn is a pianist, educator, and music director. She has performed on many of the world’s most prestigious recital series, including the Aspen Festival, Auckland’s Aotea Centre, Boston’s Celebrity Series, Brussel’s La Monnaie, Cal Performances, the Carnegie Hall Pure Voice Series, the Cincinnati Chamber Music Society, the Cliburn Foundation, the Dallas Opera, Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln Center Great Performers, Manhattan’s Café Carlyle, the McCallum Theater for the Performing Arts, the Metropolitan Opera Summerstage, Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Center, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Ravinia Festival, St. Paul’s Schubert Club, San Francisco Performances, the Sydney Opera House, Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall, University of Chicago Presents, Washington’s Vocal Arts Society, the Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills, Washington National Opera, the 92nd Street Y, and the United States Supreme Court.

She has been heard with William Burden, Richard Croft, Michelle De Young, Elizabeth Futral, Isabel Leonard, Stefan Milenkovich, Kelli O’Hara, Mandy Patinkin, Patti LuPone, Yvonne Gonzales Redman, Alek Shrader, the Pacifica and Jupiter Quartets, and her husband and artistic partner Nathan Gunn.

Sandra Geary is a native of County Cork, Ireland and has received piano performance diplomas from the Royal Schools of Music, Trinity College, London; the Cork School of Music, Ireland and a Bachelor of Music degree from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music. Her teachers have included John O’Conor, Joseph Kalichstein and Carole Tafoya.

On the piano faculty of Washington University, Sandra also accompanies the WU Chamber and Concert choirs.

She has been the Bach Society of Saint Louis accompanist for the past 26 years and also is the accompanist for Webster University Opera studio.

She is a vocal coach for the OTSL Artist-in-Training program and Union Avenue Opera’s ‘Crescendo’ Young Artist program.

She has collaborated in Voice Masterclasses given by Nathan Gunn, Stanford Olsen, Kevin Short, Erie Mills, Christine Brewer, Mary Ann McCormack and Jennifer Johnson Cano.

Sandra regularly accompanies recitals,auditions and competitions in the St Louis area.

Sandra Geary

Soprano:Darcie JohnsonMadalyn MentorDanielle Feinstein*Susan NiedererMelissa Payton

Tenor:Keith FredlundAlphie KiuFreddie RicePeter HenselSeth Carruthers

Bass:Shawn NeaceRichard BellStephen ErosMicheal Lowe*Aaron Allison

Alto:Alison NeaceOlivia Roland*Christy ClemensNancy GreeneRoz Stevens

Accompanist: Sandra Geary

* 2020-2021 Young Artist Award Recipient

Gala Chorus

Donation InformationCredit Card

www.bachsociety.org/donate

CheckPayable to Bach Society of Saint Louis

Bach Society of Saint Louis3547 Olive Street, Suite 120

St. Louis, MO 63103 info@bachsociety.org

314-652-BACH

Board of Directors

Staff

Advisory Council

Douglas H. Wilton, ChairJames Chalmers, Vice-Chair

Andrew V. Wuellner, TreasurerAaron Chickos, Secretary

Keith Fredlund, Chorus PresidentStephen Bolen

J. Michael ClearBill Doub

Jeanene DuganCatherine Edwards

Todd HarperRoisin Hughes

Ron Klemm

Deane H. LooneyEleanor Mullin

Cynthia MurdochHarley Smith

Jan & Katy VerHagen

A. Dennis Sparger, Music Director & ConductorMelissa Payton, Executive DirectorRachel Jones, Executive Assistant

Stephen Eros, Assistant ConductorCharissa Marciniak, Manager of Marketing &

Audience DevelopmentStephen Mager, Composer-in-Residence

Dr. William B. Heyne, Founder

Megan FlaskamperBecky HaukBarry Kirk

Doug KoubaJosé Silva

Ben StotlerAnne von der Heydt

Acknowledgment & Thanks

Barbara BernerSteve BloomerDave Borella

Christine BrewerKris BueltmannDashon BurtonButler’s Pantry

Classic 107.3 FMChristy Clemens

Danielle FeinsteinSandra GearyDavid Gordon

Nathan & Julie GunnPaul Hennerich

Jim HenryJeff Hill

Ron KlemmGaylene & Richard LaBore

Maggie LoweStephanie McSwain

Lynn MorrisseyShawn & Alison Neace

Sherezade PanthakiAdam Reinwald

Rachel RicksBrittany RoachLori SenkbeilAlayne SmithSumnerOne