 Young Artist Program, Yakima Symphony Chorus: Bonnie Joy has always loved making music. Passionate about performing and teaching, she runs her private voice studio while actively collaborating on projects and songwriting. Bonnie teaches voice lessons at Make Music Ellensburg as well. She has been fortunate enough to perform with Sempre Chamber ensemble in 2020, “Joy and Hope” as a solo recital in 2021, and “Around the World in 80 Minutes” at The Seasons Performance Hall in early 2023. Bonnie continues to enjoy performing jazz and soul in the area as a part of a piano and vocal duo called Chords & Keys.
Spending her formative years in Yakima, Bonnie Joy graduated with her B.A. in Vocal Performance from Central Washington University in 2017 where she studied with Dr. Gayla Blaisdell. In 2019 she received her M. M. in Voice Performance from West Virginia University after studying with Dr. Hope Koehler and James Kennon Mitchell. At West Virginia University, she won the WVU Young Artist Competition, making her solo concert debut with Sieben Frühe Lieder by Alban Berg. She has appeared in operas such as Die Fledermaus, The Barber of Seville as Barbarina, and Die Zauberflöte, as both Pamina and Papagena.In the summer of 2018, Bonnie received a scholarship to the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where she studied in the Lieder program. Aside from intense study of German language and poetry, she worked with masters of classical music and performed in an authentic Lieder Abend. Bonnie is honored to be performing with the fantastic musicians in Yakima Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. She currently lives in Ellensburg with her wonderful husband Josué and their dog Hazel, where she sings at her church and spends time in her garden. [Photo by Grace June] |
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 Young Artist Program, Yakima Symphony Chorus: Brittany Stahley (soprano) is a musician and voice teacher from the Yakima Valley. At a young age, Brittany made her first professional opera debut as the frivolous Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus. Since then, she has been fortunate to perform in many operas, concerts, and musicals with companies such as Yakima Light Opera Company, Yakima Symphony Orchestra, The Mid-Columbia Mastersingers, Warehouse Theatre Company, and Akin Center Theatre. She has been seen as a concert soloist around the Pacific Northwest including works such as Westside Story Retold by Bernstein and Handel’s Messiah. Some of her favorite operatic roles include Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, Juno in Orpheus in the Underworld, and Angelina in Trial by Jury. With equal passion for opera and musical theatre, she has also appeared onstage in roles such as Rose in The Secret Garden, The Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella, and Madame de la Grande Bouche in Beauty and the Beast. Determined to make music more accessible to the Yakima Valley, Brittany has served as Vocal Director in productions at The Warehouse Theatre Company and A.C. Davis High School and is a returning member of the Canticus Vocal Ensemble currently in her sixth season.Brittany graduated from Central Washington University with a M.M. in Voice Pedagogy and Performance and B.M. in Vocal Performance. She currently teaches at Yakima Valley College as an adjunct voice professor. [Photo by Kristina Jakeman] |
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| Young Artist Program Summary: The Young Artist Program for the Yakima Symphony Chorus (YSC) was establishedin the 2023-24 season by Chorusmaster Steven Slusher to enhance professional opportunities for career-oriented singers. Selected Young Artists will receive compensation for specific leadership responsibilities surrounding rehearsals and performances through the course of the YSC performance season, and they will be provided with experiences to strengthen their development as soloists and professional choral singers.
Young Artist Program Opportunities: Click here for program and application information. The Young Artist positions have been filled. If/when openings occur, we will post application deadlines here. |
