GREENVILLE, S.C. (October 18, 2018) – The Bob Jones University Division of Music will host vocalists Dr. Meryl Mantione, lyric mezzo-soprano, and Dr. Mei Zhong, soprano, Friday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. in War Memorial Chapel. They will give a collaborative voice recital of duets by Mendelssohn, Hua, Dvorak, Offenbach, Brahms, and Puccini. They will be accompanied by esteemed vocal coach and pianist, Ms. Hyery Hwang.
Mantione and Zhong will conduct a voice masterclass in Stratton Hall from 12:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m on Saturday, October 20.
Mantione earned a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a MA and DA from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She currently serves as a professor of voice at Ball State University.
Mantione has performed as a guest soloist and recitalist throughout the United States and made her professional opera debut with the Inter-Mountain Opera Association in 1987. As an active member in the National Association of Teachers of Singing, her protégés have appeared in major productions, participated in national tours including Cats and Spamalot, secured scholarships to prestigious institutions and competed successfully in noted vocal competitions.
Mantione will be joined by Dr. Mei Zhong, professor of voice at Ball State University, who has performed several leading roles in opera productions, such as Butterfly in Madame Butterfly, Sister Angelica in Suor Angelica and Micaëla in Carmen. Zhong’s solo recitals and performances in concerts and operas have spanned twenty-four states and several cities in China. Her publications include books and recordings on singing, teaching, Puccini and new vocal repertoire.
Hyery Hwang, an internationally acclaimed performer and accompanist, holds a BM in voice performance from Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea, and an MM in piano accompanying and chamber music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Hwang is the opera musical director at the Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music at The University of Memphis. Previously, she served as chorus master for several opera companies, including the Korea National Opera and the Seoul Metropolitan Opera.
“We are honored to bring these accomplished artists to our campus,” said Dr. Shellie Beeman, assistant professor of music at BJU. “Our students will benefit from the opportunity to learn techniques from world class vocalists.”
Both events are free and open to the public. Music educators, singers, and choral members are encouraged to attend.
