Soloists announced for Bluffton University’s 126th Messiah Performance

BLUFFTON, Ohio—Bluffton University’s music department has announced the soloists for its 126th performance of Handel’s “Messiah,” at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12, in Yoder Recital Hall. Soloists are Summer Aebker, soprano; Ryu-Kyung Kim, mezzo-soprano; Benjamin Bunsold, tenor; and William Schott, bass.

Aebker has a Doctor of Music in voice performance from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she was a former associate instructor and a student of Costanza Cuccaro. She has performed for IU New Music Ensemble as a guest artist featuring in-residence Pulitzer Prize nominee Kate Soper. Additionally, she performed new music works composed by Cory K. Rubin and Ábel Esbenshade for soprano and chamber ensemble at the Midwest Composers Symposium at the University of Michigan. Aebker is a lecturer of music at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, where she has performed in various faculty recitals. Most recently, she has been a soloist with the ONU and St. Michael Findlay choirs for performances of Vivaldi’s “Gloria.”

Kim has highlighted her recent seasons in the title role as Queen Lili’uokalani in Little Opera Theater of NY’s “Better Gods,” as featured artist in Korea Now concert in Cairo, Egypt, and in The Shakespeare Concert at Jordan Hall and Jewett Arts Center, and as Alto Solo in Prokofiev’s “Alexander Nevsky” with Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. She has performed major roles in operas and concert works throughout the world with many prestigious opera companies and orchestras. Kim earned her Doctor of Musical Arts from State University of New York in Stony Brook and received her Artist’s Diploma in Opera from the Academy of Vocal Arts. She has been on the voice faculty at the University of Dayton since 2013.

Bunsold has sung a wide variety of operatic and concert engagements. Performances include Roméo in “Roméo et Juliette” for Center Stage Opera in California, Emperor Altoum in “Turandot” with the Fairbanks Symphony in Alaska and Rinnucio in “Gianni Schicchi” for Otterbein University Opera Theater. An active concert soloist, Bunsold has performed with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Kalamazoo Orchestra and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra. He’s been tenor soloist in “Carmina Burana” with the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and Mozart’s “Requiem” at Virginia Tech University and Fairbanks Symphony in Alaska, and guest artist at Heidelberg University’s Christmas Concert. He has a Master of Music from the University of Illinois and has completed additional graduate work at Ohio State University.

Schott has performed with Opera Columbus, Opera Project Columbus, and the OSU Opera and Lyric Theater in numerous shows including “Rigoletto,” “La Rondine,” and featured as the Giant in Opera Columbus’ outreach program of “Jack and the Beanstalk.” In addition to Schott’s operatic repertoire, he has been the soloist in many choral works including the Schubert Mass in G, Faure’s “Requiem,” Gounod’s St. Cecilia Mass and the Cantata ‘Uns ist ein Kind geboren’ by J.S. Bach. Schott currently sings with Lancaster Choral and as the soloist and section leader for First Community Church in Columbus. He earned his Bachelor of Music from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Bo Young Kang, director of choral activities, will conduct the oratorio. The Bluffton Choral Society including students, faculty, staff and community members will accompany with an orchestra.

While tickets are free, space must be reserved at www.bluffton.edu/tickets or at Marbeck Center.

Masks must be worn inside Yoder Recital Hall.

The event will also be streamed live at http://www.bluffton.edu/messiah