Hong Studio
Zoe Band, MM1
Zoe is pursuing her Masters of Music at the Peabody Conservatory under the tutelage of Ah Young Hong and Denyce Graves. Last season, she performed the role of Betty Parris in Peabody’s production of Robert Ward’s The Crucible. This past May, she performed the role of Abby in Peabody’s Opera Etudes, a series of operas written by Peabody composition students. Most recently, Band appeared as Hansel in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, with Little Patuxent Opera. In September, she sang for a benefit concert with the St Lawrence Shakespeare Festival. This season, she will perform the role of Ferdinand in Douglas Buchanan’s The Tempest with Peabody Outreach throughout the Fall and Spring, with a final performance at the Baltimore Theatre Project. In March, she will sing Governess Benson in Leo Delibes’ Lakmé with Peabody Opera, and the Peabody Concert Orchestra.
Julie Bosworth, MM
Soprano Julie Bosworth, a native of St. Louis, is quickly emerging as an artist in the Early Music scene. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree from the Peabody Institute, and received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Millikin University in 2010. Ms. Bosworth has performed at the New Brunswick Early Music Festival for three years singing oratorio and opera, including the title role in L’incoronazione di Poppea. Last year, she performed with American Opera Theater in Dido and Aeneas and as Senator Ben Cardin in The Gonzales Cantata, for which her performance “proved especially vivid” (Baltimore Sun). Julie appeared again with AOT and Peabody Opera as Cleopatra in their production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare. In March, Ms. Bosworth made her debut with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra as soprano soloist in Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light. Most recently, she sang with Accademia Europea Dell’Opera/Opera Studio Nederland in their productions of Die Zauberflöte and Il Ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria. Ms. Bosworth studies with soprano Ah Young Hong and is a recipient of the George Woodhead Scholarship.
Sun A Cheong
Soprano Sun A Cheong, she was born in Seoul, Korea. Her mother is a voice teacher. Because of this, she has always lived with music and becomes to love it. During her elementary school years, she won the first prize in her school's arts contest (in voice) every year (1990-93). In her high school years, she won the 2nd prize in the nation-wide musical contest in 2000, sponsored by Department of Education in Korea. In 2001, she won the 3rd prize in the musical concours sponsored by Korean American Youth Cultural Friendship Association.
In 2002, she entered into Kyungwon University. She was invited to sing in a concert of Superior Musicians of Voice Department. She has performed the role of 2nd Lady in W.A Mozart’s The Magic Flute in 2005. Then, she acquired Bachelor Degree in 2006. And she entered into the graduate school. She served as an Educational Assistant. She held her first recital in 2007. She received a scholarship for obtaining a high GPA. In 2008, she wrote her master's thesis on Debussy's Melodies <Ariettes Oubliées>. She graduated with a Master of Music in 2009.
She is the first year GPD student of Ah Hong and Phyllis Bryn-Julson.
Nicole Hodgins, BM
Nicole Hodgins is an 18 year old soprano, studying vocal performance and currently attends The Peabody Institute of Music in Baltimore, MD. She will be returning as a sophomore under the tutelage of Ah Young Hong. Nicole has participated in many summer vocal programs including Interlochen Center for the Arts and The Boston University Tanglewood Institute where she performed under the instruction of John Williams. In the fall of 2011, she performed Honneggar's Jeanne D'Arc au Bucher with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under the instruction of Marin Alsop at Carnegie Hall. Nicole has competed in many vocal competitions and placed 2nd in a national competition in Milwaukee, WI in 2010.
Kerry Holahan, MM
Soprano Kerry Holahan’s enthusiasm for performing, especially those works that may be new to her audiences, has traveled with her as her career has extended from her native United States to China and back. After completing her bachelor’s degree in Chinese Studies at Wesleyan University she lived in Beijing for eight years, performing extensively as a soprano soloist with various chamber ensembles, orchestras and choirs, including in the International Festival Chorus’ China premier of Bach’s Mass in B Minor with Dame Emma Kirkby.
Currently Ms. Holahan is pursuing a Master of Music in Early Music Vocal Performance at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland where she focuses on early Baroque repertoire including works by Monteverdi, Strozzi, Charpentier, Lambert, Couperin and Purcell, as well as later Baroque works of Scarlatti, Handel and Bach. She sings with Baltimore Choral Arts Society, Mount Calvary Church choir, a traditional Chinese instrument group and other ensembles in the greater Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. Recent performances include scenes from Francesco Cavalli’s opera Calisto with Accademia d’Amore led by Steven Stubbs, at Amherst Early Music Festival’s Baroque Academy coached by soprano Julianne Baird as well as the trouser role of Tolomeo in Peabody Chamber Opera’s production of Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto in February 2012. She will sing the role of Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with Peabody’s Opera Scenes Project in November 2012.
Taryn Holback, GPD1
Maryland native, Taryn Holback, is a soprano studying with Ah Young Hong. Ms. Holback is a first year Graduate Performance Diploma student. She recently earned a Bachelor's of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music where she studied with Cynthia Hoffmann. Ms. Holback has been a participant of several summer programs including the Bay Area Summer Opera Theatre Institute (BASOTI) and the OperaWorks Emerging Artist Program. At BASOTI, Ms. Holback sang La Zelatrice in Suor Angelica as well as scenes from Cosi fan Tutte (Fiordiligi), Der Frieschutz (Agathe) and Street Scene (Rose). At the Manhattan School of Music, Ms. Holback sang scenes from Don Giovanni (Donna Elvira), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Mrs. Ford) and Le Nozze di Figaro (Countess). This fall Ms. Holback will perform Helena in a scene from Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Jisoo Kim, BM4
Jisoo Kim, Baritone, is gathering attention for his lyrical and powerful voice. His past productions include De Bretigny from Massenet’s Manon, Gendarme from Les Mamelles de Tiresias by Poulenc, L’horloge de comtoise from L’enfant et les Sortileges by Ravel, and the role of John Proctor from Robert Ward’s The Crucible, all with Peabody Opera Theatre. He has won 1st prize as well as the Grand Prix for the Yokohama International Music competition. He was also a Bass soloist for Beethoven’s Mass in C Major with Peabody Concert Orchestra and Peabody-Hopkins Chorus. He is also a member of Concert Artist of Baltimore, a professional choir led by a renowned conductor, Edward Polochick. Mr. Kim is currently a Senior in Peabody Conservatory, studying under a prominent Baritone William Sharp, and Soprano Ah Young Hong.
Han Na Lee
Christa Monokrousos, MM2
Christa Maria Monokrousos, soprano, received her Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Towson University in 2010. A few months prior to her graduation, she had won the Talent Award Competition through Towson University. Christa is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in vocal performance and pedagogy at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Past opera roles include Mabel in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, Auretta in Mozart’s L’oca del Cairo, the First Witch in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, and most recently, the News Reporter in Ian Hockett’s The Truth is Not Out There, presented by the Peabody Opera Workshop and the Department of Composition. Past roles in scenes programs include Frasquita in Bizet’s Carmen, Monica in Menotti’s The Medium, Ilia in Mozart’s Idomeneo, Susanna in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, and Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Off the stage she serves as the soprano soloist in the choir of The Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic Church. Aside from singing, Christa has had extensive practice and training in piano, violin and dance, and has been teaching private piano and voice, and tutoring music theory since 2005.
Daniel Moody, BM2
Daniel Moody is an undergraduate student at Peabody Conservatory in the studio of soprano Ah Hong. He performed the title role in Handel’s “Giulio Cesare in Egitto” with Peabody Opera, and has performed as a soloist with the Baltimore Consort as part of the Washington Early Music Festival, the Peabody Renaissance Ensemble and the Peabody Consort. He also holds a position as a chorister at the National Cathedral. Daniel made his Asian debut in January 2011 with Hong Kong Voices and has performed as a soloist in churches in Cincinnati, North Carolina, and Virginia. He is a winner of the Overture Awards in Cincinnati, a finalist in Cincinnati’s first Opera Idol competition, and a finalist in the Harold Haugh Light Opera Voice Competition. He has studied with mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick at the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices and coached with baroque soprano Dominique Labelle. Prior to transferring to Peabody, Daniel studied voice with Audrey Luna at Miami University. He is grateful to his family and his church for raising him to love music.
Julia Park, MM1
Mezzo soprano, Julia Park was raised in Maryland where she began her musical studies at the age of 17. Her opera performances include Suor Dolcina (Suor Angelica) and Maid (Hin und zurück) with the Eastman Opera Theater as well as Mistress of Novices (Sister Angelica) and the Sorceress (Dido and Aeneas) with Little Patuxent Opera. Her operatic scenes include Suzuki (Madama Butterfly), Meg Page (Falstaff), Octavian (Der Rosenkavalier) and Hänsel (Hänsel und Gretel). She was selected as a recipient of the Howard County Arts Council Scholarship in 2007. She won second place in her category at the Mid-Atlantic Regional at the NATS competition in 2005 as well as the CNYFL chapter of NATS competition in 2010.
Ms.Park received her Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Kathryn Cowdrick, receiving the Howard Hanson Scholarship and the George Eastman Grant. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University under the direction of Ah Young Hong. Ms.Park’s upcoming performance includes U.S. premiere of Ana Sokolovic’s Svadba as Ljubica with the Peabody Chamber Opera.
Allison Wesley Parr, BM4
A Rhode Island Native, Allison Wesley Parr is a fourth year undergraduate in the studio of Ah Hong at the Peabody Institute of Music. She was recently seen as Furia I in the Manhattan School of Music Summer Voice Festival's production of La Calisto. She has also performed the roles of Soprano I in Jeremy Beck's Review with Peabody Opera Workshop and Oberto in scenes from Alcina with Peabody Chamber Opera. Other performances include Carolina in scenes from Il Matrimonio Segreto, First Spirit in scenes from The Magic Flute, Ilia in scenes from Idomeneo, and Despina in scenes from Cosi Fan Tutte with the New England School of Continuing Education.
Carrie Quarquesso, BM2
Carrie Quarquesso (coloratura soprano) has studied music for nine years, studying under many accomplished musicians from the Florida Grand Opera, Palm Beach Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera such as Sergio Puig, Barbara Copanos, Annette Myers, Dr. Robert Sharon, and Marilyn Mims. She is currently a voice performance student at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland, studying under soprano Ah Young Hong.
Her most memorable roles include “Gretel” in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, “Lucy” in Menotti’s The Telephone, and “Norina” in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale. She has also performed various oratorio repertoire for Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, conducted by Dr. John Wilson. Ms. Quarquesso has recently performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the baton of Marin Alsop and Edward Polochick at both the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, and Carnegie Hall.
Ms. Quarquesso has received 14 superior ratings at the South Florida Thespians Competition for musical theater and solo performance, at both the district and state level, as well as two Critic’s Choice awards. She has also competed and placed in the Classical Singer Magazine Vocal Competition.
Rachel Tyler, BM1
In a small town in Pennsylvania Soprano Rachel Tyler has been seen in numerous musical productions. Some of these include; Ruth in Wonderful Town, Reno Sweeney in Anything goes, Rachel Pearlmann on Rags, and Katie in Meet Me in St. Louis. Rachel has played countless instruments but has devoted her life to song. Rachel, now studying at Peabody, works with Ah Hong. Before she left her small town home in Amish Country, she worked with Ruth Drucker, and world renown teacher Thomas Houser.
Amanda Williams, MM2
Amanda M. Williams is a second year graduate student studying with Ah Young Hong and Phyllis Bryn-Julson. She is originally from Bushkill, Pennsylvania. Amanda began studying at West Chester University with Dr. In Young Lee and Randall Scarlata. At West Chester Amanda was the winner of West Chester’s Roz Patton Music Scholarship, the Friday Memorial Scholarship, and Joy Vandever Scholarship.
With West Chester Opera Workshop Productions of Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et le sortileges/La chatte blanche, Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites/Soeur Mathilde, and Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero/Vistola fiume. She also participated in masterclasses conducted by Benita Valente, Drew Minter, and Julianne Baird, as well as noted accompanists Martin Katz and Laura Ward.
At Peabody she participated in Opera Etudes, a program of original works created for the singers. She has also performed in a production of Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte as Fiordiligi with an independent Peabody student orchestra. Amanda was also a finalist in Peabody’s Sylvia Green Voice Competition in 2012. Currently, she will be in the opera chorus of Don Giovanni at the Baltimore Lyric Opera House in 2012, and will perform the role of Stage Manager in the Opera Outreach production of Tempest.
