Rising Stars: Operatic Favorites and More!
Our Warmest thanks to all who joined us and supported our annual benefit concert. Join us next year for our 20th anniversary celebration!
Join us for Rising Stars: A Concert benefiting the students of the Jessye Norman School of the Arts! Featuring rising opera stars, Diana Thompson Brewer, Courtney Ankerfelt, Richard L. Hodges, and Johnnie J. Felder, accompanied by Dr. Rosalyn Floyd, as well as a performance by JNSA Students!
October 2, 2022
4PM
Maxwell Performing Arts Theater
2500 Walton Way
Augusta, Ga
Meet the Performers!
Diana Thompson-Brewer
Lyric coloratura soprano, Díana Thompson-Brewer, is lauded for her “aplomb and sparkling ‘’ vocal pyrotechnics and her nuanced character portrayals. Díana made her professional operatic debut in the role of Adele in Strauss II’s Die Fledermaus and has since amassed an array of soprano roles that range from the pinnacle of coloratura sopranos - Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor - to the fiercest queen of all opera - Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte. Other operatic credits include Eden in the world premiere of Galaxies in Her Eyes, Zerbinetta from Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos, Susanna in Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, Musetta in Puccini’s La bohème, Miss Silverpeal in Mozart’s Die Schauspieldirektor, Sister Genevieve in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Beth & Amy in Mark Adamo’s Little Women, Millie in Libby Larsen’s Picnic, Belinda in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, Vi in Gershwin’s Blue Monday, and Mrs. McDowell in Hailstork’s Rise for Freedom.
Díana made her international debut in Geneva, Switzerland with L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève and has also sung in New York City, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Vermont, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. She has been a soprano soloist in Haydn’s The Creation, Orff’s Carmina Burana, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Cantata 4, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, excerpts from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Díana also made her Musical Theatre debut as Sarah in Flaherty’s iconic Ragtime, and she recently debuted a song cycle written and composed for her by poet Ashley Lumpkin and composer Christopher Cooley titled At First Sight.
A few of Díana’s upcoming engagements include appearing as Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Wilmington (July 2022), Musetta in La bohème with Greensboro Opera (November 2022), Magda in La rondine with Mobile Opera (March 2023), and Soprano Soloist in Carmina Burana with Georgia Symphony Orchestra (May 2023).
Díana holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Georgia (Presidential Fellow), a Master of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Augusta State University, all in Vocal Performance. An alumna of Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, Díana lives in Augusta, Ga with her husband, James who is a professional tubist and the Director of Bands at DFA as well as their 2-year old daughter, Lillian.
Courtney Ankefelt
Courtney Ankerfelt is a mezzo-soprano originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Miss Ankerfelt is a former student of the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music in Southern California, where she performed works such as Wagner’s Wesendoncklieder and Mahler’s 2nd symphony as the mezzo-soprano soloist. While attending conservatory, Miss Ankerfelt received a grant from Opera Buffs Organization. Courtney’s recent roles include Madame des Croissy from Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmelites, Zita from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen,Flosshilde/Waltraute inVegas City Opera’sThe Ring: Las Vegas. She is also a regular performer in VCO’s Voice of Women concert seriesMiss Ankerfelt is currently enrolled in the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices where she studies in the American Wagner Project.
Richard L Hodges
Richard L. Hodges, is a native of Greensboro, N.C. Richard is a 2019 nominee for Best Lead in a Musical with the Las Vegas Valley Awards for his role in Gianni Schicchi with Vegas City Opera. His other recent roles include the Preacher in Sweet Land with The Industry L.A., Michele in Il Tabarro, , and Hamlet in the opera Hamlet to name a few. Some of his other roles include Frank in Die Fledermaus, Porgy from Porgy and Bess and Peter in Hansel and Gretel. He is an Emerging Artist in the Institute for Young Dramatic Voices program and has received several awards. Most notable he was a finalist in the American Institute of Musical Studies, Meistersinger Competition. He was also one of the 2018 UNLV Concerto Competition Winners. He has been featured in numerous orchestral and chamber concerts which include performances of various operatic arias and scenes as well as master works such as Here and Now by Christopher Theofanidis with the UNCG Orchestra and combined choirs and the Messiah by Handel. Mr. Hodges has been a featured soloist and recitalist performing with Angels Vocal Arts, The Industry LA, Vegas City Opera, Opera Las Vegas, Henderson Symphony Orchestra, the UNLV String Orchestra, the famed UNLV Wind Orchestras, Greensboro Opera Company, North Carolina Opera Company and other organizations throughout his career. Mr. Hodges continues to give masterclasses and performs with other local and regional organizations. His upcoming performances include the show Harriet Tubman with Vegas City Opera and a Recital of Black Composers sponsored by St. John’s in the Village, NYC.
Although best known as a performer, Mr. Hodges has been writing, directing and composing for quite some time. His most recent work, Women of the Black Panthers was premiered with Vegas City Opera and featured his new composition “Be Proud” in which he wrote the poem and music. This work will also be featured as part of Vegas City Opera’s 2020 Song Cycle Project. In collaboration with Vegas City Opera, Mr. Hodges has also created the playwright book for 2 other shows, Coretta Scott King and Sojourner Truth. A new work about the life of Harriet Tubman will be premiered this summer in Las Vegas as well as other collaborative projects happening in the upcoming seasons.
Richard received his Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Master of Music at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Bachelor of Music from North Carolina Central University. He currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Voice at South Carolina State University.
Johnnie J. Felder
Johnnie J. Felder, tenor, is a native of Vance, South Carolina and holds DMA University of South Carolina with a bachelor and graduate music degrees from Benedict College and the University of South Carolina respectively. Mr. Felder has additional vocal training in the AIMS opera studio in Graz, Austria, and in the soloist program of the 20th Annual Varna International Music Academy Festival. An expressive opera singer known for his impressive range, lyricism, and captivating vocal power, Felder made his 2019 European debut in Varna, Bulgaria as Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.
Felder’s leading roles include Beppe in Donizetti’s Rita, Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Nemorino in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, and Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.
Concert repertoire includes, Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, Mozart’s Requiem, Coronation Mass, and Vesperae solennes de confessore, and Dubois’s Seven Last Words of Christ.
Felder was the tenor soloist in the North American premiere of Carl Friedrich Zelter’s lost work, “Kantate auf den Tod von Freidrichs”, featured in the ensemble of Spoleto USA’s production of Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess and the world premiere of Edmund Thornton Jenkins’ Afram ou la belle Swita. He was also featured as Collin in the Colour of Music Festival’s concert production of Joseph de Bologne’s L’amant Anonime. Felder sang the rarely performed, Count Belfiore, in Mozart’s La finta Giardiniera, and was the Preacher in Opera at USC’s 2018 Centenary presentation of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass.
Mr. Felder has sung Schubert’s Mass in G, Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass, and has recently been featured as a collaborative soloist in concert performances of Howard Goodall’s Eternal Light and The King James Bible Oratorio with the Augusta Choral Society and Shandon Presbyterian Church in Columbia, SC. Mr. Felder has also sung the role of the Watchman in William Schuman’s Casey at the Bat: A Baseball Cantata with the University of South Carolina Summer Chorus, Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass (Colour of Music Festival), and Camile Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio.
A recipient of countless regional and international academic and competitive accolades include first round finalist in the AIMS Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria, and award recipient in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition.
He has served on the music faculties of Benedict College, South Carolina State University, Paine College, and as Director of Choirs and Professor of Voice at Augusta University in Augusta, GA. Presently, Professor Felder is Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Allen University in Columbia, SC.
Upcoming performances include: 2022 Spoleto Festival USA Chorus and Vocal Fellowship inaugural performance.