1st Presbyterian Church is pleased to host a musical Christmas gift for Enid.
Perry native Brett Payne, tenor will be joined by Oklahoma City native Lindsey Rollins, soprano for a recital December 15th at 4:00 in the sanctuary of 1st Presbyterian Church. All are invited to attend and hear these gifted young talents. There is no charge. A free-will offering will be taken. 502 W. Maine.
The recital will be a mix of duets from Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, La Boheme and familiar Christmas classics.
[pullquote]"1st Presbyterian Church is excited to offer this musical gift to Enid. We invite
everyone in Enid to come and experience the talents of these two amazing musicians."
Andrew P. Long, Minister 1st Presbyterian Church[/pullquote]
Brett is a voice student of Jeffrey & Rebekah Kirtley Ambrosini, has attended Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma as a vocal performance major. He was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Miami in Salzburg's summer program where he took part in voice lessons with Cynthia Hoffman of the Julliard School .
“We are so proud of our student Brett Payne and former student Lindsey Rollins and wish them great success as they pursue careers in classical music! It is our great delight to see them blossoming into artists! Their desire to bring beautiful operatic and Christmas music to the Enid community thrills us!” Jeff and Becky Kirtley Ambrosini.
Many may remember hearing Brett when he made his 2006 debut as the tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Enid Symphony.
Mr. Payne made his European debut in 2007 as the soloist in the Salzburger Prestieger Konzert as part of the Salzburg Music Festival. Brett has won First Prize in several competitions in the U.S. and Europe including the collegiate division of Oklahoma N.A.T.S. Competition, the Crescendo Music Awards and the UM Salzburg Vocal Competition.
From 2007 to 2009 Brett worked extensively with the renowned mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. Ms. Horne invited him to perform the role of Herman in Tschaikowsky's Pique Dame at the Music Academy of the West.
Lindsey Rollins, a native of Oklahoma City, is equally at home on the operatic and music theater stage. She has been praised for her easy and voluminous lyric soprano voice and her scene-stealing characters. Some recent music theater roles include Mrs. Medlock in The Secret Garden with Rose State College Theater, and Mrs. White in Clue: The Musical with Stage Door Theater. Ms. Rollins performed various roles with the University of Miami Frost Opera Theater including the title role in the world premier of Pearl by Tina Davidson, and as Lady Billows in Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring.
Ms. Rollins made her European debut in Salzburg, Austria as a winner of the Schloss Mirabel Competition in 2009. She has participated in master classes by such distinguished artists as sopranos Helen Donath and Sylvia Greenberg, and vocal coach David Aronson (Vienna State Opera). Lindsey has had the privilege to work with prominent French diction expert Mary Dibern (Paris Opera) and modern opera composer Richard Wargo.
Ms. Rollins is as comfortable behind the scene as she is on stage and has held production jobs ranging from child-wrangler to stage manager. Production highlights include assistant directing The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan as well as W.A. Mozart’s Cosí fan Tutte.
Ms. Rollins is currently a student of soprano Andrea Hanson. She holds degrees from the University of Miami and Southern Nazarene University.
The concert is free all are invited to come and enjoy. A free will offering will be taken. A reception will follow.
