Our two soloists for tomorrow (Wednesday) night’s collaborative production of Fauré’s Requiem are soprano Hannah Pagenkopf and baritone Nicholas Allen.
Hannah Pagenkopf, soprano
Praised for the “special, silvery beauty and expressiveness” of her singing (Calgary Herald), soprano Hannah Pagenkopf has been featured extensively as a soloist and performer in Calgary and abroad. She has appeared with several orchestras including the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, and most recently with Alberta’s new Baroque chamber orchestra Rosa Barocca in a period performance of J.S. Bach’s Magnificat.
In addition to her role as soprano section principal of the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, Hannah appears with a variety of choirs and musical organizations including Luminous Voices, Early Music Voices, Cowtown Opera, Mountain View Festival of Song and Chamber Music, the Calgary Bach Society and the Pro Arts Society, among others. Other highlights include two solo recitals in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, participating in the Neil Semer Vocal Institute in Germany, and performing Mozart's Exsultate, jubilate with the CPO as a finalist in the RBC Concerto Competition at the University of Calgary, from which she holds a degree in Linguistics.
Nicholas Allen, baritone
Nicholas Allen is a native Calgarian who endeavoured into a life of music at an early age. He has been playing piano as well as singing in choirs for the last 20 years, including 2 years with the prestigious Vienna Boys Choir. He completed a degree in Music Education from UVic, studying voice under Benjamin Butterfield and singing with the UVic Chamber Singers and UVic Vocal Jazz. As a classical soloist he has performed with VoiceScapes multiple times since to 2009, as well as with the Calgary Bach Society in 2014 and with many orchestras across Vancouver Island. Last year he performed the role of Peter in a reconstruction of Bach’s St. Mark Passion performed by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. He is currently singing professionally at Knox Presbyterian Church and as principal bass with the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus. He currently works as a Junior High teacher in the Calgary Catholic School District.