Berks Opera’s “Unleashing Your Inner Opera Fan” returns Tuesday, March 28th for a multimedia presentation with featured artists Maggie Riker, soprano and Geert Ruelens, piano.
Maggie Riker, soprano, has performed in a wide variety of operas, musicals, cabarets, oratorios, and concerts. Some of her credits include Mozart’s The Magic Flute(Queen of the Night), Verdi’s La Traviata (Violetta), The Music Man (Marian), Oklahoma! (Laurie), and Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey). In the opera world, Maggie was a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Auditions, won the Bel Canto Scholarship, the Opera Columbus Competition, and received an Award from the Gerda Lissner foundation. Now a working, singing Mom, Maggie balances her full-time job as VP of Sales & Marketing for CODY Systems (a software company serving first responders) and family life and enjoys singing whenever the opportunity presents itself! Recently, Maggie sang Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème with Lancaster Opera, Adele in Die Fledermaus with Berks Opera and joined the Opus One Choir and Orchestra for the American Premier of Ralph Vaughan Williams work The Garden of Proserpine. Maggie has enjoyed performing as guest artist in concerts with Lyric Fest in Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Philharmonic. A true crossover artist, Maggie was also a featured artist in Broadway to Bublé on the Community Music School Concert Series and has arranged and performed in a number of cabarets/musical revues.
Geert Ruelens graduated in May of 2017 from Temple University with a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy. At Temple University, he was a student of Dr. Charles Abramovic. He graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in Music from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where he was under the tutelage of Dr. Maria Asteriadou. A native of Belgium, Ruelens studied at the Royal Academy for Music in Berchem, Flanders. At the age of seven, he began organ lessons with Marc Van Driessen. Before coming to the United States, Geert studied at the Royal Conservatory for Music in Antwerp. Geert is the organist and choir director for both Nativity Lutheran and St. Paul’s Lutheran in Reading. He maintains a very active teaching schedule in the Mainline of Philadelphia as well as at home in Reading.
The presentation begins at 7pm at The Highlands at Wyomissing and is led by Berks Opera’s Education and Outreach Director, David Richie. The “Unleashing Your Inner Opera Fan” series is run in conjunction with the Metropolitan Opera in HD Series which airs at Fox Theatres (Berkshire).
Admission is free for Highlands residents, otherwise $20 for adults and seniors, $15 for students and young people under 30. Payment at the door by cash, credit card or check.
Advance VISA/MC/PayPal payments can be made by using the “Donate Now” button on the BerksOpera.org website.
Presentation Date: Tuesday, March 28th, 7pm
Location: The Highlands at Wyomissing, 2000 Cambridge Avenue Wyomissing, PA 19610
Featured Opera: Verdi’s Falstaff
Presentation Title: “Verdi’s Swan Song”
Featured Artists: Maggie Riker, soprano and Geert Ruelens, piano
Call Berks Opera at 484-752-2462 or email [email protected] to make reservations or with questions.
Thank you to our Unleashing sponsor Fox Theatres for continuing to support these programs! Verdi’s Falstaff will be broadcast at Fox Theatres (Berkshire) as a part of the Metropolitan Opera in HD Series Saturday, April 1, 2pm.
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