About FLCF
You are to be commended for this marvelous concert opportunity. The administrative organization was excellent and you made the singers feel very welcome. It was a marvelous experience.
It was thrilling. The diversity of the selections showed me aspects of Beethoven I've never encountered before, and the execution was excellent.
Through the preparation and performance of memorable "destination" choral events, FLCF fosters musical and cultural learning, creates social connections, promotes recreation, and serves its community through charitable donations. Concerts are free to the public and enjoy a large and devoted audience. Vocalists who do not ordinarily perform together during the normal concert calendar are drawn to FLCF. Singers acquire choral experience and maintain their vocal and musical skills in a relaxed setting with FLCF and may subsequently audition for one of the area’s numerous choruses.
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Eric Townell, Artistic Director
A versatile and dynamic musician, conductor Eric Townell became the third Music Director in the 73-year history of the Rochester Oratorio Society in 2006. He has led the ROS in subscription concerts, regional outreach performances, live radio broadcasts, televised concerts, collaborative concerts with the region's leading arts organizations and the University of Rochester Humanities Center, and an award-winning tour to Beijing and Shanghai for the 2008 Olympic Cultural Festival. An experienced orchestral and operatic conductor, Eric has prepared the ROS for several appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, including several broadcast nationally, and for the New York State Ballet.
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Meet the Artists
Ines Draskovic, Piano soloist, Accompanist
Dr. Ines Draskovic has performed throughout Europe and United States. she is a graduate of University of Belgrade (Belgrade, Yugoslavia), Ithaca College (MM) and Eastman School of Music (DMA). Her teachers include Alexei Nasedkin, Phiroze Mehta and Rebecca Penneys. Dr. Draskovic has won several piano competitions, including the Ithaca College Concerto Competition, Republic of Serbia Piano Competition and Piano Competition in Stresa, Italy, where she was a finalist. She has participated in festivals and masterclasses in Europe and United States (Colorado). Formerly a faculty member at Ithaca College, Dr. Draskovic is currently teaching at the Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, NY. In addition to her solo career, she performs regularly with the Finger Lakes Chorale and College Singers.
Kyle Erdos Knapp, Tenor
A frequent and enthusiastic performer of recital and oratorio, he has been heard in the title role of Judas Maccabeus with the Octavo Singers in Schenectady, NY. In 2014 Kyle was tenor soloist in The Defense of Corinth with Cantata Profana in both New Haven and New York City. Also in New York he appeared with the Academy of Sacred Drama singing the part of Miles in Death of Saul and Jonathan by Charpentier. Kyle sang Das Lied von der Erde with conductor Elliott Moore’s newly formed orchestra Blue Period Ensemble in his Carnegie Hall debut.
He has also been a soloist in Mozart, Bach, Kodály, Monteverdi, Britten, and Mendelssohn with organizations such as The Choral Arts Society of Cleveland and Washington University’s German Festival. His training includes the prestigious Eastman School of Music and the University of Michigan, after which he took part in the inaugural season of the Wolf Trap Opera Studio in 2007 before going on to play ten leading roles over three seasons with the Ohio Light Opera.
Kyle is two-time prize winner at the Metropolitan Opera Council Auditions and has won the University of Michigan Concerto Competition (singing Britten's Les Illuminations de Rimbaud). He can be heard in leading roles on the Albany Records label on recordings of Sousa's El Capitan and Gilbert and Sullivan's Patience and The Mikado.
Fredrick Redd, Baritone
was described in London's Opera Now magazine as being "a compelling vocal actor" and as having “an excellent voice”in the Eugene O’Neil Review and noticed in Opera News as having "a pleasant tone". Fredrick has performed principal roles with opera
companies including New York City Opera, Connecticut Grand Opera,
OperaNorth, Opera Carolina, New York Grand Opera, Teatro
Grattacielo, among others.
He made his New York City Opera debut in the Emmy nominated Porgy and Bess performances that were included in the Live from Lincoln Center telecast as part of the PBS Great Performances series. Fredrick made his main stage Carnegie Hall debut as the baritone soloist in Orff’s Carmina Burana with the New England Symphonic Ensemble the same year that he made his National Radio Broadcast debut of his solo recital on 98.7 WFMT Chicago.
Fredrick returned to Carnegie Hall as Giacomo in Verdi's Giovanna D'Arco and as the lead baritone in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and in an excerpt from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino as Don Carlo performed with New York Grand Opera. Fredrick made his international debut in the title role in concert versions of the Porgy & Bess performed throughout the Tuscan region of Italy.