Sachie Ueshima, soprano
Justin Kroll, tenor
Julian Rhee, violin
Christopher Ramaekers, conductor
Sachie Ueshima, soprano
Justin Kroll, tenor
Julian Rhee, violin
Christopher Ramaekers, conductor
Barber: Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Op. 24, featuring Sachie Ueshima
Tchaikovsky: “Lenski’s Aria” from Eugene Onegin, featuring Justin Kroll
Selections from Eugene Onegin, Carmen, Madama Butterfly, and La Traviata, featuring Sachie Ueshima and Justin Kroll
Beethoven: Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61, featuring Julian Rhee
Sachie Ueshima, soprano, a native of Wakayama City, Japan, is currently pursuing her DMA in vocal performance studying with Dr. Julia Rottmayer, with a doctoral minor in choral conducting at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sachie earned the Bachelor of Music, the Master of Arts, and the Artist Diploma in voice from Queens College of the City University of New York. She has recently performed the lead role of Krystyna Zywulska in Jake Heggie’s Two Remain (Out of Darkness) with University Opera at UW-Madison. Her other operatic credits include Sœur Constance in Dialogues des Carmélites, Drusilla in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Pamina and Königin der Nacht in Die Zauberflöte, and Lady with a Hand Mirror in Postcard from Morocco. Also active in concert works, she has made her appearances as a soloist in Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor, Bach’s B minor Mass, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Händel’s Messiah to name a few. She was a winner of the UW-Madison Concerto Competition in 2021, and recently performed Berg’s Sieben frühe Lieder with UW-Madison Symphony Orchestra. Also, she was recently awarded the second place in Women in Art Song and Oratorio (Professional Division) of the American Prize. Sachie was honored to sing as a soloist at the opening mass of Festival Internazionale di Musica Sacra at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in 2015.
Justin Kroll, tenor, has completed the coursework for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Voice Performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently dissertating. A native of Marlin, Texas, Justin also holds the Master of Music degree in Voice Performance, and the Bachelor of Music degree in Music History & Literature from Baylor University, as well as an Associate of Arts degree in Music from McLennan Community College.
An active performer, Justin was recently heard in Madison as Beadle Bamford in the University Opera production of Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd at UW-Madison, as well as Arturo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor with Madison Opera. Other recent operatic performances include: Marc Blitzstein in I Wish It So: The Man in his Music with University Opera, as well as in University Opera’s Spring 2021 production entitled What’s Past is Prologue: The Unfinished American Conversation; Narcissus in a premiere performance of Christopher Cerrone’s All Wounds Bleed with Latitude 49, Lensky in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin with the Russian Opera Workshop, and Spoletta in Puccini’s Tosca with Painted Sky Opera of Oklahoma City.
Julian Rhee is quickly gaining recognition as an emerging artist and performer, praised for his "sophisticated, assured tone, superb intonation, and the kind of poise and showmanship that thrills audiences." (The Strad)
An avid soloist, Julian made his Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra debut at age 8, and has gone on to perform with orchestras such as the Santa Rosa Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Aspen Philharmonic, Eugene Symphony, San Jose Chamber, Madison Symphony, Avanti Symphony, West Suburban Symphony, Wisconsin Philharmonic, Lacrosse Symphony, the Wisconsin Chamber, San Diego Symphony, among others. He has performed in an array of venues including Ravinia’s Bennett Gordon Hall, Heinz Hall, the Overture Center for the Arts, Teatro El Círculo in Rosario, Argentina, The Musikverein in Vienna, Bartok Hall in Hungary, New World Center, and the John F Kennedy Center as a Presidential Scholar and received his medal at the White House. Recent and upcoming engagements include appearances at the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Leonard Slatkin and the Indianapolis Symphony, Nicholas McGegan and the Eugene Symphony, and the Middleton, Bucks County, Brevard, Menomonee Falls, and Fresno Philharmonic Orchestras.
Julian is the Silver Medalist of The 11th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, winner of Astral Artists’ National Auditions, and the first prize winner of the 2020 Elmar Oliveira International Competition, where he was also awarded the special Community Award.
A passionate chamber musician, Julian's performance on violin and viola earned him first prize in the Fischoff and the M-Prize Chamber Competitions. He has performed at and attended festivals including the Heifetz, Four Seasons, Ravinia Steans Institute, Rockport Music and Northshore Chamber Music Festivals. He has also appeared alongside Time for Three, Jupiter Chamber Players, 98.7 WFMT's Introductions, Milwaukee Public Television, and Wisconsin Public Radio and Television.
Julian studied with Hye -Sun Lee and Almita Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy. He is currently pursuing a Masters degree with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory.
Julian is the recipient of the 1699 Lady Tennant Antonio Stradivari through the generosity of the Mary B. Galvin Foundation. The Mary B. Galvin Foundation supports the very highest level of string playing by loaning precious antique Italian instruments to artists of exceptional talent and ability.