Get to know the golden standards of the classical vocal quartet in an evening of song. Fourth Coast will be joined by Source Song Festival’s general director and renowned pianist, Mark Bilyeu, in an evening not to miss. Songs by Brahms, Boulanger, Massenet, Schubert, as well as a set featuring American composers curated by Mr. Bilyeu.
Karen Ann Baron, soprano • Bridget Skaggs, mezzo-soprano • Zachary Vanderburg, tenor • Michael Hawes, guest baritone
Guest Collaborator
Pianist MARK BILYEU is recognized for his unique passion for words, love of collaboration and commitment to artistry. Described as “superb partner” (schubert.org), he was the only American finalist in the 2015 Das Lied Song Competition directed by Thomas Quasthoff, held in Berlin Germany, and continues to be a sought-after partner of musicians across the country for engagements around the globe.
A committed recitalist, Mark has been seen at such venues as the Grand Théâtre de Tours (France), the Schubert Club (Minnesota), MacPhail Center for Music (Minnesota), the Everson Museum (New York), PianoForte Foundation (Illinois), and the Belle Sylvester Recital Series of New York. He has been heard via live radio broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio with soprano Lori Phillips and tenor Matthew Vickers, and on WFMT via the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series with mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski.
He has been selected to participate in the Aspen Summer Music Festival, the l’Académie Françis Poulenc, the Baldwin-Wallace Art Song Festival, the Vancouver International Song Institute, the Roger Vignoles Mentoring Program, and Musique sur mer en Acadie in Caraquet, NB Canada where he spent a week studying with pianist Susan Manoff. He has participated in master classes given by Graham Johnson, Warren Jones, Martin Katz, Jeff Cohen, Irwin Gage, Margo Garrett, Sir Thomas Allen, Joan Rogers, and François Le Roux. He has recently been named a 2017 Crear Scholar, which will take him to Scotland to study with pianist Malcolm Martineau.
With a passion for art song and a dedication to creating educational experiences for others, Bilyeu serves as Founding Artistic Director of the Source Song Festival. Founded in 2014 with Clara Osowski, Source is a weeklong festival based in the Twin Cities, where Bilyeu calls home. Source brings in world-class vocalists, pianists and composers to offer master classes, workshops and performances for local audiences and the students selected to study from across the country, while actively working to showcase Minnesota’s vibrant community. Over the course of its three years, Source has engaged such artists as baritones Håkan Hagegård and François Le Roux, mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala, tenor Michael Slattery, soprano Maria Jette, pianists Martin Katz, Arlene Shrut and Olivier Godin, composer Dominick Argento and Source Composer Mentor Libby Larsen.
An advocate for new music, Bilyeu has premiered solo works by David Evan Thomas and Justin Rubin, and song cycles by Paul John Rudoi, Eric Reda and Justin Spenner. He was a Featured Guest Artist at Southern Illinois University- Carbondale’s ‘Outside the Box New Music Festival’ where he gave the American premiere of Brian Rosen’s “L’oiseau libre” and the world premiere of Jacob Tews’ sonata for violin and piano “the roar of the lion and other fine children’s stories” with violinist Erik Rohde.
He has served as music director with Chicago Opera Vanguard, Chicago Folks Operetta, and ensemble113, and has been seen as pianist with Minnesota Concert Opera, VocalEssence, Silver Swan, Chicago Choral Artists, and served as Associate Keyboardist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony.
A graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, he holds a Bachelor of Musical Arts where he studied with pianist Meng-Chieh Liu and vocal coach Dana Brown. Following graduation, he had the privilege of studying with Chicago Symphony pianist Mary Sauer. He completed a master’s degree in Vocal Coaching & Accompanying from the University of Minnesota, where he studied with Norriko Kawai and Timothy Lovelace. He has taught at Viterbo University, and is a Visiting Artist at the University of Northern Iowa in 2017.
His first recording “The Transmodernist Troubadour” with baritone Aaron Engebreth features the music of Australian composer Nicholas Vines, and is due for release in 2017 on the Navona label.
For more information, please visit www.sourcesongfestival.org and www.markbilyeu.com.
A committed recitalist, Mark has been seen at such venues as the Grand Théâtre de Tours (France), the Schubert Club (Minnesota), MacPhail Center for Music (Minnesota), the Everson Museum (New York), PianoForte Foundation (Illinois), and the Belle Sylvester Recital Series of New York. He has been heard via live radio broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio with soprano Lori Phillips and tenor Matthew Vickers, and on WFMT via the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series with mezzo-soprano Clara Osowski.
He has been selected to participate in the Aspen Summer Music Festival, the l’Académie Françis Poulenc, the Baldwin-Wallace Art Song Festival, the Vancouver International Song Institute, the Roger Vignoles Mentoring Program, and Musique sur mer en Acadie in Caraquet, NB Canada where he spent a week studying with pianist Susan Manoff. He has participated in master classes given by Graham Johnson, Warren Jones, Martin Katz, Jeff Cohen, Irwin Gage, Margo Garrett, Sir Thomas Allen, Joan Rogers, and François Le Roux. He has recently been named a 2017 Crear Scholar, which will take him to Scotland to study with pianist Malcolm Martineau.
With a passion for art song and a dedication to creating educational experiences for others, Bilyeu serves as Founding Artistic Director of the Source Song Festival. Founded in 2014 with Clara Osowski, Source is a weeklong festival based in the Twin Cities, where Bilyeu calls home. Source brings in world-class vocalists, pianists and composers to offer master classes, workshops and performances for local audiences and the students selected to study from across the country, while actively working to showcase Minnesota’s vibrant community. Over the course of its three years, Source has engaged such artists as baritones Håkan Hagegård and François Le Roux, mezzo-soprano Adriana Zabala, tenor Michael Slattery, soprano Maria Jette, pianists Martin Katz, Arlene Shrut and Olivier Godin, composer Dominick Argento and Source Composer Mentor Libby Larsen.
An advocate for new music, Bilyeu has premiered solo works by David Evan Thomas and Justin Rubin, and song cycles by Paul John Rudoi, Eric Reda and Justin Spenner. He was a Featured Guest Artist at Southern Illinois University- Carbondale’s ‘Outside the Box New Music Festival’ where he gave the American premiere of Brian Rosen’s “L’oiseau libre” and the world premiere of Jacob Tews’ sonata for violin and piano “the roar of the lion and other fine children’s stories” with violinist Erik Rohde.
He has served as music director with Chicago Opera Vanguard, Chicago Folks Operetta, and ensemble113, and has been seen as pianist with Minnesota Concert Opera, VocalEssence, Silver Swan, Chicago Choral Artists, and served as Associate Keyboardist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony.
A graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, he holds a Bachelor of Musical Arts where he studied with pianist Meng-Chieh Liu and vocal coach Dana Brown. Following graduation, he had the privilege of studying with Chicago Symphony pianist Mary Sauer. He completed a master’s degree in Vocal Coaching & Accompanying from the University of Minnesota, where he studied with Norriko Kawai and Timothy Lovelace. He has taught at Viterbo University, and is a Visiting Artist at the University of Northern Iowa in 2017.
His first recording “The Transmodernist Troubadour” with baritone Aaron Engebreth features the music of Australian composer Nicholas Vines, and is due for release in 2017 on the Navona label.
For more information, please visit www.sourcesongfestival.org and www.markbilyeu.com.