April 2004

More Alumni News

As we prepare for Signe’s final performance as the Artistic Director of Cantabile, more and more “alums” have stepped forward to share their post-Cantabile lives with us.

Leigh Madeline Nelson was a member during the 1997–1998 season. She toured with Cantabile in England. Afterwards she attended Menlo School where she sang with the select choir for three years and toured with them to Prague, Vienna, and Cuba. Leigh also participated in Menlo Theatre Productions including Oklahoma!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Into the Woods. She took part in six seasons of Peninsula Teen Opera and spent her summers pursuing theatre and other artistic endeavors at Interlochen Arts Camp, ACT, The Art Institute in San Francisco. Currently she is in her second year at Oberlin College and Conservatory, in a five-year double-degree program, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts from the College (major in English), and a Bachelor of Music from the Conservatory (major in Vocal Performance). She is secretary to the Oberlin Gilbert and Sullivan Players Board, and has participated in three of their shows.

Ashley Rizzo sang with Cantabile beginning in second grade. Signing has remained a huge part of her life. She is now a junior in high school. She had attended Los Altos High School and participated in all levels of their music program. At the end of her sophomore year she tried out for and made the Main Street Singers, the elite performing group at LAHS. It is unusual for a junior to achieve Main Street—most are seniors. During this year she performed extensively with them, as a Mezzo Soprano.

In the late fall, Ashley began exploring a performing arts school in LA called Idyllwild Performing Arts Academy. She visited the campus twice, auditioned, and was heavily recruited. Thinking she would receive more individualized instruction, she made the difficult decision to transfer to Idyllwild, and did so the very end of January as a second semester junior. At Idyllwild she takes a number of music classes including voice, music theory, piano (for the first time ever) and German pronunciation. She has made a good transition to boarding school, and her teachers believe she has what it takes to pursue a singing career. She is leaning towards classical performance and wants to sing opera! At Idyllwild she is preparing for her 30-minute solo recital. She is also working on an upcoming Julius Caesar opera, and received a solo part in Die Fledermaus.

Ashley credits Signe for instilling a love for singing that at this point looks like her career path.

Janna Elizabeth Levin is a sophomore history major at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA, where she’s continued her singing both at Paly and in her college’s Women’s Choir and Select Women’s Group. She’s also a founding member of Una Voce, her school’s first student run a cappella chamber choir.

For the past year, Janna has been taking private voice lessons and is having a great time. She also volunteers at the SPCA in Fredericksburg and is planning a career as a lawyer when she graduates.

Kate Blood just finished playing varsity soccer and is pleased to report that her team won their division championship. She is now running varsity track as a sprinter. Last year she set a new school record in the 400 meters—she hopes to defend and/or improve that record this year.

She enjoys singing with the high school girls’ choir—A Cappella. They will be going to Boston at the end of March for a week. Kate reports that a full high school workload doesn’t leave time for much else!

Francis Reynolds is now a sophomore at Palo Alto Senior High school. After he left Cantabile he joined Ragazzi and is now a member of the Young Men’s Ensemble. This summer they will tour in Spain and Portugal. He has also sung with the West Bay Opera Company and is a founding member of the Palo Alto High School Viking Men’s Chorus.

Olivia Reynolds graduated from Palo Alto Senior High School in June 2003. After leaving Cantabile, in 2000, she sang with Fuji at Paly and was a member of both advanced vocal groups: Spectrum and Madrigals. In June 2003 she received the Choral Director’s Award. This was particularly pleasant as Signe came to the concert and sat next to the family when the award was made. A cappella singing was a factor in Olivia’s college decision and she is looking forward to attending Hamilton College in New York in the fall where she hopes to sing with one of their choirs. This year she has been traveling and is currently working at an orphanage in Cochabamba, Bolivia. She returns in May and plans to attend Signe’s farewell concert.