Holly Bewlay
Holly Bewlay, soprano, and Emily Boyce, pianist, will present a concert in the School of Music’s Guest Artist Recital series on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m. at Rosch Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public.
The South Korea-born Bewlay has performed numerous solo engagements with opera companies, orchestras, universities and arts organizations that include the Mercury Opera, Opera Rochester, Eastman Opera Theatre and Tulsa Gilbert and Sullivan Society.
Bewlay's operatic roles include Despina in “Cosi fan Tutte,” Juliette in “Romeo and Juliette,” Venere and Amor in “Orfeo,” Laetitia in “The Old Maid and the Thief,” Giannetta in “L'Elisir D'Amore” and Sophie in “Werther.” She has also premiered new works, appearing in Ray Picken’s opera “An Affair of State” in a main state role as Bianca, and has performed benefit concerts for the Friends of Autistic People in Connecticut and the victims of the Sept. 11 tragedy.
She has been a soloist in oratorios/concert works that include: Bach’s “Magnifica,” Mozart’s “Solemn Vespers,” “Exsultate Jubilate” and “C Minor Mass,” Brahm’s “Requiem,” Pergolesi's “Stabat Mater” and “Magnificat,” Vivaldi's “Gloria,” Haydn's “Creation” and “Lord Nelson Mass,” Saint Saens' “La Nuit,” Mendelssohn's “Elijah,” Gounod's Messe Solennelle and four times in Handel’s “Messiah” with the Rochester Chamber Orchestra.
A member of the faculty at Buffalo State University, Bewlay has degrees from the New England Conservatory of Music and Eastman School of Music.
Boyce has appeared as soloist, collaborator, duo-pianist and lecturer throughout the United States and China. A staunch advocate for the creation and performance of new music, Emily has collaborated with composers from throughout North America and Europe. These commissions have led to the world premieres of more than a dozen solo and chamber works written for and dedicated to her.
In addition to maintaining a regular performance schedule, Boyce has presented lecture recitals on the piano music of Franz Liszt, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Karol Szymanowski. Other areas of current research include the keyboard music of Father Antonio Soler, group and private piano pedagogy, and choral and instrumental score reading.
Originally from Dallas, Boyce holds the Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance and literature from the Eastman School, a master's degree in piano performance and pedagogy from Bowling Green State University and bachelor's degrees in piano performance and music education from the University of North Texas. While at Eastman, she served as both the studio assistant to Professor Thomas Schumacher of the piano faculty and as a class piano teaching assistant.
