Here in This Garden - Laudato, Lacrimosa
April 22nd, 2023

Christ United Methodist Church​
Featuring 

Robert S. P. Gardner, conductor/director      
Elizabeth Hillebrand, soprano 
Megan Dotzler, mezzo            
Erin Haefner, alto                
Brian Pfaltzgraff, baritone        

Elinor Niemisto, harp           
Amy Unseth, flute                 
Briana O’Connell, bassoon         
Jeffry Strom, marimba 
Alec Tackmann , drums
Scott Ollhoff, percussion          




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Program
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A Chamber Opera in One Act​
A meditation on the relationship between human beings and their natural environment as reflected through ancient and indigenous perspectives, as well as notions of modern life and progress. To whom does all of this belong? Where lies our sense of responsibility? ​
Robert S.P. Gardener
Robert S.P. Gardner has studied music theory, composition, and bass playing at Augsburg College, jazz arranging at Indiana University, and band arranging and bass pedagogy at Northwestern University.  Further studies include composition and arranging with Frederic Douglas Norman, staff arranger for Mercury Records and the NBC Orchestra, and Danny Holgate of the Manhattan School of Music. He holds an M.A. in Fine Arts/Integrated Arts Education from University of Montana’s Creative Pulse program, and an M.A. in Religious Studies, Philosophy and Literature from Indiana University.  In 2010 Mr. Gardner was chosen as an inaugural member of the Composer Teaching Artist Training Program with the American Composers Forum.  Since arriving in Rochester in 1991, he has been active as a full-time educator as well as a freelance bassist, composer, and arranger.  His works have been performed locally by Rochester Chamber Music Society, Choral Arts Ensemble, Children’s Dance Theatre, SEMYO, Sonata Singers, and St. Paul City Ballet.  Mr. Gardner currently serves as Chair of Fine Arts at Rochester Lourdes High School.  ​

Elizabeth Hillebrand

Elizabeth Hillebrand, soprano, began her professional career with the role of Adele in Opera New York’s modernized version of Die Fledermaus entitled Tales from the Manhattan Woods. This role earned her critical acclaim in The New Yorker as “a stand out.” She went on to portray several leading ingénues with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players in New York and in England.
While in New York, she performed with multiple regional companies with roles including:  Despina (Così fan tutte), Miss Silberklang (Impresario), Belinda (Dido and Aeneas), and Laurie (The Tender Land), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi), Aminta (Il Re Pastore - Mozart), Micaela (Carmen) and Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro).
On the concert stage Elizabeth was showcased as a soloist with The Collegiate Chorale under the direction of conductor, Robert Bass. Most notable was her appearance at Carnegie Hall with Bryn Terfel in Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Other oratorio and solo concert engagements have brought Elizabeth to some of New York’s most prestigious venues including Avery Fisher Hall, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, and the Juilliard Concert Hall, as well as to international stages in Switzerland, Italy and Israel.
Ms. Hillebrand, holds double undergraduate degrees in both Voice Performance and Biology from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, her home state. She earned a Master’s of Science degree in Marine Environmental Studies at Stony Brook University while studying voice with acclaimed mezzo-soprano Elaine Bonazzi. She earned her medical degree and completed a family medicine residency at Mayo Medical School and currently works as a family medicine physician at Olmsted Medical Center. Her biggest joy is without a doubt her 8-year-old son, Charlie, to whom she dedicates it all.

​Brian Pfaltzgraff

Dr. Brian Pfaltzgraff, baritone, is an associate professor of voice at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. While completing the Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Michigan, Dr. Pfaltzgraff was on the faculties of Ohio Northern University, and Concordia University, Ann Arbor. He received his Master of Arts in German Literature and his Master of Music from Bowling Green State University, and his Bachelor of Music Education and German from Simpson College.

Pfaltzgraff has performed over 30 leading operatic roles and an even wider range of concert works. He appears regularly with Union Avenue Opera in St. Louis, and has also appeared in productions with Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the St. Louis Masterworks Chorale, Toledo Opera, the Lima Symphony, Toledo Symphony, the Detroit Symphony (Civic), Canton Civic Opera, Mansfield Symphony, the Ann Arbor Festival of Song, the Rochester (NY) Chamber Orchestra, the Oak Ridge (TN) Civic Music Association, and the Des Moines Metro Opera. While at the University of Michigan, Dr. Pfaltzgraff held the Joy Whitman Weinberger and Ara Berberian fellowships, and was the inaugural recipient of the Jessye Norman Fellowship, a University of Michigan award recognizing vocal excellence. He was also the inaugural recipient of the James Paul Kennedy Alumni Recognition award from Bowling Green State University.

​Alec Tackmann

Having started playing music in kindergarten, Alec Tackmann, drums, began learning to read music almost before he could read words. Originally a pianist, he switched to drums as an early teen and played in every in or out-of-school group possible including jazz band, marching band, and countless garage bands. Afterward Alec attended Berklee College of Music where he graduated with an honors degree in drum set performance in 2008, studying with such greats as Rick Considine, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Mike Mangini.
As a performer Alec has toured nationally and internationally to a dozen countries playing major festivals including New Orleans Jazz Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival for artists such as Annie Mack, The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra, Jenn Bostic, and Davina and the Vagabonds. As an educator he has held a roster of 50 weekly private students at his home studio and is the author of the GoAndPractice® series of drum instructional books available worldwide.

​Scott Ollhoff

Scott Ollhoff, percussion, holds a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in music. He has performed with the Alaska-Anchorage Symphony, Rochester Orchestra and Chorale, and is currently Principal Percussion/Tympanist for the Rochester Pops Orchestra. He has also been the percussion/drumline coach at Century High School since its opening in 1997. Before that he taught drumline and percussion at Madison East High School and worked with the Madison Scouts in Madison, Wisconsin. He teaches social studies during the day, and private lessons during the evening.

Erin Haefner

Erin Haefner, mezzo-soprano, hails from Byron. She received her bachelor’s degree in Flute Performance from Luther College, and her master’s degree in Vocal Performance from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. Erin’s 2022 opera credits include Margaret “Meg” March (Little Women), Daughter (Daughter), Ada Blake (A Certain Madness), and Rachel (If I Were You). She recently received the Frank and Sally Hansen Singer/Actor Award of Excellence and additionally placed second in her Arizona NATs category in the Fall of 2021. Erin has performed around the world, including London, Paris, and in the famous Vienna Musikverein. She currently resides in Byron, singing with the Rochester Symphony Chorale and working with the Southeast Minnesota Youth Orchestra (SEMYO) as Operations Coordinator and for the Rochester Symphony Orchestra as Music Librarian.

Birana O'Connell

Briana O’Connell is a bassoonist based in Rochester, who regularly performs with the Bloomington and Austin Symphony Orchestras. She is a recent graduate of DePaul University, where she studied with Keith Buncke and Bill Buchman, both of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She also graduated from Luther College with a degree in bassoon performance and music education. Briana maintains a studio of bassoon, piano and clarinet students in Rochester and is also an elementary music teacher at Longfellow Elementary School. Her teaching career has allowed her the opportunity to work with various high school and middle school bands, as a chamber music coach, private lesson teacher and judge at solo and ensemble festivals. 

Amy Unseth 

Amy Unseth, flute, lives in Rochester with her husband, Reuben, and teaches flute and piccolo in her home to students of all ages and abilities. She has prepared students to win multiple competitions. Amy earned a degree in flute performance from The University of Northwestern in St Paul and has furthered her flute studies in recent years under Greg Milliren of the Minnesota Orchestra and Dr. Margaret Rowland. She performs with the Rochester Pops Orchestra, substitutes regularly with the Austin Symphony Orchestra, and is an active freelance performer in the area.

Megan Dotzler

Megan Dotzler, mezzo soprano, was most recently seen singing Sièbel in Faust with Opera Reading Project in 2021.  She performed La Suora Infermiera and La Suora Zelatrice in Suor Angelica with Music On Site, Inc. in 2019. She also attended Chicago Summer Opera in 2019 where she performed Nireno in Giulio Cesare and performed scenes as Carmen (Carmen), The Witch (Hänsel und Gretel), and Noémie (Cendrillon). Past roles include Mercédès in La tragedie de Carmen/Carmen, Octavian in scenes from Der Rosenkavalier and Nancy in Albert Herring with University Opera Theater at the University of Minnesota. She received her master of music degree from the University of Minnesota where she studied with Adriana Zabala and her bachelor of music degree from Concordia College. An avid choral performer, she has also been a member and soloist with the Choral Arts Ensemble since 2016. She was selected to be the alto soloist in Bach’s Johannes Passion with University Singers at the University of Minnesota in 2020, but this was cancelled due to Covid-19,