AURELIUS GORI, D.M.A., BARITONE
Aurelius Gori, D.M.A. is an acclaimed soloist and recitalist based in Washington, DC
whose singing has been hailed as “splendidly lyrical” by the Washington
Post. A 1990-91 Fulbright scholar, he studied at the Hochschule
für Musik in Munich and was a 1991 semifinalist in the International Belvedere Competition
in Vienna. Two years later, he was awarded a scholarship
to study Lieder with Ian Partridge at the Britten-Pears School
for Advanced Musical Studies in England.
He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1995 where
he studied with James McDonald. After completing his doctorate, he was awarded an internship with the National Association
of Teachers of Singing at Penn State.
Dr.
Gori has appeared as a concert soloist with the Fairfax Symphony, the Amherst (New
York) Symphony and the North York Symphony in Toronto, Canada. He is a celebrated soloist with many Washington area choral societies in both concert and oratorio. He is a frequent guest artist
with the NOVA Community Chorus and the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, where his appearances include Mozart’s Requiem, J.S. Bach’s
Magnificat, Ralph Vaughan William’s magnificent Sea
Symphony (April 2008). Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem (April 2009) and this past Carmina Burana (May 2010). Operatic performances include the title
role in Don Giovanni with the Bethesda Summer Music Festival (June 2010). He premiered several compositions by American
composer, Marshall Ocker (1926-2004), including Trilogy for Baritone on the Vienna Modern Masters label
(VMM 2030). Recent performances include Judas
Maccabaeus (December 2010) with the NOVA Chorus and Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. He looks forward to singing Delius' Songs of Sunset with the NOVA Chorus and Washington
Metropolitan Philharmonic in Spring 2012. Dr. Gori feels especially privileged when given the opportunity to perform
in the duo Amanti Cantanti with his wife, mezzo-soprano Grace Gori.
Dr.
Gori’s approach to teaching singing is simple, clear and scientific, emphasizing vocal health, beauty and expressive
communication. His specialties include helping young singers as their voices
change and improving freedom, clarity and agility in older voices. He conditions his students to cultivate their best
habits in both singing and speaking. He is a master teacher and mentor to many successful performers in choral, operatic,
oratorio, contemporary commercial and musical theater venues throughout the Greater Washington DC area. His students include professional singers, NATS Regionals award
winners and college scholarship award recipients.
GRACE GORI, MEZZO-SOPRANO is well-known in the Washington DC area as an acclaimed performer in both the
concert and operatic repertoire. She has been praised by The Washington Post for her "fine sense of style" and "strong dramatic
impact" in works that range from the Renaissance to world and American premieres. She holds the Bachelor of
Music with High Distinction from the prestigious Indiana University of Music and the Master of Music from the University of
Maryland at College Park, where she was a member of the Maryland Opera Studio. Her post-graduate work includes
Apprentice and/or Young Artist programs at the Sarasota,
Des Moines, and Natchez Opera companies, as well as private study in New York City and Munich, Germany.
Ms. Gori's concert credits include featured
featured appearances with the North York Symphony of Toronto, Canada, the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, the
Cathedral Choral Society, the Washington Bach Consort, the New Dominion Chorale,
the Washington Women's Chorus and the Maryland Handel Festival. In addition to solo appearances at the Kennedy Center Concert
Hall, she made her television debut from the Opera House Stage as the second soprano soloist in Beethoven's Choral
Fantasy during the 2007 Kennedy Center Honors Gala, broadcast nationally on CBS.
Ms. Gori's opera credits include the Third Madrigale
in Puccini's Manon Lescaut with the Washington National Opera, the title role in Carmen with the Eldbrooke Artists
Series, Cherubino in Annapolis Opera's Marriage of Figaro, Tessa in The Gondoliers with the Washington Savoyards,
and La Ciesca in Gianni Schicchi with the American Center for Puccini Studies. She has performed numerous roles with
the innovative "In Series" of Washington DC, including Dorabella in Cosi fan tutte, the Third Lady in The Magic
Flute, Mercedes in Carmen: the Tragedy of Don Jose and Public Opinion in Offenbach's Orpheus in the
Underworld. Most recently, she received rave reviews for her portrayals of Dinah in Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in
Tahiti and the Nurse in William Bolcom's Casino Paradise in the In Series' double bill presentation of those
two modern American works. [For more on Ms. Gori's credits, please visit her personal website at www.GraceGori.com.]
Ms. Gori has brought her years of study and expertise
to bear as a teacher for over 18 years. Her students regularly perform roles in school and community music theater productions,
and are invited to sing in select choral ensembles. A dedicated teacher, Ms. Gori has continued to develop her knowledge
of the voice in order to better serve her students. In addition to her college and post-graduate studies, she studied
the Alexander Technique privately with Diana Bradley and has attended seminars on the Richard Miller, David Blair McClosky
and Estill Voice Training methods. She says, "My goal is to help each and every one of my students develop a healthy
vocal technique which will allow that student to transcend vocal mechanics and instead experience the joy of pure artistic
expression in whatever style he or she chooses."
