Distinguished Major Recital

Wesley Diener, Voice
February 24, 2018 - 3:30pm
Old Cabell Hall
Free

 

Join baritone Wesley Diener for his Distinguished Majors Voice Recital on February 24 at 3:30pm in Old Cabell Hall.  Wesley will be joined by John Mayhood, piano and Rachel Mink, soprano.

Wesley Diener is a fourth year music major and Miller Art Scholar at the University of Virginia.  In addition to his private voice study with Pamela Beasley and piano study with John Mayhood, Wesley has performed with the University Singers and Chamber Singers as well as the UVA Department of Drama, Virginia Players, Spectrum Theatre, and First Year Players

Outside of the University, Wesley actively pursues an operatic career.  This season, he joined Victory Hall Opera as the cover of Le Genie in their North American premiere of Rameau's Sympathy and will appear as the titular character in Le Devin du Village at the University of Virginia.  He recently returned to the Bethesda Music Festival as Papageno (The Magic Flute) and Anthony Hope (Sweeny Todd) and made his Italian debut with the Bel Canto Institute in Tuscany.  In previous seasons, he performed with the Franco-American Vocal Academy in France (Mireille), the Bethesda Summer Music Festival (The Bartered Bride, West Side Story), and Charlottesville Opera (La Traviata, Amahl and the Night Visitors).  This summer, he will appear as an Apprentice Artist in Teatro Nuovo's inaugural season. 

Wesley enjoys much success as a vocal competitor, placing at the state and regional levels of NATS, advancing to the national semi-finals in both musical theatre and classical voice, and earning distinguished honors at the Sue Goetz Ross Memorial Voice Competition in Bethesda, MD. In 2017, Wesley placed first in both classical voice and musical theatre at the Virginia NATS competition.  He was also invited to compete as a national finalist in the Saltworks Opera Voice Competition.

In addition to his performance interests, Wesley is a versatile stage director in the genres of opera, musical theatre, and theatre.  He directed Viewing Pleasure for the University of Virginia's New Works Festival and has assisted under Mary Birnbaum (Charlottesville Opera) and Dave Dalton (University of Virginia).  This season, he will direct productions of The Last Five Years at the UVA Department of Drama and Le Devin du Village at the UVA Department of Music.
 

The program includes:
Si, tra i ceppi - BereniceGeorge Frederic Handel
Come paride vezzoso - L'elisir d'amoreGaetano Donizetti
An die ferne GelibeteLudwig van Beethoven
L'horizon chimeriqueGabriel Faure 
Three Poems of Oscar WildeThomas Pasatieri

Pronta io son - Don Pasquale
     featuring Rachel Mink, soprano

Gaetano Donizetti

This recital is supported by the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund. Established in 2004 by the generosity of Mr. Alan Y. Roberts ('64) and Mrs. Sally G. Roberts, the Charles S. Roberts Scholarship Fund underwrites the private lessons and recital costs for undergraduate music majors giving a recital in their fourth year as part of a distinguished major program in music.

Old Cabell Hall is located on the south end of UVA's historic lawn, directly opposite the Rotunda (map). Parking is available in the Central Grounds parking garage on Emmet Street, in the C1 parking lot off McCormick Road, and in the parking lots at the UVA Corner. 

Please call the Music Department at 434.924.3052 for more information.
All events are subject to change. 

Address

UVA Department of Music
112 Old Cabell Hall
P.O. Box 400176 Charlottesville, VA 22904-4176

Email: music@virginia.edu