Sunday, October 9, 2016
"Dawn in America"
McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga

Dale Wolford has been hailed by critics nationwide for his “great sound and phrasing…the melodic lines soulfully tear at your heartstrings.” (Saxophone Journal), "fresh and expressive, with genuine impulses of feeling." (San Francisco Chronicle) 

Working with pianist Ivan Rosenblum for over 20 years, as the Wolford/Rosenblum Duo, Dale has premiered many new works including the Sonata for Saxophone & Piano by Gunther Schuller. The Duo has released two compact discs, including Laughter and Tears—A Jewish Saga on the Centaur label. Dale is also currently a member of the Premiere Saxophone Quartet, dedicated to promoting new music for the saxophone quartet via performances and recordings. He has also performed and/or recorded with Philip Glass, Bernadette Peters, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Composer’s Inc, Santa Cruz New Music Works, the Morosco Saxophone Quartet, the San Francisco Saxophone Quartet, the Nuclear Whales Saxophone Orchestra and is a frequent guest soloist with area orchestras and bands. He has performed in the San Francisco, San Jose Symphony, Sun Valley orchestras and recently as a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra in San Francisco as well as on tour to Copenhagen, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. 

Dale has also taught at San Jose State University., University of California, Berkeley, University of the Pacific, California State University—East Bay, California State University, Stanislaus and Chabot College. In addition he has been a board member for both the California Music Educators Bay Section and the Music Teachers Association of California. He is currently a Yamaha Performing Artist. 

Sunday, October 9, 2016
"Dawn in America"
McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga

Patrick Beth Delaney Miller is a native of Spokane, Washington, and has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2001.  She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in flute and vocal performance from Washington State University and a Master of Music degree in vocal performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  She has appeared as featured vocal soloist with numerous ensembles, including the Washington-Idaho Symphony as Winner of the Young Artist Competition in 1999, the Spokane Falls Community College Orchestra, and the Spokane Symphony’s Clarion Brass Ensemble.

Enlisted in the Air Force National Guard for the past 19 years, Technical Sergeant Miller has served as a member of the 560th Band of the Northwest, the 561st Band of the West Coast, and is currently assigned to the 562nd Band of the West Coast at Channel Islands ANGS, performing on flute, piccolo, and vocals.

In 2010, Ms. Miller joined and performed with the ensemble Sanctus Virtuosi, a group of classical musicians dedicated to raising funds to aid in the fight against human trafficking. Through this, she began collaborating with Erin Downey, pianist, and Daniel David Feinsmith, composer, on several recording projects and performances, including the world premiere performances of “Holy, Holy, Holy” and “Come, Thou Fount” in 2013, and of “I Am the First and the Last” in 2015.

Ms. Miller is currently a music educator in the town of Hillsborough and resides with her husband and three daughters in South San Francisco.

Sunday, December 4, 2016
"The Night Before Christmas"
McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga

Jeffrey Benson is currently Director of Choral Activities at San José State University in San José, California. The Washington Post hails his choirs for singing “with an exquisite blend, subtlety of phrasing, confident musicianship and fully supported tone…that would be the envy of some professional ensembles.”

Dr. Benson recently made his international conducting debut with the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the SJSU Choraliers in Limerick, Ireland, and he made his Carnegie Hall conducting debut in 2015 with the SJSU Choirs and the New York Festival Orchestra. Choirs under his direction have been invited to perform with the Rolling Stones, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, the Los Angeles Festival Orchestra and the Skywalker Orchestra.

Dr. Benson is a published composer and arranger with Colla Voce Music and Santa Barbara Music Publishing, under the Charlene Archibeque Choral Series. He is also the Artistic Director of Peninsula Cantare, a community chorus based in Palo Alto.

Benson received his Masters degree and his Doctorate in Choral Conducting/Music Education from The Florida State University and his Bachelors degree in Music Education from New York University.

Sunday, December 4, 2016
"The Night Before Christmas"
McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga

California based tenor Andrew Metzger fosters a varied repertoire, to which he recently added the role of Rodolfo in La Bohème. Possessing a confident and energetic stage presence, the tenor also excels in comedic roles such as Count Almaviva in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Nanky-Poo in Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado. Concert highlights from the 2016-2017 season include the tenor solos in Orff’s Carmina Burana, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610, Mozart’s Solemn Vespers, and Handel’s Dixit Dominus. In March the tenor will sing the role of Scrawny in The Coyotes and the Rabbits, a children’s opera by Hèctor Armienta. Mr. Metzger is a graduate of the Opera San Jose Summer Program and the OperaWorks Advanced Artist Program. He holds an M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Redlands and a B.A. in Music from Santa Clara University.