Soloists and Featured Artists

Tenor, Dan Dressen
Dan Dressen is currently a professor of music and department chair at St.Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota where he teaches voice, lyric diction, and in the college's interdisciplinary fine arts program. He is editor of an anthology series of opera arias by Benjamin Britten for Boosey & Hawkes publishing company and has served as president of the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the Minnesota College and University Council on Music.

An active tenor soloist, Mr. Dressen's operatic performances include performances with Washington Opera in its production of CARMEN and the world premiere of Dominick Argento's opera, THE DREAM OF VALENTINO. He has numerous Minnesota Opera productions to his credit including the role of Flute in its production of Benjamin Britten's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Basilio in Mozart's THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, Gastone in LA TRAVIATA, Sellem in THE RAKE'S PROGRESS and Valzacchi in DER ROSENKAVALIER and most recently as the Doctor in Poul Ruder's A HANDMAID'S TALE.

With VocalEssence he is heard as Martin in the recording of Aaron Copland's opera, THE TENDERLAND, and as Johnny Inkslinger in PAUL BUNYAN by Benjamin Britten. Other appearances with VocalEssence include the title roles in Britten's ST. NICOLAS CANTATA, Handel's SAMSON, Elgar's DREAM OF GERONTIUS, Dominick Argento's REVELATIONS OF ST. JOHN and JONAH AND THE WHALE, MASS IN D by Dame Ethel Smythe, the role of Rajar in the world premiere of THE FOURTH WISEMAN by Randall Davidson, and Gerald Finzi's INTIMATIONS OF IMMORTALITY in the first U.S. Finzi Festival. Mr. Dressen has performed in several Aldeburgh Festivals in England. Performances there include the tenor solos in Britten's THE COMPANY OF HEAVEN, which he also recorded in London. In Minneapolis and St. Paul he has performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Chorale, Dale Warland Singers, Bach Society, Northstar Opera and Nautilus Music Theater.

French hornist, Michael Gast
Michael Gast is the associate principal horn of the Minnesota Orchestra and performs as principal horn during the summer season. Gast began playing the horn at the late age of 15 in Tallahassee, Florida. He entered Florida State University at age 17 as a performance scholarship student of Dr. William Capps.

Three years later Gast was accepted at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Mason Jones, received his Bachelor of Music degree and was named a finalist in the Philadelphia Orchestra's Concerto Competition. Upon graduation he headed the horn section of the Jacksonville Symphony and became assistant principal horn of the San Antonio Symphony.

In demand as a section leader, Gast has been principal horn in the orchestras of the Grand Teton Music Festival, the Santa Fe Opera, the Festival L'Aquila Opera Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, among others.

Constantly exploring the horn's solo repertoire, Gast has been a featured soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, the Miami Chamber Orchestra, the Sunriver Music Festival, the Winters Chamber Orchestra, Musical Offerings, the Texas Bach Choir and at International Horn Society Workshops.

Gast has covered an extensive range of chamber music with a variety of groups, artists and venues around the world. His sound can be heard on numerous orchestral recordings and children's videos produced by the Minnesota Orchestra. He can also be heard on weekly national and international broadcasts of the Minnesota Orchestra's concerts and on Garrison Keillor's latest radio program compilation release called "Definitely Above Average."

Clarinetist, Kate Berning-Alfred
Kate Berning-Alfred is a freelance clarinetist in the greater Twin Cities area, as well as an instructor of the clarinet at the Music Studios of Jan Erickson. She holds a Master of Music degree from Ithaca College and her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Connecticut, where she studied with Michael Galván and Curt Blood, respectively.

Currently Acting Principal Clarinet of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, Kate has played Associate Principal Clarinet for this group since 1998. She also performs with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, and Duluth Ballet Orchestra. Kate is a founding member of the chamber group Trio Lula and also performs on the Thursday Morning Musical series. She has worked with orchestras including the Cleveland Pops, the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, the Akron Symphony, and the Wheeling Symphony.

Ms. Berning-Alfred won the Solo Competition for the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and the University of Connecticut Concerto Competition. She has also attended the prestigious National Repertory Orchestra Summer Festival.

Organist, Kathrine Handford
Kathrine Handford has been Director of Music and Organist at Hamline United Methodist Church in St. Paul since 2000. She holds the Master of Music degree in Organ Performance and Literature and the highly-coveted Performer's Certificate in Organ from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she is currently pursuing a doctorate in organ. Her principal teachers include the late Russell Saunders, David Craighead, David Higgs, Jerry Evenrud, Paul Manz, and Grethe Krogh in Copenhagen, Denmark. A musician of wide-ranging interests and accomplishments, Ms. Handford has appeared in recitals in the United States, Canada, England, and Scandinavia. She has been a featured artist at the Bergen International Festival in Norway, the St. Olaf Festival in Trondheim, Norway, the Lahti International Music Festival in Finland, and at the International Organ Festival in Arona, Italy.

Ms. Handford was the winner of the 35th International J.S. Bach Competition held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in 1993. In the same year, she received first prize in the John R. Rodland Scholarship Competition, sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. She has been the recipient of many other grants and awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts. She has appeared as soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra in Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 in C Minor and with the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, performing Poulenc's Concerto in g minor at the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians National Convention. She has performed numerous recitals with the Swedish baroque trumpet virtuoso Niklas Eklund.

Her interest in new music has led to premieres of several new works for organ, including Stephen Paulus' Toccata for Organ, Ketil Hvoslef's Toccata for Organ, Robert Starer's Angel Voices, and David Liptak’s Sonata for Violin and Organ, which was commissioned by Benedictinus 2000 and premiered in Rome during the Jubilee.

Manny Laureano began his musical studies in the New York City public school system and received his Bachelor of Music Degree from the Juilliard School in 1977. He was appointed principal trumpet of the Seattle Symphony, a post he held for four years before serving in his current position as principal trumpet with the Minnesota Orchestra.

As a conductor, he has worked with a variety of ensembles, ranging from having been Music Director of the Calhoun-Isles Community Band to a guest stint with the Minnesota Orchestra for a week of Young Persons Concerts. Manny conducts the Minnesota Youth Symphonies' Symphony Orchestra, is the brass and woodwind coach for the MYS Repertory Orchestra and has served as Co-Music Director of MYS since 1987.

Manny served as the Music Director of the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra from 1987 through the spring of 1996. During his tenure as Music Director for the MSO, he commisioned a number of new works for that orchestra by composers from the Twin Cities and across the US. He continues to do so with the MYS as well.