Centering stories of marginalized communities through programming of underrepresented composers with a roster of underrepresented singers
Basses
Benjamin Chen is a recent graduate of Castro Valley High School and an incoming freshman at Temple University majoring in Vocal Performance at the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Ever since his first choir class in fifth grade, Ben has sung with many choral groups such as the CVHS Madrigals and various regional/all-state honor choirs in California. In addition to choral music, Ben also has musical theatre experience--most recently casted as Billy Flynn in CVHS's 2020 production of "Chicago". One day, he hopes to obtain a doctoral degree in music and become a vocal professor teaching and conducting music.
As a native of Columbus, Ohio, Doron Seth graduated from West High School in 2016. During his time in high school he sang with the ensemble choir. He now resides in San Ramon, California and has sung with the choir at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church since. Doron is also an accomplished vocal percussionist and periodically coaches students on this craft. Outside of music, amid COVID-19 pandemic Doron became an Automotive Service Manager and is now an ASE certified advanced mechanic. Doron also hopes to start his own business by opening his own mechanic shop and to become a licensed ASE certified Master Mechanic. He is also a founding member of Choral Audacity and is thankful for Darita Seth, his brother, for giving him such a great opportunity to perform with these talented musicians.
MATTHEW TANG just recently graduated from Monte Vista High School in Danville, CA. He started in the Contra Costa Children's Choir at the age of 8 and has continued ever since. During his time at Monte Vista, he sang in the Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Barbershop group and the a capella group, Impulse. He was also a part of the Pacific Boychoir Academy, singing in their SATB group as well as their a capella group/chamber ensemble, Continuum. He also is a part of the worship team at Rolling Hills Community Church in Danville, playing acoustic guitar, bass guitar and drums. Some of the highlights of his career in music were performing in Carnegie Hall, performing with the San Francisco Symphony, and lastly, competing in the Golden State Choral Competition. This fall, he will be attending the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah and he will be pursuing a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance.
MILES PRECLARO is a Music Teacher based in Danville, California. After receiving his BA from CSU East Bay, Miles continues his musical work in all types of music. Along with conducting middle school instrumental music, you can find Miles playing keyboard in East Bay cover band The Landbirds, singing some his own original songs as Woah_Milo, and singing in choirs big and small! Other choirs Miles has recently participated in include the Choir at St.Timothy’s Episcopal Church, DVC’s Masterworks Chorale, and The Philippine Saringhiming Singers. Miles is proud to contribute his choral experience to Choral Audacity’s Balikbayan, this is his fourth project with this ensemble.
Aaron Bull is beginning their first year at San Jose State University, for Music Education. During their high school career they have been the bass section leader of the Castro Valley High School Madrigals Choir, and has been a POPS Director for the 2020-2021 CVHS POPS Concert. They are excited to keep singing with Choral Audacity, and continue to further their music career
Andrew Hathaway is thrilled to be back for his third project with Choral Audacity. He currently teaches choir at Castillero Middle School in San Jose, and serves as the Assistant conductor for Resounding Achord, a San Jose-based community chorus. Andrew is a graduate of San Jose State University, where he completed both his Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential. After a year of participating in choir virtually, he is ecstatic to return to his favorite pastime: in-person singing.
Praised for his “robust-voiced” and “buttery baritone” (The New York Times), baritone Brian James Myer is an emerging artist on prominent opera and symphony stages in the US and beyond. A Puerto Rican native of Las Vegas, Mr. Myer has been establishing himself in the world of new works with companies such as New York City Opera, Florida Grand Opera, American Lyric Theatre, Opera San Jose, and Opera Las Vegas. Most notably, he created roles in two world premieres with New York City Opera in 2019, Young Erich (Dear Erich) and Carlos (Stonewall). In 2020 he made his debuts as Mercutio (Roméo et Juliette) with Knoxville Opera and as a soloist with the Aula Simfonia Jakarta in Jakarta, Indonesia. Other slated performances in 2020 included Figaro (Il barbiere di Siviglia) with Opera on the James, the bass soloist in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Moralès/Le Dancaïre (Carmen) with Festival Opera, Masetto (Don Giovanni) with the Berkshire Festival Opera, and his European debut as Squibby in Iain Bell’s Women of Whitechapel: Jack the Ripper with Opera North in the UK, all of which were canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. Mr. Myer holds Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Romance Languages from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and a Master’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music.