Dett & Bernstein

Anne O'Byrne soprano

Soprano Anne O’Byrne hails from Dublin, Ireland, where as a young singer, she joined the Irish Radio Choir, broadcasting weekly on national radio. She gained scholarships to attend the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, before embarking on a career in opera and concert which has taken her all over the world.

Anne has worked with renowned conductors, such as Sir Simon Rattle and Sir Andrew Davis; Early Music specialists Harry Bicket OBE, Harry Christophers OBE, and Dame Emma Kirkby: and famed producers, such as Sir Jonathan Miller and Sir Trevor Nunn. She has sung over twenty leading roles—including Pamina in Mozart’sDie Zauberflöte; Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto; Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème; Suzanna in Le Nozze di Figaro; Leila in Bizet’s Pearlfishers, and Adina in Donizetti’s L'elisir d'amore to name a few. Most recently Ms. O’Byrne sang the title role of Monteverdi’s opera, L’incoronazione di Poppeawith Capitol Opera Richmond. She has created roles in new operas for the Wexford and Covent Garden International Festivals, and recorded for Irish television, the BBC and NPR.

Anne moved to the United States in 2002 with her husband David Fisk, (CEO and President of Charlotte Symphony) and their two children, Fionnuala and Oliver. Since then, she has performed for Virginia Opera, the Richmond Symphony, RVA Baroque, and many East Coast choral societies. She has sung for luminaries including President Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice, Robert Redford, and the Royal families of England and Monaco.

Ms. O’Byrne has been teaching voice for over 25 years, including at University of Richmond and GreenSpring International Academy of Music, Richmond. Many of her students are top prizewinners in national competitions and have followed Anne’s lead by also performing in venues like Carnegie Hall.

Anne is excited to be singing in her new home town of Charlotte with the Charlotte Master Chorale!

Sarah Brauer, mezzo-soprano

Sarah Brauer, mezzo-soprano, enjoys a varied career of concert, opera, and choral performance. Sarah earned her Master of Music degree from Rice University after completing her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Southern California, and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music degree at the University of Oregon.

Sarah has appeared as a soloist with the Oregon Bach Festival, Salem Chamber Orchestra, The Ensemble, Cascadia Chamber Opera, Jefferson Baroque Orchestra, Charlotte Master Chorale, Oregon Bach Collegium, Santa Fe Symphony, Willamette Master Chorale, Chatter, Houston Bach Society, and Aspen Music Festival, among others. Highlights include mezzo-soprano soloist for the concert-drama Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín, created and conducted by Murry Sidlin; Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s Magnificat with the New Mexico Philharmonic; Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas with the Santa Fe Symphony; and the role of Judy in the national touring production of Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard.

A native of Portland, Sarah has frequently collaborated with composers through the Oregon Composers Forum. Recent engagements include premieres of Cara Haxo’s concert-length Pretty Pretty Princess and the Underworld, and Zeelah in Daniel Daly’s opera, The Banshee, as well as with the Oregon Bach Festival’s Composer Forum, where she also premiered her own chamber music composition.

Sarah’s passion for historically-informed performance practice has led to seven years of collaboration with the annual International Musicking Festival, where she has been central in resurrecting and realizing manuscripts from the early Italian baroque, some of which have not been performed in over 300 years.

Upcoming engagements include a debut with the Dallas Symphony, a recording release and Christmas concert series with Conspirare, premiere with Cascadia Opera, and the Winter and Summer Festival Seasons with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale.

In addition to performing, Sarah is an Instructor of Voice at the University of Oregon and Linn-Benton Community College and serves on the board of Oregon Bach Festival. Sarah has recorded nine discs with Austin-based professional chamber choir, Conspirare, including the GRAMMY®-winning Sacred Spirit of Russia.

Sarah lives in Eugene, Oregon with her son, Luke, and dog, Schubert.sarahbrauermezzo.com

Jason Dungee, tenor

Dr. Jason A. Dungee, currently serves as the Director of Choral Activities at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has earned degrees from the University of Arizona, Westminster Choir College and Hampton University. Prior to appointments as Director of Choral Studies in South Carolina and Florida, he taught high school choir in Newport News and Williamsburg, Virginia. He is a highly sought after clinician, and collaborator and has conducted several district and state level all-county choral events since arriving in Charlotte in 2022.
As a scholar, Dungee’s article “A Pedagogy for Living: Applying Restorative, Anti-Racist Pedagogy to the Choral Classroom” was published in The Choral Journal and has led to him being in demand as a presenter for organizations and Universities across the U.S.

Recently, Dr. Dungee was selected for two consecutive years to prepare choirs for the southeast leg of HBO’s internationally acclaimed touring production of The Game of Thrones Live Experience, featuring music from the hit TV program. In February of 2022 and April of 2023, Dungee was asked to prepare an ensemble for the rock band the Eagles for their performances in Charlotte and Greensboro, respectively. And he has conducted sold-out, critically acclaimed performances as guest conductor of the Charleston Gospel Choir. As performer, he sang the tenor solo for the London Symphony Orchestra and the Carnegie Hall premieres of Andre Thomas’Mass.

His pride and joy, however, is found in his wife Crysta, and their three children, Jordan, Andrew and Langston.

Marques Jerrell Ruff, bass-baritone

Marques Jerrell Ruff is an international musician, hailing from New England. TheHartford Courant marveled, “Ruff has a voice that has power, clarity and brilliant shades of color.” While GoldenPlec Magazinewrote, “Marques Jerrell Ruff has a voice that is powerful, acrobatic, and full of soul.”Mr. Ruff has been a featured soloist with the National Chorus of Korea & Symphony, Tallahassee Symphony, Hartford Symphony, Rogue Valley Symphony, and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra. As an ensemble musician, he has appeared with the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Conspirare, Exigence, Chanticleer, and Seraphic Fire. In addition to being a bass-baritone, Mr. Ruff is also a conductor and has conducted across the country, including with the Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley, St. Louis District Honor Choir, and the Missouri Choral Artists.

Mr. Ruff is committed to the proliferation and preservation of the Negro Spiritual and Black music across the globe, and his efforts have resulted in numerous presentations, both nationally and regionally, on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the Choral Arts.

Mr. Ruff is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University, where he was also the recipient of the University Singers Scholarship under the direction of Dr. Pamela J. Perry. He holds dual Master of Music degrees in Choral Conducting and Voice Performance from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Currently, he is completing his Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Choral Conducting at Florida State University. Mr. Ruff is a proud member of the American Choral Directors Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. He can be found on all social media: @marquesjruff