Sonny Black, Jimmy Cargill, and Tony Apiclla celebrate the era of martinis, tuxedos and the American standard. These three performers bring their infectious charisma and natural camaraderie to the stage for what will be a night made for Vegas! Taking their cue from the legends of generations past, this trio captures the essence of an era gone by while showing that they’re anything but out of style.

Born in Queens, New York, Lucia was immersed in the arts by the age of three, diligently practicing dance, piano, and violin. It didn’t take long for Lucia to discover her passion and greatest talent was the violin, which quickly became her main focus. After moving to Hawaii at the age of five, she continued to refine her skills on the violin with teachers Kathryn Lucktenberg and Sheryl Shohet, and just a year later at the age of six, Lucia made her debut as a soloist with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra. Soon after, she began frequently appearing on local television shows and concertizing throughout the Islands.

At age eleven, Lucia was accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School of Music’s Pre-College Division.  She studied with the renowned violin pedagogue Dorothy DeLay, and also took lessons with Itzhak Perlman, Cho-Liang Lin, and Won-Bin Yim. Within a year, playing against some of the world’s most gifted prodigies, she won the Pre-College Concerto Competition and settled into a routine that would combine instruction with concert appearances at the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, and other prominent international venues. She spent her summers at the Aspen Music Festival, regularly performing with the orchestra, and won the Violin Concerto Competition in 2000, resulting in a performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Festival Orchestra.

At seventeen, Lucia left Juilliard to attend the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with celebrated international violinist Pinchas Zukerman. It was during this time that Lucia began to develop a growing interest in non-classical music. She started moonlighting with local jazz and rock bands in New York clubs, and by the following year, she had accepted an offer to tour with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra as a featured violinist and concertmaster.

Since then, Lucia’s profile has continued to soar. She’s been a featured soloist in two of Josh Groban’s world tours, toured extensively with Chris Botti and was featured in his Live From Boston PBS special (from which the duet they performed together, “Emmanuel” has received over 7 million YouTube views), and was featured in Barbra Streisand’s 2013 international tour. She also released two solo albums, Music From A Farther Room and Interlude. But 2009 saw Lucia broadening her career even further when she was cast in the starring role of “Annie” in HBO’s critically acclaimed series, Treme, created by David Simon and Eric Overmeyer, which ran for four seasons and won a Peabody Award as well as a Primetime Emmy Award.

Currently, Lucia has just finished her first PBS concert special which has been airing throughout the US in 2018. This PBS event is an eclectic journey through her many musical influences – from classical to jazz to traditional fiddle music and Americana – all bound together by her trademark emotional vulnerability and technical wizardry.

Being touted as one of the next great American Verdi baritones, Opera News describes Mark Walters as “a force to be reckoned with.” He is lauded for his performances throughout the United States as Scarpia in Tosca, Germont in La traviata, and Pizarro in Fidelio. For his performance in La forza del destino, The Chicago Sun Times commended his “vocal fury.”  Walters is now foraying into richer, more dramatic roles including Die fliegende Holländer, Jochanaan in Salome, Wotan in Der Ring des Nibelungen, the title role of Sweeney Todd, and Iago in Otello. This February, Walters takes on another premiere as Duke in Anton Coppola’s Lady Swanwhite with Opera Tampa.

Last season, Walters sang the role of Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West with Virginia Opera, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Bob Jones University, the bass soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Spokane Symphony and Don Pizarro in Fidelio with Boston Baroque.

Recent engagements include a company début as Scarpia in Tosca with Minnesota Opera and a return for their world première of The Shining as Mark Torrance; the title role of Rigoletto with Florida Grand Opera and Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra; the title role inDon Giovanni and Peter in Hänsel und Gretel with Seattle Opera; Germont in La traviata with Arizona Opera, Florentine Opera, and Finger Lakes Opera; Don Pizarro in Fidelio with Kentucky Opera and Opera Omaha; Marcello in La bohème with Florida Grand Opera and Opera Coeur d’Alene; Zurga in Les pêcheurs de perles with Opera Carolina; Renato in Un ballo in maschera with Opera Tampa; Valentin in Faust and Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor with Arizona Opera; a production of Peter Grimes with Canadian Opera Company; Jack Rance in La fanciulla del West with Mobile Opera; his début with the Spoleto Festival USA in John Adams’ El Niño; début with Opera Santa Barbara in the title role in Don Giovanni which he subsequently performed in concert with the Kalamazoo Symphony; Scarpia in Tosca with Sarasota Opera and Opera Tampa; and Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with Florentine Opera.

Career highlights include the world première of Rappahannock County by American composer Ricky Ian Gordon recorded on the Naxos label.  His European début as Germont in La traviata with Den Nye Opera, Norway and his Asian début as Don Giovanni in Osaka, Japan.  He also portrayed the Reverend Olin Blitch in a special 50th-anniversary production of Susannah, personally overseen by Carlisle Floyd.

Walters’ oratorio work includes his Carnegie Hall début in Orff’s Carmina Burana and Fauré’s Requiem conducted by John Rutter; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Tallahassee Symphony, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, Augustana College, Springfield Symphony, Traverse City Symphony, and the Lima Symphony; Verdi’s Requiem with the Mississippi Symphony and Spokane Symphony; Cantata Memoria with DCINY at Carnegie Hall; Verdi’s Requiem with Spokane Symphony; Vaughn Williams Serenade with Springfield Symphony; the Brahms Requiem with Arizona Music Festival; and Händel’s Messiah with the Mississippi Symphony, Augustana College, and the Händel Oratorio Society. As a featured soloist, Mr. Walters has sung in the Milnes Voice Gala Honors James Morris, in the Baritones on the Bayou with Opera Louisiane, as Elijah with the Pensacola Choral Society, and in a Gala concert for the Canterbury Festival, UK.

Tenor Raúl Melo has enjoyed a career performing some of the most demanding roles of the Italian and French repertoire across four continents. His international career began when he was awarded the prize of “Best Lyric Tenor” in the 1992 Alfredo Kraus Competition, a prize personally bestowed upon Mr. Melo by the late great Spanish tenor. Beginning in the lyric repertoire, Mr. Melo’s repertoire has expanded to embrace the great heroic Verdi and Puccini roles: Carlo Don Carlo, Rodolfo Luisa Miller, Alvaro La Forza Del Destino; des Grieux Manon Lescaut, Cavaradossi Tosca, Dick Johnson La Fancuilla Del West, and Calàf Turnadot.

For nine seasons Mr. Melo has been a regularly invited guest artist with the Metropolitan Opera. He made his MET debut in 2005 as Duca Rigoletto and was heard in a 2008 Sirius Metropolitan Opera Radio live broadcast as Pinkerton Madama Butterfly. His other MET responsibilities have included covering the lead tenor roles in La Damnation de Faust, Hamlet, Romeo et Juliette, and La Rondine, as well as four Verdi titles: La Traviata, Un Ballo in Maschera, Rigoletto, I Vespri Siciliani, and Don Carlo, the last of which he covered during the MET’s 2011 tour to Japan. Mr. Melo also joined members of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for the 2011 New York premiere of Allen Shawn’s work Hide Not Thy Face.

Mr. Melo has also been a frequent guest with other New York opera companies. For New York City Opera, Mr. Melo has performed such leading roles as Cavaradossi Tosca, Pinkerton Madama Butterfly, and Araquil in Massenet’s rarely-performed yet thrilling La Navarraise. For Teatro Grattacielo, which presents rarely-heard verismo operas in concert form, Mr. Melo has performed Vassili in Giordano’s Siberia, the King in the New York premiere of Franco Alfano’s Sakuntala, Giosta Berling in Zandonai’s I Cavalieri di Ekebu, Gennaro in Wolf-Ferrari’s I Gioielli Della Madonna, and Osaka in Mascagni’s Iris. In recent seasons, Mr. Melo has displayed impressive stylistic breadth with his role debuts as both Turiddu Cavalleria Rusticana and Canio Pagliacci, performing both in the same evenings (Amarillo Opera). Other North American companies with which Mr. Melo has performed include Washington National Opera, Dallas Opera, Seattle Opera, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Spoleto Festival USA, Manitoba Opera, and Opéra de Québec.

Mr. Melo’s early career included several seasons in the major German theatres, including both of Berlin’s major opera houses (Deutsche Oper Berlin and Staatsoper unter den Linden), Düsseldorf’s Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Hamburg Staatsoper, Staatstheater Braunschweig, the Köln Arena, Oper Frankfurt, and the Semperoper Dresden, in repertoire including Alfred Die Fledermaus, Nemorino L’Elisir d’amore, Duca, Rigoletto, Rodolfo La Boheme to Don José Carmen among others. His European credits include performances at the Grand Théâtre de Reims, the Palais Princier de Monaco (the official residence of the Prince of Monaco), Brussels’ Vorst Nationaal Music Hall, Zürich Opera, Oslo’s Den Norske Opera, and Opera Ireland in Dublin. In 2003 Mr. Melo made his Italian debut as Don José Carmen at the Teatro Verdi di Salerno, and went on to debut with other distinguished Italian companies such as the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli and Teatro Massimo di Palermo (both as Rodolfo LA BOHÈME), the Teatro Regio di Parma (concert in honor of Verdi’s bicentenary), and the Teatro Comunale di Bologna on their inaugural tour of Korea (Duca RIGOLETTO).

Farther abroad, Mr. Melo has performed in Colombia (FOSBO Orchestra Bogotá, Rachmaninoff concert), Argentina (Teatro Colón Buenos Aires, Verdi Requiem), Israel (New Israeli Opera in Tel Aviv), China (Shanghai International Arts Festival, Macau International Music Festival), Hong Kong (Musica Viva Hong Kong), Japan (Tokyo), and South Korea (Teatro Comunale di Bologna tour, which played in Seoul, Busan, and Kwanju-san).

Mr. Melo has been a frequent guest of “A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keilor.

The Havana-born, American-educated tenor resides in New York.

An accomplished artist, known for her colorful, clear voice and thoughtful interpretation in both oratorio and opera, Teresa Buchholz is emerging as a promising mezzo-soprano in the world of singing. Most recently she’s performed the role of Anne in Virgil Thomson’s The Mother of Us All in a highly acclaimed production that took place in Hudson NY. This Fall she was also heard in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with The Orchestra Now at Bard College and performed the role of Berta in a New York City concert version of the rarely heard opera Il Grillo del Focolare by Riccardo Zandonai. Other recent performances include the role of Zofia in Monuiskzo’s opera Halka at the Bard Music Festival, the mezzo soloist in Verdi’s Requiem at the Lake Como Music Festival (Italy) and with the Spokane Symphony. As a soloist she has been heard in Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Lincoln Center with the National Chorale (NYC), at the Bard Music Festival on a program of verismo opera arias, as well as a staged version of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion with Gulfshore Opera (FL), Vivaldi’s Gloria with The Berkshire Bach Society (MA), and The Stamford Symphony (CT), Bach’s Magnificat with Voices of Ascension, (NYC), and Berlioz’s Les Nuits d’Été with the Bard College Orchestra. Other notable performances have included the role of Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd with Opera Roanoke, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus with Asheville Lyric Opera, Verdi’s Requiem with the New Jersey Choral Society, Mozart’s Requiem with the Tulsa Symphony, the Stamford Symphony, and Voices of Ascension (NYC), Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody at the Bard Music Festival, and a return to the Gateway Chamber Orchestra (TN) for Berio’s Folk Songs.

Some of her past performances include the role of Mercedes in Carmen with Roanoke Opera, and soloist performances in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony with the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. C.P.E Bach’s Magnificat and Haydn’s Paukenmesse with The Fairfield Chorale, Michael Tippett’s A Child of our Time with the Rhode Island Civic Chorale and Orchestra, Mozart’s Requiem with Manhattan Concert Productions at Alice Tully Hall in New York City and the OK Mozart Festival in Barltesville, OK, and return to the Bard Music Festival to perform Chausson’s Chanson perpétuelle with piano quintet, which the New York Times hailed as “beautifully sung by mezzo-soprano Teresa Buchholz”. She also performed the mezzo solos in Bloch’s Sacred Service in a series of concerts in the summer of 2012 with the Collegiate Chorale and the Israel Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta conducting in Tel Aviv, Israel and Salzburg, Vienna. The previous year she made her Carnegie Hall debut with Mid-America Productions as mezzo soloist for Durufle’s Requiem.

After a successful solo debut with The Bard Music Festival in 2008, Teresa returned to the festival in August 2009 for a performance of Hans Eisler’s Tagebuch cantata. Other performances for the 2009-2010 season included solo engagements with The Duke Symphony (Dorabella in Cosí fan tutte), The Berkshire Bach Society (Bach’s Christmas Oratorio), and The East Texas Symphony (Handel’s Messiah) and a role with Teatro Grattacielo at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theatre (Serena in Wolf-Ferrari’s I Gioielli della Madonna).

Other appearances include a performance of Brahms duets (op. 20 and 61) and a Rhinemaiden in a concert of Wagner opera excerpts with the Bard Music Festival, the second soprano solos in Mozart’s Mass in C Minor with the AmorArtis orchestra in Norwalk, CT, as well as solo recitals at Messiah College in Pennsylvania and St. Bartholomew’s Church in NYC. Summer ‘08 marked her debut with Summer Opera Theatre in Washington DC as Carmen, where The Washington Times hailed her as “an outstanding Carmen, singing accurately and expressively while charging her character with smoldering sexuality.” Following that, her performance of Prokofiev arias for the Bard Music Festival was noted in the festival’s overall review in the New York Times. In 2008 she also debuted with Asheville Lyric Opera and The Opera Company of North Carolina as Alisa in a shared production of Lucia di Lammermoor. In April ’08 she returned to The Duke Symphony Orchestra for the role of Hansel in Hansel and Gretel, where her Cherubino in La Nozze di Figaro was greeted with enthusiastic acclaim in ’06, and following that in May of ‘08 she returned to the Berkshire Bach society for the role of Orfeo in a semi-staged performance of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice.

As an experienced oratorio soloist, Teresa has had past appearances with the Fordham University Choir for Mozart’s Requiem, and with the New Jersey Philomusica as Alto Soloist in Michael Haydn’s Requiem and Mozart’s Dominican Vespers. She has also been heard with the Bard College Symphonic Chorus as Maria in Respighi’s Laud to the Nativity and at Lincoln Center with the American Symphony Orchestra in Franz Schreker’s opera Der ferne Klang and Schumann’s oratorio Das Paradies und die Peri. She has appeared frequently with the Berkshire Bach society, where her appearances have included Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, and J. S. Bach’s Magnificat, Cantata BWV 72 (“Ich habe genug”). Other notable performances have included Mozart’s C minor Mass and J. S. Bach’s Mass in b minor, both with the Chorus and Orchestra of St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church of New York City, and Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with the New York Collegiate Chorale. In making her Lincoln Center debut, Teresa was featured with the American Symphony Orchestra and Maestro Leon Botstein in a one-act opera by Paul Hindemith entitled Das Nusch-Nuschi.

A graduate of the Yale University Opera Program, Indiana University, and the University of Northern Iowa, Teresa has been delighted to have spent several summers as a young artist with the Santa Fe Opera, the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, and the Natchez Opera.

Ben Caron is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, New Age Pop artist and community organizer, who over the past five years has performed at LA’s favorite venues and whose international following enthusiastically helped him to record his debut and sophomore albums completely community-funded (by over 500 donors.)

An Iowa native, Ben attributes his eclectic musical style to his diverse life experiences, blending elements of pop, New Age, soul, folk, and gospel. Having grown up listening to all genres of music, and being greatly inspired by iconic pop, country and folk storytellers such as James Taylor, Elton John, and Garth Brooks, Ben learned popular songwriting through aural osmosis. Then at the age of 15, he picked up a guitar and taught himself to play by writing original music based on his life experiences. Needing to expand his horizons, at 18 years old Ben left Iowa to train classically in voice and acting at CSU, Los Angeles where he learned not only the essentials of good vocal technique but also the crucial necessity for authentic connection and a true inspiration in performance.

Ben began his career as a recording artist shortly after college, releasing his self-titled debut album in 2013. In 2014, he formed the singer-songwriter’s collective “The Sovereign Sons & Daughters” with whom he toured for 3 months, and in the Summer of 2014, Ben embarked on a crowd-funded solo tour of the UK. His recent acoustic EP, “CLIMB” debuted in January 2015 and for the rest of 2015 Ben lead The Joy Machine, a collective of local instrumentalists and vocalists whose mission was to spread joy, love, and connection through the power of live music. In 2016, with the help of The Joy Machine, Ben recorded and released the community-funded “King Benjamin’s Royal Heart,” a New Age-Pop concept album whose positive messaging has inspired countless listeners.

Ben currently performs both as a singer-songwriter and as a workshop leader, certified through the Yoga Alliance. His two ongoing series are “Ben Caron’s Royal Heart Tribe Experience,” a fun work/playshop that includes slow-flow yoga, beginner’s meditation, participatory music and guided movement, and “Ben Caron’s The Joy Machine,” a live concert event featuring inspiring originals, electric covers and incredible talent.

Steve Pence

Steve Pence is a frequent soloist with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, having recently appeared with them in Bach’s Magnificat, St. John Passion, St. Matthew Passion, and Handel’s Messiah. He has also performed solos in Bach’s B-Minor Mass with the Los Angeles Chamber Choir, in Elijahwith the Lark Society, and in Brahms’ Requiem with the Orange County Choral Society. Steve has performed several opera roles, including Alonzo in Hoiby’s The Tempest with USC Thornton Opera and Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro with Pacific Repertory Opera. He lives in Long Beach with his wife and son.

Tenor Jason Francisco sings professionally with Los Angeles Opera and San Diego Opera. He has also soloed with Pacific Chorale, the John Alexander Singers, Pacific Symphony and the Corona Del Mar Baroque Orchestra.

Jason has appeared and/or toured with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra under John Mauceri and John Williams, the Boston Pops Orchestra under Keith Lockhart, Musica Angelica under Martin Haselbock, the Munich Symphony under Ludwig Wicki, and Andrea Bocelli. Jason is also featured as vocal soloist in Roger Bellon’s soundtrack of the film 186 Dollars to Freedom.

Hear more from Michael here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbixJ9Dc4GiJK_OsKYV6iXg

American Idol Michael Lynche is a new breed of soul singer with completely classic influences. Traces of Donny Hathaway, Al Green, Luther Vandross, Sam Cooke and James Brown all seem to flash in this uniquely talented performer. Undeniable charisma, well-crafted song arrangements and a voice soaked in soul give the big man class all his own. “Big Mike”—as he was known while winning over the hearts of a nation during his stint on American Idol—has talent so versatile, he’s played intimate jazz & blues clubs, 20,000 seat arenas and opera halls with 100 piece orchestras backing him. Through it all “Big Mike” has always had one singular goal: to spread a message of love wherever he goes.

A New York City resident for the last 15+ years, this Florida native rose from obscurity as a finalist on season 9 of the hit phenomenon, American Idol. After wowing millions of fans on American Idol with his comforting and powerful voice and performing throughout the United States as part of the American Idol LIVE! Tour, Big Mike has released 2 studio albums, toured as an opening act for Boyz II Men, Lalah Hathaway, Faith Evans, and Lyfe Jennings and toured the world with his honest storytelling brand of soul music.

Since 2012, Big Mike has been a frequent featured guest vocalist with Maestro Jeff Tyzik and his hit show — “Let’s Dance!”. With the perfect repertoire to showcase his dynamic song range, “Let’s Dance!” has been performed with orchestras all over the US and Canada, including the Dallas Symphony, Utah Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Toronto Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and many many more.

Tyzik has been an incredible mentor for Michael over the years, recognizing a passion and drive in the big man that has made his own career successful. The two have spent the last years collaborating on new, sensational soul inspired Pops concerts including “R&B Legends”, “Kings of Soul” and “Dancing in the Street – The Music of Motown”.

“Big Mike” brings an inspirational story and a searing, soulful, one-of-a-kind voice. He leaves you breathless and wanting more when the night is over. This extraordinary vocal talent seamlessly fuses classic R&B, thoroughly modern urban grooves, and swoon-worthy vintage soul into a fresh, unique sound. Big, yes—and beautiful, too; Michael Lynche makes music that’s unforgettable.

Rebecca Covington Webber was most recently seen in the Broadway production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical where she played the role of Janelle Woods. She was also seen on Broadway in Motown the Musical where she portrayed Gwen Gordy, Cindy Birdsong of The Supremes, Gladys Horton of The Marvalettes and many others! Rebecca was also a part of the International and National tours of: Beautiful the Carole King Musical; Mamma Mia; Ain’t Misbehavin; Motown the Musical as well as Thorougly Modern Millie.

As a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, she has also played some of her favorite roles in regional theaters across the U.S. including Nehebka in AIDA, Ronette in Little Shop of Horrors, Brenda in Smokey Joe’s Café and Charlayne in Ain’t Misbehavin. Originally from Lexington, Kentucky, Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Music from Belmont University in Tennessee and she now lives with her French Bulldog, Ella Frenchgerald and her husband, Donald Webber, Jr.!