Burke United Methodist Church to Present the Premiere of 3:16, an Opera by Six Composers

On March 7 at 8:00 P.M., Burke United Methodist Church will host the premiere of 3:16, an opera by six acclaimed composers. Maestro Janghyo Yoo will lead a stellar cast featuring mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh as Lieutenant Mary James, soprano Randa Rouweyha as Aurelia Raven, baritone José Miguel Sacin as Vincent James, and tenor Steven Andrew Murray as Everett.

"3:16 is an inspirational story of redemption and transformation, loosely based on the real-life experiences of a United States Army chaplain. The young Mary Raven has run away from a harsh and unloving father, only to discover that the outside world is even crueler. She grows up to be Lieutenant Mary James - steely on the outside but secretly unable to overcome her intense anger and guilt... until she has a miraculous experience that changes everything.

"The opera is full of the sheer beauty, lush harmonies, and emotional depth of Romantic-era music but also has a breathtaking style all its own. The music is a collaboration among some of today's most exciting composers - including esteemed opera composer Theodore Christman; military veteran and award-winning composer Gary Vincent Koda; award-winning mezzo-soprano and composer Vita Koreneva; award-winning composer Akihiro Masuda; internationally acclaimed orchestral composer Stéphane Tesan; and Jeff Shankley, not only a brilliant composer but also a legendary actor who performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered roles in Cats and other musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Each composer has something special to offer, and all of their music comes together to form the arc of a story with a joyous ending that will lift your eyes to hope."

-Susan Conti, librettist

The performance will take place on March 7, 2025, at:

Burke United Methodist Church
6200 Burke Centre Parkway
Burke, Virginia 22015

About the performers:

"Sparkling" mezzo-soprano Madison Marie McIntosh has been praised for her "wondrously flexible voice," "prodigious vocal skills," and "richly textured and strong lower register" (Voce di Meche). OperaWire has praised her "vocal power," "enchanting voice," "velvety mezzo-soprano," and "abundant vocal and dramatic technique, with no shortage of soaring high notes and flexible roulades." On the main stage of Carnegie Hall, she has performed as the alto soloist in Bach's Magnificat, BWV 243; Vivaldi's Magnificat, RV 610; and Dan Forrest's Requiem for the Living. McIntosh won The American Prize in Vocal Performance in 2020 and has performed roles with opera companies such as Caramoor, the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Teatro Nuovo, Sarasota Opera, Teatro Grattacielo, and the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice. She has performed three times in Eve Queler's annual Bel Canto Opera and sung in events presented by Florida Grand Opera, Fort Worth Opera, and the Kravis Center.

Soprano Randa Rouweyha has sung many leading roles, recitals, and concerts at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center; Washington National Cathedral; the Vatican; the Zorlu Center in Istanbul, Turkey; the historic Stambaugh Auditorium in her hometown of Youngstown, Ohio; and the Emile Bustani Auditorium in Lebanon, her country of origin. Described by DC critics as an "amazingly strong performer" who "sings with exquisite purity of tone and ringing clarity" and "a sterling voice," Rouweyha has consistently earned high critical acclaim. OperaPulse declared of her performance opposite renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee in Il barbiere di Siviglia: "Brownlee's Rosina was the saucy soprano, Randa Rouweyha... She tossed off her opening 'Una voce poco fa' with the greatest of ease and obvious enjoyment." DC Theatre Scene wrote of her Violetta in La traviata: "Simply put, Rouweyha is this production. Or, at least, it's all her and Verdi's timeless music."

José Miguel Sacin, Peruvian baritone and Artistic Director of Opera NOVA, has performed with companies such as the Washington National Opera, Opera Delaware, Caramoor, Opera Camerata of Washington, the Teatro Municipal de Lima, Opera Southwest, Mediterranean Opera Festival, Maryland Lyric Opera, the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid, the Rachmaninov Hall in Moscow, the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, Opera North, and the Baltimore Opera. Main opera roles include Scarpia in Tosca; Giorgio Germont in La traviata; Dr. Bartolo in Il barbiere di Siviglia; Count Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro; Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor; Dulcamara in L'elisir d'amore; Dandini in La Cenerentola; Tonio in Pagliacci; Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana; Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola; Marcello in La bohème; Don Alfonso in Così fan tutte; Vidal in Luisa Fernanda; Diego Rivera in Frida; and the title roles in Gianni Schicchi, Don Giovanni, Macbeth, Falstaff, and Rigoletto.

German-American tenor Steven Andrew Murray was born in Heidelberg, Germany, to an American father, Jerry, and a German mother, Petra. He holds degrees in Vocal Performance from Charleston Southern University and Shenandoah University. He has studied with teachers including Jill Terhaar Lewis, Byron Jones, Patricia Miller, and currently Jon Fredric West. He has sung with such companies as Sarasota Opera, Opera Roanoke, Maryland Lyric Opera, and Detroit Opera. The tenor lives in Middletown, Virginia, with his beautiful wife of 15 years, Amy, and two handsome sons - Tristan, 11, and Erik, 8.

Dr. Janghyo Yoo studied piano performance with Dr. Ivo Kaltchev and earned a master's degree and a doctoral degree at The Catholic University of America. Throughout his career, he has performed in numerous chamber and solo recitals of classical music. He is not only a classical pianist but also an accomplished jazz and rock pianist. Dr. Yoo is an active accompanist throughout the Virginia and Washington, DC, area. He is currently an artistic advisor and collaborative pianist of the Young Musicians Inspiring Challenge and the music director at Messiah Presbyterian Church of Washington.

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