Riverside Opera Company presents A WEDDING IN SONG AND DANCE

The Riverside Opera Company (ROC), under the direction of Maestro Alan Aurelia, presents: A Wedding in Song and Dance a performance that includes tri-state area audition winners Soprano Sun Young Chang and Tenor Seunghwan Oh performing excerpts from La Boheme, performances by Dawn Daniels and Dancers performing traditional Irish Jigs and Reels; Lydias School of Dance performing ballets from Aida by Verdi accompanied by pianist Olga Gurevich. Youth performers include Brian Moses on piano, Isabel Bruschi on violin and Kristian Marino on trumpet performing a wide range of pieces including La bohème: Musetta's Waltz, "Flight of the Bumblebee" and "Danny boy.

The performance is Saturday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m. at the Noble Maritime Collection, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, New York Tickets are $15 per Adult in advance. $20 at door Students & Children are FREE! To purchase visit: Tickets for Riverside Opera Company: A Wedding in Song and Dance For information call: 718-876-7945

This program is made possible by Con Edison, Northfield Bank Foundation, Investors Bank and The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and IHOP, Richmond Avenue, Staten Island. The Riverside Opera Company is based on Staten Island in New York City. It performs fully and semi-staged productions with full orchestra conducted by Maestro Alan Aurelia, who has conducted in Italy as well as in the U.S. Its singers are winners of open public auditions, held in New York City. About the Performers: Seunghwan OH, Tenor, a native of South Korea. He made his professional debut singing in Donizetti`s L`elisir d`amore with the KNUA Opera at Universal Arts Center in S.Korea. He has performed in concert and opera in S.Korea, China, Italy, Germany, Austria and the United States.He has performed Nemorino in L`elisir d`amore, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermmor, Rodolfo in La Boheme, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Tonio in La fille du regiment, Tenor Soloist in Verdi`s Requiem, Handel`s Messiah. Mr. Oh holds degrees from the Mannes College of Music in NY(P.S.D.), and Korea National University of Arts in S.KOREA(B.M.).

Soprano Sun Young Chang has worked extensively both teaching voice and performing for over a decade, both in her native Korea and in the United States. She received her Masters and Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes College of Music, and made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2006 (and returned in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010). She is a Teaching Artist for the Metropolitan Opera Guild and has worked as a private voice instructor and coach since 2002. She teaches actively at Kean University, Concordia Conservatory of Music and Art, Rosedale Achievement Center, and Wartburg Adult Care Community, and has been faculty at the Berkshire Choral Festival, Westerhoff School of Music and Art, and the Joy of Singing LLC. She also volunteers actively, concertizing at Women In Need Casa Rita Drug Abuse Clinic of the Bronx and gives her time regularly for Sing for Hope.

Dawn Daniels, Irish Step Dancers-Dawn Daniels has had a love for her ancestral Ireland since she was a child writing stories that took place in Ireland and switching from studying ballet to Irish Step Dancing. After completing three years at Manhattan's Irish Arts Center she went on to study dance for seven years. She has danced with champion Irish Dance teams.

In the year 2000, Dawn began teaching traditional Irish step dancing on Staten Island, and has headed her own dance troupe: The Crown of Ireland. The troupe has performed on Staten Island and other parts of New York at concerts, fairs, benefits, weddings. In 2011, Mrs. Daniels opened her own studio, Forest Haven Center for Dance and Music, located at 358 Forest Avenue, Staten Island, NY. Along with Niall O'Leary T.C.R.G., she teaches Irish dance to children and adults, keeping the traditions of Irish culture alive. Lydia's School of Dance's Owner/Teacher & Artistic Director Lydia Bellach Ruocco began dancing at the age of three and started her formal dance training at age 12 at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, New York City. She trained extensively in Jazz, Tap, and Ballet at Broadway Dance Center, also in New York City. She has performed with the Clive Thompson Jr. Dance Company, The Brooklyn Dance Theater, and with Maurice Hines on The Cosby Show. Lydia has owned and operated Lydia's School of Dance since 1989, and she is highly educated in all areas of dance with an emphasis on modern dance.

Isabel Bruschi is a 17 year old violinist at Port Richmond High School and attended La Guardia High School until recently. She has been performing for 13 years and studies under Roman Berlinsky. She has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Juilliard School of Music, La Guardia High School, Symphony Space and College of Staten Island. In 2014 she attended New York Summer Music Festival on Full Scholarship and in 2015 she attended French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts also with a scholarship. She has performed with The New York Pops at their Galas on two occasions and most recently, she has played in Interschool Orchestra and CSI- Curtis ensemble as concertmistress. She aspires to double Major in both Performing Arts and Political Science.

Kristian Marino lives on Staten Island, is a sophomore at Staten Island Technical HS where he performs in the Chamber Brass, Jazz, Wind Ensembles, Marching Band and plays with the Staten Island Community and Wagner College Bands. He started studying the trumpet in 3rd grade with Maestro Alan Aurelia and continues to this day. As a member of the Borough wide Band program Kristian performed solos in Carnegie Hall and performed there again in a side by side New York Pops concert. Mr Marino attended the Summer Arts Institute at the Frank Sinatra School playing for audience member Tony Bennett. Kristian just received a 100% rating in the NYSSMA adjudications and will continue to challenge himself

Brian Moses is an advanced classical piano student currently attending Stuyvesant High School. Brian has played at school, church, and RCO events many times and is a second place winner in RCO's Talent Search competition in 2016. He has studied with Maestro Aurelia since he was five years old.