NMPAS Recital Series III

Music of Henri Duparc, Richard Strauss and Ben Moore
Gregory Gallagher, tenor
Kayla Liechty, piano

Gregory Gallagher and Kayla Liechty are music faculty members at Eastern New Mexico University in Portales. The vocal and choral programs at Eastern are among the most highly respected in the state of New Mexico.

Their NMPAS Recital program includes works by Henri Duparc, Richard Strauss, and Dear Theo, a song cycle based on texts from the letters of Vincent Van Gogh to his brother Theo by the American composer Ben Moore (www.mooreart.com/music/biography).

Tenor Gregory Gallagher has appeared on the operatic stage as the Podesta in Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, Rinuccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Lysander in Benjamin Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Fenton in Verdi’s Falstaff, Ferrando in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Beadle Bamford in Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, and Lindoro in Rossini’s L’italiana in Algeri.

In addition to his operatic performances, Gregory Gallagher has frequently appeared as a concert soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Handel’s Messiah, and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. In Spring 2016, he performed the tenor solo in Herbert Howell’s Hymnus Paradisi at the Southern ACDA Convention with the Chattanooga Symphony, under the direction of esteemed conductor David Hill, director of the BBC Singers. In Fall 2016, he performed the world premiere of Touching the Infinite Sky by the renowned American composer Gwyneth Walker. In 2017, Gregory Gallagher was awarded first place in the Vocal Artistry Art Song Festival competition in Albuquerque and received the VA Wall Award.

Vocal coach and collaborative pianist Kayla Liechty is equally adept at vocal and instrumental accompanying. She has collaborated with many of the finest musicians of our time. Her work with operatic singers and stage directors includes master classes with Marilyn Horne, Sherrill Milnes, Tito Capobianco, Fabrizio Melano, Jennifer Larmore, Martina Arroyo, Marquita Lister, Leona Mitchell and Maria Spacagna. Of the numerous instrumentalists she has collaborated with in recital, most notable are oboist Wayne Rapier, tubist John Griffiths, bass trombonist Jonathan Warburton, pianist Charles Wadsworth, and trumpeters Fred Mills, Bob Birch, and Moffatt Williams. As a choral accompanist, she has participated in 5 concerts in Carnegie Hall and has toured China, Newfoundland, Norway and Europe. She spent two seasons as accompanist for the Santa Fe Desert Chorale, a decade as a vocal coach and accompanist for Sherrill Milnes’ summer opera workshop, VOICExperience!, and was National and Open-Call Auditions Pianist for Walt Disney World Entertainment for many years.

Ms. Liechty’s most recent scholarly and artistic endeavors include “Bach to Bix,” a CD collaboration with tubist Ted Cox; The French Connection, a CD collaboration with hornist Eldon Matlick; an 80-accompaniment CD companion to Roberto Mancusi’s recently published textbook, Voice for Non-Majors; and ENMU Choirs’ Fall 2016 CD release, “What Sweeter Music.”

Tickets: $20-$50 at nmpas.org/tickets or call Hold My Ticket at 877-466-3404