Guest Artists

Christine Brandes

Noted for her radiant, crystalline voice and superb musicianship, soprano Christine Brandes brings her committed artistry to a repertoire ranging from 17th century to newly composed works, performing at many of the world’s most distinguished festivals and concert series in programs spanning from recitals and chamber music to oratorio and opera.

She has sung for the following opera houses: San Francisco, Seattle, Washington National, Houston Grand, Minnesota, San Diego, New York City Opera, Philadelphia, Glimmerglass, Portland, Arizona, Opera de Nancy in principle roles ranging from Handel and Mozart, through Verdi to Bolcom and Britten.

Christine recently appeared with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players in György Kurtág’s Scenes from a Novel and with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra conducted by Carlo Rizzi in Debussy’s La Damoiselle élue and has sung Mahler’s Second Symphony with the Sacramento Philharmonic and Handel’s Israel in Egypt at Carnegie Hall with the New York Choral Society. She also gave a recital at King's College Chapel, Cambridge with organist, Jonathan Dimmock.

Ms. Brandes has given a series of important premieres including an Eric Moe commission entitled Of Color Braided All Desire with the Brentano String Quartet as part of the South Mountain Concert Series with further performances in New York City at the 92nd Street Y, and Jennifer Higdon’s In the Shadow of Sirius, based on poetry of former American Poet Laureate, W.S. Merwin with the Cypress String Quartet at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco.

She has sung with the following orchestras: Cleveland, Chicago, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Detroit, Seattle, Minnesota, National Symphony, with such distinguished conductors as Simon Rattle, Pierre Boulez, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Frühbeck de Burgos, Robert Spano, Wolfgang Sawallisch and Alan Gilbert.

Jennifer Paulino

Recognized as a versatile and accomplished chamber and concert artist, American soprano Jennifer Paulino has garnered praise and recognition as a significant interpreter of baroque and contemporary literature. Upcoming highlights include a three part performance of a new oratorio, Terra Nostra, for soloists and chorus by Stacy Garrop with the San Francisco Choral Society under the direction of Bob Geary. Ms. Paulino will also be appearing with Magnificat Baroque Ensemble, California Bach Society, Cantata Collective, Bach Collegium San Diego, and Symphonic Chorale of Southwest Florida this season. In 2013, Ms. Paulino made her Australian debut with Czech organist Pavel Kohout in a recital of arias at the Organs of The Ballarat Goldfields Festival. At the Early Music Studio, Melbourne, she performed a program of Dowland and Purcell songs with New Zealand harpsichordist Donald Nicolson. In the same year, Ms. Paulino made her Danish debut In collaboration with performance artist and choreographer Anastazia Louise and San Francisco Lyric Opera. In the hometown of Hans Christian Anderson, the group performed David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion based on H.C. Anderson’s timeless children’s story. Her own baroque ensemble, Les grâces, formed in 2008, is dedicated to historically-informed performance of 17th & 18th century music. She regularly performs on concert series in the Bay Area and around the nation, including the San Francisco Early Music Society, Old First Concerts, Legion of Honor, Early Music in Columbus, Tufts University, and Westminster College (Salt Lake City).

Derek Chester

Praised by the New York Times for his "beautifully shaped and carefully nuanced singing," tenor Derek Chester is steadily making a name for himself in the world of classical singing. In demand as an interpreter of oratorio, Chester has appeared as soloist with such organizations as Boston Baroque, West Edge Opera, the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra, Ars Lyrica Houston, the Korean Broadcasting System Symphony, the Toronto Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Colorado Symphony, Bach Collegium San Diego, and the American Bach Soloists. He holds degrees from University of Georgia and the Yale School of Music as a full scholarship recipient. After a year as a Fulbright Scholar in Germany, Chester competed his Doctorate in Music from the University of North Texas. As a well-regarded pedagogue Chester participated in the 2016 NATS Intern Program and has given master classes across the country. He currently serves as associate professor of voice and director of the early music consort at the University of Northern Colorado and continues his worldwide career as an interpreter of concert repertoire.

Paul Max Tipton

Described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a dignified and beautiful singer, bass-baritone Paul Max Tipton enjoys an active career in opera, oratorio, and chamber music throughout North America, Europe, China, and Korea. He has recently appeared with the symphonies of San Antonio and Grand Rapids, with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and with the New York Philharmonic as part of their first-ever Bach Festival. He has sung with Bach Collegium Japan, Tenet (NYC), Blue Heron (Boston), and the Washington Bach Consort; in 2015 he debuted at Spoleto Festival USA and has appeared with Cut Circle (Palo Alto) at early music festivals in Maastricht, Antwerp, and Utrecht (2018). He has collaborated with Matthias Pintscher, Ton Koopman, Kenneth Slowik, Leonard Slatkin, Simon Carrington, Helmuth Rilling, Rubén Dubrovsky, Nicholas McGegan, and Ricky Ian Gordon; soloed for Grant Llewellyn with the Handel and Haydn Society; and performed the title role in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with Martin Katz conducting. He recently recorded Nicolaus Bruhns’s solo cantatas for bass for the BIS label, and has appeared in recital with Masaaki Suzuki. Current operatic credits include the role of Archibald Grosvenor in Patience with Odyssey Opera and Plutone in Monteverdi’s Orfeo with Göteborg Baroque in Sweden (2018). Mr. Tipton trained on full fellowship at the University of Michigan School of Music in Ann Arbor, being mentored by mezzo-soprano Luretta Bybee and tenor George Shirley. He is a graduate of the Yale University School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music, having studied with tenor James Taylor. Based in Boston, he was made a Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Fellow at Emmanuel Music in 2012. www.paulmaxtipton.com