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In the world-premiere of Josephine with UrbanArias, “… the afternoon belonged to Melissa Wimbish, who was creating the role of Josephine Baker … Beautifully prepared, vocally stunning, and theatrically riveting, Wimbish effortlessly held the audience in her hand throughout this one-woman show.” (Washington Post) In 2016, she made her Carnegie Hall solo recital debut after winning the prestigious NATS Artist Award. Career highlights include Mysteries of the Macabre and Candide with Baltimore Symphony, Paul’s Case with UrbanArias and Prototype Festival, Nimue in Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Camelot, Carmina Burana and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Washington Ballet at The Kennedy Center, and Mozart’s Requiem with Richmond Symphony.

Her work is relentless in variety, spanning classical, contemporary, and popular styles. In the 2020-21 season, Wimbish self-directed a groundbreaking recital for the INVISION recital series and sang the roles of Alberto Gonzales in Melissa Dunphy’s Gonzales Cantata as well as Pamina in a brand new production of The Magic Flute, set to a revamped script and libretto by an all-Black creative team and cast. In addition to returning to UrbanArias for the 2021-22 season, Melissa will make her soloist debut with the Vermont Symphony, workshop Jessica Meyer’s 20 Minutes of Action with Sandbox Percussion Ensemble at Yellow Barn’s Chamber Music Residency, and compete at Stockhausen Courses in Kürten. She co-leads the Baroque pop duo, Outcalls, whose song “No King” was named one of Baltimore Sun’s Most Defining Songs of 2017. Outcalls was awarded a Baker Artist Award in 2021 and will release their third studio album, Greatest Hits, in fall 2021.

Kristopher Jean is making his fourth appearance with Bach in Baltimore this season. He has appeared in numerous stage productions throughout the United States and abroad. In 2017, he made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall in Bach’s Cantata 80. His operatic roles include Borsa in Rigoletto, Fairfax in The Yeoman of the Guard, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Rinuccio and Gherardo in Gianni Schicchi, Lord Arturo Bucklaw in Lucia di Lammermoor, Lutz in The Gondoliers, and Dr. Blind in Die Fledermaus. He has soloed in works by Maryland composer and librettist Hollis Thoms, creating the role of Cipriano Ferrandini in The Moustache; the Narrator in Passion, premiered by Bach in Baltimore in March 2011; and the tenor soloist in Isaac that was premiered by Bach in Baltimore in October 2012. In 2004, he joined the Lourdes Singers from Miami’s Our Lady of Lourdes Academy in the one-act opera Bernadette in Paris, France. In addition, he was an ensemble member in The Heights Players production of Ragtime in 2006. In constant demand as a soloist and ensemble singer, Kristopher is a section leader and soloist at Christ Church Bronxville in New York under the direction of Vaughn Mauren; and has performed with such notable arts organizations as the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Key West Pops Orchestra, Civic Chorale of Greater Miami, Master Chorale of South Florida, Florida Grand Opera, Troupers Light Opera, Regina Opera Company, and MidAmerica Productions.

Eliam Ramos is a thrilling Puerto Rican bass-baritone who has performed opera and concert works with companies in the United States, Spain, Israel and Mexico. His artistic engagements range from traditional opera such as Leporello in Don Giovanni, to Luis Nogales in the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda, to symphony concerts such as Fauré’s Requiem to the title role of the modern composition of El Cimarrón by Hans Werner Henze.

Mr. Ramos’ will be featured in several productions of La Bohème in the fall season of 2022. He’s contracted to sing Schaunard with Soo Theatre in Michigan, and also engaged with The Metropolitan Opera Guild as a featured soloist in their 2022-2023 season.

Terry B. Ewell, bassoon, has been a musician with Bach in Baltimore for over twenty years. For seven years he served as Principal Bassoon of the Hong Kong Philharmonic and later he was Principal Bassoon of the Wheeling Symphony and Acting Principal Bassoon of the West Virginia Symphony. He has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and is currently Principal Bassoon of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony. As a soloist he has performed with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the IDRS 2004 Conference Orchestra (Melbourne, Australia), and with several regional orchestras in the USA. His performances as a chamber musician have been heard in Germany, Hong Kong, Portugal, Hungary, and throughout the United States. He has recorded for Musical Heritage Society, Hong Kong Records, Pickwick Records, Cambria Records and with the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra for Naxos. In the summer of 2022, he taught at music festivals in North Carolina (Masterworks Festival) and Hungary (Crescendo Summer Institute).

Dr. Ewell is a professor of digital instruction and bassoon at Towson University. Throughout the world he is recognized as a leading pedagogue for the bassoon. His 400+ “Bassoon Digital Professor” videos have well over one million viewings on YouTube and 2reed.net and are available in six languages. His articles on various aspects of bassoon pedagogy have received international attention with publications in American, Dutch, British, and Spanish journals.