Author Archives: Alison

“An Auditory Revisualism” @ Experimental Sound Studio, June 2021

Digital explorations continue even as live performances are finally resuming. I was honored with an invitation to contribute a piece to this international virtual concert. Tune in to check out my latest music video!

What?
The Consortionist Presents: An Auditory Revisualism
Hosted by Experimental Sound Studio

When?
Friday, June 25, 2021 at 7:00pm Central Time

Where?
Streaming on Twitch — Tune in here

Who?
Artist Line-up:
Alison Cheeseman (NY)
cave__ baby (Malibu)
Tongo Eisen-Martin (SF)
Holly Hunt (Miami)
Bill Noertker’s Vhythm (SF)
Hieroglyphic Being (Chicago)
MJ Guider (New Orleans)
Alli Warren & Syd Staiti (SF)
Noel V Harmonson (SF)
Tallawit Timbouktu (Timbuktu)
Sabiwa (Taiwan)

And?
It’s free! No tickets or registration required.
$5+ suggested donation (100% goes to the artists)

Dido & Aeneas, 2022 (POSTPONED from March 2020 due to COVID-19)

What?
Dido and Aeneas, by Henry Purcell
with a prelude of Purcell’s Welcome to all the Pleasures
Presented by Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble as part of their 25th anniversary season

When?
~~Friday, March 27 at 8 pm~~
~~Saturday, March 28 at 3 pm, with reception to follow~~
POSTPONED UNTIL 2022, dates TBA

Where?
Good Shepherd-Faith Presbyterian Church (map)
152 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023

Who?
James John, Cerddorion’s Artistic Director, Conductor–Musical Director
Christopher Caines, Director/Choreographer
Cerddorion Vocal Ensemble
and a fine period band, players TBA
Philip Sandstrom, Lighting Designer
Olivia Hern, Costume Designer

— Cast —

Dido	Alison Taylor Cheeseman
Aeneas	Bradley J. King
Belinda	Merrin Lazyan
Sorceress	Jordan Rutter
Melissa, aka Second Woman	Anna Harmon
Diana (her statue and the goddess herself)	Leigh Schanfein, dancer
The Sorceress’ Familiar	Drew Paramore, actor
Aeneas’s Admiral (“1st Sailor”)	Gerard Gallagher, baritone
Sorceress’s Spirit/Witch in the guise of Mercury	Allegra Kuney, alto
Sarah (alto soloist lady-in-waiting in 7, etc.)	Jamie Carrillo, alto
Witch 1	Ellen Schorr
Witch 2	Talya Jennings

Tickets?
You can buy them online, or at the door.

Bach in Bar Thalia with Evan Shinners, March 2020

What?
Motets and more, by J.S. Bach. Says the Arbor Music Series:

Arbor Music presents a Bach Cabaret featuring some of the finest musicians in the city singing the finest vocal music ever written. Evan Shinners gives a brief tour through the vast world of Bach’s sacred vocal music showcasing the master’s unparalleled techniques of ‘word painting’.

When?
Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 6:30pm & 8:30pm

Where?
Bar Thalia (map)
Lower Level, 2537 Broadway
New York, NY 10025

Who?
“The Bach Store All-Stars”
Sopranos: Elaine Lachica and Linda Jones
Altos: Alison Cheeseman and Donna Breitzer
Tenors: Lukas Papenfusscline and Paul D’Arcy
Basses: Chris Herbert and Anicet Castel
Accordion: Ivan FIlipchyk
Gamba: Arnie Tanimoto
Violins: Tatiana Chulochiknova and Jeremy Rhizor
Viola: Colin Brooks
Guitar: Ming-Jui Liu
Conductor: Evan Shinners

And?
For more information and for tickets, see https://www.symphonyspace.org/events/vp-arbor-music-series-2. There’s also a Facebook Event.

Stonewall, New York City Opera, June 2019

I was honored and delighted to be a part of New York City Opera’s world premiere of Stonewall, by Iain Bell and Mark Campbell, covering the role of Sarah (sung by Liz Bouk). Performances took place June 21-28, 2019, honoring the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.

Backstage at NYCO’s “Pride in the Park” celebration, with members of the cast.

Where?
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater (map)
Time Warner Center
10 Columbus Circle, NY, NY 10019

Who?
Iain Bell, Composer
Mark Campbell, Librettist
Carolyn Kuan, Conductor
Leonard Foglia, Director
Richard Stafford, Choreographer

The talented and beautifully diverse cast of singers and actors featured Joseph Charles Beutel, Andrew Bidlack, Liz Bouk, Lisa Chavez, Michael Corvino, Jessica Fishenfeld, Marc Heller, Brian James Myer, Jordan Weatherston Pitts, and Justin Ryan. For more information, see https://nycopera.com/stonewall/.

Song & Dance with Christopher Caines, May/June 2019

What?
listen out loud / move to keep things whole
I’ll be singing four original settings of sonnets to accompany the exquisite dancers of Christopher Caines Dance Company, on a program that also features music by Pauline Oliveros and Paul Kerekes. Variously scored for piano, flute, and clarinet, the songs are musical readings of poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Christian Wiman, Sir Thomas Wyatt, and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning.

When?
Saturday, 18 May 2019, 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, 23 May 2019, 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, 1 June 2019, 8:00 p.m.

Where?
Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan (map)
334 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10023

Who?
Christopher Caines Dance: Elisa Toro Franky, Silken Kelly, Mayu Oguri, Jacob Taylor, Amanda Treiber, and Michelle Vargo, joined by students from the New York Theatre Ballet School
Marija Ilic, piano
Kelley Barnett, flutes
Eric Umble/Vicente Alexim, clarinets

Tickets?
Click here to buy them online

And?
Appearing as guests are The Bang Group in a New York premiere by David Parker, a recent revival by Parker of a work by James Waring, and a new duet by Amber Sloan.

Die Zauberflöte with Opera in Williamsburg, May 2019

What?
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by W. A. Mozart
With Yours Truly as the Third Spirit, aka 3. Knabe, aka member of the suicide-prevention trio.

When?
Sunday, 5 May 2019, 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, 7 May 2019, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, 9 May 2019, 7:00 p.m.

Where?
The Kimball Theatre (map)
428 W Duke of Gloucester St.
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Who?
Opera in Williamsburg
Jorge Parodi, conductor & music director
Eve Summer, director
. . . And a cast of thousands! Ok, not quite, but it’s a big cast. See the OiW website for more info.

Tickets?
Click here to buy them online.

And?
In this opera, the characters are easily dissuaded from self-harm, but in real life it’s not necessarily so simple. As the National Institute of Mental Health puts it, “If You Know Someone in Crisis: Call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (NSPL) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The service is available to everyone. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the NSPL’s website.”

Bach with the Helena Symphony Orchestra, February 2019

I’m thrilled to be headed west in February for two performances as the Alto/Soprano II soloist Bach’s magnificent Mass in B minor.

What?
Bach’s Mass in B minor, BWV 232

Who?
Allan R. Scott, conductor
Alison Taylor Cheeseman, mezzo-soprano
Rachel E. Copeland, soprano
Johnathan Weyant, tenor
Peter Kendall Clark, baritone
Helena Symphony Orchestra & Chorale

When?
Sunday, 24 February 2019, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, 25 February 2019, 7:30 p.m.

Where?
Cathedral of Saint Helena
530 N Ewing St, Helena, MT 59601 (map)

Tickets?
Available for purchase through the HSO website — click here!

Springtime! Galas and more

If you’re looking for musical diversion in the coming weeks, here’s a quick roundup of my springtime antics:

You’ll find me at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on April 9, 7:30pm for a program entitled “Immigrants – A Celebration of What Makes New York Great“. The Cathedral Choir joins forces with instrumental ensemble Rose of the Compass to perform works by composers including Vincent Persichetti, whose parents came from Italy and Germany; F. Melius Christiansen, the great founder of the St. Olaf Choir; Rebecca Clarke and Tarik O’Regan, who both emigrated from the British Isles; Jean Berger from Germany; and Igor Stravinksy from Russia. Click here for more information.

April 11-17 it’s time for some fun at the Philharmonic! I’ll be a member of the chorus for five performances in which the Oscar-winning movie Amadeus will be projected on a giant screen while the New York Philharmonic plays the soundtrack, live. Click for details.

Later in the month, on Saturday, April 28 in Short Hills, NJ, I’ll be singing opera arias and duets with baritone Daniel Hoy at a gala fundraiser to benefit All The Way Up!, an Adult Education Center in Newark. The following weekend, on May 5, I will join the Christopher Caines Dance company along with pianist Paul Kerekes and other fine musicians for a special dance-and-music installation performance (followed by a party!) in a grand apartment on the Upper East Side with sweeping views of the East River. Space is limited. Buy your tickets now!.

The Barber of Seville, July 2018

Ready for a road trip? I’ll be spending the month of July in beautiful Geneva, New York with the Geneva Light Opera Company, appearing as Berta (and covering Rosina) in a production of Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.

What?
Rossini’s The Barber of Seville (Il barbiere di Siviglia),
performed in English with chamber orchestra.

When?
Thursday, July 26 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, July 28 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 29 at 3:00 pm

Where?
The Smith Opera House
82 Seneca St, Geneva, NY 14456

Who?
James Blachly, Conductor
Benjamin Spierman, Stage Director

— Cast —

Rosina	Sarah Nordin
Berta	Alison Cheeseman
Count Almaviva	Alexey Kukharskiy
Figaro	Jimi James
Dr. Bartolo	Valerian Ruminski
Don Basilio	Tyler Putnam
Fiorello	Nicholas Kilkenny
Giunone	Erik Danielson
Police Officer	Taylor Kirk
Ambrosius	Nicholas Kilkenny

Tickets?
Click here to buy them online.

And Whatnot?
Perhaps you will use your visit to the Smith this month as an opportunity to scope out the venue and figure out where you want to sit when you come back for the Red Hot Chilli Pipers next spring!

Mozart Requiem, January 2018

On January the 28th, I had the pleasure of joining the Mineola Choral Society, led by Thomas W. Jones, in a performance of Mozart’s Requiem. I was the alto soloist, singing with the marvelous Tanya Roberts, soprano; Benjamin Krumreig, tenor; and Edward Hanlon, bass. The chorus and orchestra also performed other works by Mozart, Fauré, Bruckner, et al. It was a delightful afternoon of music at the St. Catherine of Sienna Church in Franklin Square, NY. Bravi tutti!