CBA Ode to Joy

Leo Radosavljevic, bass-baritone RecentThird-PrizeWinner of the International Klaudia Taev Competition in Estonia and winner of The American Prize Friedrich and Virginia Schorr Memorial Award in Voice in 2014, Bass-Baritone Leo Radosavljevic is making a name for himself as a unique performer in the world of opera. Born in Chicago Illinois, Leo spent his childhood playing piano and singing in the children’s chorus at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where his love for opera first began. He attended Juilliard from 2007-2013, receiving both BM and MM degrees in voice under Dr. Robert C. White. While at Juilliard, he sang several operatic roles including Bottom in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Simone in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, and Tobia Mill in Rossini’s La Cambiale di Matrimonio. In addition to his operatic roles, Leo received composition lessons from Dr. Phillip Lasser for much of his time at Juilliard, and received Scholastic Distinction in 2010

for his thesis, The Lieder of Ludwig van Beethoven: Introductory Studies in an Infrequently Performed Opus. In 2011, he gave the U.S. premiere of the role ofWilli Graf in Sir PeterMaxwell Davies’ Kommilitonen!, where he played piano and sang simultaneously from the stage, winning him critical acclaim fromThe New York Times. Since his time at Juilliard, Leo has performed around Europe and the United States, most recently as Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte with DuPage Opera, as Bonze in Madama Butterfly with Opera Colorado, in recital at the Ravinia Festival, as soloist with Juilliard 415, in their west coast tour and Canadian Broadcasting Company recording of Telemann’s rarely heard Die Tageszeiten. This summer he will join the roster of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, performing in Regina and La Traviata. He will then participate in the inaugural season of Teatro Nuovo, formally Bel Canto at Caramoor, as Orbazzano in Rossini’s Tancredi, conducted by Will Crutchfield. Leo currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, and is continuing his vocal studies with Julia Faulkner.

Janet Eckhardt, CBA Chorus Accompanist Accompanist Janet Eckhardt has served as accompanist for numerous professional and community choral groups and church and synagogue choirs. Currently an adjunct faculty member at North Park University, Janet also serves as staff accompanist at Moody Bible Institute. Prior to her appointment at North Park, she taught piano at Seattle Pacific University. Janet is a graduate of North Park University and the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford.

CBA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS 19