University Calendar

Presenting music of Haydn, Strauss, Debussy, Berlioz, Massenet and Menotti

Karen Driscoll’s numerous performances throughout North America have included the title role in Massenet's Manon for Florida Grand Opera and Florentine Opera, Mimi in La Bohème, Susannah, and Despina in Cosi fan tutte for L'Opéra de Montréal, Tatyana in Eugene Onegin for the Seattle Opera, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte for the Baltimore Opera, Nedda in I Pagliacci and Micaëla in Carmen for the Hawaii Opera Theater, Antonia in Les Contes d'Hoffman for Palm Beach Opera, and her debut with Long Beach Opera as Sieglinde and Gutrune in Jonathan Dove's Ring Saga. She has won many prestigious awards including the Grand Prize in the Lee Schaenen Foundation competition and the Gilbert Artist of the Year Award from the Florida Grand Opera. In addition, she was a competition winner with Opera Columbus, Connecticut Opera, Young Patronesses of the Opera in Miami, Florida, and a regional runner-up in the National Society of Arts and Letters competition. Ms. Driscoll is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and completed her course work for a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance.

Pianist April Kuhr received undergraduate degrees in piano performance and accompanying from Pacific Lutheran University and a masters degree in piano performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music. As a Rotary International "Graduate Fellow", she studied at the Konservatorium der Stadt, Wien in Vienna, Austria. Active as a soloist and chamber musician, Ms. Kuhr has performed in Austria, Germany and Italy, as well as throughout the US, including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall with baritone, Duncan Harman. Recent projects include a solo performance at the Chopin 200 Piano Festival in New York City, a solo piano recital for the Mason County Community Concerts Association, violin/piano duo recitals with Michael Gillette, Susan Heerema and Marya Columbia, oboe and piano and organ performances with Robert LeClair and trumpet/organ duo recitals with Dominic Derasse. Ms. Kuhr is Director of Music at Saint Cecilia's Church in Englewood, NJ. She has served as organist and choir master for the Catholic Chapel at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where her duties included training and touring with a choir of West Point Cadets. She has also served on the faculties of Hamilton College, Muskingum College, Stephens College and the State University of New York.