In a career spanning twenty years, American soprano Karen Clift has sung with numerous North American symphony orchestras and many of the great conductors of our time. In diverse venues from Carnegie Hall to winery caves in Napa Valley, she has sung the concert, operatic, chamber and recital repertoire to high acclaim, and is particularly known for the clarity and beauty of her tone and the power of her expression. She is featured on two Telarc recordings with the Boston Baroque, which were nominated for Grammy awards. She is a committed performer of new works, having performed many premieres written for her voice, which The New Yorker describes as "velvet-toned."


John Churchwell enjoys a career on the concert stage as well as in the nation's leading opera houses. He is assistant conductor for the Metropolitan Opera and a member of the music staff of the San Francisco Opera. His former associations include Wolf Trap Opera, Berkshire Opera, Minnesota Opera and Minnesota Orchestra. A champion of American music, he has participated in the world premieres of John Harbison's The Great Gatsby and Jake Heggie's Dead Man Walking.

Karen Clift and John Churchwell met as music students at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada. Since that first collaboration in the late 80's, the singer/pianist duo has gone on to perform countless recitals throughout the country. In their return to the WYO Theater, they will perform an exquisite, all American program of art song, folksongs and spirituals. Joined by Gary DePaolo, principal violist of the Wyoming Symphony, they will perform a set of folksongs arranged by Alan Smith. Other composers featured include the incomparable Samuel Barber and award-winning Minnesota composer David Evan Thomas. From Billie Holiday's haunting "Strange Fruit" to spirituals set by John Carter and Marvin Mills, followed by songs of Ohio's lyrical composer H. Leslie Adams, the second half celebrates great African American poetry and music, old and new.

Sponsors: Dr. & Mrs. Charles Walter, The Sheridan Press with additional donations from Gene & Kandi Davis and John & Jin Patton