Arwen Myers

Executive & co-Artistic Director / soprano

Praised for her “crystalline tone and delicate passagework” (San Francisco Chronicle), soprano Arwen Myers captivates audiences with her timeless artistry and exquisite interpretations. Transmitting a warmth and “deep poignancy” (Palm Beach Arts Paper) onstage, Arwen shines in solo performance across the US and beyond. With outstanding technique and mastery of a wide range of vocal colors, Arwen’s dazzling oratorio and solo appearances feature repertoire from the baroque to modern day, and everything in between. Her history includes appearances with Portland Baroque Orchestra, Early Music Vancouver, Pacific MusicWorks, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, & Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, working with such notable conductors as Nicholas McGegan, Monica Huggett, David Fallis, John Butt, David Hill, Scott Allen Jarrett, Erick Lichte & Matthew Dirst. Of her title role in Handel’s Semele with American Bach Soloists Academy in 2018, San Francisco Classical Voice noted, “some of these star turns were shiny indeed, with soprano Arwen Myers leading the way... her musicality and demure demeanor remained a renewable pleasure.” Learn more

Laura Beckel Thoreson

co-Artistic Director / mezzo-soprano

Hailed as “one of the loveliest voices in the Northwest” (Oregon ArtsWatch), contralto Laura Beckel Thoreson enjoys a widely varied singing career in the USA and abroad, spanning opera, oratorio, recital, and ensemble performances. She has appeared with such groups as Portland Opera, Eugene Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Early Music Vancouver, Oregon Symphony, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Orchestra Seattle, Naples Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and more. She has been a solo guest recitalist at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and has performed internationally in Canada, England, Scotland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. An avid proponent of new music, Ms. Thoreson is a frequent collaborator with composers, participating frequently in world premiere performances and appearing on Billboard Top-Ten recordings. A graduate of Central Washington University and Indiana University’s prestigious Jacobs School of Music, Ms. Thoreson was a member of the voice faculty at the University of Portland for four years, and now holds a faculty position at Clark College, and maintains a full private voice studio in addition to her active performing schedule. Learn more

Susan McDaniel

piano

Susan McDaniel has appeared widely as soloist and chamber musician, including recitals in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. She received a B.A. in music from Linfield College, where she studied with Jill Timmons, and a M.M. in vocal accompanying from Manhattan School of Music, where she was a student of Warren Jones. Susan has been a member of the music staff at Seattle Opera, Portland Opera, and Utah Festival Opera as well as music director and pianist for the San Diego Opera Ensemble, Off-Center Opera (Seattle), and Puget Sound Concert Opera. She teaches and accompanies at the University of Portland, Linfield College, and the Atlantic Music Festival in Waterville, Maine. In addition to her work with singers, Susan is the resident pianist for Thursdays at Three, All Classical Portland's live performance radio show, and a member of the newly-formed Northwest Piano Trio.